10 Pages a Day -Md Uzzal Hossain

The old bookshop on the corner of Dhaka’s bustling Nilkhet market had always been a mystery to Rafi. Unlike the flashy stores selling textbooks for the coming exams, this shop, with its wooden shelves and faint smell of old paper, seemed like it belonged to another era. Its owner, an elderly man with a flowing white beard, rarely spoke, but his presence carried an air of wisdom that drew curious customers.

One humid Friday afternoon, while wandering aimlessly, Rafi found himself standing before the shop. He wasn’t much of a reader—he preferred cricket games and phone scrolling over the ‘boring’ world of books. But something about the way the shopkeeper looked at him, a subtle nod of encouragement, pulled him inside.

Rows upon rows of books stood in stoic silence, their spines faded but proud. As Rafi brushed his fingers over the titles, he spotted a dusty, leather-bound book with gold-embossed Bengali letters: Shohorer Shapno (“Dreams of the City”). When he picked it up, the shopkeeper smiled for the first time.

“That one will change your life, boy,” the old man said cryptically.

Rafi laughed nervously. “I don’t even like reading.”

“Give it a try. Ten pages. Just ten.”

Curiosity outweighed skepticism, and Rafi carried the book home.

That night, after reluctantly finishing his homework, Rafi opened Shohorer Shapno. The story began with a boy named Arif, much like himself, navigating the chaotic streets of Dhaka. But Arif was different—he had a secret: every book he read gave him glimpses of the future.

Rafi found himself enthralled. He promised to read just ten pages but ended up finishing fifteen. When he finally put the book down, something peculiar happened. The air around him seemed lighter, almost magical. He felt an unexplainable sense of clarity, as if his mind had unlocked a door he didn’t know existed.

The next day, Rafi couldn’t wait to return to the book. But when he opened it, a handwritten note on the last page caught his eye:
“The story isn’t over. Finish the next ten pages, and you’ll discover why.”

Over the next few weeks, Rafi developed a ritual. Every night, he read ten pages of Shohorer Shapno. The story grew more gripping as Arif, the protagonist, used his newfound ability to help people in his neighborhood—predicting storms, averting accidents, even reuniting lost loved ones. But the most intriguing part was Arif’s personal transformation. He became more disciplined, curious, and empathetic, qualities Rafi began noticing in himself.

One day, while helping his mother clean the house, Rafi stumbled upon an old, forgotten trunk in the storeroom. Inside, he found a collection of his late grandfather’s books—most of them classics in Bengali literature. The sight of the books felt like a treasure chest waiting to be explored.

Inspired by Shohorer Shapno, Rafi began reading one book at a time. Each story opened new worlds for him, teaching him lessons about resilience, kindness, and the power of dreams. Soon, his phone sat neglected on his desk, replaced by a growing stack of books.

Word of Rafi’s newfound love for reading spread among his friends. At first, they teased him, calling him Dadu (Grandpa). But when he started sharing stories from the books, something remarkable happened. His friends, curious about the adventures he described, began borrowing books from him.

The ripple effect didn’t stop there. Rafi’s school started a “10 Pages a Day” club, where students gathered to discuss what they were reading. The club became a hub of creativity, sparking debates, ideas, and even a few mini-writing competitions.

Months later, on a bright winter morning, Rafi returned to the bookshop in Nilkhet. The old man greeted him with a knowing smile.

“So, did it change your life?”

Rafi nodded. “More than I ever imagined. But how did you know?”

The shopkeeper chuckled softly. “Books have a way of finding the right readers. You just needed a little push.”

As Rafi walked away, clutching another recommendation from the mysterious shopkeeper, he glanced at the bustling streets around him. The city felt different now—alive with possibilities, like the books he had grown to love.

And deep within his heart, Rafi knew he had become a different person. All it had taken was ten pages a day.