The situation:
The White Tiger - Shamelessly BorrowedEveready Torch-Rupees 70 only
Experience-Out of the World
I was in New Delhi today. Pinku mentioned she had Arvind Adiga' s novel. I started to drool. Requested her to lend it to me. Very kindly she brought it to lend me the copy. It was still daylight when I left Delhi and I started to read it while enjoying the luxury of not driving and of sitting in the backseat of the car. Travelling alone, I was not obliged to talk. I knew it would soon be dark and was conspiring inside my mind and wishing for a pen-light. Stopped at Murthal for a tea-break. Had a sandwich, and a nice masala tea and asked the Panchranga Achar guy to find me a torch to buy, but not before I had spent 150 odd bucks on achar. You see, anything to read this book. He was such a sweet guy ( was he?), went three shops away and found me this nice red torch. My driver has been wondering about the health of my brain but has also been kind enough to ignore my quirks. Mahesh called up on the way to ask where I had reached. I said I have been reading. "Reading, how? In the dark?" It had totally slipped out of my mind that he didn't know I had been reading by the torchlight. I told him and giggled. "Now I know where Rasan has inherited such stuff from." "From which side, Mahesh?" "Of course from you."
Result-6 hours, two traffic jams, countless naps, two nippo batteries in the torch and 250 out of 321 pages finished. The torch still going strong for another novel !
And now I hit the bed. Been up since 3 a.m. Last night I had slept only for 2 hours.
Normal Life!
38 comments:
phew!
my gosh mampi! I am nauseous just reading this post. I can NEVER read in a moving car/train/bus. Lucky you! :D I want that achaar too darnit. kaahda achaar aa?
Nice experience to read a borrowed book with Rs. 150+70 spent on it.
At any cost,experience of reading while travelling is a healthy utilisation of your time.
Because-
Books are our Best Company,
when alone during journey time.
Sharing here is nice
Keep it up!
Dhindsa
Its gr8 to see such booklovers as yourself, mampiji
:)
An interesting insight into ur life. . . .
Ps. I'm guessing you finished the book.... So tell me, Howz it? Is it worth buying?
I'm a bookworm myself. . .
:)
:)
Btw, i meant to ask you. . . Do i have any pending tags from you?
I remember having a pending tag from someone. . . . But can't remember who. . . .
:)
My God,
you are nuts!!! chasme ka power aur bar jayega!!!
Btw like Roop I too cant read in a moving vehicle cause it gives me a headache...lucky you!
and Dhindsa is right no point spending so much money on borrowed books...next time onwards keep a torch in the car for such emergencies.
so how's the book?
Lol! Mampi reminds me of a bygone era..when we would get inside the razais and read MB`s in the torchlight....BTW hows the novel??
The white tiger must've been rendered whiter by the bright light of the flash-light. For that matter, your eyes must've been rendered whiter than that, for reading a book with a flash-light, and the wheels of a car bobbing up and down the road. So...did you become a 'white-eyed tigress' by the end of the journey? ;-)
wow!!! i love the exp.... i have done a similar thing once in my cell phone's flash light :)... i think i was reading English August then...
hey..that was a very smart thing to do...i remember reading inside the blanket with a torch almost on all nights when i was younger, since me and my sis shared the room and she couldnt handle the lamp glow...this was my secret and mom still blames the neighbour hood shop for selling bad quality batteries....
ps: came here via Pinku's blog...
Haha, a true book fanatic! :) I LOVED the book. Finished it in flat 2 sitting over the weekend. And, one thing I must say - I don't appreciate book sharing...But that's just me.. Lovely post...
mad woman indeed!! :D glad you had so much fun!! a book review shall follow, i guess?! :)
and Murthal!! reminds me of the YUMMMMMMMY food we had on our way back from honeymoon. at one of those vegetarian dhabhas!!! and they khilaoed us with so much pyaar!! decided we shall be back someday!! and someday we shall! :)
cheers!
abha
ho ho ho! This is the kind of experience that makes life worth it! :-) And u came to Delhi? o gal main vakhri karaangi.
Sri-Phew is accepted, but in response to the second comment (I know where it came from)-Yes I am the tigress (white or not, Not sure).
Roo-Its mixed and a different kism di marwari mirchi da achar. :)
Mama-Hehehe, Hisab ta lagaya hi nahi si main. Loved reading it though.
RiverSoul-It is nice. I liked the way he develops the story. I m not sure about tags. Mere koo apne tags yaad nahi baba, tumhare kya rakhoongi yaad,hehehe. I think I have one pending from you.
Pinku-Sab tera kiya dhara hai. I can read anywhere. ANYWHERE.
Monika-When I went to Jaipur last, I did that cell-phone thingy, with a Sidney Sheldon.
Iya-Welcome here sweetie. Yeah, we are all one of a kind, Pinku just admitted doing that blanket and torch thing.
Jagjit-Yeah, me too, mine were not flat sittings though. The major sitting was a car sitting, the minor one was flat. Hehehe. I find nothing wrong with borrowing books nor lending mine. Yes, apna apna khyaal hai.
Abha-Murthal has some pichley janam ki mummies born into this janam ke waiters that they shower so much love, kya bolti tu?
HDWK-I am scared. Let me email you and explain it.
