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Arvind Kejriwal's crusade against corruption and malpractices prevalent in the seat of power, the

debate for US Presidential position, Mallya's effort or lack of to bail out Kingfisher Airlines ,

communal dispute in Hyderabad were some of the highlights for the month of October. This set me

thinking about difference of opinion and its impact on the individual and society at large. The

contribution of diverse viewpoint and the possibility of it converging for peaceful co–existence.

In my quest, I got acquainted with John Stuart Mill. He was a British philosopher, political

economist and civil servant. He was an influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and

political economy. He has been called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the

nineteenth century". Mill's conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition

to unlimited state control.

"He, who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of

that. ... Not the violent conflict between parts of the truth, but

the quiet suppression of half of it, is the formidable evil; there

is always hope when people are forced to listen to both sides;

it is when they attend only to one that errors harden into

prejudices".

—John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

This is what Mill has to say about difficult dialogues: that the

primary rule is to listen carefully and respectfully to your

opponent, so that you don‘t engage in the slothful and self-

righteous but ultimately fruitless activity of constructing a

straw man. You need to respond in ways that respect the rules

of logic and evidence and that show you know something

about what you‘re discussing but not necessarily the rules of

decorum. Debate that comes out of genuine conviction, Mill

argues, will necessarily involve strong emotions. If anything,

the onus is on those who hold the generally accepted position

to keep their cool.

Mill argued that any position, even if right, is a ―dead dogma‖ until you have to defend it against

someone who believes the opposite just as fervently. This sounds very much like one of the aims of

liberal education. Sometimes we try to replicate true debate in class by representing positions that

are not our own, but Mill argues that there‘s no substitute for conviction when it comes to an

argument‘s being ―plausible and persuasive.‖ The debates held under National Economic Planning

attempts at teaching the rules of logic and evidence. To inculcate in students to care and be

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passionate about ideas that affect us. These are our learning moments, however inconvenient,

aggravating, chaotic- the hope is that it will clear mind cobwebs, stretch it, make it more elastic and

transform us as a tolerant citizen of this world.

That‘s why Mill prizes eccentricity so much. It‘s a kind of intellectual biodiversity—the more

strains of thought you have out there jostling for habitat, the more likely it is that one will be right

for the unexpected circumstances that increasingly confront us. He outlines the benefits of

'searching for and discovering the truth' as a way to further knowledge. He argued that even if an

opinion is false, the truth can be better understood by refuting the error. And as most opinions are

neither completely true nor completely false, he points out that allowing free expression allows the

airing of competing views as a way to preserve partial truth in various opinions. Worried about

minority views being suppressed, Mills also argued in support of freedom of speech on political

grounds, stating that it is a critical component for a representative government to have in order to

empower debate over public policy. Mill also eloquently argued that freedom of expression allows

for personal growth and self-realization. He said that freedom of speech was a vital way to develop

talents and realise a person's potential and creativity. He repeatedly said that eccentricity was

preferable to uniformity and stagnation.

The leader, who understands this, will profit from carefully understanding various view points and

living with a winning or a losing argument. Across centuries it's a truism and expressed in words to

suit the context. Here's one to sum it up; ―I asked Mr Chidambaram how we can help move the

country forward. He said engage with the Opposition, go and talk to them".

-Sunil Mittal, Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises.

Read On...!

Shirani Nayar,

Associate Dean – Academics

IIPM HYDERABAD

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Dear Reader,

I want to share this beautiful story which I came across while browsing. We can see this story in

movies but not in reality, and eight special girls who are mentally challenged made this in reality before

thousands of people and showed that humanity is still there. It was a sports stadium. Eight children were

standing on the track to participate in the running event.

* Ready! * Steady! * Bang!!!

With the sound of the toy pistol, all eight girls started running. Hardly had they covered ten to fifteen

steps, one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down, due to pain she started crying. When other seven

girls heard this sound, stopped running, stood for a while and turned back, they all ran back to the place

where the girl fell down. One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired 'Now

pain must have reduced'. All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them held the girl

firmly and they all seven joined hands together and walked together and reached the winning post.

Officials were shocked. Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium. Many eyes were filled

with tears and perhaps it had reached the GOD even! The sport was conducted by National Institute of

Mental Health in Hyderabad. All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are

spastic children.

