We don't read

 Logic behind this observation - We live in a good neighborhood in IT capital Bangalore. And I have searched the length and breadth of this area (I have walked two main streets here). And I didn't spot a single newspaper stall. 

I had to be consoled with a small rack with 10-15 magazines in a corner of a super market. Which had - women's magazines - in Hindi and an English weekly which was a week old and one more which was 1 month old and some organisers. I wanted to put some curse words here - but is umr me shobha nahi deti hai.

See, I was happy reading my daily dose of newspaper and twitter feed - some of us prefer whatsapp, some twitter and some facebook. But then last week we visited our parents' house. And they are voracious readers and I saw many books and magazines. Not the ones which you can swipe - real, physical books you can touch and smell. And decided once I go back to Bangalore, I will start buying magazines. 

Again, our newspaper vendor does not sell magazines other than two Kannada weeklies. Hence the walk on the roads hunting newspaper stalls begun, and failed miserably.

I, from a much older generation, who used to read one book overnight once upon a time, now take months to finish a book - if I don't give up half way. Being a bored housewife, with almost 18 hours of free time a day. 

The only time I read is when I am watching some tv series and want to get the information about the series.

Then I can't blame the young people who have a career and children to take care. Nor can I blame older ones who get enough news and knowledge from video and article forwards. 

Like my teacher once wrote in my report card we all in an irreversible stage called 'pragati ilimukha' - progress is declining. 

But may be audio books might be a silver lining. Many music apps like spotify and youtube and podcast apps do have classic books in the form of audio books. 

And some times when we see a book transformed into a serial, we tend to download the book and attempt read it. A wee bit. Like yesterday when I started with 'The brave new world'. I immediately downloaded the book and one more book by Aldous Huxley. (Will the tablets explode with too many downloaded- unread books?)

The book was good. Serial is OK.