Man, it is often said, is a “social animal”. I, for better or for worse, turned out to be neither. The reasons were two fold – God had given me a partner and I chose an additional partner for myself, books.
One of the scariest feelings for most people is to walk into a room full of strangers, into a wall of cold stares and alien faces. I, however, did not face this trial for most of my childhood and later because I always had my twin brother by my side. Thus, I never had to go the extra mile to chat up a stranger, make inane conversation and try to put in the extra effort and time that a human relationship entails.
My second abiding partner has been my love for books. From my early childhood, I was hooked to the world of Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and their ilk. I never felt the need to gossip about my classmates’ latest juvenile escapades, when I could learn about a grander world with bigger mysteries and more intriguing characters than real life could ever provide.
