So, Valentine’s Day is over – everyone has been pouring out their love for different people in their lives. I don’t have someone special in my life, and love for my parents, siblings, cousins, friends, or other people is much talked about. Therefore, I decided to focus on other areas of my life – my love for books, writing, teaching, walking, bed-tea rituals with mother, Olive, food, solo travelling, and Jyotirlingas. Each of these facets has bestowed meaning and purpose on my life and I hold each one as dear as my love for a person.
Bibliophile
Ever since I recall from my childhood, I have loved books. My earliest recollection is reading the Diamond comic series with Chacha Choudhary, Pinky, Billu, and then Archie. Then came children’s magazines like Suman Saurabh, Balhans, Champak, Nandan, and Teens Today. I would devour the local library for Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. Then of course came my BA and MA in English literature and there was no looking back. From the classics to pulp fiction to mythology, I would avidly read whatever I could lay my hands on. Today I don’t read as much as I used to, and certainly not all genres, like non-fiction or horror. However, a cup of tea in one hand and a book in another is an ideal love triangle for the bibliophile in me.
Graphophile
I love writing. It is one of my passions. The love started during my high school days, and continued in the roles of an Admissions Editor at The Princeton Review, writer at The Logical Indian, an independent blogger, a book reviewer for Amazon, and a contributor to The She Saga magazine. Writing for me is not just an expression of my emotions – more than anything else it is cathartic. Readers are the icing on the cake. At each stage of writing, I have learnt something new and the learning arc continues at The She Saga, too.
Didactophile
During my childhood, I had my imaginary class with imaginary students. I always dreamt of becoming a teacher – not a professor, but a school teacher. That is the reason why I pursued a Bachelor of Education. However, “Man thinks, God laughs” (Milan Kundera). Life had other plans for me. I did become a school teacher, and my classroom used to be the centre of my universe. I used to be euphoric among children. But due to various personal and health issues, I had to put in my papers and say goodbye to school teaching. To compensate for it, I took up online English tutorials. One-on-one interaction with my mentees gives me immense satisfaction, and thus, my love for teaching continues in another form.
Ambulophilia
When I used to live in Delhi, and after that, when I joined school teaching, walking was imperative. It is inevitable in a metropolitan city or a job. However, when I resigned from my job, I had to consciously take up walking as a form of exercise. Initially, fifteen minutes of walking would bore me. Then I started listening to music while walking. It was then that my step count shot up to 5,000 steps per day. Despite this, my heart points remained a meagre 25-30 points per week because I didn’t do brisk walking – I walked at a normal pace. In the past six months, I have amped up my step count and heart points. The former has touched 10,000 steps per day, sometimes reaching up to 20,000 steps. My heart points have reached above 450 points, while the WHO recommends 150 as good enough. I prefer walking to a nearby distance for running an errand rather than using my scooty. My ambulophilia is sure to keep many lifestyle diseases at bay.
Morning Bed Tea Ritual with Mother
Our morning bed tea is the one time during the whole day when mother and I spend around half an hour together, discussing what we are going to do during the day. It is precious because we set the priorities of the day, and hence, its tone. It also adds the human touch and warmth right at dawn. The day feels incomplete without this ritual.
Olive , My Darling Pet
In the absence of my own child, I would yearn for a baby to shower my motherly affection on. God listened to my prayers and my nephew brought Olive, my sweetest puppy daughter, into our family. She is a friendly soul and follows me like the Vodafone network follows the customer in that cute advertisement with the pug. She licks me, scratches me (lightly), plays with me, demands caresses and her daily treats of biscuits and boiled egg, and takes her afternoon siesta in my room. Any pet parent can relate to the joy such a puppy can bring into their lives. She is now 3.5 years old and has mellowed down a bit from her earlier days. However, her antics keep us entertained all day long.
Gastronome
I am a foodie, though a vegetarian. So, half the culinary delights are off limits for me, but I thoroughly enjoy the other half that I can gobble. From street food like golgappa to continental like pasta, I love a variety. If I make a list of my favourite dishes, it would be a long list, but I must say that I don’t experiment too much – I do try out the local dishes when I go to some other state, but the basics I love are the non-negotiables. And I must add that I don’t cook too much. Living in a hostel while pursuing higher studies, and then with my parents, who have a full-time cook, prevented the necessity of cooking. I don’t find cooking to be the therapy many people swear by, but I know basic cooking and can survive if such an occasion occurs.
The Sacred and the Solitary Road
Lord Shiva is my ishta devata. The thought of first making a pilgrimage to all twelve Jyotirlingas came to my mind when I visited Kashi Vishwanath. At that time, my parents were often ill, and neither could accompany me on my sacred journeys. So, they had to be solitary. I shed my inhibitions and covered ten out of twelve Jyotirlingas alone. I love the mythological significance of each Jyotirlinga. I will visit Rameshwaram in February 2026 and Kedarnath in 2027, all alone.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarka
By Richa Verma
Richa is an online English teacher, independent blogger, voracious reader, movie buff who is smitten with wanderlust, and a homemaker. She can be contacted through her email address richavermamh@gmail.com
