satyamnotes
The blog of Satyam Roychowdhury
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“ Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
    I took the one less travelled by,
    And that has made all the difference.”
   - Robert Frost

I too impulsively took the path least travelled. What mattered to me was not success, but the process that leads to success. Along the way, my efforts were complimented by my family, especially my elder brother, blessed by my parents, enriched by my supporting wife and son, nourished by my friends and made meaningful by thousands of students that made Techno India their institution of choice.

When all my friends were busy trying to find a job, I decided to do what most Bengalis find it difficult to do. I decided to venture into the uncertain world of business. I was not sure what the outcome of my venture would be, but I was sure it was worth a try. And I tried with whatever precious little resource I had. There were hurdles, there were hardships and there were days of ordeal, but I was determined.

My experiences in life have been enriched by the interactions I have had with so many intellectuals and luminaries from all walks of life. I consider learning to be a lifelong process and I am learning every day from life.

Family to me over the years has meant the world beyond my own people at home, and it is growing larger with every passing day. My parents always were extremely supportive, encouraging and liberal. It is said that God cannot be everywhere, so he made mothers, and a father is a library to his child. My father Sri Rabindranath Roychowdhury was a government service employee and my mother Smt. Parul Roychowdhury is a home-maker. They always observed our studies and co-curricular activities with equal importance. I have spent many years of my life in our ancestral home in Chinsurah, a small town in Hooghly. There, by the ripples of the river water at sunsets, I met Mou. Amidst all the complexities of life, there is an endearing lesson to be learned from the simplicity of her love for me, and, no wonder that our family's bond continues to grow. Because of the constant encouragement and support from Mou, I stand here today as a successful man, who she helped me become. When I look back to where we began our relationship, it seems like a real life fairytale. My son Rishi came into our lives as life's greatest gift, and his presence completes us. Unlike many other teenage boys of his age, he takes a keen interest in preparing various kinds of cuisines, and he loves to experiment with spices and ingredients. This reflects his deep rooted homely nature.

My extended family means my colleagues, my friends, my near and dear ones, and all the people who exist in my life in some way or the other. Over the years I have come across people who have worked with me, travelled with me and gifted me with experiences I will cherish. If I look back at the journey I have walked already, some people have been milestones on the way. Without them, the journey would have been too onerous.

Books and music have been a part of my life and my identity. I can spend hours reading a book, especially if it a book of poems. I am a voracious reader of Bengali classic and contemporary literature, and English classic poems. The lyrical rhythm and spiritual aspiration between the lines penned by Tagore engrossed me into the divinity of the Almighty from a very young age. I surrendered with all my confusions and emotions to him. Reciting in song recitals has been my passion, and I have read scripts and books after work hours to improve myself in oration. I am constantly learning, and there is a strange happiness in constantly learn something creative.

Travelling has helped me know the world and different eras of literature more. Being a tireless passionate traveller, I discovered the globetrotter in me. My innate literary urge has taken me round the world in quest of new experiences and unexplored frontiers. Whenever I have travelled to any destination, I have tried to absorb the aura of the place. Even if I am on a work tour, I try to take some time off to look around the place. I feel this one lifetime that we have isn't enough to explore every nook of this planet. So the more we travel, the more we get to know about people, their history, and their cultures and habits. When I visited Shakespeare's house at Stratford-upon-Avon, Tagore's Hampstead home, Anne Hathaway's cottage, I was just mesmerized. It was in a different way that I was learning literature, not in books but being present in places that belonged to the legends who wrote timeless classics.

I want my life to be beyond my time, as Abraham Lincoln said - “...And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”