I and my friend Raju

Raju, a fantastic guy, my friend since 2004 became known to me before my first year of engineering. Actually it was partially because of him that I took Computer Science as my main subject during my graduation. Not a celebrity as such but known to many people, especially those students who werent extra ordinary ... like me. He was as well known in the corporate world, but as it later turned out he was pretty well known in the inner circle of Political world too. I spent my 4 years doing engineering thinking how good Raju was at his work. And even though I couldnt be him I could work for him. Everyone knew his entrepreneurial skills. I hope you already know who is Raju. Former Satyam CEO Ramalinga Raju. A great entrepreneur, he knew how to make money migrated from textiles to IT just at the right time. Converted a handful of people into a million dollar and subsequently a billion dollar company.  Getting placed in the company where my brother, sister-in-law works and possibly a number of my close friends could be working in a few months was a good thing to think about. 

Jan 6 2009 I was at Chandigarh for my IELTS examination doing nothing. Sitting at my Uncles residence chatting with a sweet girl. Having no idea of what was to come I was chilling hoping probably its  only a month or may be two before I would join the company I wanted ( for the time being though). 

Jan 7 2009 Surfing news channels in the morning. Suddenly every channel showed one person's pic. It was Raju. He was there everywhere. May be he has done some thing amazing again for satyam. He had done wonderful things in the past. But the scroller below on the TV screen suggested otherwise. He has accepted of commiting a billion dollar scam. that was amazing yes... but not in the sense I expected. Dreams shattered of mine and thousands of others who were hoping to join satyam from all over the company in the next couple of months. Many people who hoped to be at hyderabad in march to work for satyam were there in march but to protest to authorities only to give them joining letters. Nothing hapenned. Raju, man for whom satyamites could die for( not literally i guess) had almost ruined lives of about 2 lakh people connected directly or indirectly with it. Some performed yajna to save him, but ultimately he had done something really wrong. If you gave him to my mom, she would have given him the taste of her sandal, a couple of impressions, and may be a number to remember. 

Its been months. People have moved over. Satyam is seeing one helluva attrition. Satyam is no more our Satyam, neither Raju's Satyam, its Satyam of Tech Mahindra. From billion Dollars, its just million dollars. I have dropped satyam hopes. My sister-in-law is resigning for better prospects and my bro..... well he is lucky.. he is enjoying this harrowing time at New York office of one of its clients. Cool for a satyamite to be onsite in this time. My fellow hopefuls have also dropped plans. Some are still planning of another meet at hyderabad. Best of luck to them. 

Raju...... well Raju I guess wont be out of  Indian legal system for another 100 years.. I can assure you he is going to die there in Jail. He had done something which I wont expect from my friend. Thats why he is not my friend now. He "was" my friend.

Believe

Believe in yourself and eveything will be possible.  When someone believes life is difficult it sure becomes difficult. The word believe means a lot to some and nothin more than a scrampled set of letters to others. Those who understand the meaning behind it are the ones who succeed. Nevermind the philosophy. But ones you start believing in yourself you can become a millionaire by selling off a dead rat. No I am not talking about LUCK, I am talking about "BELIEF". Now why only yourself one can believe in the loved ones, special ones, even god. And I can tell you you will never get disappointed. Life has own set of rules hidden from us. And these rules always end up making us happier, merrier. Yes ofcourse sometimes the loved ones depart but sometimes its only after they leave that you start "believing" the importance of those people... same thing happens when the special ones leave you and same thing when you yourself loose you. Believe in yourself.