My Memoirs - Volume 7 - My Teachers

"Get up and go back up the saddle you weakling"

What do you expect when it's your first day to learn horse riding and you fall down the saddle on a cantering horse? I am sure you have the vision of an instructor stopping everything and picking you up and bringing you to safety and first aid. Are you kidding? We are talking about a setup within the Indian Army with its unique way of making men out of boys! I was lying on the ground having just slipped off the saddle of my now merrily cantering horse with my body and soul in extreme pain and I heard the choicest of words thrown at me ordering me to get up and go back on the saddle. I tried finding the ungrateful horse who had thrown me off his back in a circle of dust and I asked myself on why I had listened to my father and agreed to enrol for horse riding! The pain in my body and soul notwithstanding I got up to find the horse and pulled myself up the running horse after multiple bruises inducing attempts. Post a gruelling 30 minutes on top of the horse and the unfamiliar saddle I almost cried with happiness when the "Ustaad" ( Instructor) got the day's session to a close. I somehow slid down the saddle and started walking back to the cycle stand to pick my ride when I heard the same stern voice calling out to me "Kidhar jaata hai? Ghode ko paani kaun pilayega? Ghode ka saddle kaun kholega? Ghode ko maalish kaun karega?" ( Where do you think you are off to boy? Who will take the horse to water? Who will unsaddle the horse? Who will clean and massage the horse?) I still can't forget that day and that whole first month from almost 28 years back. Try taking a horse to the water, taking off the saddle and then massaging the horse with a brush after the first few sessions of horse riding and you will know about what I went through! The most amazing thing about this whole ordeal of many months is that I have nothing but fondness for my "Ustaad". The only regret I have is that I don't remember his name.

That's what some people do. They come to your life and give everything they have in a selfless manner and make you better, richer, instil skills and discipline and they happily stay in the background away from the limelight. I have had a fair share of these amazing men and women who have been my guiding stars from a young age till today. These are my "Ustaads", my teachers, who have given up every ambition to get people like me to achieve their dreams with little or no expectation for themselves!

"Our Munish has made us proud and has decided to donate his first salary to IIITB"

White shirt, Khaki Trousers with Sandals, a deep red straight line Tika on his forehead, face of a saint and a heart with immense love and care is how I remember Professor Sadagopan. If there is one teacher who has had the most influence on me, it has to be Sadagopan sir. I learnt the power of networking and marketing by observing him. He would bring world leaders and leaders of many Indian states to our institution and present our institute to them in an incredible manner. I learnt the powers of delegation and empowerment from him by the way he used to completely trust his students and let us run the whole show of planning, receiving and handling all dignitaries and affairs of the institution. I learnt to be caring yet being firm from him. I learnt to dream the impossible and develop the skills to achieve it from him. I learnt to be passionate about his childlike enthusiasm on how technology will change the whole world around us.

Even today he keeps in touch and he and his wife and my guru mother Chandra Madam try and speak to me regularly. Initially, when I would receive a message from him to call him I would think he has some work for me but all he and Madam wants to know is " How is our Munish doing?", They just want to hear my voice and know that I am well. This love and trust and faith in my abilities from both of them keeps me grounded and is a positive pressure on me to keep performing to the best of my abilities because if I don't then I might let them down.

I couldn't attend my convocation at IIITB as I was in New York but I was told that our Dean, Professor Sadagopan, mentioned my name in front of Mr Narayanmurthy of Infosys and the whole august gathering and fondly remembered my first few days in IIITB.

"You are not telling me the truth! Munish would never do that. Someone get this boy out of my sight and take him to first aid"

I don't know what came over me but this fellow classmate was taunting me continuously and would not stop. In a fit of anger and probably the only time in my life as a student, all reason left me and I punched him. I was a very lanky fellow at that time with all bones and no flesh but somehow I connected those bones to his flesh and that boys chin and lip came in full contact with my fist! It all happened in a flash and before I knew it, everyone circled the bleeding boy. Even before I could find out how hurt he was or offer my apology he was taken away. The boy went straight to the Principals office to complain about me with a bloodied white shirt and bleeding mouth.

I was asking myself why I did what I did and was painting the worst of the scenarios. My biggest concern was my father as he already had many issues on his head and I was his pride. I was feeling so sad on the prospect that my father would now be called and will have to go through the shame of my stupid act. I knew that my father suffered through a lot but he had a feeling of peace in his heart and mind every time he looked at how well I had turned out and I was afraid that he was about to lose this reassurance and peace which was keeping him sane. Only God knows the ordeal my soul went through for the next few hours as I recited "Hanuman Chalisa" countless times in my mind till the boy returned from MI Room with stitches and a bandage. I was so confused when he returned back to the class as no action was taken on me, I thanked it to great powers of Lord Bajrang Bali and had a sigh of relief and prepared to face the music on next day.

Even the next day or the day after passed and I wasn't called by the principal nor my father was summoned. It was only later I found out that my Principal had such an impression of me and so much trust in me that he didn't believe the bleeding boy! I did go and tell him the truth when I came to know about this as I didn't want a man of his character to put a blot on himself due to my misdeed. By then it was already a few days and he started liking me even more for my honesty and guts to own up to my mistake even when no one was watching. It taught me that once you have worked hard to build the trust of people, you should never let them down by taking advantage of that trust. This is one reason that whenever I make a mistake or am involved in any non-compliance, I go ahead and file a report against myself to the organization and its officers! It's important to keep our ethics and value system intact regardless of whether we are being watched or not.

I have also had some teachers who would ask me to grade the answer sheets of my fellow classmates. They were either very lazy or had super confidence in my abilities. They would grade my examination sheet first and then give the rest to me to check and score. Most of my classmates didn't even know that not only I knew how much they had scored in the exam but it was me who had actually graded them! The tool of my trade was a red ballpoint pen gifted to me by my teachers and replenished very promptly at every request of mine. Oh, the things I have done and the learning I have derived from them!

"Get up Munish and get it done. You are here to make a billion dollar enterprise"

My biggest teacher has been my life and the people I have met in my life. My mistakes have played a large part in teaching me concepts no business school could. My passion has always kept me going and my falls & faults have put me on the right course. I have had the pleasure of meeting people along in my journey and learn from their rich experiences and perspectives. It is said that one can never stop learning and if we keep our mind open then we are in for a roller coaster learning experience which never lets us stagnate. It makes our life a lot more beautiful day after day. and the best part is that we never get bored by ourselves as we keep evolving into a better version of ourselves!

It's my burning passion to build a billion-dollar enterprise and I know I have many amazing people who are waiting on my future path to guide me to my ambition. I also am sure that life has already lined up my share of learning just around the bend to enable me to jump and touch the stars!