Yesterday, I introduced myself to a colleague as ‘Kavitha Murali’. And, I was shocked to note that teeny weeny bit of hesitation in me before I introduced myself so. That was when it hit me quite hard. Let me go back in time a bit to set the context before I explain what hit me hard.
Back in school and college, the concept of a second name was practically non existent. That’s ‘cos, for most of us Tams, our second name happens to be our father’s name and we have always been known by our initial followed by our names. For instance, I was always known as M. Kavitha. Unless and until there were two people with the same name and the same initial in a particular class, the expansion of the initial was never required.
This underwent a sea change when I joined B School, where everyone seemed to be having a last name which was not their father’s name but their family name, or some such thing. I started being known and addressed as ‘Kavitha Murali’. Or rather, I started being known as ‘Kavitha Murali’. I have ever since been addressed as ‘Kavitha Murli’ or ‘Kavitha Muraali’. I used to correct the pronunciation initially, but gave up very soon. Now, what does one do with people like S who wantedly address me as Muraali. Sigh!
Anyways, coming back to the issue at hand, I know that I got accustomed to being addressed as ‘Murli’ pretty soon. What I did not realize till the call with my colleague yesterday was that I have started introducing myself to others as ‘Murli’. And, it has been such a long time since I came across a Tam colleague that I did not recognize this. So, when I spoke to him, my sub – conscious mind automatically prompted me to say ‘Murali’, like how we write in Tam as ‘Mu’ followed by ‘Ra’ followed by ‘Li’.
I have observed this phenomenon in others before me. I have, for hours at stretch, made fun of all those ‘Narayan’s who introduce themselves as ‘Naren’ and those Chennaiites who pronounce the name of our hometown as ‘Shennai’, ‘Shenai’, or sometimes even ‘Shenoy’. Little did I know then that I would soon fall prey to such an identity theft.
One might say there is not much of a slip between the ‘R’ and the ‘Ra’. Nevertheless, I miss ‘a’ so much, it hurts!
For, after all, what’s in my name but my own identity.
Back in school and college, the concept of a second name was practically non existent. That’s ‘cos, for most of us Tams, our second name happens to be our father’s name and we have always been known by our initial followed by our names. For instance, I was always known as M. Kavitha. Unless and until there were two people with the same name and the same initial in a particular class, the expansion of the initial was never required.
This underwent a sea change when I joined B School, where everyone seemed to be having a last name which was not their father’s name but their family name, or some such thing. I started being known and addressed as ‘Kavitha Murali’. Or rather, I started being known as ‘Kavitha Murali’. I have ever since been addressed as ‘Kavitha Murli’ or ‘Kavitha Muraali’. I used to correct the pronunciation initially, but gave up very soon. Now, what does one do with people like S who wantedly address me as Muraali. Sigh!
Anyways, coming back to the issue at hand, I know that I got accustomed to being addressed as ‘Murli’ pretty soon. What I did not realize till the call with my colleague yesterday was that I have started introducing myself to others as ‘Murli’. And, it has been such a long time since I came across a Tam colleague that I did not recognize this. So, when I spoke to him, my sub – conscious mind automatically prompted me to say ‘Murali’, like how we write in Tam as ‘Mu’ followed by ‘Ra’ followed by ‘Li’.
I have observed this phenomenon in others before me. I have, for hours at stretch, made fun of all those ‘Narayan’s who introduce themselves as ‘Naren’ and those Chennaiites who pronounce the name of our hometown as ‘Shennai’, ‘Shenai’, or sometimes even ‘Shenoy’. Little did I know then that I would soon fall prey to such an identity theft.
One might say there is not much of a slip between the ‘R’ and the ‘Ra’. Nevertheless, I miss ‘a’ so much, it hurts!
For, after all, what’s in my name but my own identity.
