I am Sorry.I sold you as rag.

Kabadiwala ,kabadiwala echoed in the air, ragman’s voice faded away, as he left the locality. He went and took along with him my priced possession –collected newspapers. Insane. But only I know, how insane I would have been, if I did not practice collection over the years. Though ragman’s voice faded, but in my heart it will never fade.

In afternoon, I sat quietly on the floor, felt empty and lost-this feeling often occurs in artists as we often isolate ourselves from the outside world. I was feeling more depressed and less alive.

Ragman took away all my tones of newspapers; I collected over 5-6 years. While he was weighing the newspapers into the kilograms with his taraju, I thought only those who have their bylines over the print and those associated with the story know these newspapers are bible. To others they are the rough paper, used as samosa trays and  for other eatables, as mat on the railway platforms, to make kids shit on these. In India newspaper is used for all other purpose with religiously except reading.

As a child, I how sacredly and patiently I collected the newspapers. After reading preserved in big poly bags so that they are preserved for future references. I don’t know how I developed the lure to collect the wholesome edit pages, feature pages, special issues, magazines and Sunday supplements. That age I didn’t even know I would be making career in journalism.

Collecting and arranging the piles was more tedious task than reading them. With fans off for hours, I used t sit alone in the room to collect them arrange them. Putting them layer by layer, when I got frustrated, I kept them carelessly, spoiling the pieces.

In those days I did not have internet connection. It was such a blessing for me, as my classmates brought googled content-content with smell of plagiarism .I used to leaf through those bundles for my articles, study it and then frame the piece-no wonder I became original. Person so much averted to Google, was nicknamed Google, and is still an overrated compliment I received.

In not more than few weeks I would leave my hometown. This became the biggest reason why I had to sell all my tones to the ragman. Mother always said your collection makes room so suffocating and overcrowded. I agreed to it, as it is my parent’s home, once I get home of my own, I would reserve one floor only for my newspapers.

I am and will always be grateful to those newspapers. They forged me into the personality, I always desired to be. They were great source from where I gained the most. I don’t hail from the background where people love to read or write or would encourage their children to do the same. For them business of writing won’t make me a fortune or enable me to pay my electricity or food bills. In a way it has been a great blessing in disguise for me. They wanted to become CA or engineer or a civil servant .But I received calling from the universe, I knew what I wanted.

I started reading books very late, so major credit of reading goes to newspapers, because of them I have become an active artist.

I am sorry. I sold you as rag.