Why do I have so many books, a friend once asked. Why do you spend on books when you can spend somewhere else, another unfortunate soul said. These are expensive, said yet another one.
Little do these people, and countless others, know what it is like to own, and read, a book.
Yes, I just ‘look’ at most of what I buy but I look over and over again since most of what I have are those on photography, pre and post Partition India, on the arts, the railway, automobiles and the two Great Wars.
More than just looking, these are great companions to have around the house – in the living room, the study, the bedroom, and just about anywhere, knowing they would never resist being picked up and looked at.
They never sleep, they do not rest and are always there, ready to be in your hands.
What more could one ask for, especially on the weekends, when there is precious little outdoor activity in the blistering heat?
As a wise man once said: “The reading of all good books is like having a conversation of the finest men and women.”