A Kureishi Shelf

I've had strange factions of luck with Kureishi. My first Kureishi- Love in a Blue time with the lovely Blue cover found its way into my bag from a government library somehow. I loved the spined copy so much, and even more so after discovering the much duller paperback version in the expensive bookstore, I  immediately decided to keep the forbidden copy away from its lawful home-the State Library. But, the beautiful cover played elusive and I lost the book to a friend so dear I didn't scratch him bald when he told me that my first Kureishi had decided to move on.


Gabriel's Gift I found in the AC Joshi Library, a library that had a noted dislike for modern fiction and hence my surprise, " Kureishi, you, here?". The silvery blue cover reflected my "blue love" for Kureishi back at me. And hence a pleasant afternoon under the winter sun with Kureishi in my lap before he returned to the dark hustled library shelf less than 14 days  from our shelved encounter.


One grumpy day I happened to turn into the little old magazine kiosk and found the most  brilliant cover I've ever I've seen on a book. Intimacy limned as a couple in bed, intimate.
This cover I've never seen in any bookshop, I had to discover it between obsolete India Todays and Womans Eras. And I hold this Kureishi close to me like no other, intimate. 


In Bangalore with my Twink, I found Love in a Blue Time again, in a pile that threatened to self destruct anytime. I escaped with Kureishi, myself and my Twink-then tight under my arm.


And then this Sunday, I again sauntered over to the little old magazine kiosk and found The Buddha of Suburbia content amongst the Pregnancy and Childcare and Digit Magazine. So even though I owned a much more expensive sparkling version, I still picked up the spent Kureishi.


And now I live with the Kureishis.
:)


P.S Dear Hanif Kureishi,
My apologies for completely discounting my copy of Midnight all Day from this narrative, I, well, didnot enjoy it a bit.