he was short . he was sharp . he was the brightest boy in his class . his seniors wud ask him to solve their difficulties in science. he cud hv gone unnoticed in the crowd , but once u ask him a ques related in physics or maths , there was a spark in his eyes.he cud grasp theories of science faster than the speed oflight .

 

he came from a poor but an educated family . his father was a high school teacher and an avid reader of english literature . he , like all the boys in his class was trying to get admision into some engineering college . the brighter ones wanted to study in the indian institutes of technology . this boy , along with his friends applied to appear for the test . they didnot hv any special books or coaching . all these iit aspirants wud sit below the shade of a stone mantap close to chamundi hills in the sleepy town of mysore . he was a guide to others.

while the others struggled to solve the problems in the question papers, he would smile shyly and solve them in no time . he sat below a tree and dreamt of studying in  iit . he was then only 16 years old .

 

D-Day came . he came to bangalore , stayed with some relatives and appeared for the entrance test . he did very well but wud only say OK when asked .

it was the opposite for food..."OK" implied bad."good" implied ok and very good implied good . his principle was never to hurt anyone ...

the iit entrance results came . he had passed with the flying colours and the highest rank . he was thrrilled ! he went to his father who was reading the newspaper .

"ANNA , i have passed the exam. "

"well done my boy "

"i want to join IIT "

 

his father stopped reading the paper . he lifted his head , looked at the boy and said with a heavy voice ,"you  know our financial position , and i cannot afford your expenses at iit . u  can stay in mysore and learn as much as u want . " his father was sad that he had to tell the bitter truth , but it cud not be helped .

the teenager was disapointed . he was so near to fulfilling his fondest dream , yet so far . his head sank in sorrow . he did not reply . he never shared his unhapiness with anyone. he was an introvert by nature . his heart was aching but he did not get angry with anyone .

the day came . his classmates were leaving for madras ( today called chennai ) . they had shared gud years at school and he went to wish them gud luck 4 their future .at the station his friends were already there. they were excited and discussing their new hostels , new courses etc. so he stood there silently . one of his friends noticed and said " you should have made it " . he did not reply . he just wished them . he stood there even after he cud no longer see the train or the waving hands . it was june 1962 in mysore . yet he stood there motionles . he said to himself without anger or jealousy , " all students in IIT study well and d big things in life . but it is not the institution , ultimately it is u and u alone who can change ur life with hard work . "

 

this son of a school teacher became a pioneer of the software industry . he is infosys founder and present chairman , narayana murthy . his motto being ," powered by intellect , driven by values "