We grew up in a household full of books and magazines.
We read a lot of Hindi literature while also staying up to date on what was happening in the world. We all listened to the news, read newspapers, and those weekly and biweekly political magazines.
Our dad loved reading English novels too. In the evenings, he would translate them into Hindi for us, and we would wait eagerly for the next day’s chapter. Since we all went to Hindi-medium schools, we needed his translation :)
Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes made us wait for the next evening’s story.
With all those household chores, helping mom, taking care of four daughters, and a full-time job — I honestly don’t know where he found the time!
I’ve often been asked how I manage to do everything I do — I think I got my parents’ genes. Finding time for what you love is something I learned from them.
Over the years we cleaned out our parents’ house and let go a lot stuff, the library was the one thing that stayed.
I read a lot of Hindi literature but later I switched to non fictions. Later, I tried reading some of those suspense thrillers myself but didn’t enjoy them as much. I think my dad was the best storyteller — not the stories themselves.
Now, our conversations often revolve around the family tree he’s been working on for the last five-plus years. I’m not too interested in the relatives, but his stories about them are always intriguing.
My grandma (Dadi) used to read storybooks during the day and narrate them to us in her own style at night. With so many grandkids, she needed something new every day — and that was such a brilliant way to replenish her stories.
What do you remember from your childhood? What did you read? Do you remember your grandmother’s stories?
If you grew up in India, do you remember those kids’ magazines — Nandan, Champak, parag, Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama, and Indrajal Comics?
A Tussar SIlk for the annual gala for Federation for Children with Special Needs. I am one of the board members.
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