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Buying Books

One of my good friends Md Ziaul Haque has posted a poem bearing the same title which made me scribble my experiences of 12th May 2016.

This Thursday I had some official work to do at an office at AJC Bose Road close to Frank Anthony Public School. I took an autorickshaw to the Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station and went in Air-Conditioned comfort to Park Street. From Park Street I hailed a yellow taxi and went to AJC Bose Road sweating all the way. It was past noon and the temperature must have been around 36-37 deg C.The body of the taxi was like a furnace !! Every three minutes there was a traffic bottleneck and the smell of burnt diesel fumes was awful. For the umpteenth time I thought of abandoning Kolkata and settle in a cooler place in the Himalayan foothills. But again there are several charms in the City of Joy which overrides the minor weather bully.

Work done, I asked a Securityman whether any trams were available from there to College Street which as you all know is a book lovers paradise.My reading material was down to almost Zero and I just had to pick up a few second-hand paperbacks. College Street is the only destination for book addicts like me who cannot afford to spend a fortune on buying new books. Reading books on the PC or mobile is not my cup of tea. So I just HAD to go to College Street !! All trams going towards Howrah would go via College Street. Even after waiting for 15 full minutes in the noon heat no trams came by. Yielding to temptation of skin-comfort, I waved my had frantically at a white AC taxi and went to College Street in "super-comfort"

The "cool-taxi" stopped right on the doorstep of a big second-hand bookshop. All paperbacks Rs.100/- It took me just ten minutes to choose 5 paperback pulp fictions for which I paid Rs.470/- The cover price would have been at least Rs.1500/- . Happily I opened my umbrella and made a beeline for "Paramount" a sherbet shop established in the 80s. I had a tall glass of "Rose Malai" with crushed ice which was just lovely.

Mission accomplished ? ? No !! I had to return home. I tried forr a cool AppCab but three idiots couldn't locate me. Standing in the hot hot sun at 2 p.m. in May in Kolkata is unimaginable to those who haven't experienced it. Again I wanted to finally settle in Dehra Dun. But my love for this infernal city !!! A Good Samaritan AC Taxi took me home in Himalayan Comfort. Thus ended my Buying Books session. Soory to make you read this. Next time I'll write better.