However, my not-so-affable demeanour, perhaps, intimidated the boy. I don’t remember how we got talking. It was, probably, over the vibrantly coloured picture books I flashed before him. Curiosity got the better of him, and he took the bait that lured him into my den. A den full of books! He scoured through my collection with typical childlike wonderment. Then I threw a googly at him. I retold a Jataka tale from an Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) comic animatedly, replete with hand gestures, voice modulation, meaningful pauses, and graphic facial expressions. And he was bowled over! My charm offensive worked, and we bonded over books. Books can do that to you—help you make unlikely friends.