What did they teach this world? Humanity

(http://www.citehr.com/9189-beautiful-story-about-love-team-work-humanity.html)

Not that humanity lost its way but we humans becoming selfish day by day with our busy lives. Try to

help others who are in need. Helping hands are better than praying lips.

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL THE READERS…! - CRUICBLES

Happy Reading!

Regards,

Susmitha

Editorial Head

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USA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2012

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USA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2012

The wait is finally over. Months of debates, discussions and political ads have finally culminated

with the result of the 57th

quadrennial Presidential Elections. We see that the people of America have

decided to put Barak Obama back in the White House. The Republicans have been very vocal in their

criticism of Barack Obama, blaming him for the high levels of unemployment (7.9%), rising federal deficit

($13.79 trillion). So the questions arises: Why did the people of America elect him then? The clinching

factor here is that Obama is seen as a People's President. Although the federal deficit is soaring out of

control. He never compromised on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Instead, he chose to make

efforts to bring back the federal tax rates to that of the Clinton era (40%) which taxes the rich corporates and

brings tax relief to the middle class by moderating the latter‘s taxes. On the other hand, Mitt Romney, a

business man himself, promised to cut spending and also promised to cut taxes if he was voted to power. If a

government cuts taxes, then businesses expand. Jobs are created when bbusinesses expand. But the role of

any business is to make profits and not create jobs. The creation of jobs are decided by the profits a

company makes, not because the unemployment rates are high. Also, Mitt Romney‘s commitment to cut the

budget would mean a cut to Medicare. This would never be accepted by the masses who see him as a crony

capitalism.

Another burning issue of the people of America is the presence of U.S troops in Afghanistan. After the

operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, a firm commitment was given by Barack Obama to the President of

Afghanistan Hamid Karzai to reduce the presence of troops there by 2012. Also, the handling of the security

of the country would be handed back to the Afghan forces by 2014. Statistics show that over $400 billion

dollars have already been spent in the last 10 years in this war. An expenditure which could have been well

spent for domestic purposes. Mitt Romney, though supportive of the withdrawal plan, insisted that troop

withdrawal should not be based upon politics or economics but on the ground realities. With Osama dead,

the ground realities according to most Americans is that the war is over. However, the very objective of the

war in Afghanistan was to find and eliminate him. This factor has reiterated the citizen's choice in favor of

Obama who felt that it was time the money was spent on nation building.

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On the issue of Social Security, Obama was opposed to any cut backs in spending. He was also not in

favor of privatizing Social Security. In his own words, ―To put us on solid ground, we should also find a

bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations. We must do it without putting at risk

current retirees, the most vulnerable, or people with disabilities; without slashing benefits for future

generations; and without subjecting Americans‘ guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock

market.‖ In the U.S., Social Security is a key source of income to many households. For more than half of

the Social Security recipients aged 65 or over, the program provides over 50 percent of their family income

and, because of its lifetime income protection and survivors benefits, Social Security is particularly

important for elderly women. Mitt Romney‘s proposal to increase the retirement age by a couple of years

and trying to reduce the benefits for future generations did not go down well with the masses.

In 2011, many states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tenessee and West Virginia planned to shorten early

voting periods. This was seen by many as an attempt to improve the Republican candidate‘s presidential

prospects. Felons were barred from voting in Florida and Iowa. Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

and Wisconsin began asking voters to have government issued IDs before they could cast their votes. These

measures were restrictive and were clearly an attempt to prevent the Blacks, Latinos and college students

from voting. We need to understand that these three groups were among the major support groups for

Barack Obama. Such laws did nothing more than alienate the voters further away from Mitt Romney‘s vote

bank.

After everything‘s has been said and done, Obama has tough challenges ahead despite the win. He has to

bring the economy back on track. For a country that has been at the receiving end of a recession for a while

this is not an easy task. Further, with the Republicans controlling the House of Representatives and the

Democrats controlling the Senate the Congress is divided and this is going to be a tough challenge for

Obama in the days to come.

Regards,

Chaitanya Mella,

PGP/FW/11-13.

