Love That Edifies vedanshi Mitesh Bhalodia

Tilt of the head, toes on the tips and fingers striving to get hold of one of the dusty tomes which no one reached for, to hands confidently binding around a volume with admiration for the work in my eyes is my life in a nutshell.

“ They had smoked to keep the dead out of their nostrils, they had joked to keep the dead from preying on their minds, they had eaten to remind themselves that they were alive.” - Richard Flanagan

How can a flock of words so strong keep my mind from travelling ages back — miles apart, just because my feet are affixed? How can the coalescence of such meek adeptness and stirring experience keep me from feeling for another being just because it is from another era or a different planet?

As a young reader, I devoured books in abundance. However, as I grew up, I realised that reading is an art, which if not skilfully done, is mere skimming. After becoming an English HL student, my entire understanding of literature changed and I know it will persistently change as I unfurl its infinite depth. Awe-inspired, I voluntarily involved myself in activities like Oxford Summer Courses and the school editorial board. My first publication was in the Mentor magazine, which reached out to 16000-17000 readers. A poem...