Geneva Journals- The Bookshelf

I never had a bookshelf on my own. In 2000s, I had a wish to have a shelf on my own. Watching my brother & sister having a lot of (School) books to read around, I wanted to posess a space for me where I can keep books like them. Nevertheless I had no books to arrange and rearrange. At home, a lot of books related to self-help, management and insurance were always around. There was one telugu novel by Chalam which I never bothered to pick when I was 7 years old for obvious reasons. There were books but, not my books. 

Ever since I began to move homes, I do not remember trying to create such space for books. In 2006, the only space, I used to organise, was for cassettes, tape recorder and my red congo. After that, I never craved for space to own in all the homes I lived. 

Ever since I began reading and writing, books and journals demanded a space at the place I lived. Just like how I look at the space for clothes, I began to look at the space for books. I moved to different places and I always carried the essentials. Books, journals with me. Just like how we pack clothes, according to the situation, event, I carried books according to the duration of the stay and type of place I'm moving to. 

When I was in College, I had a small shelf for books. Apart from other books, I remember, I had ThermoDynamics text book given by Raghu anna when he was passing out and few other books. By 3rd year, I began to carry a book collection from then Rajahmundry home.  Vinod also began to procure a lot of books. Mostly non-fiction. The only fiction he loved to read then was Sherlock Holmes which I got from home. 

As I moved to Bangalore, I carried a lot of books with me then. Ruskin Bond and few memoirs were there with me. As I returned to Hyderabad, I began collecting books without a worry of space. Books were all around. I enjoyed hoarding books and reading regularly. 

When I had to move to Rajasthan, inspired by minimalism, I decided to buy books which I would read immediately rather than to keep them with me. When I got a chance to buy books in Udaipur, I ended up buying a lot of books. I realised that minimalism is not about having few things but to have necessary things with us. I felt books are basics just like clothes. There after, I began to buy books regularly and also read them. 

I carried two books with me when I was moving to Geneva. Prasthanam by Sri Sri and Colourless written by yours truly.  I wished to own books but, couldn't afford them for the high price it got.  Slowly, people began to give away books and I was open and received with gratitude. Slowly, the collection got increased and my shelf got filled.