Books, my most reliable friend (From the archives)
Article written by the 21 year old me, worried of citing the source. Cringe version on WWW. DEVILONHEELS.BLOGSPOT.COM
A single child - often associated with being spoiled, having attitude, self-obsession, and selfishness. These are the words that come to mind for many when they hear the term. As a single child myself, I have been labeled with these stereotypes countless times. However, what people fail to realize is that there is always another side to these children, one that is accompanied by feelings of loneliness. Thankfully, I never experienced that side...
Growing up alone was never a problem for me. I learned how to keep myself entertained, playing with imaginary characters and cooking food for my dolls. As I grew older, I discovered my first love, my best friends - BOOKS! The nostalgic days of St. Clare's, Famous Five, Secret Seven, and the Mystery series... all of them were absolutely delightful! Enid Blyton truly rocks! (To anyone who disagrees, kindly buzz off from this page!)
I consider myself a seasonal reader (for those who are unfamiliar with the term, most of you probably won't be - it's my contribution to the realm of amusing English). A seasonal reader is someone who changes the genre of books with every season. It all started with "I'm a feminist" books in school, exploring all kinds of female characters - detectives, fierce individuals, and even the not-so-great ones. Then, in high school, I gravitated towards non-fiction books focused on self-improvement and self-actualization (don't ask me to explain what all that means now!).
And then came college... Oh, to the person who said, "10th and 12th standard, that's all you need to work hard, and life is made," especially my brilliant nerd friend who tirelessly repeated that dialogue to motivate me through high school... Buzz off! You can never escape the toil in life, and life is always challenging! (Okay, that was my ranting moment.) Where were we? Ah, yes, college. College came with the need to save every penny, eagerly waiting for the 1st to ask Dad for a money transfer! That's when I delved into Indian fiction, a collection of books that often go unnoticed and are incredibly affordable. Most of these books depict the true essence of India, with all the Bollywood masala and emotional drama!
They give you that feel-good factor, which, in my opinion, is a significant part of India. However, as there are two sides to a coin, there are also Indian fiction books that can be boring and nonsensical!
So, here's a piece of advice for all the bored folks out there searching for some entertainment through reading... Get your hands on one of these affordable Hinglish books, often adorned with the cheesiest titles you can find. Trust me... Choose the cheesiest title, and you won't be bored!