The sense of belongingness, the smell, and the warmth is why I visit this place ever so often. As I open the door, Moon comes to greet me with her tail wagging at the speed of a race car. I sneakily feed her a couple of treats kept on the counter.
“Morning Mrs. Rao!”
“Morning sweetheart!”
I race past the bestsellers and Pulitzer winners to the dark, dingy store’s back end.
Phew! I breathe out a sigh, thanking a higher power for not giving away my corner.
“Your corner?”, you ask. Well, yes, my corner. It is the nook by the bookshelf labeled ‘Psychology’. It consists of three large lavender-coloured pillows – two for me and one for Moon. I plop myself on the pillow and stroke Moon as she cuddles by my leg. I open my notepad and think about how I want to shape my creative prowess today.
I decided to observe my surroundings. I notice how the light enters the tiny hole created in the roof, how some people shudder in fear at Moon’s presence. I see how rattled Mrs. Rao gets when ‘foolish teenagers’ (keep in mind, her words – not mine) enter the store to merely click pictures for Instagram and do not appreciate the value of literature.
This place makes me feel at home. Actually, for that matter, any library or bookstore makes me feel at home, or to rephrase it, they bring me peace. Or is it just cause I am an avid reader? Ah well, who’s to say?
Mrs. Rao comes up to me, hands me a cup of her hot Cocoa, and sits beside Moon. “So, what have you been working on, youngling?”, she asks with an air of curiosity.
I place the notepad in front of her and see a smile form on her face as she reads....
“The sense of belongingness, the smell, the warmth is why I visit this place ever so often. As I open the door, Moon comes to greet me with her tail wagging at the speed of a race car……”
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