I never had a knack for reading books. Even during my school days, I used to cram reference books and then sit exams. For me, reading a book was equivalent to taking sleeping pills, the moment I opened a book, my seemingly endless voyage never quite made it past the very first page.
Somehow, I completed my final year of school and got myself enrolled in English Honors. Somehow, I huffed and puffed my way past the first semester by cramming guides and notes, because a sudden transformation into an avid reader would have been devastating for my mental health. However, the second semester proved to be the turning point in my life. Everything completely changed, forever.
The first complete book I read in my life was Odysseus. The name of this epic compelled me to read the book; however, its size suggested otherwise. I eventually made it through (alive!) with the help of rigorous lectures. It was a fun read, albeit a slightly difficult one for someone who was just getting acquainted with books for the first time in his life. Then I was introduced to my first love: Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. That was an absolute peach of a novel! It just drew me toward itself. I was enthralled, so much so that I ended up reading 50 pages in a single sitting!
I was amazed at how I was able to feel every bit of it – every bit of emotion, every bit of suspense, every bit of the feeling that the book conveyed. It was like I was not reading the book, but could, in fact, see everything unfold right before my eyes. With every page, tension piled up and so did the thrill. The moment you thought of a certain character as the murderer, Agatha Christie gave you reasons aplenty to think again.
The revelation of the culprit was shocking. I was entranced till the very last word (and I mean it), but the detective inside me failed miserably at every single twist that the book presented. I was shocked, thrilled and intrigued. That feeling was new to me.
It was Agatha Christie who turned me into an ardent reader. Reading her novels has definitely improved my deductive skills. Reading gives me the much-needed respite from the monotony of everyday life.
What started as a one-time activity somehow became a beautiful habit. If you are someone who does not find reading amusing, then you are yet to find the right book – your right book.
Thank you so much for sharing your short but amusing story with us, Rishabh! We hope that your story will motivate millions of young readers to give books a chance to captivate them.
For all our Indian readers – whether young or old – here’s your chance to share your story with us! We would love to know what prompted you to start reading, for every story is a beautiful one. Wouldn’t it be amazing if yours could inspire others to delve into the magical world of books?