Bibliophile couple leaves books on Delhi Metro for strangers to take home

This couple is leaving books for metro commuters and winning the hearts of book lovers in the capital

Shamita Harsh
Jun 08, 2017

This couple in Delhi is giving book-lovers their choicest dreams on a platter. Shruti Sharma who is a writer and Tarun Chauhan, a civil engineer, started an initiative called the Books on the Delhi Metro a month ago. The name describes exactly what they do. They leave books on the metro for commuters to pick up.. for free. Books on the Delhi Metro is actually the NCR branch of the umbrella movement Books on the Move, which was started by Hollie Fraser and Rosy Kehdi in London. From Jhumpa Lahiri’s Namesake to the entire Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle to Cecelia Ahern’s The Year I Met You, these book enthusiasts are spreading the love for reading one book at a time. One of these books was successfully picked up recently.

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A unique identity of these books by Books on the Delhi Metro are the stickers on the covers. With a few people actually using the hashtag Books on the Delhi Metro, the couple is finally hearing back from ecstatic metro commuters who were amazed to find them altogether.

The idea comes from a similar initiative that has been leaving books in the London Underground. Late last Emma Watson had left a copy of her favourite paperback and the initiative had received due attention. Shruti has also gone on to record to admit that she was inspired by the actor’s act and decided to do something about it.

The good-natured couple are being more than just good samaritans – not only are they encouraging people to actively take up reading books, they are gently asking them to do a good deed in return. Shruti and Tarun just want to spread the joy of reading and sharing books, a phenomenon that definitely needs to catch up. What is interesting is that the couple usually drops hints on their social media handles about where commuters can find a surprise copy. Whoever comes across the book can take their time to read and enjoy the book before returning it for another reader to savour. Anyone’s free to find the book, read it and then return it at their own pace. The fact that someone could think of such an idea in this day and age of technology is commendable in itself.

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