My family, my family life, my car and my dog.
Welcome to the most important part of my life: My Family
For me, my family is everything. My family are my Gods and I thank God every day for blessing me with them in my life. It consists of 5 very important people.
Firstly, my parents: Rajyalakshmi and Vijay
Rajyalakshmi Rao:
My mother was born on December 22nd a few years ago, to Boppana Hanumantha Rao, a freedom fighter, industrialist and MLA from Andhra Pradesh. Her mother Boppana Sitaramama was a pillar, who gave most of her life to religious activities.
My mother is the pillar of our family. She was the youngest of three in her family and was my grandfather's favourite. She married my father in an arranged/love marriage. But she's not any normal girl from Hyderabad. She did her MBA from Osmania University in the late 60's - at a time when a girl doing an MBA was unheard of. To top it off, she did her Masters in Advertising from the University of Illinois, Urbana -Champaign, where my father was doing his PhD in Nuclear Engineering, after they got married.
When my sister (2 years younger to me) and I were born, my mother dedicated her life to bringing up my sister and me. But she never idled away her life. She was involved with various social groups - be it being the Chairperson of my school PTA (which was quite a big deal!), the first woman President of the American Alumni Association, President of the Kuchipudi Kala Kendra, member of the Censor Board (She passed Pretty Woman without any cuts! That was a big deal too!) -and this is to name a few. After my sister and me grew up, she then got involved with the oOnsumer movement, by becoming a member judge in the Bombay district consumer court. After working hard, she is now a member judge at the National Consumer Redressal Commission, sitting in Delhi. This elevates her to the level of a Supreme Court judge!
This is just a bio-data. The reason my mother stands out is she's the most amazing person I know. The way she effortlessly plays the role of a judge, a wife, mother, friend, rockstar and party animal! I'm serious - not only is she so pretty, but she's also so friendly. She's my father's biggest strength and some of the company's biggest decisions have been willed by her.
It's her vision that makes us all who we are. She saw to it that she was there for all the important occassions in our lives, and what's most amazing about her is her ability to be so soft and loving, while still retaining dignity and class.
Dr. Meka. Vijay Paparao
My father was born in Rajamundhry on 18th July 1948, to Meka Achutaramaiah, a textile executive and Narayanamma, a housewife. Born into a family of 3 other siblings, they lived in Kakinada where my grandfather was an executive in a textile firm. He was a strong disciplinarian with my dad. My father soon got a scholarship to study at Rishi Valley, a well-known boarding school founded by Jiddu Krishnamurthy, on the Andhra Pradesh border. One doesnt' just 'get' a scholarship. My father is brilliant. Which is why after Rishi Valley, he got into the extremely prestigious IIT! Its the craziest story. My father went an hour late for the three hour entrance exam, and came 25th in the final list! Out of a few 100,000's! That's my dad. Absolutely and unequivocally brilliant!
But it doesn't end there. During his time in IIT, he designed and made India's first hovercraft - this, a project which his own Head of Department couldn't make happen, my father made happen! The President of India came to see this landmark project too.
After completing his Mechanical Engineering from IIT- Madras, my father went to study Nuclear Science and Plasma Physics at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. He was a student of the two-time Nobel Prize winner John Bardeen (and you can see his picture with my dad above). It was during his Ph.D that he came back to India, and married my mother in an arranged/love marriage. It was during this time too that his mother Narayanamama was suffering from breast cancer.Why do I say Arranged/Love marriage? Because my grandparents were both keen on getting my parents to get married. However, my father was quite adamant that he didn't want to marry someone from the same community as it only reiterates what people think of the class/community barriers. But in doing that, he was discriminating against my mum! Real hero!!And my mum's got a lot of pride too! She's no less! But some friends of theirs called them for dinner without telling the other. And when they met in that surrounding, they actually got talking, and asking my mother three questions, he proposed to her! Yay!
So the product of that marriage were me first, and my gorgeous sister Sravanya next.
My father is a scientist, an inventor, a genius. He comes up with all kinds of ideas! Bubbling genius! While he was doing his Ph.d he even discovered his own nuclear particles. But he's so chilled out, that he never presented them in a paper. So unfortunately was never credited for them.
My parents always wanted to come back to India, the motherland. Yes! My father was even offered to head up the Nuclear Science department at Santa Barbara. And my mum being an MBA and MSc in Advertising, would have landed a top job in any firm on Madison Avenue. But then meri desh ki dharti called.. and off they came, with my mother 8 months pregnant with a little baby Hemanth!
After coming to India, my father went to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Problem was he was 20 years ahead of them! So they said to come back in 20 years. Morons! Their loss was the port industry's gain. My father joined my grandfather (mother's father) in building the Port of Tuticorin. While there, I was a little baby, and apparently the joy of my grandfather in all the adversity faced in building this port.
