What is it about these books that enchant book worms like me and the rest in the world? I'll tell you what it is, it's the smell of the pages; a faint smell which elevates my senses, it's the rustle of the pages; a sound so crisp, yet so soft, it's the feel of my fingers on the smooth cover of the book, and the touch of my fingers on the pages. Book lovers or book worms, how do you identify them? They are the ones that always (well, most of the times) carry a book around in their bags, and as soon as they get a place where they can seat themselves, you'll find them lost in the book, oblivious to their surroundings. Have you ever noticed someone, anyone in a crowd, suddenly laughing out loud, with a book clutched in their hand? Yes, that's the book lover you just spotted. They have a smile on their faces, when they read something amusing or heart-warming, they're the ones whom you'll find dabbing away a tear or two when something tragic happens to the characters, they're the ones who'll brood when the story was just deeply disturbing, or the story has come to an end. The ones who will suddenly go a little quiet, and when you inquire about their silence, you'll find out that they've been thinking about something they've just read, or they're just building up stories of their own. And DEFINITELY the ones who sometimes talk to themselves (well, I guess that's just me). I could go on and on about book lovers, but I leave the experience of meeting a book lover to you, and see how the world around you transforms itself as you see life through their sparkling eyes, telling a story of their own.
S Mahalakshmi, II B A Journalism, MOP Vaishnav College for Women
