The
previous Sunday due to a political rally the cops did not let the book sellers
set up their wares on the pavements of Abids. Last Sunday they were back in
full strength. I hoped to find a nice title or two but I landed only one book.
I saw the copy of ‘Mango Coloured Fish’ by Kavery Nambisan as wel as the copy
of ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ by
James M.Cain that I had seen a couple of weeks ago and that I had been
planning to buy, at the same place. However last Sunday too I did not pick them
up for some reason I am unable to fathom. I went around looking at the books
and putting them back. I saw a nice hardcover copy of a book on Indian birds
that was really good and that I should have picked up right away. But I did not
take it and later regretted it.
However,
with the same seller I saw a copy of The Infinite Plan’ by Isabel Allende on
another shelf. I had missed buying titles by Isabel Allende I saw at Abids and
later realized she has a large following. I did not want to miss this title and
got it for a hundred rupees. With another seller I saw a nice copy of ‘Neither
Here Nor There’ by Bill Bryson in a transparent plastic cover. I did not buy it
though I wanted to buy it because the seller was a guy who asks for
astronomical prices. I looked at it from afar and walked on, quietly glad that
I did not have to wrestle with the seller over the price because I already have
a copy.
The
saddest thing about 2020 is that the ‘Hyderabad Book Fair’ will not be held at
all. It is held in December and by this time I would have been eagerly waiting
for it. How I miss it!
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