And speaking of magazines, how can one forget *Reader's Digest*? My introduction to it happened very early in my life, and I was madly (no, not literally) in love with it. My first love, if I may be honest! There wasn't a single page I would skip without reading. Many editions even featured abridged novels. "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power" was one of my favorites. There would be 20 words, each with about four meanings that were very close to each other, and they also explained how the word should be used—a wonderful educational tool. I was better than average at solving this. Then there was "Humor in Uniform," "Daft Definitions," "Laughter, the Best Medicine" (I hope I got the names right). Humorous anecdotes, moving stories, wonderful articles—what more could one wish for? I don't know if the magazine retains the same charm and allure now. It was so expensive back then that we had to get copies of old editions from used bookstores or lending libraries.

Another magazine I loved was *The Illustrated Weekly of India*. Khushwant Singh's writings were soaked in humor.

My reading habits were also shaped by going through various sports articles in newspapers. I was mostly interested in cricket and tennis, and to be honest, I learned a lot about these games and how they are played just by reading about them.

I did mention my dithering mind, didn't I? I was talking about how books and I temporarily divorced each other on and off. After my stint at a rural branch where books were unheard of, we had to part ways again when I was sent to a city in Central India. Forget about cover-to-cover reading; I was completely occupied with just making ends meet. However, during this period, I tried to brush up on my knowledge of finance, industries, and management and read a few books on these topics.

After five years, I returned to my native Chennai—yes, it had changed its name. I had to fight an even bigger battle in my workspace. This was one of the worst periods of my life when I felt like a vegetable, though not a tasty one. For the next three years, I had to stay alone due to postings in different places, spending most of my time in an engrossing yet exhausting daily commute, which took around four hours a day. And then there was cooking, of which I knew nothing. I learned the hard way how burnt, saltless, spoiled, or half-cooked food tastes. Who could afford hotels?

To be continued... 14. Bookishly Speaking - Part 4