He was short. He was sharp. He was the brightest boy in his class . his seniors would ask him to solve their difficulties in science. he cud have gone unnoticed in the crowd , but once u ask him a question related in physics or maths , there was a spark in his eyes. He cud grasp theories of science faster than the speed of light.
he came from a poor but an educated family . his father was a high school teacher and an avid reader of English literature . he , like all the boys in his class was trying to get admission into some engineering college . the brighter ones wanted to study in the Indian institutes of technology . this boy , along with his friends applied to appear for the test . they didnot hv any special books or coaching . all these IIT aspirants would sit below the shade of a stone mantap close to chamundi hills in the sleepy town of Mysore . he was a guide to others.
While the others struggled to solve the problems in the question papers, he would smile shyly and solve them in no time. He sat below a tree and dreamt of studying in iit . he was then only 16 years old .
D-Day came. he came to Bangalore , stayed with some relatives and appeared for the entrance test . he did very well but would only say OK when asked .
it was the opposite for food..."OK" implied bad. “Good" implied ok and very good implied good . his principle was never to hurt anyone ...
The IIT entrance results came. He had passed with the flying colors and the highest rank . he was thrilled ! He went to his father who was reading the newspaper.
"ANNA, I have passed the exam. "
"Well done my boy”
"I want to join IIT”
His father stopped reading the paper. He lifted his head, looked at the boy and said with a heavy voice ,"you know our financial position , and i cannot afford your expenses at iit . u can stay in Mysore and learn as much as u want . " his father was sad that he had to tell the bitter truth , but it cud not be helped .
the teenager was disappointed . he was so near to fulfilling his fondest dream , yet so far . his head sank in sorrow . he did not reply . he never shared his unhappiness with anyone. he was an introvert by nature . His heart was aching but he did not get angry with anyone.
The day came. His classmates were leaving for madras (today called Chennai) . They had shared good years at school and he went to wish them good luck 4 their future .at the station his friends were already there. they were excited and discussing their new hostels , new courses etc. so he stood there silently . one of his friends noticed and said " you should have made it " . he did not reply . he just wished them . he stood there even after he cud no longer see the train or the waving hands . it was June 1962 in Mysore . yet he stood there motionless . He said to himself without anger or jealousy , " all students in IIT study well and d big things in life . but it is not the institution , ultimately it is u and u alone who can change ur life with hard work . "
This son of a school teacher became a pioneer of the software industry. He is Infosys founder and present chairman , narayana murthy . his motto being ," powered by intellect , driven by values "
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