How this Versova father-son duo converted a scrap shop into a bookshop

The year was 1965 and Navin Soni's village in Gujarat's Kutch region had already faced three years of drought. For a family of seven, there was barely any food to eat. Being the eldest, Soni, who was in his early teens, took it upon himself to leave and earn for the family in Mumbai, since many people spoke about how there is a better life here. He explains, "I borrowed Rs 10 from somebody I knew to travel to the railway station which was far away. Till then, I hadn't travelled by train so didn't know anything and ended up travelling to Delhi. Since I didn't have enough money, I did odd jobs, survived and earned for myself."

On one occasion, a relative in Delhi happened to spot him and tried to send him back home, but Soni had made up his mind to come to the maximum city. So, after four years, he travelled to Mumbai and reached Mumbai Central railway station, walked from there all the way to Andheri station market. It was here that he met a man from his village because of the turban he wore. As it so happens, the man knew his family, and that's how he first earned at a scrap shop. The rest as they say is history.

Finding value in scrap
As the 73-year-old narrates this story, we are left gaping and in awe at the adventure he had but today, everything seems worth it. After working for some years with the man from his village, the Versova bookseller started his own scrap shop with Rs 5,000. One that was successfully running till he got many customers who told him about how there would be many buyers for the books he was getting. "Since they told me about these books, I thought why not try selling them and that's when I started putting them on sale. Fast forward to the late 90s and senior Soni's elder son Nishant joined him at the shop and has been running it for the last 20 years.

Now, situated in a small lane in old Versova diagonally opposite to DCB Bank, the second-generation bookseller has found his love in books in not only new but also old and vintage books. While he may not read much, he has learned the business and intends to continue doing for as long as he can. "The thing about books is that it is never-ending like an ocean. There is no end to this and I love spending my time around them," shares Nishant. Over the years, like many other booksellers, he has seen the advent of online make people buy books online, but that doesn't seem to affect him. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has made him utilise the medium to his business forward by being part of a WhatsApp group and even on Instagram, where he actively posts about his books along with the price. Apart from sourcing the books and attending to customers at the shop, it is also what takes up most of his time and he is content with it.

Books and antiques
Interestingly, Navin's Book Shop doesn't only keep books but any kind of knick knacks that people don't require anymore. While we are there, we spot vinyls, antique items, paintings, showpieces, lithographs and different kinds of props that will appeal to any collector who comes to the shop. "Since there are a lot of film shoots that happen in this area, they also come to rent these props for a few days. Along with the books, we also continue to keep the scrap shop. However, we cater to only known customers, who we have known for many years as they have been with us for a long time."

Ask senior Soni where he sees the future of the bookshop, and the Versova local says he completely trusts his son to take over with his "new ideas and new thinking". While Navin has been managing it with his father for over two decades, he has learned a lot from him not only in life but also about the value of books; he also learned about the business along the way but there's one aspect he values the most. "My father has taught me patience. I often get very frantic when we haven't made a sale but he tells me to have patience," shares the 40-year-old.

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