Pocket Diary Book Club

Soya 12:30 ko ki turant hi neend ko 4 baje udane ko. Nashta liya. Long drive pe chal pade Thol ki aur. Kyunki long drive view, birds chirping, sunrise, trees, snacks aur books ki mehfil jamne wali thi. Bas vaapis laye nayi yaadein, naye friends, naye atrangi kisse 📙

– Ronak

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The soft amber glow of dawn stretched across the sky, painting the still waters of Thol Lake. The distant cries of birds and the rhythmic ripples of the water created a serene atmosphere. Time seemed slow, allowing us to savour every moment. Each member selected a book that resonated with their thoughts or mood. The diversity of the genres – poetries, autobiography, folklore, Hindi literature created a vibrant environment. 

This collective reading was a celebration of knowledge and it created a bond between nature and individuals. Between reading passages from the book we also enjoyed tea, coffee and yummy snacks enveloping everyone in a cocoon of warmth and comfort.

In the quiet embrace of the morning at Thol Lake, books, tea, and snacks we connected with each other and shared beautiful moments.

– Janvi

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A Morning Well Spent..!

The alarm went off at 3:51 am. I was up instantly so as not to wake up others.

Got ready, collected the snacks packed the previous night and “Where Gods Dwell” and took off.

Reached the rendezvous point just before 5:00 am. Via Shilaj Circle, proceeded to Thol.

My young companions, Ronak & Vishal, were of great help in climbing the bank of the lake. Chirag was always around to guide us in the right direction.

The morning walk on the lake was quite refreshing. I was overwhelmed when I was offered a stool to sit on, brought by Dhaumil (If I ain’t wrong).

The squawking of the lake birds (in hundreds or was it thousands ?) filled the air. At sunrise, they rose in multitudes into the air to be on their way in search of food. Their flights were absolutely aerodynamic and a sight to behold. But today I missed their dancing flocks which usually fill the skies here in winter.

Many of us came up with short poems today which I sometimes found a little difficult to comprehend due to the constant cackle of the bird colonies.

I was apprehensive about how Kusum Budhwar’s book would be received. But was delighted when it struck a chord with most.

Many of us found the misty, rose-gold morning worth capturing in our cameras.

The readings, the snacks and the hot beverages were great bonding mediums. We could now connect the names in our groups to faces to be remembered.

Thanks to PDBC for the camaraderie that I could build with several new acquaintances and cement those with the old ones.

In short 😁 A Morning Well Spent!

– Samir (kaunsa wale, ye mat poochna!)

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कुछ पल कुछ लम्हें, 

जिनको अलग धूप में सेंकाआज,

कुछ झांका पन्नों के अन्दर,

और कुछ झांका भीतर में आज,

मिले ग़ालिब और फ़राज़ से,

और मिले अमृता प्रीतम से आज,

सुनी दुबे जी की कहानी

गरम चाय – कॉफी के साथ!

While returning from Thol, it felt like I had secretly stolen few precious moments on a Sunday morning,  while the rest of the world was still just waking up.

The happiness of taking the time out from the humdrum of life and doing so with so many amazing people is what makes waking up at 3 am on a Sunday morning all worth it!

And I don’t know how the team PDBC pulls it off every single time, but for me it is always ALWAYS a special experience!

– Nija

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Khubsurat subah ki suruvat PDBC readers ke sath thol pankshi abhyaran me karne ka mauka badi mushkil se mila last time miss kar gya tha is bar to ana hi tha thanx chirag Bhai nind se jagane k liye nhi to uth nhi pata .

To nikal pade Mai Samir aur  Prince har bar ki tarah Prince ne raste ko romanchak banaya aur ham pahoch gye thol …

Gulabi thandi Andheri rat chand k prakash me dikhta jheel ka pani aur madhur vihang dal ki awaaj mantra mugdha kar raha tha dur jheel k dusri taraf ek Jyoti stambh ki prakash jheel ki khubsurti bada rha tha dhire dhire subah hi rhi thi panchhiyo ki awaje tej ho rhi thi jaisi koi alag hi tarah ki Sangeet ki dhoon  sunai de rha tha .

Achha laga somya shreyansh k sath thodi masti kar k sab ki badhaiya ka ashirwad leke aur laute yadein lekar  ….agali bar  fir milenge PDBC k sath.

– Mitesh

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I vividly remember today’s Thol Picnic organized by Pocket Diary Book Club. The morning picnic began by watching how the sunrise painted the sky in hues of gold and pink. As I sat there, the gentle hum of the birds in the air felt like nature’s own symphony, adding a layer of tranquillity to the peaceful surroundings. People around me, from all walks of life, were lost in the words of the pieces being read aloud—each one resonating deeply, especially Faraz’s poetry and Kusum Budhwar’s Where Gods Dwell. There was something magical about how the words seemed to come alive in the serene atmosphere. It was a moment of connection, not just with nature, but with the hearts of the people gathered. I’m incredibly grateful to the Pocket Diary Book Club for creating such a beautiful space, where literature and life met so harmoniously.

– Drishta

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A night spent dreaming of birds and their songs, a morning with less of bitter winds and more of a cozy breeze, so many books, poetries, ghazals, stories mixed in bags carrying mats, food and hot thermos of coffee & tea.

How will we do it? I was nervous but excited for a new dawn to bless us with its rays of hope and happiness. It was a morning spent soaking in Vitamin D and nature’s music gifted to us all.

I was sitting there, all of us were watching the calm dawn, the changing colours from black to grey, grey to light brown, coffee to orange-ish and then it turned to pink, before finally, it was a bright sunshine yellow.

I kept thinking, about life’s blessings & Kafka’s letters to Milena as I saw Nija ji absorbed in that book next to me. Drishta was exploring Girish Karnad’s play, which scene to read aloud, and Chirag all but found a spot where we had a readymade stage.

Thol marks the festivities of a new beginning of year for us at Pocket Diary Book Club.

19.01.2025

– Priya

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