After this, my father came to Bombay to build the Sassoon Dock Harbour Extension, and a jetty for RCF in Mandwa. Mr. Nadkar took a chance on this young man. It was here that Amma Lines Ltd. got its first work. Many people ask why the name Amma Lines. Its because my father wanted to name the company after his mother, yet be something anyone can identify with. Amma means mother. Why Lines? We're not a shipping company, we're a marine construction company. Correct again. When in Tuticorin, the port needed to hire tugs. But back then with the restriction on foreign exchange flow out of the country, only a shipping company could qualify. So the word Lines got through that. That tug thing never worked out, but the name stuck and it got its brand value for quality and innovative construction and being one of India's main dredging companies.
When my father was working on setting up this project in Bombay, he'd stay at the Westend Hotel, near Bombay Hospital. He was a regular there. He wanted my mother, Sravanya and me to stay in Madras with our grandparents (so that there was some luxury). But my mother said no. She wanted to be where her husband was. That's her home. So he brought all of us to Bombay. That's when Westend Hotel said they had no rooms for us. So my father immediately built a house on the worksite itself. The house started off as a shed, but over the years, with love and patience, we made it from a house to a home, where we lived for 12 years. We loved it. It had a beautiful garden, and was in an open space, near the sea... I'd have all my friends who lived in the Bombay Port Trust Quarters - Renish, Gannu, Suhail, Timmy, Shahrukh & Cyrus etc, and we'd play there everyday! But some people, like one tuition teacher wouldn't come there! It was embarrasing for some, but enchanting for others. Some of the biggest families in Bombay would come here to be a part of the famous parties my parents would have. There were times when my parents didn't have enough money for babyfood, or milk. But they somehow managed. And they never made us feel like anything was lacking in our lives. We just had a beautiful childhood. But my mother told my father that when he buys her a house, to buy her a beautiful house. And in 1989, from the money he got from his innovative ideas from a huge work, he bought her her dream house, which is our home today in Madhuli.
So in 1992, we moved from Amma Lines, Women Graduates Union Rd, Colaba, Bombay - 400 005, to Madhuli, Dr. A.B Rd, Worli, Bombay - 18. And our old house? Well, the house no longer exists. The project was to build an extension to the fishing harbour at Sassoon Dock. However the environmentalists and some rich folk living close by didn't want the stench of fish to invade their homes. No one would to be fair to them. So my father suggested a way - Make the seafront part an area for the fisherfolk, and the area behind into a big botanical garden! And voila, there stands the BPT Botanical garden in Colaba, next to the BEST depot. Even today, the banyan tree planted by my mother (which marked the entrance to our old house) still stands, a sweet reminder of our childhood.
Sravanya Rao:
Sravanya was born in Madras (what is now Chennai), on October 30th 1979. We grew up to become best friends. She's honestly the person I'm closest to, right next to my mum and dad. I love her soo soo much and she's just an amazing person. Not only is she stunningly good looking, but she's the most easy-going chilled out person. She has an eye for things like I've never seen. She'll pick up a wire mesh from a road and make it into a stunning painting. She's not only a professional dancer, actress, painter, artist and jewellery designer, but she's also an interior designer, having done work in Bombay, Delhi and Hyderabad.
After studying in J.B. Petit Girl's school and then doing her 11th and 12th in Cathedral, Sravanya graduated from New York University (NYU) with a Bachelors in Finance, Marketing and Playwriting. Yes - Wow! Along the way, she learnt kuchipudi and became a professional kuchipudi dancer trained under the father of today's Kuchipudi- Padmabhushan Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam.
Sravanya's biggest passion is music and dance. She can dance to anything, anywhere. And people love dancing when they see her - be it at a party, at a club or just in front of her mirror at home. There are so many facets to her personality that I don't know where to begin. Foremost of all is how we are best friends, and how she can make friends with anyone, because she's so jovial and fun, not to mention her disarming personality.
Extremely talented. No.. its scary. Whatever she takes up, she rocks it! I remember when she was in Cathedral school and was doing a play. It was the inter-house dramatics competition. And she had the main role, was the writer, director and producer. Now, as a brother, I had no idea what she was doing.. I just saw the finished product. She did this play where she's this bubbly young girl who gets married, and then has a baby who's her life. She dotes on him to a point that her husband leaves her. Well, her son is her life.. but then he falls in love with a girl and they decide to go abroad and study. And she and her son get into a big argument and he storms off.. In the next scene you see her, in her whole old mother getup, talking to the paanwallah, and then talking to herself.. "Vapis ayega, bachcha to hai" (He'll come back, after all.. he's only a child) and she keeps mumbling that to herself. She get home and turns on the radio and as she's listening to the music, "We interrupt this regular programme for some breaking news. This is to inform you that Flight AI-120 flying from Bombay to New York has crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. There are no survivors." And then as the lights fade out around her, all you can see is a solitary light focussing on her, and you don't know what her expression is, yet you know what it is.. its a mix of anger, sadness, frustration, pain, sorrow.. everything - in one expression. When I saw this scene, I was blown out of my head. I had goosebumps, and realised - Wow, my sister is unreal! And a winner :) She swept all the awards :) Thats my sister - A Winner!
