Kuch bhi ho sakta hai!

I am borrowing the title of this article from Mr. Anupam Kher's talk show 'Kuch bhi ho sakta hai'.

Why I say Kuch bhi ho sakta hai, is because, I have experienced it multiple times in my life and now believe in it fully. Yes kuch bhi ho sakta hai.

I was writing this book on Emotional Intelligence. One evening over a cup of coffee I wondered whom should we approach for a foreword. My co-author Dr. Ekkirala wished if we could get HH Dalai Lama's blessings in the form of his foreword! Truly speaking, I was already overwhelmed. First, with the fact that on approaching this professor, my colleague here in IMT Nagpur, a fatherly figure, Dr. Ekkirala (who is highly methodical and well-planned), for becoming my co-author, he very unexpectedly had given a spontaneous YES. Usually he would not give a spontaneous yes, as it was not his way of doing things. He would always process information systematically and then revert after having gone back and forth in his mind several times. Thoughtful and methodical to the core. At least this is what I thought of him from my little knowledge of predicting human behavior. So this man had said a YES. I was taken aback. Kuch bhi ho sakta hai! Secondly his wish had surprised me even more. Foreword from HH felt like going to mars at that point. And I am not even friends with Mr. EM ! So going to Mars was not easy for a person like me! Jokes apart, out of gratitude, I felt I should try my level best and give it a try. Is the poem 'koshish karne walo ki kabhi har nahi hoti..' coming to your mind? Atleast I remembered it at that moment..it gave some hope.

So obviously, I had no direct contact, but there was some belief in the work that had been done. I was now on a mission to fulfill Dr. Ekkirala's vision / wish and the journey to reach out to His Holiness began in full swing. Whether he would approve or disapprove, no one knew, and honestly even if he had rejected I would not have been astounded. Whatever the outcome would have been, it would have been... but reaching out, I felt was non negotiable. At least for the sake of Dr. Ekkirala's wish. Actually he said it and in the very next moment I felt he realized, it was not very realistic to think like that and so he never again mentioned about reaching out to HH. He just got engrossed in writing his chapters and was deeply immersed in it. I also preferred giving him a surprise.

From that day onwards, I started reaching out to everybody I knew who could connect me with HH. Of course, I even thought of going to Dharamshala and sitting in front of his ashram as my final effort but it was easier said then done. There is a mention of postal address and contact number on Google but somehow the number wasn't reachable for a while. Also, I wanted to be sure that the manuscript reaches his office. Was in search of some reliable contact. One can imagine the volume of correspondence that may be happening at Dharamshala. So feared if it would ever reach the hands that may be looking into such works. After reaching out to many who could help me reach HH, and not being successful at that, one day I simply searched for a police station's phone number in Dharamshala and dialed it. A kind soul picked my phone and shared a number of a HH's convoy head. Through him, finally reached out to HH's office that looks into such academic affairs. That's it. The very next day, the manuscript was couriered. I was supremely satisfied. It had reached the right hands. Left it to God and HH, kept hoping for a foreword.

Whether we received a foreword or not I will not share here. Hey, buy our copy to check on that!:) Well I guess it is a poor riddle, the title says it all!!

But, what I wish to share here, are a couple of learnings from this experience:

1. Yes kuch bhi, kuch bhi ho sakta hai, if, Effort marries Hope.
2. What Viktor Emil Frankl said in his epic, "Man's Search for Meaning", If you have a 'Why,' you will do it anyhow. My Why was, to do this for Dr. Ekkirala. To him, I was indebted and wanted to give back some part of it, at least. For accepting my proposal so spontaneously, for being my co-author and for teaching me many lessons in Emotional Intelligence, I will always remain indebted although.

So, Never give up hope. I never will,

Will you?

Happy day!