An eclectic collection of new and rare books draws many a book lover to this cosy space

The Chapter and Verse Bookstore is as quaint a place as its name suggests. Nestled in a corner of the Gera Plaza, Boat Club Road, the store was conceived by Arvind Gordhandas, author of the book Wanted Employer on Probation - a man who passionately loved life, and was a voracious reader and skilled poet himself. "Books are my life after my wife," he used to say often. Today the store is run by his charming wife Manjari, who keeps alive her husband's dream of an informal and unhurried literary space. With comfortable wicker sofas and books scattered around, book lovers can simply lose themselves in the new, old and sometimes rare…quite oblivious to the hurly-burly of city life outside.

Once inside you are bound to take an amble around "The Book Walk" and buy a book that will keep you away from your T.V. for a day or two, and tempt you to go around to the bookstore for more! "We try to cover a little bit of everything," says Manjari. The custom designed bookshelves offer something for everyone who walks in.

Nandita Khaire, advertising professional, who is a regular at the store says that she often comes across books you wouldn't find anyplace else. "It's a great place to organise your thoughts and expand your repertoire. And the assistants at the store, Anita and Sanjay have the ability to ferret out several books on a particular subject for you," she assures us. Fiction, literature, travel, history, philosophy, religion, cookery, management, and contemporary Indian writing, you name it - chances are they have it. There is also a section of Gujarati books.

The USP of the store however, is its 5000-plus strong collection of old and rare books. In fact the smell of old books would make any aficionado simply swoon! Plays by Greek, Spanish, French, German and English authors; great classics; History, Philosophy, Psychology; Shakespeare and Shaw; Gandhi and Bacon and Lenin…they're all there…lovingly dusted, cherished and kept, waiting for just the right book lover to pick them up. There are also old editions of the National Geographic, Times Literary Supplement, and the New York Times Book Review.

And that's not all; the store occasionally plays classical music and stocks old LP and EP records of all-time greats such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Swain Kelly, Lyn Cornell, Pat Boone, Cliff Richard, Nat King Cole, The Weavers and Gordon Jenkins. Chapter and Verse is also the venue of a discussion group, where book lovers meet and discuss literature, philosophy and other subjects that interest them.

Intriguingly, Manjari is herself not too interested in reading, and yet she runs the bookstore with the same dedication that her husband had. Even when it comes to selling the old and rare books she is rather careful. "I would not want them to go into the wrong hands because each and every single book was important to Arvind, as they were part of his collection," she says. What spurs Manjari on is the memory of her late husband - whose poems she publishes year after year. "I want my husband's work to be recognized and want his name to be as luminous as the stars above," she says with a sparkle in her eyes.

With distractions such as cable, movie halls, the Internet, and a thousand other technology-driven goodies, many people fear that the book may soon become a thing of the past. Somehow, when you enter this little bookstore, those fears simply recede. Going by its many loyal patrons, it's evident that Chapter and Verse has managed to carve out an important niche for itself, with its easy charm and eclectic collection of books and music.

F-10, 1st Floor, Gera Plaza, 200, Boat Club Road, Pune- 4110 01, Phone: 26137870, Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Email: candv@pn3.vsnl.net.in

Ritika Ramtri Kumar

Robust Punjabi fare at reasonable prices is a guarantee here