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Digital Marketing is now the trend that well goes beyond the Internet. Digital Marketing is the practice

of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely,

relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. For businesses it provides a marketing opportunity that

eliminates the traditional middleman and connects companies directly with customers. This is why nearly

every business on the planet—from giants like Microsoft and IBM to the local ice cream shop

are exploring social media marketing initiatives. A couple of years ago, businesses were uncertain about

social media. However, it's here to stay. The means of digital marketing includes elements such as mobile

phones, SMS/MMS, display/banner ads and digital outdoor advertising, besides many others. As technology

develops more devices are becoming compatible with internet browsing and the digital marketing potential

that comes with it.

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Digital Marketing, also known as Social Media Marketing uses online communities, social networks,

blogs and more. In other words, it is the process of gaining website traffic or attention through social media

sites. It's the latest "buzz" in marketing. These days, the organizational cause has replaced the social cause as

companies seek to engage with their audience via the online platforms.

The explosion of the social media phenomenon is as mind boggling as that and the pace at which it is

growing is staggering. Trust and goodwill are the basis of social networking, and by marketing in the realm

of social media these fundamental aspects need to be followed. It is

probably the only marketing platform that encourages fool proof communication and accountability

among sellers as well as consumers. Global companies have recognized Social Media Marketing as a

potential marketing platform.

Two different forms of digital marketing :

Pull digital marketing in which the consumer must actively seek the marketing content of companies ie

via web searches or the recipient has given permission to receive content that is sent to the consumer

by emails, text messages, web feeds, etc.

Push digital marketing in which the marketer sends a message without the consent of the recipients,

such as display advertising on websites and news blogs.

Thank You

Regards

Benjamin Taylor,

PGP/FW/11-13

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THE RISE OF THE CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER

The challenges and opportunities for businesses in this digital age are enormous. Companies need to be

fleet-footed to keep pace with changing technology and consumer behaviour. Business strategies now must

be seamlessly interwoven with ever-expanding digital strategies that address not only the web but also

mobile, social, local and whatever innovation there may be around the corner. To help meet these

challenges, companies are increasingly looking for a Chief Digital Officer (CDO) who can oversee the full

range of digital strategies and drive change across the organization. In this issue, members of the Consumer

and Technology teams at Russell Reynolds Associates look at the rise of Chief Digital Officers and their

potential for CEO succession.

WHAT IS A CDO, AND WHY DOES THE ROLE MATTER?

Customers are demanding fresh information and the ability to buy wherever, whenever and however they

want. The numbers are hard to debate. More than 200 million iPhone and Android smartphones now are in

consumers‘ hands, and demand shows no sign of abating. Some 41 million apps are downloaded every day,

and social networking is expanding on a geometric scale. Consumers are leveraging their digital resources to

download information, compare prices, find the best products and search for deals.

It‘s no surprise then that the seniority and calibre of digital talent that companies are seeking to recruit are

on the increase. Traditionally, digital was positioned as part of the marketing function within the business,

responsible for driving the organization‘s online presence. The last two years have seen the rise of the Chief

Digital Officer, a senior executive who sits at the right hand of the CEO and is seen as instrumental to the

future of the organization. For many companies, especially those in the retail and leisure sectors, digital is

the fastest- growing revenue stream, and a Chief Digital Officer (or, sometimes, SVP Online) is extremely

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important in driving that growth. In some sectors, such as traditional media, the CDO often will have been

hired to help transform the company as its products evolve digitally.

In both cases, the CDO needs to be someone who not only has digital acumen but also is a seasoned general

manager who can operate within a large-scale business and influence effectively across the organization.

This is a relatively new type of leader and one who is hard to find, attract and retain. The increasing

importance of the role eventually will put CDOs in the queue for CEO succession. CDOs will be the

executives with the operating experience, management skills, strategic mind-sets and vision to lead

businesses in an increasingly technological future.

The spike in demand for Chief Digital Officers has been felt globally. In Europe, the number of search

requests for this role has risen by almost a third in the last 24 months. The United States has seen the same

growth in half that time. The increase in Asia is less pronounced, where the position remains relatively

junior, though things there are evolving. The challenge in Asia is more about attracting talented executives

to join established companies who otherwise might set up their own digital enterprise.

We are at the beginning of a new era for social Internet innovators who are re -imagining

and re-inventing a web of people and places, looking beyond documents and web sites.

