SOMETIMES IT ONLY TAKES A GARDEN WITH FREE BOOKS!

-

Ever since I moved to Bhubaneswar for my higher studies, I have started appreciating everything I took for granted at home. Back then, I was so bored with the routine I was living, and I couldn't see how blessed I was with all those who made my life easier. Of all the things I miss the most, my home and family come first, followed by the beach walks we used to take every now and then. While Odisha is a coastal state, a visit to the beach from Bhubaneswar takes anywhere between 2 to 3 hours by road. I wouldn't say it's tiring, but spending the only off day mostly on travel is not what I wish for. 




Though I miss home, I have started appreciating things in my new place, too, because that's what I have learnt now from moving cities. The one thing I love the most about this place is its greenery. The town is merged in greens everywhere, and one can see plenty of birds taking a walk by their balcony. The noise level is very low unless the speakers go berserk during festivals, and the town gets sleepy by 9 pm. So, to compensate for the lack of beach visits, I found all the nearby parks in Bhubaneswar and frequent them whenever I feel down. It's not the same as the beach, but it's not a bad idea either. To be very honest, there aren't as many parks or nature walks in my hometown as much as I have come across in the new city. 


During the last few months, I have explored multiple gardens in the city along with beaches like Puri Beach, Konark Beach and the retreating sea beach in Balasore, which I will be writing about in another post. This post is especially for the one exclusive urban forest that not only helps one keep fit but also promotes reading books for its visitors. I have been to other gardens with free open gyms and yoga and meditation centres. But this one is stretched across 90 acres and boasts a variety of flora and fauna with serene water bodies and a beautiful park bridge that connects either side of the urban forest. 


The garden is open only on weekends and closes very early in the evening, by 6 pm. While planning my visit to the garden, I carried a few books with me that I would read while my husband would walk around. But little did I know that the garden came with its own books. There were cute little free library boxes installed throughout the garden, with a few fantastic titles, including classics, literary fiction, comics and children's books. 


I was so elated to find more readers in the park than I had imagined there would be because it always feels odd being the only one with a book in public. People were reading everywhere in the park from the boxes and dutifully put them back before leaving. Some even deposited their read books in there for others to pick. The sight of people of all ages scattered across the lawn with their faces in the books was a sight to behold. The best of all was a young mother next to me trying to make her toddler read from a Tinkle comic which reminded me of home again.




I, being me, picked up my book from what I had packed, read a few chapters and left the place quietly because leaving unfinished books would eat me alive. But I would be going back to this place just for the reaffirmation that reading isn't dying anytime soon. It takes a village to raise a child, they said. How true! It can be a village or just a garden with free books to read while you visit. So next time when you visit Bhubaneswar, don't forget to visit this serene and soulful urban forest.


Location: Anandabana urban forest, Bhubaneswar

This post is a part of #Blogchatterhalfmarathon

#penbooksandscalpel

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa...
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them....
Read more

CHAPTER 2 - THE BACKSTORY - ALIZA

-
Image
  Aliza is the middle child of her family, with two older siblings and two younger ones. She did not always get her parents' attention because the oldest or the youngest sibling often stole it. She was mostly brought up by her oldest sister, Razia, who made sure she bathed, ate, and went to school on time. After Razia's marriage, her next older sibling Fahim brought home his wife, who had sworn to taunt Aliza all her life. Her younger twin siblings Samir and Ameera were at school, and they often stayed outdoors playing. So Aliza grew up to be the one taking care of her siblings while also managing to thrive herself. After finishing high school, she wanted to join college because her friends were also planning to, and they said studying in college will help a lot in the future. She was also the captain of her school's volleyball team and was a tough player. Aliza thought she could pursue her ambitions after school if she managed to convince her father. But her relatives had ...
Read more