From cradle to campus - seen it all

I was eleven years old when I first witnessed a new-born baby. She was crying mostly, had a hair-density of close to nothing and possessed sharp nails which were constantly tarnishing her pink face. We called her Divya almost straightaway as was universally agreed upon by everyone concerned. She first came to our house when she was around the 3-Month-Old mark. From then till now, she hasn't been away from our home for a substantial duration.

As she left to join Infosys a week ago, I wanted to take a moment to thank Dhivya Rubha (name changed somewhere in the middle for reasons not known to me) for being the lovable sister she has been to many of my friends, my brother, her own and myself. She has been an extremely noble daughter to her parents while never overlooking the importance of the roles played by her Perippa and Perima in her life.

Ever Since she repeatedly uttered our names (Gopi/Babu) in her first school, which enabled a old teacher of my brother and me recognize who she is, the attachment she had with us has been vivid. She has never been found wanting in terms of studies and always stayed on par with the top. I don’t recall any particular day where we had to force her to get closer to the books as she seemed to have the natural interest and responsibility all by herself.

Not everything came easily to her. She has had her tough times, notably on emotional aspects. Her focus has remained unaffected during those moments and that speaks volumes about the girl's mental toughness, which not long ago was fragile as glass. As you grow older, you become mature and be more realistic on your expectations from people and that's precisely what she has done, quiet admirably.

One of the proudest moments in my life was when I saw her getting graduated. More than the event, I was delighted to see the number of genuine friends she has been able to acquire over the years. At the beginning of her College venture, I was truly skeptical about how she would get along with new acquaintances, as her earlier experiences have mostly been bitter and rarely been memorable. She proved me wrong, much to my relief.

Not many known to me get into their first jobs carrying as heavy a baggage as she had to. It’s daunting to conceptualize the little kid - who looked very much on way to be a pampered one too, but luckily chose the other way - now becoming a Professional with loads of expectations. She is good enough to sustain the pressure, we will ensure she does. She is blessed with an enormous amount of self-belief on the educational front and that, I trust, will take her a long way. My only advice to her is not to look too far ahead, since the blur will only deflate her more than encouraging her. Simply enjoy each day at work, strive for excellence and be honest with whatever you do. The rest will take care of itself. Easier said than done, isn't it?

All the best Dhivya - There are tons of things I would want to say, but for once I managed to keep it short.

Trust in yourself and achieve many things in life. Make us proud as you have always done.