It seemed just like a dream; except that I could experience it unfurl in the real, material world. A wish that I had been clinging onto since so long a period that the very thought of wanting it made it appear too great, too pure a desire to materialize. But it did, and each day that has passed ever since, I have tried to relive those few minutes that I was able to spend in the august presence of the personality that I, or for that matter, anyone might admire the most; when it comes to the realm of human beings. So basically, I was still unable to accept the fact that I had actually managed to get an appointment to meet Dr Shashi Tharoor, and till the time I walked right up to his study, I kept on reminding myself that it was actually happening and that I was very much alive and conscious. We’ve always read about the characteristics of great personalities in our text books and many of us often wonder how they become what they were; the determination of Gandhiji, the creative genius of Tagore, the spiritual charisma of Swami Vivekananda; but the thing is, we have not been in that era, that time or place to see what they were like, what energy they radiated and how different or similar they were to us; and I can say with certitude that I have accomplished that feat of being in the presence of a personality about whom much could be written and still be less. I am not exaggerating things, I have solid reasons for saying what I am. Inspite of all those accomplishments, that schedule; how many personalities would agree to spare even 5 minutes of their time to people of no significance, how many would get up to warmly greet each visitor who comes and give them the respect that isn’t reflective of their status? I can’t think of anyone as generous as him in that respect. If I were in his place I wouldn’t be a percent as kind, and that is perhaps, one of the many things that separates him from the rest. Here’s a person who has done every single task in his life with utmost perfection and hard work and who is revered the world over for his knowledge and intellect and who despite all that does not have the slightest hint of ego or pride, here’s a person who might sleep for 3-4 hours a day owing to his schedule but someone who would be kind and gracious to a nobody who has come to meet him.

“How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. “-Shakespeare.

His study was beautiful, just like a picture. So many books! And that too arranged so neatly. Temple of Goddess Saraswati with the most befitting priest. Dr. Tharoor greeted me with my name and the pronunciation was exactly the way it is. This is remarkable because I am used to hearing so many variations of my name that you can expect me to turn my head at the drop anything sounding like ‘Namrata’, ‘Nivedita’, ‘Nandita’, ‘Namita’ along with annoying variations like ‘Nav-a-nita’ ‘Nav-aa-nita’, ‘Nav-neeta’. I know this isn’t their fault, after all it’s an uncommon name, but the point is, Dr. Tharoor refuses to err even here. Precision!

I quickly realized that I wouldn’t have too much time and I immediately began showing him some of my articles, poems and interviews that had been published when I was a student. Now why should I be showing him all that? Because the way I’ve seen myself change during the later part of my school was a result of the influence he had on me as a role model. I concede that I had been trained by my B. Ed., M Ed., mother in her play-way model style to be a winner in as many things that I could be; academics and extra-curricular, that when she let go off her reins I took it as a matter of my dignity that I had to maintain the same standard that she had made me used to. I was in the same state of mind till I was 15. I had to study, sing, dance, act, debate, read, write and draw but there was no single person I could say with honesty that I aspired to be like. “Who is your role model?”, the common question that would pop-up inevitably in every class and like most of my classmates I would give a name that I respected but with an admiration that fizzled out by the next term. And then I read about Dr. Tharoor (thanks, Dear Mother, again!) Soon I realized there couldn’t be a better role model. From his college days right up to U.N.(that was 2006), everything he did and was doing was what I could aspire to be like, and I know the difference between before being a fan and after. The way I spoke in debates changed; I won more of them afterwards and with greater ease. I’d earlier maintained a rather rigid outlook towards a lot of things and that changed. And I did all that I had been doing earlier with renewed passion. I harbored one dream; if I do something good, one day I’ll be telling Dr. Tharoor, that he is the reason I have been inspired to do whatever little I have done. I know I am a very mediocre being and what I have done so far is also ordinary, but then that is my level. So I was showing him some of those articles and he was looking at them with all his attention. Whenever I asked a question or solicited some advice he replied with such sincerity and honesty that is rare to be exhibited from somebody who is meeting you for the first time. He was exactly the same image that I had in my mind; that air of pure knowledge floating everywhere around and that glow of intellect emanating from him. Soon he got a call for another meeting and I still hadn’t got his books autographed. But when I requested him he very kindly autographed them as well. He never made me feel that I was wasting his time. Why should he entertain people like us at all? I am not even a voter from his constituency. It shows what a magnificent human being he is apart from those multifarious achievements that are synonymous with his name. He knows how happy people like us feel when we get the opportunity to meet him. One of my anonymous twitter friends (@TharoorBhakt) asked me how Dr Tharoor was like and I said “Larger than life”. Who else in our times is as good and principled as a politician, and a politician who writes and speaks such splendidly and honestly, who is articulate, who is sensitive to people… Frankly, it’s easier running out of words than listing the numerous attributes Dr. Tharoor possesses.