Hi Manpreet,
In this whole exercise i liked the photgraph of your post the most. It looks like the torch is the part of the cover page. Well done, i mean the photograph.
And now a small apology. I could not stop enroute from Delhi to Shimla and back because both ways we were booked on the night service volvo which passes chandigarh at un godly hour of the night .
Next time sure.
mera comment kahan gayaji??
Oh wow! :-) And lucky you to be able to do that... I get nauseous,reading, too. How was the book? Is it worth picking up?
hehe...I have done same things too. The last one I can remember is was with Kaine & Abel..engrossing book. Had my exam the next day but still kept on reading till the very end...(sorry ma'am..don't scold..lol)
aaah! this is what u meant when u said u have been traveling 800 km on my blog! u must be exhausted!
i saw the same book at a book store today..the saleman was promoting it big time...is it that good?
mandira
God Bless! You are going to be the next PM! Count my vote!
Manmohan Singh used to study under street light... almost close!
wow! very impressive :)
all i can do in a moving car/bus/train is sleep :D
now, that's called motivation ;) Waiting for a review of the book.
I liked the title most. Crouch and Torch do rhyme ;)
I would have preferred the darkness with music in my ears and with my eyes closed.
And yes I do fear for you as much as for myself.:D
Boy, you can read! Nice.
how can you read at a stretch like that? i have not been able to read anyone that way other than David Lodge...so, is it you or is it the book?
Mampi: First of all I want to apologize to you for not responding to you on time. I was away taking care of certain things. I hope you will understand.
I really appreciate your comments! Your award and also your Tag!! Believe it or not I was looking forward to getting back to it all!! :)
I wonder if you noticed. I had changed the template of my blog on your request!! :)
As for this post this is so you Mampi...Love the person you are.....
So how was the book?
No reading light for the passengers at the rear? I guess some of the cars do have those, nowadays.
Balvinder-It was a crude kinda photo taken when I was half asleep, Glad you liked it.
MySpace-Never received any except this that said "mera comment kahan gayaji??" I want your comment again.
ThoughtSafari-Yes, it is indeed good, worth reading.
Kiran(M)-Yeah Kane and Abel is really worth reading by torchlight.
Mandy-Yeah, it is good. Well I had travelled about 400+400 kms, so I was not exaggerating, was I?
Guri-That was Abe Lincoln. Manmohan didnt have to read by streetlights, torchlights maybe, hehe. Amen to your wish !
Kiran-Yeah, I love to nap too, but reading is a luxury.
Philip-Soon, soon, the review follows soon.
Parry-Glad you saw the rhyme between crouched and torched. Well, see my insecurity about my eyes was not unfounded.
Trailblazer-Now you know, hehe.
Oreen-Well, it is me of course.
Sujata-Come on buddy. I knew you had to be busy. I have been waiting for you to update your blog. I am simply in love with your blog.
About this post-Thank you so much, your comment is such a bonus.
SS-Yeah, who knows this car has it too, but then using that wouldnt have been a story.
:) I have a light that clips to my book so I can read in the dark. Which comes in handy on those 3 a.m. nights.
You're enjoying the book. :)
What a benevolent soul Mampi is! She actually promised to loan out the just borrowed book to me in the presence of Pinku (to her astonishment, haha).
PS: The title could be
TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night
Don't you miss the torchlight.
hehehe.. was a good laugh :D
Did you complete the book or not ?
hey..have blog rolled you!!
this one is for Sukumbho....see the way i see it the book will come back to Delhi..and you stay on my route to office...so now u know...how i benefit from Mampi's magnanimity.
1.i tot i was the only insomniac around.
2.am impressed wid your perseverence.(i don even know how to spell that rite)
Oye ye ghadbad haigi??? i jus sd that reminds me of a bygone era when we would read MB`s under our razai`s!!And my mother would manage to nab us .. wo bhi kya din the ..par chalti gaadi mein padna? mampiji salam hain ji aapko!
He he he this is really funny :) Reading while traveling is supposed to be bad for eyes !! ... but I also do it, though I have never bought pickle and torch to do that :) Finished it? Now, you have to review it for the rest of us.
BTW This post could be used as a review and advertisement for the book !!
You have been tagged :)
I need to read the book that inspired you to buy pickle and a torch!
Sadly, can't read in cars and buses. I'm fine reading in trains and planes. Strange!
Z-I gotta get it. I have seen those lights. Such a rustic soul I am to buy a big torch, hehehe.
Sukumbho-The rhyme is well done. BlakeMamu would be so happy. Well about Benevolence-Tum bhi kya yaad karogey, Im sending the book shortly.
Manasa-Yes dear, the very next day, it was finished.
Iya-You blogrolling me is such an honor my dear.
Pinku-Yeh samajhta nahi hai na.
Gazal-You got the spirit and the word absolutely right.
MySpace-I got the comment now. Pehlan ta aya hi nahi. Well, yes the feeling never goes.
IHM-advertisment..haha, someone tell Adiga. Pickle ka dabba jab tak ankhon ke samne hai, adiga ki yaad dilata hai.
Tag picked and will be done in two days flat.
Dipali-Yes, it was inspiring indeed though there was a lot in it that I didnt like. Soon will write about it. It is a pleasure reading in the car, so far.
Post a Comment