Friday, October 26, 2007

NARAYAN MURTHY-THE ROMANTIC


We told you previously how Narayan Murthy proposed to Sudha, here is the story after that...

Sudha Murthy reminisces:
When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murthy and his proposal. My mother was positive, but my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications? Murthy was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me.
In those days, Murthy was always broke. He always owed me money. We went Dutch on our dates. At dinner he would often say, I don't have money, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murthy's debt to me. No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs 4000.

My parents agreed to meet Murthy in Pune on a particular day at

10 a.m. Murthy did not turn up. At 12 noon Murthy turned up in a bright red shirt! Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life. Murthy said he wanted to be a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage.

My father gave his verdict. NO!

The stalemate continued for three years between my father and him, during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune

Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something which Murthy wanted to do 25 years ago. In those days, Murthy was always broke, today he manages Infosys, one of the world's most reputed companies.

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