Wednesday 25 July 2007

What's there in a name?

There is a long story behind my name..
First my parents were supposed to name me Aniruddha.. but later my Dad decided that its too common a name and its too Marathi.
So he came up with Abhilesh, not even Abhilash which is otherwise derived from Abhilasha (desire).
So, its a derived name from Abhilasha, and it actually means nothing.. absolutely 'Nothing'.

During my high school I had appeared for NTSE and had cleared two written phases, one state level and one national level and was called for an interview - the last stage before you get the scholarship. I performed very badly in that.. The last question they asked me was 'What's the meaning of my name?' and I kept mum. I seriously didn't know the meaning. Needless to say, I didn't get the scholarship but that triggered a search for the meaning of my name.
After that, initially I used to say Abhilesh is the name and I am the meaning.. (to sound intelligent :)
but I still hadn't discovered the meaning, because then I had to discover myself first to know the meaning. as Abhilesh is just a name, but I am the meaning. But who am I? That put me on a path to search for my identity, my being.
I realised by and by, that I can take any shape and be anything I like.. but most of all I discovered that people are very comfortable when they are with me for some reason.. either because I don't judge them or I just listen to them without adding my interpretations or my understanding to what they say.. Its like talking to a mirror. And when you really open your heart out in front of a mirror you can see things as they are, which you normally ignore because you are too busy living. So people confide and open up their deepest emotions without any hesitation [but obviously after a while. You wouldn't confide to a complete stranger. But I am still working on that and I see a possibility that people just might.]. And they see the chaos within themselves. And I've seen this happening quite often than not.
So looking at all this I gave Abhilesh a new meaning.. 'A mirror to the chaos within you' (Another version to sound intelligent)
But later I realised, I don't always behave in a certain way. I am not always a mirror. Sometimes I react, sometimes I act, sometimes I don't even know what I am doing. And it depends, perhaps, upon the person or people I am with or just on my mood. Sometimes it represents the essence of people around me, sometimes its the conflict between them, other times it represents the missing parts, some other times it's just calm serene background and I am not present.. but I am as much there.
So I say the meaning is 'A space where you can be'.. sounds very corny, right?
but the search is still on. Now I am inclined towards the original meaning 'Nothing'.

4 comments:

Shiva said...

Its definitely a good one ! Thought provoking ...

TroolyMadlyDeepali said...

i say more abt ur surname
@#$teke ...

teke matlab , someone u can shoulder on .... in hindi they say "teka lena".

and this falls in line with your quest of proving that u r the mirror that ppl use to open up , open their hearts out too , realise the chaos in their lives....

u can use this defn as well

Unknown said...

your name does not define you. your parents' choice of a name for an unborn child cannot determine the personality or the fate of the child. in the Bible Cain kills his brother, Able. So, Able was not Able to save himself. He was not clever enough to see Cain for what was happening. The parents did not choose this when they named Able. A name is just a name and it means nothing but the love that your parents intended for you. Your last name; however,does have implications for you becaue it is your history. Your parents could have named you Asahola, but you were not inteded to follow the predetermined assumption and be one. :) Your deep thought shows your unlimited intelligence. Your writing is very impressive. Truthfully, if anyone will stop talking long enough to listen to someone, the mirror to the other's soul will reveal. You/anyone will learn a lot by listening only. Your distinction is that you have figured out this phenomenon. But you haven't figured out that it is not a gift only bestowed upon you. It is bestowed upon anyone who is caring enough to listen.

onlyus said...

alphabets....there is / are alphabets in a name!