CHENNAI: It’s often hard to associate a towering personality with a severe phobia. And sharing it can be even harder. But last week, Sudha Murty, spouse of Infosys’ billionaire co-founder Narayana Murthy let us in on a secret.
“Narayana Murthy is extremely scared of dogs. He was bitten by one early in his life and went through a lot of pain. This is the reason we never had a dog before,” says the author and chairperson of Infosys Foundation. In her newest children’s book The Gopi Diaries: Coming Home (HarperCollins, Rs 299), the first in a three-part series, Murty explores her family’s relationship with their dog Gopi. In fact, there was a flurry of activity at Sapna Book House in Koramangala, Bengaluru, during the launch event, with Gopi also in tow.
“I grew up with dogs, so I’ve always enjoyed their company. One day, the team from HarperCollins came to my office and asked me to write a book. I told them I had no ideas. Gopi used to visit my office and they suggested I write about him,” she says, adding, “But there were hundreds of books already available on dogs. So, I decided I should write one from a dog’s perspective. What he thinks of me - his ‘Ajji’ and so on,” she says, adding that once she “became Gopi in her mind”, she was able to write swiftly, completing the book in a little over three hours.
In The Gopi Diaries, Murty also explores her husband’s relationship with the dog and how he eventually came to be fond of the four-legged furry pet. “When Gopi first came into our lives, we were worried how Narayana Murthy would react. Initially, if Gopi was in one room, he would be in another. But slowly, he became used to the company,” she adds.
Indian software juggernaut Infosys recently turned 40. And Murty played a crucial role in its founding, having lent Rs 10,000, a part of the initial seed capital. “I supported Narayana Murthy and he went on to create Infosys. I always say Infosys is like my child. In 1980, Akshata [Murty] was born, in ’81 Infosys was born and in ’83 Rohan [Murthy] was born. And when you bring up a child, what portion of their upbringing can you talk about. Tell me,” she wonders aloud. “I’ve enjoyed the success of Infosys and I’ve struggled with its difficulties. I have observed its trajectory like a mother, proud of her child’s achievement. I’ve been an integral part of Infosys’ story.”
While her husband was trying to make Infosys fly, Murty was busy supporting her family, which meant that her professional career took a back burner. “I discontinued my job when my children were born. I stayed home until they were three-four and started doing part-time jobs after that. I managed my schedule in such a way that I would be at home by the time they returned from school. So, I changed my job profile depending on my children’s needs,” she shares.
However, once Infosys started to enjoy success, Murty faced a different challenge while trying to raise her children. “When Infosys was doing better, word spread about its financial success. I always told my children that they could not spend unnecessarily. I wanted to bring up my children with different values, I wanted them to be rooted, respectful and compassionate. But being surrounded by money made it harder for me to teach them to live a simple life,” she explains.
Having come from an orthodox family, Murty initially faced resistance for her decision to marry Narayana Murthy, who, back then, was still an unproven engineer. “He was unemployed to be precise,” she laughs. “If I were after money, then I would not have married Narayana Murthy, because he had none. But he had good qualities — hardworking, well-read and honest. These are the things that attracted me,” she shares.