— John Doerr; Partner; Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

The sharp rise in demand for CDOs has been matched by an equally sharp rise in the level of compensation

offered. Today‘s high-quality CDOs command double the remuneration levels of their predecessors,

reflecting the scarcity of talent and increasing seniority of the role. Pay and benefits put the Chief Digital

Officer on par or above other executives at Board or sub-Board levels. In Asia, this trend has been less

pronounced. It will take time for companies there to escalate the digital function to a more senior level—but

the continued rise in consumer Internet and mobile use inevitably will drive similar demand.

WHAT’S DRIVING THE EVOLUTION OF THE CDO?

Social media and the enabling technologies are fundamentally reshaping how consumers behave. Smarter,

quicker and more advanced mobile telephony brings with it a wide range of possibilities for business such as

media companies, retailers and information providers. Services that combine social and local elements are

becoming the norm. All of this is forcing organizations to rethink their market and customer strategies.

Some staggering statistics:

In March 2011, Apple announced it had sold its 100 millionth iPhone. As of July 2011, Google‘s

Android Operating System was on 130 million devices.

In July 2011, it was reported that the Apple Retail Store is handling 24 million app downloads per

day, and the Android Market is handling 17 million app downloads a day.

As of September 2011, there were more than 800 million users on Facebook. On average,

Facebook users install over 20 million apps every day. There are more than 350 million active

users currently accessing Facebook through mobile devices.

In April 2011, it was announced that more than 200 million people had signed up on Twitter,

while, in September 2011, it was revealed that there were 100 million active monthly users.

In 2010, global revenue for the virtual goods industry was over $7 billion, according to Ted

Sorom, CEO of Risty, a virtual currency platform.

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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A CDO?

Given the complexities of their role, successful CDOs require a broad blend of experiences and

competencies.

EXPERIENCE

Digital experience, of course, is critical but different combinations of skills are emerging among Chief

Digital Officers. For example:

E-commerce and transactional expertise. The focus here is on driving traffic, conversion and

revenue. Often referred to as SVP Online, these CDOs are sought after by companies involved

in e-commerce, such as e-tailers and manufacturers that move to direct sales. These CDOs

require change management capabilities and the ability to manage channel conflicts.

Online marketing and social media expertise. Here the emphasis is on driving brand awareness,

brand activation and consumer engagement. These CDOs are sought after by consumer-branded

goods and services companies and require skills relating to new personalized/ localized

communications as opposed to mass communications.

Transformative product and technology capabilities (i.e., analog to digital). These CDOs are

sought after by traditional media companies and require change management capabilities that

can impact the whole company.

More generally, CDO candidates should be familiar with web, mobile and social media— and possibly local

as well. They should be able to plan and execute long-term strategy around driving customer awareness,

engagement, experience and monetization. When it comes to innovation, candidates should have experience

developing new channels and business models, as well as innovative products and services. The CDO also

must be tech savvy; though knowing how to code may or may not be required, the ability to manage

developers and ask the right questions is a minimum requirement.

Demand for CDOs is far greater than supply. This is fuelling an increasingly competitive war for talent.

Importantly, the CDO is not only a digital guru but also a seasoned general manager. He or she should have

experience running a P&L. The role frequently is transformational so change management experience is

important, either in turnaround or fast- growth situations. In addition, as many companies increasingly have

global customers and employees, international experience is key. Therefore, CDOs will need to appreciate

that adoption of technologies across a business‘ jurisdictions will vary. In other words, one size does not fit

all.

COMPETENCIES

As with any senior leadership position, a range of competencies is required:

Setting strategy. With the digital landscape evolving so quickly, CDOs need to have excellent

strategic skills, with the ability to chart the right course and make agile alterations when needed.

Executing for results. Strategic insight must be coupled with a strong execution orientation and an

ability to deliver results despite the complex and fluid environment.

Building relationships and using influence. In today‘s climate, the culture and practices within a

business can change as quickly as those in the external market. Chief Digital Officers, therefore,

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must be able to build relationships across all levels and functions of the organization—from the

Board down to the front line—and effectively manage conflict.

Leadership. CDOs must in turn be able to recruit top talent and to lead large and (sometimes)

globally distributed teams.

Demonstrating cultural sensitivity. This is particularly important, as those skilled in new digital

tools may view the world differently from others in more traditional parts of the business.

WHERE CAN EFFECTIVE CDOS BE FOUND?

There is a wide range of challenges for those recruiting Chief Digital Officers. One of the most significant

issues is that demand is far greater than supply in all areas of the world. This creates retention issues among

the best staff, fuelling an increasingly competitive war for talent.

