For the love of a book

There is a charm...a kind of soft thrill about holding a new book...and to slowly open it..wondering what new worlds you will visit...what part of you will you discover somewhere lost in the lines of the book...I am of the firm belief that each book that you ever come across..will leave you a changed person!maybe the change in you is minuscule..hardly noticeable..but a change ..there is ,of this fact there is no doubt....reading is the way to travel thru seven seas without moving even seven inches!!!The right kind of book can light your imagination...leaving you a changed person..opening to you a world of infinite possibilities!!And there are some magical books..which are nothing but mirrors which disclose that face of yours which you didnt know existed:).Opening a book is like opening the windows of your minds..so that your ideas like pigeons can fly in freedom!!!And some times its like pottery..where you build new thoughts..piece by lovely piece..with loving gentle hands..and sometimes its like painting in progress ...vivid,colorful brush strokes telling about long forgotten memories with each page turned...there have been a thousands of times..when I am reading about some character(sometimes real..many times fictional)..and suddenly I realize,that its me!!I am reading about myself written by someone who is blissfully unaware of my existence!!!I have sailed alongside pirates,faced rough seas,fallen in love with knights who fought deadly dragons in hope of pleasing their lady love....shared the thrill of discovering ancient treasures, felt fear running up my spine...when at last the killer is discovered,experienced the pain of heartache and the repercussions of being stupid( this while reading 100s of M&Bs:)),felt the creeping dread along with cold-war spies...every adventure,every emotion,every thrill in the comfort of my reading chair..my feet tucked under my old razaai..and more often than not..a steaming cup of tea,keeping me company!!!And it sometimes happens that books become doors to a new phase in your life..Enid Blyton was my stepping stone to childhood fantasies(I was crazy abt her books on Mallory towers).I had(still do..but now covered in a quilt of dust) an exhaustive collection of all her books.I distinctly remember when in 8th standard,my mom gave me my first romance novel..a 50 page book called"A girl like Liz".To me it will remain one of the most beautifully written books and dear to heart.Its nostalgic..becoz it triggered my transition from a lolly-pop loving child to a girl (who still loves lolly-pop)but who, also houses in her a hundred million dreams!!!You may wonder whats so great abt this book..well,actually nothing!!its a typical boy meets gal..they hate each other..and then they fall in love and all's well that ends well!!!But now when i look back...i see that the beauty of this book lies in its simplicity...in the first 10 pages,the author etches her characters so well,you feel that you have known them all your life...and they remain loyal to their nature till the very end!!!Sometimes I wonder,what if i had chosen a trashy book as my first one?!?!...may be i would have been a different person now!!!Or maybe today i wouldnt have been in a situation to claim to be the proud owner of a vast collection of books!!!In many ways this book was my "tipping point"(as Malcom Gladwell would say)..and i only have my Mom to thank for ...her wisdom in giving me a book which was simple..and also a perfect example of how a book should be written!!Now i have read great love stories like"Pride and prejudice","Far from the madding crowd","Sense and sensibility","Persuasion","These old shades,"Beauvallet","The devils' cub"(yes!i am a major fan of Georgette Heyer)...but I always pick up this old 50 odd page book..from this unknown author..whenever real experiences hurt me,or I am feeling disillusioned with matters of heart...or my picture of love starts looking less rosy.. and this books never fails to repair my rose-tinted glasses...it gently soothes ...takes away all my worries..put my rose tinted glasses back on my nose and whispers gently"my silly lil gal,of course,love is for real!"!!! dream away!!!