The Book Smeller

 

Yesterday, after roaming around in the mall, I walked into the bookshop, as usual. I always wonder, how my every visit to this mall ends up at this bookshop.

It is not a big store and among all the branded showrooms which were decorated with all posh and pomp, this simple and non descriptive bookstore stands out like a sore thumb. The book store was empty. I always enjoyed the exclusivity at this place. I can take my time , walk through the stands and can skim and scan through each and every title available.

Normally my visit to this store is always uneventful. Hardly anyone will walk into the shop and after collecting my books I leave. But yesterday was slightly different and I had a strange experience.

As I was leafing through the latest edition of the book- "I am a troll", I saw a girl walking into the shop and on her t- shirt it was boldly written- Textovert. That was something new for me and I was staring at her. It took me a minute to realize that I was unwittingly glaring at the wrong place. As I hastily withdrew my glare, I saw her sneering at me. The introvert in me cringed.

Then I saw two guys, in their early twenties, hurrying into the bookstall. I was sure they walked in by mistake. Or, they must have given the food order at one of those food stalls and must have thought of spending the time here till their order is ready

One guy was wearing jeans and a black t- shirt and was in his chappals. The other guy also had jeans, but had a formal shirt and leather shoes. This guy walked towards the stand where all management books were kept. From his stride it was evident that he is a frequent visitor here. As he picked up some books I shifted my attention to the first guy. He was talking loudly to himself and he picked up one book from the stand and started smelling its pages. I was taken aback and stood there not able to move. He went to another stand and smelled another book and it continued! Initially I felt he was trying to capture the smell of the various food items, from the nearby stalls, which came wafting through the air. But he was least bothered by that smell and was devouring many books through his nostrils. 

Meanwhile, the other guy picked up some well known titles and was going through the blurb. Seeing me with some management books, he asked unhesitantly, my opinion about the books he picked up. Only then I realized that I was transfixed by the smelling spree of his friend. I woke up from the trance and helped him in selecting a few books. 

This guy looked like a lover of books and a good reader. The other guy was still smelling each n(b)ook and corner of the stall. I think he frightened the Textovert as I saw her walking out of the store in a hurry. I was wondering how both these guys- a book lover and a book smeller, became friends? 

The smeller was excited to see many books on his friends hands and he rushed towards him, picked up the book at the top, opened it and started smelling it. For a second, I even believed that by just smelling the book, he could fully understand the essence of that book.

I felt very uneasy and I paid the bill and ran out of the store. I went to the food court ,ordered a cold lime juice and tried to drown my strange experience by gulping it down. I could not get over it easily.

It was Francis Bacon who said, " Some books are to be tasted, some to be swallowed and few to be chewed and digested". Is there anyone who said, some books are to be smelled??!!