A humming word

MR Book Center or as the owner Uncle calls it “Mister Book Center” sits comfortably, tucked under the Begumpet Flyover. The innocent Green and Yellow banner with Bold Letters hide the mammoth collection of the store. Enter it and you’d be welcomed by Calendars, translation of popular books in Telugu and racks and racks of books. It is a wonderland for book lovers.  A thirty-five-year family-run business, MR is the initial of their father’s and brother’s names. The staff is friendly and the owner uncle, another MR, is warm and easy to speak with. He showed us a copy of Quran that had a small note by the Nizam. He also told us anecdotes of book lovers who never married for the fear of not having to keep their books. The eminent Corona and the waning book visitors managed to creep in our conversations. And he immediately mentioned that he partnered with Amazon and Flipkart with a glint in his eyes.   A rare Quran      MR Uncle One would remember that they sol...

You were a city within a city for people who devoured words and loved books; from an array of paint brushes to drawing pencils, your pallette was filled. Ball points to Multi colored pens to Pen pencils--you were a haven for stationary fanatics. The tinkle of the keychains reverberates within. You inspired decades of book reading with your neatly stacked rows. The cassette shop was the proverbial feather in your cap. You will be sorely missed. /An ode to Walden - Somajiguda/