The meeting might have ended in some 15 minutes, but the joy and inspiration that I got still lingers. Whenever, I feel uninterested in my work, I tell myself, “You call yourself a fan of Dr. Tharoor and just look at the dedication he demonstrates and what you’re doing”, and I’m back at my job. Just like John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” I am a very small person and I know I will never be like the person I want to emulate, but that should not be a reason why I should stop wishing it…And I cannot thank you enough, Dr. Tharoor, for being what you are and for the noble influence you have in our lives. Thank you. Jai Hind!

On the sidelines
My goof-ups
There is much more that goes on before and after, and if you are Navanita there has to inevitably be some comedy of errors. When I was returning home I boarded the wrong metro in all my excitement and realized my folly after 5 stations. During the meeting I got into what my dear mother calls my ‘P.G. Wodehouse’ mode. I would pick up my folder and my bag would topple, I would pick up my bag and my folder would fall. I think, I spend most of the time of that precious meeting bending under the table.

When I would see Dr. Tharoor in my dreams
Like I have already mentioned, meeting Dr. Tharoor was my long cherished dream. So seeing him in my dreams is totally explicable. What doesn’t make sense is the absolute illogicality of some of those dream sequences. Nonetheless, here are some unusual ones.
1) It was 2007 and Dr. Tharoor was the chairman of Afras Ventures then. I was still at school and dreamt that both my competitor and I worked at that company.
2)2009. My second semester examinations of B. Tech. were going on. I didn’t watch much television during that time but then the Elections were going on and Dr. Tharoor was also running. The results were declared and Dr. Tharoor won by a large margin. The next day I had my mathematics exam. That night I dreamt that I actually lived in Dr. Tharoor’s constituency and because he won from that place, it implied that he lived there too. So with that stellar cognizance I went to Dr. Tharoor’s home and demanded to be able to meet him. I was escorted by a kind lady in Sari to a stunning study where Dr Tharoor was doing his work. And guess what I asked in my dream, “Will you teach me Mathematics?” “I would prefer History” And I was studying the Chola Empire in my dreams. Thankfully, I passed in the actual examinations and with a score I had never ever got in any external examination in that subject. 94. What else could I want?
3)2010. My grandmother insisted on watching ‘Raavan’ (The Mani Ratnam movie, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) Semester examinations were over and my mother pressurized me as well. I am not a movie buff, you see. I get such varied dreams of every genre, every single night which obviates the need of wanting to watch one. So I was cajoled to get that movie for her since she couldn’t go out. I managed to buy a disk that had 4 movies. (I now think that they were pirated copies) My grandmother literally banged her head after watching that movie. The next day they demanded that we watch the other movies too since the desired movie did not meet their expectations. Now I played ‘Rajneeti’. Gosh! I liked it! But now you can imagine what I’d have seen in my dream. Dr. Tharoor in the lead role and a bevy of baddies trying to harm him in every possible way. Unlike the actual movie, this dream encompassed many lands; Egypt to Italy to of course India. It even had a mish-mashed version of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra. After lot of twists, turns and climax Dr. Tharoor demolished all the baddies and saved the nation. Totally loved watching this one!

And just like the second dream in this list, by a stroke of divine fortune I met him that day in his sublime study. We are indeed a blessed lot that we have a person like that in our country and in these times. He is irreplaceable; nobody can be like him, but imagine how beautiful it would be if we could be even a fraction like him. May God bless him always!