We asked readers to write in their favourite Harry Potter moment, and we got quite a response.
Reader Neha Mukherjee, 21, writes in her experience of buying Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince while Mumbai faced its worst monsoon calamity.
If you've lived in Mumbai and you are asked to recall July 26, 2005, most of you will describe the flood horrors and hardships faced in the following days. But ask me and all I remember is HARRY POTTER!
Yes, when almost the entire city was hurriedly trying to get back home at 3:45 pm, I was trying to reason with a bookseller, trying to convince him to come home with me to deliver the book since I was a 15-year-old school-going kid, who wouldn't be carrying a big amount of money like Rs 650 -- the price of the latest Harry Potter book. I pleaded him to 'understand my situation' and requested him to come home with me so that I could pay him for the book which I was 'reserving'.
After good 20 minutes of ''kya bhaiya... kya bhaiya'' and ''please na bhaiya... please na bhaiya,'' he agreed. Yes, he agreed!
From that day onwards I started believing that God really does send his angels to help the 'needy' like me.
Anyway, moving on, the book was my life, it was so sacred that I couldn't bear the thought of even a single raindrop spoiling its surface.
So I decided to empty the plastic covers meant to keep my school books from getting wet to save THE book from rain. And then the journey back home began. Since no rickshaws were available we had to walk the distance. It took us half an hour to reach my house and by that time both the book-wala and I were soaking wet, despite the umbrellas.
My mother was puzzled as she saw me with a stranger. Without giving her much time to react, I asked her to give him Rs 650 for the book. The moment my mother closed the door I just ripped open my bag hoping that the book hadn't got wet.
And oh my god! It hadn't!!! (I used FOUR big plastic bags to protect it!). I was giddy with excitement when I heard my mom yell about all my course books being soaked with water. But I couldn't care less, my HARRY POTTER book was dry and glossy and looked oh-so-nice!
The next few days were a bit rough as the rains wrecked havoc in the city and schools were officially shut. But I couldn't be happier -- I had seven days to finish the most eagerly awaited book of that season. Madness, but totally worth it!!!
