Monday, January 21, 2013

Promise.

“I hate you Dad!”

My daughter’s words echoed in my ears even as I tried to concentrate on the project report I was reviewing.

It is truly difficult not to think about it. I know that my daughter loves me a lot. But I am worried of this increasingly wide gap between us.

I finished the report, called in Srinivasan, our senior manager-operations, suggested a couple of changes and asked him to mail it to me later in the evening.

My daughter is upset as I cannot attend her violin concert the day after tomorrow. I have to fly to Chennai for submission of the project report. And I cannot reschedule the submission. 

I did promise her that I would attend her concert a couple of months back, but I never knew that it would clash with the annual conference of my company. I offered to buy her the best violin available in the market, but she slammed the door of her room in my face.
Being the Health Benefits Chairperson of a popular MNC is not an easy job. My job is 24x7, just like the doctors and paramedics we recruit for our Occupational Health Centers (OHCs). We are also responsible to ensure proper treatment of medical emergencies that our employees may have. It is a stressful job, but it pays well.

I sunk back into the comfort of the back seat of my car, and asked my driver to take me home.
"Traffic in this area has come to a standstill Sir. The Chief Minister is inaugurating a new MNC nearby. It will take at least an hour before we can leave" he said. I cursed my luck and was looking around, when I noticed Srinivasan struggling to drag his bike out of mud beside the parking lot. I got down to help him and noticed that he was really anxious.

"Thank you Sir" Srinivasan said in a low tone. I had never seen him without a smile. Srinivasan was an ex-serviceman, and must have been about 10 years older than me.

After the bike was on concrete, I asked him “You don’t seem fine Mr Srinivasan, What’s troubling you?”

“I have to get home Sir. But because of these stupid politicians I have to wait for one more hour.”

I was taken aback by his words. Srinivasan is one of our oldest and most trusted employees. Not once in the past seven years have I seen him so disturbed. Not even when his job was in doubt during the recession.

“Coffee?” I asked.

“Sure Sir” he replied, locking his bike.

We sat down at the coffee shop in our premises and ordered coffee. “So, why you have to get home early?” I asked.

“My Son is giving his exams Sir. He is currently pursuing his engineering. I have to help him prepare for his last exam tomorrow.”

I never thought Mr Srinivasan’s son would be old enough to pursue engineering. But that was not what I was thinking back then. Srinivasan was a Post graduate in Biological sciences. 

“So, you teach him his subjects?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity.

"No Sir... My son was affected with polio, when I was posted in Arunachal Pradesh in the army. He cannot walk on his own. I help him exercise his legs and upper body, so as to help him use his wheel chair and crutches effectively, without requiring the help of others."  He replied with moistened eyes.

"When he was first diagnosed, he was about 4 years of age, and I promised myself I would never let him feel different than others. I took voluntary retirement from military service and started working with a MNC as an accountant. Studied at home and completed my MBA from open university and joined our company."

This was something I never expected. The guy who always had a smile on his face, even in times of severe office stress, had been in such emotional turmoil at home.

"I always stood by my son, in whatever he did. Never let him think that he was not capable of anything he wanted to do. I refused promotions, so that I could have more time to spend with my son."

"My son plays the guitar very well, and is performing at his school alumnus meet on Wednesday. That is exactly why I excused myself from the annual conference this year. I also met your daughter while attending my son's rehearsals at his school. You are lucky to have such a charming and talented girl. Apparently, they know each other since his school years. "


" Oh. Is it? I really didn't know that. Can I ask you something, if you don't mind?" I asked, still uncertain whether I should ask him what I wanted to.

"Please do" he replied with his trademarked smile, as though he knew what I was about to ask.

"Wouldn't you have been financially better off to care for your son, if you considered the promotion?" I asked, adjusting myself to the edge of my seat and ignoring the coffee that had been served.

"There were a few instances when I thought about it Sir. Money is important, but still is just a small part of Life. It is trivial when compared to a lot of things in life. I promised my son I would be there. And a promise is a promise."

The conversation ended abruptly when He glanced at his watch and excused himself.

I must have sat there for an hour after he left. The conversation made me brood on how easy it was to be happy. He was right. Money is just a small part of life. 

I opened up my laptop, rescheduled my tickets to Chennai, so that I could leave tomorrow, return on Wednesday for the concert and return back to the conference on Thursday morning. I would have to face a couple of words from my CEO. But, for my daughter, I'd do it happily any day.

I kept all this a secret from my daughter, and surprised her a couple of hours before her concert. Her performance was amazing. She looked less like a girl with a violin and more like Goddess Saraswathi with a Veena. Mr Srinivasan's son too performed very well, making his dad very proud.

My daughter accompanied me to the airport the next day morning, and while resting her head on my shoulder in the car, she asked me "Why?"

"Because a Promise is a Promise" I replied.

Before I switched off my mobile on the flight, I got a text message from my girl.. it said;

"I Love you a lot dad! Really a lot!"

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

కొఱగానివి పెమ్మయ సింగ ధీమణీ.

I was searching for these poems from jakkanna's pemmaiyya singha dheemani satakamu since a longtime...
got these two with the help of my dad and the internet.
if you know someone who might have access to more of these, kindly leave a comment here or email me on abhishekmalyala@gmail.com
i will be really grateful to anyone who can help me here.


వాసన లేని పువ్వు, బుధ వర్గము లేని పురంబు,
భక్తి విస్వాసము లేని భార్య, గుణవంతుడు గాని కుమారుడున్,
సదాభ్యాసము లేని విద్య, పరిహాసము లేని వాచ్య ప్రసంగముల్,
గ్రాసము లేని కొలువు, కొఱగానివి పెమ్మయ సింగ ధీమణీ.

గారెలు లేని విందు , సహకారము లేని వనంబు ,
తొలుత ఓంకారము లేని మంత్రము , అధికారము లేని ప్రతిజ్ఞ ,
వాక్చమత్కారము లేని తెల్వి, గుణకారము లేనటువంటి లెక్క,
వాసము లేని ఇల్లు , కొఱగానివి పెమ్మయ సింగ ధీమణీ.

credits to : http://prasadchitta.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/