Skip to main content

Harry Potter to my Rescue!


H of #AtoZChallenge 

'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, 
if only one remembers to turn on the light!'

(image courtesy: Google images)

I was amongst the 'first receivers' of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets books in India; the British  editions published by Bloomsbury! My Gaurav Kaka bought them in London when he was coming back to India and had gifted me. I was in my sixth standard back then; some eleven years old. SAME AGE AS HARRY :) 

Only back then I didn't know what I had received! Though I was amongst the first receivers of the book, I was NOT amongst the first readers of the books! It took me a while to realize that I was sitting on a goldmine!

My creche Mavshi, Jyoti Kakee and Jui Tai had taken the entire group to watch the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The movie shook me to the core! Harry's journey to Hogwarts, exploring the magical world through Harry's eyes and the adventure in Hogwarts had put a spell on me! I remember sitting stuck to my seat after the movie had ended, wondering what did I just witness! Little did I know my life was going to change (for better)! 

I went back and fished out the book that I had kept aside. And I was hooked! Since Gaurav Kaka had gifted the first two books to me, I hungrily gobbled each book after book and waited impatiently for the third one to release! 

Harry Potter made my entire school-going experience better! Hogwarts made me want to go back to school. After JK Rowling came into my life, I put my invisible HP tinted glasses on and looked at my school with wonder! 

My school (in reality too) was a pretty big school like Hogwarts sans the secret washrooms and passages and sans a kind-hearted Dumbledore. What made my school enchanting was that it had  a few dark corners and corridors with bats flying in the passages, making the children run for cover. It had two big Assembly halls, which I imagined to be like the Great Hall where the students would assemble class-wise. We had four houses like Hogwarts and each student was pretty loyal to his/her own house! We didn't have Quidditch, but had many other inter-house sports matches that gave us enough cheering and celebrating to do! Like Hogwarts had it's library, my school had two big libraries that had shelves as tall as the ceiling, filled with books! I even saw shades of Dumbledore,  McGonagall, Umbridge, Filch, Lucious Malfoy and Snape in some teachers and the kids' parents. 

My school of few years, my Hogwarts in real life in fact was a pretty dark and a sad place (for me). I didn't particularly have any friends at school. I spoke to everyone, some spoke to me. But I didn't make any lifelong or loyal friends. Everyone were too busy trying to figure their own way out. I didn't have friends whom I could share things with or with whom I thought it was safe to share. Everyone were trying to compete and be at the top of their game (which was great and fair). Everyone were expected to be either good at Arts, Craft, Music/Dance, Sports and Academics! I wasn't good at anything and I would often fail. As I failed, I would see people drifting away more and more. I just didn't fit in! And I couldn't figure why. I longed to find my Neville and Hagrid but never found them in that school. It was a great school and I still love it. I will forever be grateful for all the goodness it brought in my life and for the love of languages and books it introduced me to. But it wasn't my happy Hogwarts. 

JK Rowling filled my life with wonder and hope! 
She gave me friends and a world to go back to. 
She gave me my Patronus that protected me from loneliness and under-confidence. 
Harry Potter made me want to believe in life-long and loyal friends. 
It made me want to never give up and keep on figuring out my own way. 
It made me spot the silver lining. 
It made me go look for my own Dumbledore (Mentors and Guides). 
And over the years of growing up I have made (many) life-long and loyal friends! 
I have found (many) Dumbledores who looked out for, helped me, taught me and protected me! 
Even today when I am staring at a word-less, blank paper and frantically searching into an idea-less brain, I fall back on JK Rowling for inspiration and the much-needed motivation to keep writing.

Harry Potter is not just a memorable book and movie series. 
It's not ONLY a Treasure that would be cherished over the times and generations. 
It's more! 
It is way more than what seems and what is seen! 
  
