ONLY BOOKS!

Only Books! – Suraksha Giri March 2^nd 2015

     When “It Happened Like This’ was released in October, I was willing to parent it for a while. So I did a couple of book readings, spoke to book stores and created a small buzz. The book I believed had its own destiny! My friend went with that idea and added, “it will take you to places!”

    It was incredible getting an invitation from my schoolmate & author Renu Kurien Balakrishnan, “Four Aleys”. She arranged it all with her sister Amal who lives in Coonoor and Lalitha Gautam who put it together at the Coonoor Club for Saturday evening, February 28, 2015. This was fixed in November ’14.  What a beautiful cascading effect it produced, rippling into The Nilgiri Library, flowing into sylvan greens of the Coonoor Club and eddying into a reflecting pool in the quadrangle of Mani’s Higher Secondary School,Coimbatore.  

     The Neilgherry Library, a Reading Heritage since 1859 started as a reading room for “those who generally visit the hills for a short time only and who cannot without great inconvenience bring their books with them.” The present premises opened its doors in 1869 with 23 members and 4000 volumes.  It was the destiny of my novel to have a book reading in these heritage environs when Kamala Ramchand wrote, “we have a 4 year old Book Club which has met without break every month in the 155 year old Nilgiri Library.  I am sure you must have visited it too while you were in Ooty. It will be an honour and a great pleasure to meet and discuss your book.” Of course I accepted with alacrity and we fixed for a conversation on Saturday 28^th morning.

     Nothing prepared me for the charming heritage building restored by INTACH to its original glory. The reading room with plenty of arm chairs is high ceilinged, airy with large arched windows through which sunlight flows lighting the beautiful grains of the wooden floor. The piece de resistance is the Heritage section where books can be read but not issued. Tomes, volumes, gold embossed beckon like sirens distracting me from my appointment. But I am in for a greater treat, the “Wardrop Wing” or “Silent Room”, a charming place like a private lounge presided over by a massive mounted bison head and Queen Victoria!  

    Kamala Ramchand the co ordinator moderator of the book club had put the word out and it was a pleasure to interact with members who enjoyed reading, many write poetry and prose and nearly everyone had read the novel. Impossible to describe the emotions that welled up, with Indu Chary seated alongside, Ayesha, the Nazareth Convent sisters and the book club

members in that perfect setting. And yet we read, discussed and shared our views on the characters, going through the pages and examining the minute details. Why Cocoa was so popular, asked one? Was it in character for the protagonist Zarine to make a assignation with a man who was neither her fiancé or husband? Some errors in the manuscript came up. It was a heady morning and I enjoyed the irony of our conversation seated in a Victorian room under the stern gaze of a once upon a time Empress talking about morals and woman’s virtue openly in a mixed group! Kamala is a rare moderator who is  provocative without giving offense, knowledgeable and  energetic that the hours flew without notice.  

    In the book, we get a description of Ooty as seen from the eyes of the visitors from Bombay, “It seemed like the winding road to paradise.”  Now, driving into Ooty with garish cement buildings, garbage, and Charing Cross concealed behind bill boards, it’s hard to reconcile to the promise of Paradise.  The Nilgiri Library perhaps can claim the position. (pictures attached)

   The Coonoor Book Club was a charming audience and Lalitha Gautam had arranged the evening with great attention to detail.  Everyone listened to both authors Renu & myself with convincing attention, and Renu’s many pointers to those interested in writing was highly appreciated. A lovely evening of creative impressions. (Pictures attached)

       The Coimbatore Book Club meets at Mani’s Higher Secondary School a aesthetic school complex readying for the annual examinations.  Mr Ramaswamy & Mrs Jayashree Murthy along with members initiated a lively discussion especially on women’s empowerment. Mr Vijaykumar shared a comprehensive review of the book while members queried on the handling of the conflict in the narrative. ( pictures attached)

        Three stops and only books! What a splendid tour the book has taken me along.    

Photo link: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=101496118485419521204&target=ALBUM&id=6121574274857447521&authkey=Gv1sRgCL_wr8eEkJXl8gE&feat=email