Zahir

Zahir, by Paulo Coelho, is one book that I remember being very impressed by. I ve recommended it to quite a few but had forgotten the true beauty of the book simply because I had read it just once about five years ago. I ve owned this book for some time now but somehow nothing motivated me to read it. Recent conversations with friends and reading '40 rules of love' reminded me of Zahir many times over the past one month.

“So what do you think of the ending of this book?” asked someone to whom I had recommended the book. I had no answer. I had completely forgotten the book. But I knew one thing…I had just felt that the book was great…”Ok! Time to read the book before you brilliantly go recommending it to whole world” I thought to myself and started the journey.

I call this a journey because that is what the book is to me, a journey into my own life. The book reminds us that there are moments in our life when our soul is refreshed and happy. Remember the excitement that we used to get looking at the train? These are moments that gradually reduce as we grow. The routine, the lack of newer experiences, the ‘maturity’ slowly numbs the soul to accept everything around oneself. The acomodator is what makes us complacent. This acomodator makes us lead a life in monotony.

Have you experienced those moments that lighten your heart, moments that bring a sparkle to your eyes, make you love just about everything around you? Well those are the moments that our soul actually comes alive. The book recommends that we break some social conventions the existence of which makes no sense to us, travel to gain new experiences and basically live in the present without our past experiences and or future expectations occupying our minds. I love all the recommendations, esspecially the one about breaking social conventions:)

A book definitely recommended for those who get the ‘there-is-something-missing-i-don’t-know-what feeling.