Solitude and Books

Some books feel like a short visit, but Once Upon a Town felt like going back to a place from my own bachpan. The stories take us into a small town where everyday life moves slowly and quietly. While reading, I kept remembering simple things monsoon afternoons, familiar shopkeepers, children playing in narrow lanes. The town almost feels alive, like a silent dost watching everyone’s life unfold. What I loved most is how the author turns ordinary people into memorable characters.  A vegetable vendor with jokes, an elderly man sitting outside his house, kids building imaginary worlds these simple faces slowly become meaningful stories.  The writing feels calm and reflective, almost like someone sharing old yaadein over evening chai. The illustrations by Abhijeet Kinni add extra warmth. Their old-school comic style reminded me a little of Tintin days. By the end, the book leaves a gentle feeling in the heart—soft, nostalgic, and qu...