"Phew", said Julian

We used to live in a house with a large balcony. The summer vacation had just started (I was in DPS Vasant Vihar - so before class V). My mother had taken me to a second hand bookstore in Karol Bagh to get me something to read. Till then, my books comprised Tinkle, Chandamama and Champak. We bought two books for Rs 5 each. The book shop owner would scribble with a pencil the cost of the book on the top left corner of the last page - if you wanted to, you could return it and get the money back (minus Rs 2). He later increased the amount he held back to Rs 5, and then to Rs 10.

We got back home in the late morning/early afternoon. My mother had students over for tuitions. I was lying on a mattress in the balcony. I opened the book that had a word I had to read twice to pronounce in the title.

The first words were "'Phew', said Julian". The book was Five go to Finniston Farm.
I closed the book, for some reason, I did not believe that a book could start with a dialogue. Obviously, the author was bad, or I was missing the first few pages. So, I opened the other book (Five have a Wonderful Time), read through it, and then read through Five go to Finniston Farm. Though it was technically the second full length novel I read, I don't think I can ever forget these three words. I also cannot forget the book, or the mattress, or the balcony, or the house...

I remember the Famous Five series distinctly. I borrowed the first book (Treasure Island) from family acquaintances. It was bound in blue. My favorite character was Dick. Julian was strong and grown up. And he was just 12 in the first book of the series - I don't think I was much younger. Yet, he seemed older, more responsible... more trustworthy.

Thus began my adventures with books. The second hand bookstore was my favorite store in Karol Bagh. I would accompany my mother there when she went shopping. She would buy trinkets or clothes. We would eat chaat at a very specific roadside vendor (next to Roopak Sweets - he makes the best chaat I have ever had. I was there this winter too, and he is as good as ever). And then, we would go to the bookstore. From Famous Fives came the Hardy Boys. I never returned a single Famous Five. I returned almost all Hardy Boys.

I have all the Famous Fives still in my cupboard. I still have most Enid Blytons I ever bought. I once asked my mother if we should get rid of a few to make more space. She refused. She said they were associated with emotions... times gone past. She was right.

The bookstore is now gone. Replaced by a bra seller. The balcony isn't there. We live in a different house. The chaat fellow still makes the same delicious food. The prices have gone up 5 times, but the the road his stall is on is still partially flooded with cleaning water used to clean the plates (or, as my dad would joke, use to make the chutney - who would notice the difference anyway).

It isn't a cliche- things change, but they do remain the same.