Dehradun, Sept. 22 -- Books from My Shelves

Books, to my utter good fortune, have been a constant presence in my life. I was born into a modest home rich with books. Those early encounters with the written word have outlined the course of my life. My father was an avid reader and had built a large collection of books, many of them sourced from kabadi shops. My mother, a teacher who was otherwise very strict about the household budget, always indulged my requests for books and magazine subscriptions.

Before long, the school library became my favourite refuge. I remember that our principal, Brother JC Carroll, would often walk into the library and discuss with us the books we were reading. Those were times, when, as students about to ente...