The naked winter trees lined up the hill-side road. The winter wind howled and it bit her frozen cheeks. It was getting darker but she took small steps to reach her destination. Streetlights were looking misty in the fog. The streets slept under a blanket of thin layer of snow. The milky white moon which had just appeared looked like an ornament in the dark sky.
She stood in front of her destination, her eyes were shining. It was the town's oldest book-store, the one located at the other side of the city, the one she'd walk down to every fortnight when she got her pocket-money, the one she'd buy her books from, the one place she came to, no matter how the weather was. She was a writer, the one who'd write things, stories, poems, thoughts or drew scribbles in her worn out red coloured journal. That was her little secret which she decided to let out someday.
She stepped in.
The smell of old and new books lured her. The old shopkeeper smiled when he saw her, he knew how dearly she loved those black characters on those white pages. She was looking for her new companion, her new book, when she heard someone call her. It was a familiar face. The tall boy, with geeky glasses and a red muffler was from her school. He was Aryav, the school's Head-Boy and one of the most popular faces. She wondered why he called out her name and how he knew her name at the first place.
"I heard you often come here. This is my uncle's shop. It's quite surprising to see people our age indulged into reading. You seem to be someone who loves books and reading, and of course, uncle told me how you visit this old bookhouse every fortnight. It really surprised me. In this age of social media, when internet has taken over everything, I always wonder how some people still love books. You seem like the best person who can answer me Noor.", Aryav said, hoping for a satisfactory reply.
"Seems like I have missed out a lot. Let me find a book to read. How about this one, this red one in your hand?", he asked.
"Certainly not this one, but I can help you with getting one. Why don't you try this?" She gave him Erich Segal's Love story, her all time favourite.
"But why not that?", the curious man inside him was restless.
"Someday, you would." And she smiled, one day her dream would turn into reality.
And slowly, they became the best of friends.
____________________________________
Seven years later, Aryav sat in his uncle's bookstore with a book in his hand. It was a best-seller. The title was "My Little Red Book" by "Noor Kapoor." He now understood why she didn't let him read that book some years back. He had fallen in love with books and characters. He fell in love with untold stories and unusual sagas. He couldn't thank her enough, for had she not met him that day, he'd never know how precious those stories printed on golden pages are.
He opened the first-page of her book and saw, "To someone who wanted this to be the first book he reads. I hope he reads it and goes back to our little conversation, down the memory lane."
And he saw someone enter the bookshop. His happiness knew no bounds. It was the best-selling author herself, It was Noor, the girl who opened a world of possibilities, a world of reality, a realm of imagination, a twist of both worlds for him. She was someone he started loving for her little act. No words of his could thank her for how she changed him. He smiled and walked towards her.
She was living her dream. And he didn't knew that he was a little figment of it, the one she kept inside her. And she walked upto him, to let out her secret, to express her love. And the love which they felt inside was all because of books, those beautiful creatures.
She stood in front of her destination, her eyes were shining. It was the town's oldest book-store, the one located at the other side of the city, the one she'd walk down to every fortnight when she got her pocket-money, the one she'd buy her books from, the one place she came to, no matter how the weather was. She was a writer, the one who'd write things, stories, poems, thoughts or drew scribbles in her worn out red coloured journal. That was her little secret which she decided to let out someday.
She stepped in.
The smell of old and new books lured her. The old shopkeeper smiled when he saw her, he knew how dearly she loved those black characters on those white pages. She was looking for her new companion, her new book, when she heard someone call her. It was a familiar face. The tall boy, with geeky glasses and a red muffler was from her school. He was Aryav, the school's Head-Boy and one of the most popular faces. She wondered why he called out her name and how he knew her name at the first place.
"I heard you often come here. This is my uncle's shop. It's quite surprising to see people our age indulged into reading. You seem to be someone who loves books and reading, and of course, uncle told me how you visit this old bookhouse every fortnight. It really surprised me. In this age of social media, when internet has taken over everything, I always wonder how some people still love books. You seem like the best person who can answer me Noor.", Aryav said, hoping for a satisfactory reply.
"Well then Mister you haven't yet discovered the happiness these little creatures give you. The smell of books can never be replaced. The fictional characters, they aren't just imaginary, they live inside us, forever. The stories of these books walk along us and change us in unimaginable ways. You can cry, laugh, love, dance, feel every emotion when you jump inside a book. The pain of ending a story can only be cured by the start of a new chapter of another book. And people, they leave, they hurt, books, they do hurt but never leave. And you know what, the times you feel alone, pick out any book and turn any random page,read out some lines, a smile will light up your face. Books are eternal love Aryav. And if you think I am wrong, try reading one. You might end up having one of the best experiences of your life." Noor said, opening up a new door for Aryav.
"Seems like I have missed out a lot. Let me find a book to read. How about this one, this red one in your hand?", he asked.
"Certainly not this one, but I can help you with getting one. Why don't you try this?" She gave him Erich Segal's Love story, her all time favourite.
"But why not that?", the curious man inside him was restless.
"Someday, you would." And she smiled, one day her dream would turn into reality.
And slowly, they became the best of friends.
____________________________________
Seven years later, Aryav sat in his uncle's bookstore with a book in his hand. It was a best-seller. The title was "My Little Red Book" by "Noor Kapoor." He now understood why she didn't let him read that book some years back. He had fallen in love with books and characters. He fell in love with untold stories and unusual sagas. He couldn't thank her enough, for had she not met him that day, he'd never know how precious those stories printed on golden pages are.
He opened the first-page of her book and saw, "To someone who wanted this to be the first book he reads. I hope he reads it and goes back to our little conversation, down the memory lane."
And he saw someone enter the bookshop. His happiness knew no bounds. It was the best-selling author herself, It was Noor, the girl who opened a world of possibilities, a world of reality, a realm of imagination, a twist of both worlds for him. She was someone he started loving for her little act. No words of his could thank her for how she changed him. He smiled and walked towards her.
She was living her dream. And he didn't knew that he was a little figment of it, the one she kept inside her. And she walked upto him, to let out her secret, to express her love. And the love which they felt inside was all because of books, those beautiful creatures.
