Inside Story
Harper's Bazaar India|June 2017

Nonita Kalra on how the books in her grandfather’s study helped her discover the stories of her family

Inside Story

My very first memory was of words.

I remember looking at the spine of a book and the alphabet turned into words. Words turned into language. It was such a thrilling moment that I held that knowledge to myself. It was the first secret I kept.

Later I wondered if this was perhaps a learned memory— a gift I gave to an intractable middle child with a disturbing penchant for brutal honesty. In fact, I seemed born to angst. I didn’t have much time for people and their peculiarities. I wanted to be left alone to live in a world of my making. And books gave those dreams wings.

Every birthday my mother and I would walk down to a rather ambitiously named books and stationery store called Elite. There I would select six hardcover books. Given that I had spent the last year mentally stocking my library, you would think it wouldn’t take us too much time. But it did. I would caress each book, stick my nose in each page to inhale the smell of paper, and then insist on having each one gift wrapped, individually. Only when I finished one would I unwrap the other. It made me feel as if I had a birthday all year long. And attending my party were Elizabeth Bennet, Emma, Mr Darcy, Lorna Doone, Edmond Dantes, and Amyas Leigh. For as long as I can remember, these books were my best friends.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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