Every year around Christmas we visit the Ananth Shishu Sevashram. The Ashram houses about 50+ kids, all in the age group of 3 – 18. Each year we ask the management their requirement and accordingly take things. This year was the same…..except I decided to add-on some storybooks from Pratham Books. There was a good mix of English and Kannada books. After we finished singing “Jingle Bell” we distributed the notebooks, storybooks etc, post which we went to talk to the caretaker. As I came out I saw a little girl engrossed in ‘From Submarines to Sky raiders’ the Kannada version]. I looked to the left to see an equally interesting scene, an older boy helping a younger kid to read. In office we always talk about spreading the joy of reading but to actually experience it first hand was amazing…..these children were really really besotted by the books. And what hit me the most was, why had I not ever taken books before? Well I sure don’t have a good enough answer for that one, but for all of you who always wanted to do something good – go ahead gift a book, spread the joy of reading.