I will ever be grateful to Gaurav Kaka for gifting me my first ever Harry Potter books; first editions too!  
I would be forever grateful to JK Rowling and Harry Potter for rescuing me. 
And for that I owe them my life :) 

(My First Edition book gifted by Gaurav Kaka)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ghost in the House

“This house is just how you had described Mr. and Mrs Kruger!”, said the house broker.  Kris and Kate walked into the apartment and stared and stared.  The house had everything they had ever wanted- a living room just adequate enough to house Kate’s small library shelf in the corner and Kris’ editing machines and still have enough space for the seating when some extra friends came over to stay, a cozy bedroom with just enough light coming in, the perfect kitchen where they would cook together not too big not small, a bathroom good enough to fit a tub,  a balcony perfect to fit two chairs where Kate could make a tiny garden and where they could sip their morning coffee or have a glass of wine at night.  Kate whispered in awe, “This is it! This is just like a dream.!” The house broker smiled and added, “Surprisingly its just a little more than the half of what you had decided as your budget.”  Kate turned to Kris loo...
5 comments
Read more

Choti Nalu

N of #AtoZChallenge Nalu म्हणजे Nalini, my Aaji. My Aaji has a played a BIG role in my life. My Aaji (Mum's mum) and we lived together till she passed away. I got her, all for myself till the time I was twenty-one years old!  She was not just my Aaji, but my roommate, my sister, my friend, my Guide, my Teacher! All rolled in one! My Aaji would often tell me stories. And some of these stories would be memories about her childhood. Whenever she narrated I would immediately be transported back in time, to the Mumbai of the late 1920's and early 1930's! My imagination would turn sepia and I would see my Aaji as a दोन वेण्याची छोटी choti Mulgi (but with my Aaji's face)!  Aaji grew in the heart of Dadar. Her father taught my Aaji everything! He put her in the best school of Dadar (King George semi-English), he helped her in her studies through school, he encouraged her to sing and learn the harmonium, he taught her to cycle on the f...
6 comments
Read more

The Cute Coffee Boy

It was raining. I entered the cafe disgruntled. The stupid rain had wetted by library book. And my date was running late.  So here I was drenched with murk and water expected to dry off and sit in some corner reading a wet book as my date would make a late entrance. I headed straight to the counter to order a coffee. I saw no one. I yelled, “Will I have to make my own coffee?” A boy got up from under the counter and smiled apologetically, “Sorry. I will make one for you. What would you like?”  I forgot what I wanted. He had twinkling puppy eyes and his lips wore a warm smile. His words seemed like a song that I didn’t want to end. He looked into my eyes intently waiting for me to speak.  I wanted him. I wanted him to keep on talking to me.  “I would like one hot chocolate.” “And would you like some toasties to go with it?”  I wanted to say, “Whatever you say.” But I said, “Yeah cool.” Okay now keep talking. I asked, “Will you get ...
6 comments
Read more

First School

F of #AtoZChallenge My first school was Yashomandir. At age four. It was a Nursery school in Mulund East.   The uniform was a red pinafore with a white shirt. My mum would fold a handkerchief in a triangle and pin it (with a safety pin) on the left-hand side.  My school name-badge would be pinned on top of it.  The Principal of our Yashomandir was Teacher-Aaji.  I never made an effort to know her real name because for me she was Teacher-Aaji. Whenever I meet her, I still address her Teacher-Aaji.  She was a tall, pathicha kana taath (spine-straight) woman who had the looks of a commanding yet a kind Principal.  My class teacher's name was Rita Teacher.  My memory of walking down the street to Yashomandir is fresh to the extent that I still remember how the sunshine felt, how I hopped and skipped to school holding my Aaji's hand, the warm breeze that flowed, the hide and seek the sun played through the shady trees.  I even ...
5 comments
Read more

Hugging the Himalayas

*Crump*  *Crip* *Kudum*  The leaves and the twigs broke under my shoes. I was panting and puffing and sweating. Ashu dada called out, “We are almost there!”  I put my head down and kept climbing until there was no more to climb.   “Guys, you got to see this!”  I raised my head and lost my breath.  We were standing atop a hill overlooking the the magnificent snow mountains. The Dhauladhar range covered in white swept across our eyes. The sky was a true ‘sky blue’ and the sun shone on the tallest of the peaks.  I was in heaven!  And to prove that the cities lay on the other side cramped up like little ants.  At Triund  and Photograph by me :)  Once I had gotten my bag in my yellow tent I sat outside and lay on my back  watching the soft fluffy white clouds breeze by, taking in every bit of the snow wonder. The snow mountains looked no less than a bowl of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with choco chips...
7 comments
Read more