''I Dont Want To Meet You Again '' Part 1

SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2011

''I Dont Want To Meet You Again '' Part 1

It was like any normal call on my cell phone .It was the number that was being displayed and not the name .I tend to ignore such calls most of the time .So I let it pass .But it rang again .And again .I usually don’t pick up even after 3 attempts by the caller in the hope it tires him/her out .But when I got the call for the 4^th time I received it .Anyone who was so insistent deserved to be heard .I waited for the caller to start .

‘Hello,is that 9909812663.?’It was the voice of a lady .

‘Yes,it is .Can I help you’?

‘Am I talking to Kulu Kain ,the Principal of DPS’?

‘Yes you are.Could I know who you are ?’,I asked .It was obviously someone who knew me very well to call me by my pet name .

‘I am Vinita (name changed ).Remember ,we were in the University together ?’.

My memory is good ,and Vineeta was too important a person in my University days for me to forget even if I had a failing memory .I did not want to go overboard with the excitement of a reconnect .I was talking to her for the first time in 35 years .I had to make sure I was talking to her .Strange things happen in the world these days .I hold a responsible public space –I have to aware of that .

‘Oh yes .What a pleasure talking to you .How did you come to know about the fact that I am here .?’

She laughed .From the laugh I could make out it was Vineeta .Almost childlike and  loud enough for me to have told her once at the Tibetan Monastry where we used to go out for Tibetan food ,that she was attracting stares of the people sitting there .’I like attracting people’,she had said ,and had let out a even louder laugh .!!It was the same laugh .And then she spoke .

‘You are a celebrity in the city yaar .The papers have you all over on page 3’.OK ,so she had come to know about me from the reports of the newspapers about a interview and photograph that accompanied it about me taking over as the  new principal of DPS Ahmedabad .I stuttered and said ‘No ,No ,nothing like that .And in any case who can be a celebrity in your presence’.I was now rolling back the years .And Vinita had not lost the knack of picking up the gauntlet .

‘When do we meet.?’.And then left me with no choice ‘Tommorow.At the Fortune Hotel’?

‘No Vinita ,the GM of the hotel is a parent of of a boy who studies in the school.I will be under pressure of scrutiny’,I told her. ‘Lets meet at the Marriot.Its a good hotel’..i said

‘Then you pay ,because its expensive ‘

I told her not to worry and we fixed our dinner for Saturday .

I was exited in meeting a old friend .She was a brilliant student and I had heard that she was in the banking sector .She was supposedly a financial wizard .And she was from one of the best schools in the country .But that was in the 1970s and 1980s .A lot of water must have flowed under the bridge by now .I had asked her how she would recognize her .She had told me not to worry .She would recognize me .She told me that the last time I had met her ,I was wearing a pair of grey trousers with a white shirt and suspenders (braces/garters).Yes ,she must be correct because there was a phase when I was very fond of wearing suspenders .I had many of them –though those days we had them in plain colours which were either black or brown .I wish we had them in psychedelic colours in those days –I would never have given up wearing them .!!

But Vinita clearly had her memory intact and was as sharp as ever .Always a very potent combination to attract someone like me . I needed to be at my best –no one should go away with a impression that life had not refined me or that I had not grown into a more attractive human being .That has always been a constant endeavour of mine .Each year must add value to my being .The day it stops (value addition),then  I am on my way out of the world.!!Thats the way I look at my life –and maybe at others as well .!!

I did not know how Vinita would look .35 years is a long time ,even though we were very good friends while at the Univ and met everyday .She had the advantage of having seen my photograph and as I came to know later knew everything about me through my blogs .She had also seen my profile pictures on my blog .But as far as I was concerned ,I had no idea of how she looked .I had to draw from the deep recceses of my memories ,and that too of many years back .But I am good at that ,and I had a picture in my mind of her –with grey hair and weight that one accumulates with age .I thought that it would not be much of a problem in picking her up in a crowd .

I entered the Marriot Hotel .It was the second time I was going to it here at Ahmedabad .When I had gone the first time I had felt cold –the airconditioning was a degree lower than what it should have been .I carried a coat with me this time .Just in case .

The man at the gate greeted me with a big smile .He opened the door for me .The airconditioning was as usual colder than what it should have been .I put on my grey striped coat .There was some party that was scheduled at the hotel .There were a lot of people smartly dressed in the lobby .There was a waft of perfume in the air .I looked around for Vinita .

(To be concluded )

My Tryst With Destiny -Meeting The Great APJ Kalam !!

How many of us meet someone who is identified with a project –someone who gave birth to putting a rocket into space ?How many of us meet someone who is the ex President of India ?And how many of us meet the “Bharat Ratna”.?The answer to the above questions is –very few .And if I ask the next question which is –how many of us are invited on stage to meet him ,touch his feet and shake hands with him ,talk to him and being photographed by hundreds of cameramen ,then the answer is –only the chosen ones .!!

