The Library that Tele-ported me into the World of Books

Books have a unique power to transform us. They open doors to new worlds, introduce us to unforgettable characters, and challenge the way we think. My journey into the world of literature started as a simple curiosity and grew into a lifelong passion. This blog is where I share that journey, exploring the stories that shaped me and the lessons I learned along the way. Besides school books I was exposed to true fiction only at a library. And this was not the regular school library. This one was part of the 'leisure' setup established by the local organisation where my father was posted when he served the Indian Army. I was in middle school when on a fine sunny day I happened to accompany my father to his office. He was supposed to meet someone senior, so he dropped me off at the library and asked the attendant to let me be till he is done with the meeting. Thus, it happened by chance that I came across this library and discovered the world of books.

The meeting dragged on for more than an hour and I found myself exploring the printed paper of different qualities bound together in various shapes, sizes, colours, formats & of course - content. I began with the newspapers & magazines lying on the coffee table. Current affairs didn’t appeal to me much at the time, nor did the coverage of sports. My eyes eventually moved on to explore the long line of neatly stacked book-cases, covered in transparent glass doors secured safe with locks, the keys of which would obviously be kept with the librarian, I assumed. There were so many of them, stretching from the entrance all the way to the end of the hall that seemed like a football field away. I felt like I had been ‘tele-ported’ to an entirely different world – the World of Books! After browsing through some bookcases I came across a section of coffee-table collectors books. Replete with a wide range of world-class photographs clicked by renowned professional photographers from around the world. But alas! I could merely gape at their titles and what little I could peer at from outside the bookcase. Thought I’d take my chances with the librarian and put on my friendliest smile and a gait in my walk as I went up to his desk and ask for access to the particular bookcase I liked. After hearing me on which bookcase I wanted opened he simply replied saying “that one is only available for the library members”, and I was not one. Not to be taken lightly I asked him if my father is a member could I borrow some. He confirmed that the ‘coffee-table’ lot of books were meant for ‘eyes only’ and hence could only be read in the library. Though for him to let me have a look at them he will need to confirm with my father if he was a member, for which we obviously had to wait till my father was back from his meeting.

With no option but to wait I took my time whiling away. After a few minutes I noticed the librarian was called out by someone and he stepped out. I think it was for lunch. With nothing better to do I sneaked around his desk and came upon a wonderful sight. The keys to the bookcases were neatly placed up on a line of hooks with numbers below them indicating the bookcase they belonged to. I quickly rushed to the bookcase I liked and made a mental note of its number sticker pasted on it, ran back to the librarian’s desk, picked up the keychain I needed and was back at the bookcase in no time. After quickly opening it up I ran back to the librarian’s desk and placed the key back in its holder and as quickly as possible made my way back to the bookcase, all the while sneaking a back-glance to check if the librarian was returning.

Once back at the bookcase I slowly opened the section I wanted a book from and slowly removed the heavy-set collector’s item on Nature, holding it carefully in my hands as I slid back into the seat. As I opened the huge book the feeling was magnanimous. The weight of the book to begin with, made me feel it’s ‘importance’. The rich & smooth quality of the thick paper made me feel I was looking at something truly a ‘collector’s item’. The photographs. They came alive as I turned every page. I had never seen such stark clarity in a photograph before, especially as my eyes were used to school books and the local newspaper. While I was engrossed in my soiree I noticed the librarian had returned to his desk. I quickly picked up a large magazine and hid the book I held inside it so anybody facing me could only see me holding the oversized magazine and not the book I was gawking at. He peeped in to where I was seated then went back to his desk going about his routine. I took the opportunity to quickly slide back the book in the same spot of the bookcase, facing the same direction as I found it. And quietly went back to my ‘magazine’ browsing.

For some reason, a while later the librarian went about doing the rounds of the library, pulling at the doors of each bookcase. I could feel my heart beat faster as he approached to where I was seated. I told myself to keep calm as nothing & nobody could pin me down with having a look at one of the library’s finest nature pics collection. Just then he pulled at the door of the bookcase near me and it opened! He was taken by surprise and stood there staring at it. Then he looked at me, I was busy reading practically nothing in the magazine I held in my hands. He then asked me if I had opened the bookcase. The audacity of the man. With puzzled eyes I simply shook my head. He asked me again, and this time I replied with a puzzled voice saying ‘how could I possibly, and here I thought all the bookcases were closed and only accessible to members; I had even asked for your kind permission sir if you recall’. He didn’t quite know what to say to that so he simply shut the door closed and walked up to his desk. He came back with the keys, locked the bookcase, glanced at me once and walked back to his desk where he picked up the phone and dialled a number.

In 5 minutes a taller man (apparently senior to him) came in the library and they had a quick conversation of the seemingly strange event wherein the bookcase in question was found to be open while the keys were still in the holder. They looked at me and it seemed like the librarian shared his suspicions with his senior, who seemed more focused on the ‘procedure’ of whoever had handed-over the duty to the librarian needs to be spoken with for leaving out a bookcase unlocked prior to the handover. This could possibly be a ‘discipline’ issue for someone. I quietly prayed that my father arrived soon and just then as I saw him step inside the library I thanked the heavens and got up to walk up to him as quickly as I could. Although the librarian tried to have a quick word with my father I told him I had to rush to the bathroom and so we walked away from there quick enough to avoid the librarian’s chat.

Once back home, I re-lived the whole episode in my mind and that brought a big smile on my face. I had had an ‘adventure of sorts’ of my very own. This I decided, I wasn’t going to share with anyone. Until today of course! :D

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