Maximus:
Maximus came into the family on 17th September 2002. See, we used to have a dog many years ago - Vanilla, but she died. Was our fault. We should have taken better care of her. The thing is that there needs to be one person who takes complete care of the dog. After Vanilla passed away, we weren't interested in having another dog. Was just too hard for us. But after many years, precisely 9 years, it was time. That's when I told my family - I'm getting a dog.
But then when I decided I was getting a dog, everyone were behind me 100%. Because I decided I was going to take care of him. Makes sense... Sravanya will be travelling, Mum works in Delhi during the week, and Dad's busy with work. So the onus would have had to fall on me. And if I decided I was going to take care of the dog, everyone would be more than fine with it!
So then began the search for a big dog, which quickly became a Golden Labrador. Why? Because they're big, they've got the best temperament, they're easy to maintain with having short hair, and are very loyal. I looked everywhere - from Australia, to Germany, to Delhi to Bombay to Bangalore and finally found this litter in Bangalore. It was important to have a dog who's parents were already acclimatised to Indian weather, instead of importing a pup from abroad. Unfortunately, I wanted to get the pup soon but had to wait for three months before I was able to get the pup. Apparently because they need to first spend time with their mother first.
So that was out of the window. September 17th is my birthday, and in 2002 my family threw me a surprise party. As I entered totally shocked into my house with Mihir, Nishita and Smiti, I saw a housefull of my friends. And my mother took me to a little basket, inside which was the cutest little ball of fur.. Maximus was now part of the Rao household. My sister scammed out the info of the breeder in Bangalore from me, and got the pup! (I did speak to the vet and dog trainer and they said its not a problem as long as the puppy is given a lot of love, attention and caring - which we gave TONS of..) . I was shocked and over the moon! They did what I couldn't do and brought so much joy into our house.
Initially, we called him Muttzarella. But in a week, I didn't like the name. It was too... feminine. This is a guy dog, owned by a guy! So the name needs to be more masculine. Plus the household help would call him Majroo!?!? So after thinking of a few names, we called him Maximus. And it fit :)
During his days growing, I would make sure that I fed him every meal. Yes, that meant me coming home from work at lunch and giving him his food.. included cleaning his piss and shit when he decided to do it randomly in the middle of the night.. After all, he's my baby. When it was time for him to be trained, I took him every evening (leaving work a little early) to Oval Maidan to train him with the other dogs. And I think thats very important because it makes you understand why your dog acts in a certain way.
He is truly the darling of the house. Everyone in the house - the family, drivers, the cook, the gardner, the help, the guards, the other residents of the building, EVERYONE adore this fellow. Because he's the sweetest, friendliest, good-looking well-behaved dog you'll ever see. And I invite you all to come and meet him and see for yourself!
MH 04 AW 3:
When I was studying at Georgia Tech, I didn't have a car. Probably one of the biggest mistakes - in a city like Atlanta which is a car-centric city. So when I returned to India, my mother insisted that I get a car for myself. My father, a die-hard Honda fan recommended I get the Honda City. But inspite of how much I love that car, we already had two and wasn't going to get another one. My heart fell on the Mitsubishi Lancer.
When my friend Jason and me were in our last year at Georgia Tech, since we were both in Mech. Engg, we ended up taking most classes together. We'd always go out in his car - a Nissan Sentra coupe. We'd get Cuban sandwiches together, go to movies, or classes etc. This car was in an electric blue colour. When I first saw it, I was like - Why such a jazzy colour! But then it grew on me and I loved the colour.
When I was ordering my car, I asked if they had any other colour - like an electric blue.. they didn't. The DAY I walked into the dealership to order my car, was the first day that the electric blue colour was introduced. And there it was! It was a sign. So in went my order for for my MIDNIGHT BLUE MITSUBISHI LANCER. It didnt make it in time for my birthday, but was there by October 10th, 2000 - on the festival of Dassera. A day when most people start something, as its an auspicious day.
Now everything about my car - I'm involved in. I was there at the RTO (Regional Traffic Office) in bloody Thane to make sure that I got a decent number for my car. I got a great number - 3! MH 04 AW 3! Some friends call it the AWsome 3some! I call it my blue baby :) Some people call it Bluey! But its my other baby! I'd take the car for the first two years for all its servicings myself, where I'd get under the car and drain the oil, or replace the shock absorbers etc.. Nights when I'm going partying, I'd come down all dressed up and the car was a little dusty. I'd roll up my sleeves, get a bucket of water and a cleaning cloth and start cleaning and polishing the car - At 11pm!! Its my pride and joy.
So that's pretty much my family. Of course there are more - like my grandparents, my relatives, my friends but you'll read more about them soon. But as you can see, I'm very passionate about my family and all parts of it. And I love them more than my life itself.
