A rose by any other name
What's in a name, the bard wrote, but I'm sure there is no one in today's world who would agree to that. A name is the first element that gives you an identity, and that defines what you are to the world around you. I have always been extremely possessive about my name. And have had to face quite a bit of enthusiasm from the world - not only about my first name, but also my last name. Picture this - You are walking down the corridor of your school, and there is this teacher screaming out for 'Saraswati' or 'Sulakshna' at the highest pitch possible. Obviously, this 'Saraswati' or 'Sulakshna' is either deaf or simply non-existent...:-). And the latter was the case. Besides these, I've always had to repeat my first name at least thrice when introducing myself. Well, this is not unique to me. It is an affliction for many traditional Indian names - be it from Punjab or Tamil Nadu or anywhere on this semi-continent. Coming t think of it, maybe ...