How I became a part of Juhu Reads, Mumbai’s first silent reading community

Growing up in India’s hinterlands, we moved from one small town to the other. My father’s transfer-prone job with a mining company meant we had to shuttle between townships and settlements near coal mines scattered across the mineral rich Chotanagpur Plateau. Amidst these changes affecting my young life, a few elements stood steadfast. They helped me remain calm in the face of unexpected events such as shifting houses, the challenges of new schools and making new friends. Their warm centre was my obsession with books.

Nature, books, and guavas

As my family took their nap during hot afternoons in rooms cooled with air-coolers padded by wetted khus, unsupervised me could be found perched on the branch of a mango tree armed with a book and a bowl of guava plucked from one of the many trees dotting the boundary walls of our garden. I would douse these slices in a mixture of salt and red chilli, and wedge the bowl under the nose of a bird’s nest.

For some unknown reason, guavas enhanced my reading pleasure. No other fruit or snack would do. My first memory of eating guava was when my mother read Rapunzel from the Reader’s Digest anthology of The World’s Best Fairy Tales. My love affair...

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