All along :) :) :) :)......

Sitting around a pile of books, propped in my hand was an old copy of chetan bhagat's ," 2 states".My mind instantly raced back a few years ago.I was in my 5th semester in my college when this book was launched. I remember reading a lot about the upcoming book and was very keen on buying a copy of it :) And like all good things I received one copy of that book for my birthday as a gift :) :) Needless to say I was swelling with happyness :) And then, began my rendezvous with the book...

A sneeze from the dust gathered around the pile of books around me brought me back to reality.

I was rearranging the books in my new house :) Amidst all the papering and arranging, the book, temporarily took me on a little trip down the memory lane :)

My love for books and bookshelves date back right to my school days :) I grew up with fancy and trendy bookshelves in my room. My mom had a canny ability to pick bookshelves which would always standout distinctly , so , it was only natural that I  grew up to be like her :)

In every house we lived so far, in every room I shared with my sister, we always had a book shelf :) Many a times it was not a book shelf as such, it was a slab or a makeshift shelf, or a cozy little corner which doubled as a bookshelf :)

Papering the bookshelf , dusting the book cover, lining them on the shelf are some of the little things which always gave me big happyness :) :) 

Every book is a lovely piece of memory. As I take and place them on the rack, I can't help reminiscing the special bond I shared with that book.Some of them could be gifts, some could be special editions, some might have been passed down in the family and some like my beloved harry potter series were brought by standing endlessly in the bookstore queue.

Looking @ the book, the characters come racing back into my mind, reminding me of the endless nights I lost sleep over speculating and connecting the plot in the book ,wondering what would happen to the characters in the book long after having read the last chapter, and creating my own sequences with the plot beyond the pages of the book was one of my favorite pastime :) It takes crazy book lovers to re live the book just by looking @ the cover :) and trust me, if you are one such, then, you will definitely understand what I am taking about :)

It is surprising how book memories can be so strong and powerful. Years later when you open your once favourite book, turn the yellowed pages of the book, when an old greeting card or a  note slips from the book reminding you of something so special and near to you, are those little instances that makes life so precious and worth living :)

Its time I get back to my papering and arranging :) :) And next week I have a carton full of books from my husbands collection arriving home :) :)

Cheers,

Sandy :)