Why I Dislike Sharing My Books

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I remember the first time I read a book. I remember it very clearly. It was the classic Black Beauty and I fell in love - not just with Black Beauty or the book, but with books in general. Couple of days later, I was down sick and my neighbour brought a couple of books to read - Secret Seven. I remember the first time I was gifted a book. It was the same year and a family friend gifted me two three-in-one Famous Five books and I was hooked. I remember the first time Amma took me to a library and I never wanted to leave that place. It became my getaway during holidays and vacations - going there as soon as the library opened, picking a book from those endless shelves, setting down on a stool and reading until Amma came to pick me. Soon, reading became a habit and I read as much as I could - different authors, different genre, different language but the happiness I got remained the same. Years later, when I got married, amongst the gifts I got, there was a gift (or the person who gifted it) I will never forget - it was Paulo Coelho's 'Inspirations'. I remember my excitement on opening up the gift to find a book inside. 

Ever since I started reading, books have been everything I needed. I read when I am happy, sad, bored, irritated, sleepy and oh well, I don't need a reason to read! It soothed me when I was cranky and it just was there at all times right by my side. It became my soulmate and I travelled worldwide through it, I celebrated life with many people, I cried along so many others and I lived a hundred lives.

Books have been my first babies and I took care of them with all the tender, love and affection. And lending them was exactly like giving my heart away. It just is not possible for me to lend my books to anyone, be it even for a day, except to a very few, countable, closest friends who think the world of books just like I do and who knows how much I heart them and what it means to me. Likewise, I rarely borrow books from anyone except from those few I mentioned earlier. If I am not comfortable leaving my baby alone with you, trust me, I am not comfortable lending you my books as well.  In other words, I will share my books only if I am fully assured that you will take care of it just like how you would take care of my baby. Because, they have a life and I am not willing to endanger that. I take care of them in the best possible way and it hurts me even if a slight scar happens to it. 

So, hey you, who want to borrow books from me, you are at risk of being looked at like a kidnapper in my mind. Please save me the trouble of telling you how uncomfortable it is for me to share my books. I dislike hate sharing my prized possessions and books are one of them!