Introducing Walia

Walia. Sai Vivek Walia. A gold medalist in economics who actually bowled fast enough to powder a batsman's guard. A brain that functions at ultra-high speeds is only betrayed by the hurried pace of actions that are displayed on a silent countenance.

He loves to play but exercises great restraint and transforms into a hard-working musician once the trumpet is in his hands. He can be seen chattering away joyfully as often as he is spotted studying seriously in a hushed island surrounded by raucous waters.

He is the original 'Guide' who made it fashionable to be one and inspired others to hop on to his small world. He is quite often referred to as 'Heli'- his ticket to the 'Guide kingdom' than as Walia. Anyone's first impression of him can never be the right impression. He might look like a confused person without a care in the world but the reality viewed after a bit of interaction is a starkly different one.

In spite of being his classmate right from my first grade, my view of him keeps changing almost every year. The camera he gives you to take his picture is without any optical zoom and the distance he allows between him and you as you take a shot will only be allowed to decrease with more and more dealings. No wonder, different facets of his personality emerge with more and more communication and you are left wondering about what else you might still be missing.

Never one to hide his ignorance, the words "I don't know" flow out uninhibited from his mouth when asked about something about which he has no idea at all. He does give a short pause before though making sure that he really lacks the knowledge on that front.

However, he does not just say "I don't know". As he is mouthing these words, his body suddenly loses its sense of balance; his legs resemble those of Krishna's as He plays the flute, two high arcs form above his eyes which immediately find the sky above the farthest horizon, his head tilts to one side and his hands resemble the aangika abhinaya called 'Alapadma' in Indian classical dance. In short, he does not say "I don't know" with just his tongue, mouth, throat and whatever; he says so with his entire body. The innocent ignorance is displayed loud and clear.

Those who have not yet seen this all-in-one act can approach him with mind-boggling doubts. This alone cannot guarantee you a vision of the blue moon though; this brilliant mind has answers for most queries.

I do have a tip for those who wish to have a glimpse but then I think you will be more thrilled if you can discover the means yourself. With Walia, the journey is always more interesting than the destination.