After two decades of the Internet, there is a reasonable cadre of mid-level digital managers from product,

technology or marketing backgrounds. However, there are relatively few senior general managers or people

who have worked across functions or have had extensive Board experience. Many candidates have acquired

their skills in small, nimble start-up type environments, making them culturally unsuitable for large,

structured, matrixed corporates. Indeed, many of those who work in digital want to remain in pure-play

arenas. To attract these candidates, companies must rethink how they structure responsibilities.

CDOs who demonstrate their ability to manage change and transform their businesses

almost certainly will lead the way in the rise of the Digital CEO.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the greatest supply of candidates is in the United States. However, demand in this

region is equally intense, such that finding the right talent in the United States remains challenging. Another

issue, as many European and Asian companies note, is that technology executives from the United States

often grow up in a particular silo, such as sales or marketing. As a result, while these executives bring

tremendous functional expertise, they often lack the broader leadership and influencing skills that are needed

for these more senior general management positions.

For some companies, particularly those with more traditional structures and career paths, it can be a

challenge to integrate digital talent who will push the boundaries but may lack the maturity needed to

function effectively at Board or sub-Board levels. For CEOs, such appointments require an element of risk

taking and may include implementing and explaining strategies that go far beyond the traditional business

model. In many cases, CEOs will need to adapt to having a key member of the inner circle who is far

younger and has a significantly different business background from the rest of the group.

On the candidate side, those looking to move into Chief Digital Officer positions may be reluctant to join

established organizations, viewing them as old fashioned. Many candidates come from cutting-edge,

entrepreneurial organizations where executives can have a clear and immediate impact, and candidates often

desire those same attributes in their next employer. They also want compensation packages (particularly

equity) highly geared to success, which may test the compensation bands of traditional companies.

Not only must organizations have an open mind to hiring candidates who might not fit the cultural norm of

the business, companies also will have to move very quickly when they find and meet talent that has

potential. The current state of supply and demand almost guarantees that other opportunities will be

available to talented candidates.

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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE CDO?

In many cases, the CDO will be the senior executive handling the fastest growing revenue streams

within the business or will be the executive holding the keys to the company‘s future—placing him or her

squarely in line to replace the CEO. CDOs who demonstrate their ability to manage change and transform

their businesses almost certainly will lead the way in the rise of the Digital CEO.

THE ANATOMY OF A DIGITAL CEO

Forbes recently published findings from the Russell Reynolds Associates study, 'The Anatomy of a

Digital CEO', an analysis of the educational and career backgrounds of 135 digital CEOs in the US. See

below for key points from the study. 95.5% of the 135 CEO‘s are male; just 4.4% – 6 of 135 – are female.

That is consistent with the Fortune 500, where 3.4% of CEOs are female.

Over 13% of the group were undergrads at either Harvard or Stanford. Next most common

colleges: UC Berkeley (5.2%); Penn (3.7%); Princeton and the University of Colorado, 3%

each.

20% of the CEOs went to Ivy League schools. All eight of the Ancient Eight are represented, led

by Harvard with 9, Penn with 5 and Princeton with 4.

Most popular undergraduate majors: Economics, 22%; Computer Science, 20%; Engineering,

17%.

More than half spent at least some time in graduate school.

27% have MBAs; 14.8% have MBAs from either Stanford or Harvard.

This is fascinating. 23.5% of the CEOs previously worked at one of five key tech companies.

Amazingly, topping the list is Yahoo, at 8.9%; then Google, 5.1%; Microsoft, 3.7%; Facebook

and eBay, 2.9% each.

Again: close to 1 in 10 leading tech CEOs once worked at Yahoo.

69% of the current CEOs founded the company themselves.

21.4% of the current CEOs were hired externally.

9.6% of the current CEOs were promoted internally.

Of those hired externally: 55% were CEOs elsewhere; 34% were senior VPs someplace else.

Of the 29 CEOs hired externally, 41.3% had worked previously for one or more of these

companies: Google, Yahoo, Apple, Microsoft, Disney, Facebook. Yahoo topped that list, too.

Of those promoted internally: 46.2% were senior VPs; 23% were COOs; 15.4% were CFOs; 7.7%

were CTOs and 7.7% were consultants.

The average tenure of the CEOs on the lists is 4.24 years.

SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.RUSSELLREYNOLDS.COM

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\

What a day at ISB!! It was an amazing and many beautiful experiences, with a lot to take back. The day

began with the introduction of panel members comprising of Meera Sanyal (Country Executive &

Chairperson India at RBS), Ajit Rangnekar (The dean of ISB), Ronnie Screwvala (Chairman UTV

Group), Deepak Jolly (PR Head of Coca Cola, India) and Jay Galla (MD, Amara Raja Group) who

presented their ideas on business and underscored the need for innovation. Post each of the panel member's

introduction speeches, there began an interactive session among the panel members on what role do youth

play in the business environment, apart from inspiring us to start businesses in rural India or to spend time in

a rural area for a minimum duration of 6 months they mesmerized us to get a feel of life in the countryside.

This was part of the open discussion between the panel members and students. Some students wondered

whether it was worth to foray into rural areas. ―You will benefit far more than the rural people,‖ replied Ajit

Rangnekar, Dean, ISB. ‗Like our tigers, farmers are also becoming extinct and we need to change the image

of farming into a more dynamic entrepreneurial activity.‖ added Meera Sanyal.

Inevitably, the issue of corruption cropped up too. "How can one conduct business while being honest?"

were the general questions. To which, none other than the Dean of ISB said, ―Running ISB itself is a

difficult task. There‘s a lot of political pressure. We have suffered for two years for refusing admission to a

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minister‘s grandson, but we didn't succumb to their pressure.‖ Drawing comparison with Sweden, ―It was a

highly unethical country over a century ago and now have one of the most efficient governments, but if they

can change, why can‘t we?‖

This session was followed with workshops of companies like Coca Cola, RBS, Vodafone, together with

phenomenal NGO's like India@75, Edge etc. Coca Cola has already taken an initiative to start building

separate toilets for girls in the rural areas as part of their Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Till date it has constructed 100 toilets and it has set targets for 250 additional schools. The Support my

School initiative, with support of NDTV and Sachin Tendulkar as its ambassador, are going places. What a

remarkable achievement!!!

We talk about merits, but children at schools think of opportunities. Meera Sanyal spoke about a CNG

production plant which she inaugurated at Mahbubnagar. Started by two IIM graduates, it uses bio waste

(the waste of plants), for the production of CNG to power the telecom towers. This is a perfect example for

young people to follow. Further, she pointed out that government has advised telecom companies to use

renewable energy, instead of diesel, to maintain mobile towers by 2015. She articulated how women in rural

areas are becoming self-employed and about women empowerment. Truly motivational!! A memorable day

in the lives of everyone who attended.

Regards,

Ashwini Reddy,

PGP/FW/11-13.

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While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport I had one of those life changing experiences that you

hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two

feet away from me.

Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming

toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other

a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other‘s face, I heard the father say, ―It‘s so

good to see you, son. I missed you so much!‖ His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied

softly, ―Me, too, Dad!‖

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son‘s

face in his hands said, ―You‘re already quite the young man. I love you very much!‖ They too hugged a

most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her

mother‘s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man

said, ―Hi, baby girl!‖ as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and

then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and

simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, ―I‘ve saved the best for last!‖

and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her

eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. ―I love you so much!‖ They stared at each other‘s eyes,

beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn‘t

possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful

display of unconditional love not more than an arm‘s length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable,

as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, ―Wow! How

long have you two been married?

―Been together fourteen years total, married for twelve years.‖ he replied, without breaking his gaze from

his lovely wife‘s face. ―Well then, how long have you been away?‖ I asked. The man finally turned and

looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. ―One whole week!‖

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One week? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he‘d been gone for at least several

weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me.

I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to

searching for my friend), ―I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!‖

The man suddenly stopped smiling.

He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something

that left me a different person. He told me, ―Don‘t hope, friend… decide!‖ Then he flashed me his

wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, ―God bless!‖

- By Michael

Courtesy-Dulya.com

“Special Thanks to Sujeevan Mathew, for his effort to preach it in the team”

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CRUCIBLE ORIENTAION TO PGP/F&FW BATCH

FAREWELL TO THE BELOVED FOUNDER OF CRUCIBLES

Students of UGP/S & SS/12-15 at NDTV Walkathon at KBR Park, Hyderabad. (left),

IIPM STUDENTS at ISB FOR AIESEC INDIA’S YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM. (right)

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