And she lives forever !!!

Its been over a month that she has passed away. I was on the call with my mom, when she told me that my grandmother was breathing heavily. She had slipped into Coma a day prior to that. While my mom was crying on the call telling she probably won’t survive more then 5 mins, for me none of it was sinking in. I was still in hope that my mom would now tell that my granny miraculously opened her eyes and started talking as if nothing happened. I was still thinking that mom would then pass on the phone to her and she would ask me how i was doing and if i am eating well and taking care of myself. But..none of this happened and my grand mom passed away while i was still on the call. She breathed her last few finally closing her mouth and showing no sign of any movement. 

This was the moment that none of us in my family thought would ever happen. Yes she was 88 and we could say,thats probably the right age for people to pass away and move to a better place then earth. But with my granny we never thought of that to be true. She was so full of energy all her life that i would always joke that she is going to outlive each one of us and as insensitive as it may sound but when my mom would tell us about how our house in Mumbai would be equally divided post my parents passing away, i would joke with her saying "why are you telling me all this, this house is anyway going to go to Amama post all of us die”. 

We called her Amama with love which also means grand mom in my native language. When i was born she took care of me cause my mom could not have quit her job, she almost took care of me until i was one year old and finally gave up out of fear. I would apparently choke on the milk bottle she would try to feed me with trying to drink  all of it at once. Yes, i was like that even when i was one year old. Trying to eat/drink everything at the same time.. She would always tell me these stories time and again with the same enthusiasm and i would every time listen to those stories as if i was listening to them for the very first time.

She had a troubled childhood where her mom passed away when she was 3 years old. She also got married when she was 16.She would also tell stories of her childhood and early marriage to me, not with an intention to complain but more so with an intention to make us realize how better our lives were and that we should try to enjoy it and appreciate its value. She loved her life and the fact that she was alive and living with all the people whom she cared for. If God ever asked her if she wanted to live or die she would not be ashamed of sounding selfish and would very openly say, yes i want to live, live forever.. We all feel that way and wish that for us,and she was not ashamed of being open about that. She dint want to die. Period.

I have at times gotten angry with her for her showing tantrums, tantrums that old people tend to show cause they need that attention from you just like kids do. But now when i look back i feel bad for those moments of anger that i felt in me and i miss my grandmother a lot. 

I got to meet her 5 months prior to her passing away and spent some quality time with her. While the world would say and believe that she is no more alive , but to me she has succeeded in achieving what she always wished for her self. I truly believe that she has defied death and will forever stay alive in our hearts. Her stories will forever stay fresh in my mind and i will continue to listen to them with the same enthusiasm as always. 

She may have stopped breathing, but even God will have to accept that she defeated him and made him believe that she lives for ever. My grandmother.. My Amama.. 88 and still counting…

-- Ragulee (As she called me with love)

Lets again be US….

This Darkness is blinding and the sun wouldnt rise,

I was about to fall, so glad you arrived.

You held my hands , grabbed my fists tight,

Don’t you dare leave me girl, i sure won’t survive.

We beat the distance, now lets beat the dark,

Hearts burning with love,need no help of the light.

Its you that i trust, you are my only hope,

Walking blindly, not afraid of the slope…

“Don't trust me so much, i am not here to help,

Our paths hereon are different, and you are all by yourself.

You live in the dark, therein you reside,

Swear to God, i only love what is bright.

Walk by yourself,take one step at a time ,

Without me around, you must learn to survive.”

Why give me a hand ? Why not let me fall ?

If dark is where you think i belong after all ?

I thought we together would have travelled the distance,

But you seem to move on,  ignoring my existence.

I am here all alone, feel afraid to walk,

Come back to me dear, We can go where you want.

Its you that i love, be it Dawn or the Dusk,

Come hold my hands, from "ME" lets again be "US"…

From Me lets again be US….

— Rahul Venkatraman

Go Create History !!!

The night of January 14, 2014 when most of us were deep asleep in a state of nirvana, there were a certain 35,236 people who dint quite share a similar state of mind. They had a long, anxious night filled with fear, hope, anticipation and for some even a sense of giving up. The first light of the morning felt very distant to them and to top that the ticking of the wall clock was loud enough to not allow them to sleep, however hard they tried to. These 35k odd people are none but the ones who appeared for the CA Finals exam of Nov 2013 awaiting their results to be declared the morning of January 15, 2014. The morning that could change the fate of their lives forever…. and that is what it exactly did…

This year the CA Finals results saw a pass percentage of mere 3.11 % i.e a total of 1013 students became Chartered Accountants capable of working in a firm or practicing on their own in entire India. Sadly, for a few of my close friends whom i have been closely following during their preparation for these exams, these results have put them in the 96.89 % of the population.These numbers may have demotivated them and also many others who either are in process of attaining this degree or even the ones who aspire to attain it in the near future. But to me these numbers are nothing but a great, great tool for self motivation. 

Being a part of a group whose pass percentage this year has been so low, marking how tough and extensive its attainment is, is  in itself a sense of achievement that each one of you need to be proud of. Here are a few facts to further reiterate what i am trying to say here, there are only 200000 CA’s alive in India at present, out of which only 160000 are practicing. Only 200k become Accountants out of a population of 1.27 Billion Indians (Sorry i am not entirely sure how many zeroes in that number) ???, that is a meagre 0.015 % of the living population in India. Wow !!!, Now don’t tell me that these numbers don’t motivate you. Not even when you know you are only one stage away from being a part of this figure ? Or only a couple more months of hard work , sincerity and dedication away from being amongst the 0.015 % of our country’s population ?

Having done almost 60 % of the handwork.. You have to be joking if these results came even remotely close to shaking your self confidence. I do realize that many of you reading this must be thinking that it is very easy for someone to write an article trying to speak of motivation, self belief, blah blah blah … But the reason i want you to believe in all of this is cause you are too close to be throwing in the towel at this point. 

As many of you already know, water boils only at 100 degree Celsius,so don’t turn the stove off yet. Keep the fire burning and make each day to follow a day filled with great amount of back breaking work. Look back but only to correct what you have done wrong in the past and move forward continuing to build on what you have always done right..

And I then challenge you that there is no power in this entire universe that can stop you from creating history.. You had it in you to come this far and its only you who can go all the way crossing the finish line.

I would like to quote a few lines here which i had once written for a friend.

“There's time to sleep, theres time to rest,

But nows the time to go give your best.

You have it in you and that’s no mystery,

Don't shy away, Come on !!! , Go create HISTORY”

P.S : I am no success story and nor am i a Chartered Accountant qualified enough to write such big words, i am just a B.Com graduate who does well enough for himself and all I intend is to motivate at least one of you many , to go achieve this dream and do way way better then what i would ever do for myself. 

Rahul Venkatraman

Disclaimer : Stats for this article have been gathered from various internet sources. You can either waste your time trying to argue them or you can just read this and make the best out of it :).