Bookoholic

“I’m getting bored!” It was the 20th time in a day that 5 year old Mimi complained to her mom. Multiple rounds of sleeping, eating, playing, watching TV was already done and dusted and there was still ample of time left. The bright light of the warm summer day of her vacation still stared hard at Mimi’s blank face. She didn’t know what to do anymore. (Thank God this is an incident of another era with no electronic gadgets otherwise this story would not have existed at all!).

“Take this book and get lost!” her irritated mum thrust a book in her hand with a plate of guavas. Moms are always busy, this era or that. She had no time for Mimi’s constant pestering among the loads of chores she had to finish. And to her defense, she had tried! She just spotted this book on the couch and gave it to her along with a snack hoping her boredom is somehow conquered. Mimi took the book and lay on the bed. It was a comic book of a visiting cousin who forgot to take it back with him.

Mimi loved the colorful cover. It was the story of a detective whose investigative skills lay on a hat he used to wear. He tapped the hat and lo! The mystery was solved. It was difficult for her to believe that such a thing was possible but that is the magic of books. They make you see the impossible, where fantasies become real and you can travel to places you never have been before! She kept munching on the guava and turning the pages and was lost in a make believe world far more exciting than the real one.

Mimi’s mom was curious. There was no sign of her daughter till evening. She was surprised to find her on the bed glued to the book. She was happy since she got a spell to break the boredom of her dear daughter. Books!

There was no looking back from here after. Mimi and her books were a constant companion. Books were a refuge that had the capacity to break her boredom, loneliness and sadness. She could lose herself in the pages of a book for hours and return back to the real world all rejuvenated!