Memories Of A Bookworm

First of all this is my first blog of this year. So I will like to start with greeting my Blogdosts Happy New Year for next 10 months that remain and all the best for next month, its March and don’t even get me started.

It is rightly said that I you have nothing sensible to say , you always have the option to shut up. I chose latter for last couple of months, but something happened that got me nostalgic yesterday. The thing was finished re-reading of 3 mistakes of my life, and I got nostalgic about how I finished the book overnight in June of 2008. This is the story of how I managed a coup of finishing the book on the trot.

To understand this story lets travel back a couple of years. The year is 2006, I am newly admitted to Engineering College and by now I had good experience of reading books. But my reading was dominated mostly by Marathi but English books that I read would be counted on figures. And when I visited college the bookworms in this city were busy flaunting Atlas Shrugged, Tale Of Two Cities, Who Moved My Cheese and I was totally unaware , so I could not participate in the discussion . But somewhere deep down I felt urge of reading books in languages known. I made friends with brat who would buy books for a showoff. I requested him to get me Atlas Shrugged and he did. Now the thing with it was certain momentum is required to read through the pages back to back, but before that momentum is reached it was "Learn-The-Word" exercise for me. With Ayn Rand , a new reader might  get struck at two words in every sentence. So by default I carried a dictionary in my sack and a notebook. Not only I wrote the words I was struck at but every night I re-read the sentences where I was struck and try to bludgeon my newly added sense to it. I finished the book and I felt happy.  I took double time to read it but most  of all I gained confidence in bits that I could finish a English Book , if things go only according to my schedule. I kept on reading things over and over during first semester. Thankfully it didn’t affect my studies. One reason for being so was that I did not have a laptop during that time. So only entertainment was to be with friends or be in reading room. I choose latter.

During the next semester I noticed an interesting thing. The guy who never read any book  told be about the first novel he read. I thought he was bragging just to add reading feather in his hat. But to my shock the guy was serious. I couldn't help but ask who and most importantly what did he read.  He answered both my questions,

He said:-"Dude, I read Chetan Bhagat and his first novel '5 Point Someone'"

 I shrugged "Five Point What"

"Five Point Someone,  kept me engaging for a week"

"When did u start reading books?"

"I haven't but reading first couple of pages got me glued and past week was best week I have had since days."

"U said Chetan Bhagat rite"

"Yeah."

"Alright. "

C-Bag

Nope it did not ring a bell. Indian Author writing in English was not a thing. But someone who is not interested in reading finished this book and felt happy about it. I was reading The Da-Vinci  Code during that time which I finished very early , a couple of days before I scheduled it to finish. I wanted to read something in English written by Indian Author. I went to Net Café wiki'd Chetan Bhagat. Not only did I read about him but also his books. Two were published. What got me interested in his case he was an Mechanical Engineer. I was studying in 4th semester of Mechanical Engineering. Gosh ….The glitch was clear, I had missed the fun of reading his books .

The story I was about to tell is between me and C-Bag's third book " 3 Mistakes Of My Life". During college days mass bunk was a tradition. On one such day of mass bunk I was left stranded. Laptop had entered my life so reading was meager. The score without laptop was 1 book per month reduced to one book per semester . Final year first semester. I didn’t even have a "Books to read " list. So plan during most of the mass bunk was actually to go to a movie. I went to multiplex with my friends, parked my vehicle , but before going to box office I requested my friends to first go to crossword. Since the movie was not running full-house so  guys agreed. At that point I saw this book Three Mistakes of My Life and book chose me. The money which was meant for ticket was spent on a book. I told the guys that I am not going to watch the movie and took all the criticism that came my way for ruining the plans. Oh yes , I do that a lot. Come on guys , Rock On could be watched later but reading was , is and always will be my priority number 1. I don’t regret dumping the movie plan and opting a book.

This was first time I read a book on a trot and finished it overnight.

My roommate asked "Are u OK ? Exams are due for Dec ." He had obvious point. The reason I got nostalgic was I re-read that book yesterday. I so wanted to say in one night , but I could not. Mass Bunk  is not greatest virtue of corporate life. The office timings are 11am to 7:15pm minimum, but by any possible calculation it takes 8 to get to home. Since last 2 nights am sleeping at 4am in the morning and Call Of Duty 4 has nothing to do with it. When I read the novel first divided it in Pre-Vidya and Post-Vidya  stages. I did pre-vidya day before yesterday and post- vidya yesterday. Felt the same happiness I did when I read it first.

What great coincidence I dumped a Abhishek Kapoor movie(Rock ON) to read the novel, and now I re-read that novel to go to movie of Abhishek Kapoor. I am not expecting anything from the movie but I will still see it and I will not review it. I have done my job.

For guys out there , never judge a book by its movie. However good the movie is the book is the best. Treat Yourself , if u will!!!