I had the great privilege of meeting the ex President of India Dr Abdul Kalam ,the other day at the prestigious Rajpath  Club at Ahmedabad .I was invited to be witness to the YUVA prize giving ceremony .YUVA is a NGO which is doing a fantastic job and getting into sectors which are hitherto neglected .The theme this time around was how to make your mother smile .!A fantastic theme considering the fact that in most parts  of the country ,women are  under the yoke of gender discrimination .As the Bharat Ratna put it “If a mother is happy,the family is happy .And if a family is happy ,the nation is happy”.Brilliant summarization of the health of any nation .

I am not going into the details of his message –that is available on youtube and newspapers.I am going to try and explain what the atmosphere was like when he was amongst  us .

I was not sure as to what I should wear .Its hot in Ahmedabad ,and I don’t have a summer suit .!!Should I dress up formally?Or casually ?The invitation was not specific about the dress code .I asked someone as to what I should wear .She told me to wear a suit .The hall will be airconditioned and even if it not ,you can always remove the coat ,she advised  .Hence I dressed up in a suit .I was escorted to my seat and I found that the hall was overflowing  with people.There were hundreds who were jostling for space .Others just did not leave their seats .!!The hall was wonderfully airconditioned and youth power was everywhere to be seen –after all it was a event organized by YUVA UNSTOPPABLE .!!Television crews were randomly interviewing people for their views on various issues .When one of them asked me why I was present ,I started by saying “In order of preference –Firstly to see Mr Abdul Kalam and” ……….a number of other reasons.To be very honest ,I am a great fan of his ,and like a excited schoolboy ,kept looking at the  point from where he was to enter .The moment came soon enough when the  lady  who was speaking to keep the huge crowd engrossed  was signaled to wind up because Mr Abdul Kalam was on his way to the hall .There was a huge flutter near the door ,as his security men formed a circle around him to keep off intruders .And then there was a  loud round of applause as he climbed the 4 or 5 steps on to the stage . Once on stage ,he folded his hands in a “Namaste”.He looked  just the same as we see him on television so many times .Visibly aged now ,with the craziest hairstyle one can ever see anywhere .!!Hair parted down the centre and from each half of the partition ,two locks brought  forward  to the forehead to form a small kind of a circle .For someone like me who also does not have a rational hairstyle ,Mr Kalaams hairstyle defies any logic .Why would one have a hairstyle like that ?And how must he be getting it into place ?It appears almost impossible to even style it like that .Is it natural?No-it appears very well combed and oiled .!! He wore a light brown bundgallah suit(Kalam Suit) .He sat down .His eyes darted and he picked up someone in the front row .He smiled and waved .All this ,while someone was introducing him .All of a sudden he heard her say something wrong .He corrected her “Not 40 ,but 42”!!he said with a smile .This was in reference to the number of awards he had won .Everyone enjoyed the sharpness of the ear and the mind and  his naughty smile .We all clapped .Sometimes he looked into space .Imagine how much he must have thought about space to have been called Indias “MissileMan”?.Imagine ,how much he must be knowing about space ?Imagine how different his world is as compared to ours .!Imagine how different his desires are as compared to ours ?I was not just looking at a human form –I was looking at a different human soul .

He gave away the prizes.And then my name was announced to come on stage .It was my tryst with destiny .I collected myself ,straightened my coat and walked up to the stage .And ,I was face to face with him .He was seated .As I approached him ,he got up .I gently put my hand on his shoulder and asked him to remain seated .I had touched the great man .!!But he was on his feet .I bent and touched his feet .There was a eerie feeling that went through me .It appeared so unreal .He then shook hands with me .Asked me something .The cameras clicked furiously .I was very aware of the occasion .I froze it in my mind .It will remain so till I die .!!

What happened after that (there was a dinner ),is a long story .To be told on another day .As I got back to my seat ,the two gentlemen on my left wanted to shake hands with me . “Let us shake hands with the hand that shook hands with Abdul Kalaam”.I looked at my hands.They have done so much for me throughout my life .I cant thank them enough .And least of all ,for shaking hands with Bharat Ratna ,Dr Abdul Kalam.!!

DPS Jaipur-Some Recollections of Raviji !!!

Its been a long stay for us at Jaipur .When you are about to enter your tenth year at one place ,then you realize how much of time has passed  you by .In terms of percentages its nearly 20 percent of your life away from where you came from and where you plan to go to .At some point of time this fact started to knock softly into my ears -urging me to listen to something that i could not wish away .

