It is easy to assume books will be light years away for a tenth standard dropout. For Pandian, books are his first and last love. Discontinuing school only helped strengthen this bond. It is not the fresh inky smell of new books that Pandian likes. It is the intoxicating aroma of the old ones. When a book becomes brittle and crumbling he would care for it as if it were his child. In the 32 years he has been running Om Adi Parashakti Book Centre, a second-hand book store in Ashok Nagar, Pandian, fondly called Nool Pandian by his customers, has devoured numerous books. Probably, with an aim to undo the past.
To succeed in this occupation, you must be passionate about books. Or else, you will not be able to cater to your customers,” he says, throwing in a few English words he has learnt by reading the books at his store. There are stacks of books, arranged according to their subjects. There are school and college books. Novels. Children’s literature. And there are also books that can help you crack competitive exams. However, Pandian’s USP is a collection of rare books dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
His love for books is so deep that he tries to get hold of the first print of most books. “The first version is closest to the author’s thought,” he explains. “In re-prints, the joy of reading is not complete.”
On how his passion turned into a profession, Pandian says that after dropping out of school he worked as a paper boy. At every house he went to, he would ask for old books that he could take. Today, he has so many books that the small store cannot accommodate all. “I have taken two godowns on rent and if I open them, books will come tumbling out.”
Customers like Shankar are really happy that the neighbourhood has a shop such as this. “Pandian does not know how to say no. If he doesn’t have a book, he will suggest an alternative publication which will be equally useful. Just throw the name of the book and he will get it out in no time. He needs no computer to organise his shop. He has such good memory.”
Pandian sells his books at half their price. He also offers something else. For free. “I guide students preparing for competitive exams about what books to read and how to approach the exams,” he says.
Though Pandian has an uncountable number of books, he says he is not able to meet his customers’ demands. The major problem: lack of space to display all the books.
“I am looking for a bigger space. If the government rents out a place in the area, it would be really helpful,” he says. To reach Pandian, call 94444 29649.