A lot happened in these 9 years .I came here leaving behind a very comfortable township of the Aditya Birla Township at Jagdishpur ,where i was a Principal , only to find a dusty piece of land .I remember the day very well .There was a strong wind blowing across the field which was not protected by either the walls or the trees that guard it now .There were lots of workers and they were busy doing up the place for the bhoomi pujan .I was disheartened -oh my god ,i thought .Not another school to build!!.I had undertaken a similar mission in setting up a school at Bhopal ,and i knew it required endless thinking and huge physical demands to push the project through.I also remember the chairman asking me how i found the school after i returned to Delhi to debrief him .''But there is no school''i told him .''Havent you seen the model of the school?Havent you seen what you will get to manage once the buildings come up/'',he had replied .It was a lesson i learnt  from a visionary .He was looking beyond the present and into the future .That is why he was where he was -at the pinnacle of a glamorous and successful society .
Now as i look back ,i find his words prophetic .Its a school worthy to run by a king .!!Its got everything that anyone -students ,teachers ,principal-would want in a school .Except a swimming pool .It does not cost much to build a swimming pool for a school like ours .We are not strapped for finances .But ,i have always opposed swimming pools in a state in which people find water difficult to come by for drinking and bathing .And in the midst of such a scenario ,to have a pool in which a select few can splash and have fun ,just does not sound rational to me .
The school has been built brick by brick .The brand did not work as expected .In the first 4 months we had only 123 registrations (as opposed to admission-the 3 stages are form selling,then registrations,then admissions).There were only 197 admissions in our first year .So clearly ,the brand DPS was not on our side .But by the second year once the teachers work got recognized ,we had a flood of admissions.In other words ,DPS Jaipur was built on the reputation of its worth and not on the brand .Its always a better way to build the school .I have seen many schools destroyed because the brand expectations were too high and the school subsequently lost its clientele because of the mismatch .DPS Jaipur overtook all the schools -it produced the best results in every sublect,produced the best debators, dancers , volleyballers,actors who stood first at all India level,and last year produced a student (Hardik Jain)who got a staggering 97 percent in the 12th class .He was placed 3rd in India and first in West Zone .It was only our 3rd batch ,!!From 1000 the strenght grew to 2000 ,then 3000 and now stands close to 3500.We have come a long way from the days of the dusty fields which i saw when i first came to have a look at the school .

With the incomparable Ravi Jaipuria

There are always a few people who drive institutions towards excellence -not neccessarily the teachers ,students or the Principal .They are the dreamers who think big ,who take chances ,and who get the right people to implement the dream .Leading this pack is the exceptionally brilliant Ravi Jaipuria -Raviji as we fondly address him always  .I havent quite met someone like him in my life (and i have met many famous men and women ,believe me ).His grasp over issues is  amazing , he is very decisive and aggressive ,and he takes hardly any time to settle a issue .He works round the clock ,flying in and out of the country to honour his business commitments .And yet he has all the facts on his finger tips .His mind is like a computer .He will be able to calculate projections 5 years down the line by the time you are understanding the question !!He once came to Jaipur late at night when we were in the initial stages of building our blocks .He was due  to arrive at about 5 pm .But he kept getting delayed because of important meetings , and finally reached at 1 in  the wee hours of the  morning .He told me to go off to sleep ,and when i asked him whether he would inspect the site ,he replied in the affirmative ''I like to finish off my work before i go to sleep Mr Kain.Then i  can sleep in peace'' he replied .So i waited for him to arrive at the hotel. He appeared tired ,looked quizzically at me (as to why i was not asleep),and said ''So should we leave ?''.The site was 20 kms away ,he had been travelling ,and i told him that we could go after he had freshened up and had a cup of tea ''Nahi Kain saab(he called he Mr Kain or Kain saab),woh sab baad me karenge.Abhi to chalo''.So off we went .And once there ,he was at his energetic best -overseeing things ,asking the right questions ( a key to successful people by the way) ,waddling through water and debris ,meeting and greeting people etc etc etc .!!It was a lesson that everyone should learn -there are no timings for work ,that this talk of 9 to 5 is crap,and that achievers are obssessed .But then there are only a handful of Ravijis'.Wonderful man ,very close to my heart and too high for my head .I look up at him .On the same trip we discussed about the building of the hostel .I was at my defensive best -what if we dont get children ,what if we dont get a experienced hostel staff  ,do we have enough water to sustain the hostel ,will we get the requisite electricity from the Rajasthan State Electricity Board .Etc Etc Etc .He just looked at me and smiled and ''Mr Kain ,if i start thinking like you ,i would never be able to do anything''!!Oh yes -he is so different.One of my greatest regrets about leaving DPS Jaipur ,is losing a mentor like him.But i have been lucky to have had a glimpse into the mind of a truly remarkable man -generous ,broadminded and a go getter .He runs a number of successful business ventures -from Costa Coffee,Pizza Hut,KFC,Cream Bell and a host of others .And yes -he is Indias biggest Pepsi bottler and thats why we all call him ''The man with the fizz''.I simply love the man .I dream of working with him again once more before i hang up my boots .!!

Posted by kulbhushan kain at 5:01 AM  11th October 2011.