Rotomac pen company advertisement featuring Raveena Tandon and a young Kunal Khemu became very popular in those days. Their tagline was: “likhte likhte, love ho jaye“. Later actor Salman khan became the face of this pen company and the tagline was highly nationalistic. It read “Likho India ki nayi Pehchan”! But pray tell me what is a pen? Is it simply a use and throw instrument?
The word is Godliness not just God. Godliness imbibes in everything usefulness and this utility is for the good of all. Paper and Pen- they are considered Godly in form of Goddess Saraswathy to remind us to use it to educate ourselves, others and retain information useful for all life on earth. Thus, a pen is not simply a use and throw instrument.
A good pen is a not a simple pen, but a writing instrument. Usually, a good pen lasts a life. An endless romance begins for life. It becomes a true friend. The writer is so familiar with the pen that his hand refuses to move forward with any another writing instrument. The thoughts of the writer are understood well by the instrument and before they take the shape of the words, the writing instrument alone can understand and present them well. (When I was writing this piece in my journal, the ink was overflowing – which is an indication of the truth that the pen needs refueling. Ironically, this writing instrument must dry when I am writing about them!). A pen is an emotion… an attachment… an endless love. These days it is very rare that “Likhte Likhte love hojaye” becomes true. People of these days are infatuated not with their pens but with the ever-changing electronic gadgets. This infatuation is costing them tons of money and health. They are the new obsession/intoxication.
Many people or those who saw my handwriting said “It’s beautiful”/ “It’s like print”/ “They look like beautifully arranged pearls”. I do not know the truth about its beauty and I can never probably know. All I can say is that it is their goodness to say few kind words about my writing. Having said this, I wonder “How can a blind man appreciate sight”? How can these electronically obsessed and intoxicated people judge my handwriting? For good reason, let me leave this here.
The credit for my passion to write goes primarily to my father who made it imperative to write on reams of white paper which together became so heavy that I had no other option but to complain of its weight! He made all his children to practice handwriting writing a lot. He said “good handwriting reflects good character”. That habit continued for me for life and writing became my endless love! A day without writing is simply unthinkable.
Here I must mention about my deceased younger brother Krishna – I swear in the name all gods and saints that he had much better handwriting than me. His handwriting is so good and beautiful that even the God grew jealous of him; called him back very young so that His writing shall have no competition on this planet earth. My brothers English and Telugu writing are stunning – its beauty is indescribable. I did keep few letters of Krishna to remind me of my residue life of the beauty of his writing. My writing is a mere shadow of his writing. He had a passion for writing. Pens simply became painting brushes in his hand!
I had many types of pens – the earliest pen I can remember using was the ‘Ashok’ fountain pen. The teachers of those days discouraged students from using ball-point pen. It was believed that good handwriting can only develop through fountain pens. Any person who is used to writing with a fountain pen cannot write with a ball point pen – and vice versa. One of the world-famous pen company is the ‘PARKER’ pen company of USA. It is that company with the unique distinction of producing pens for men and women. I do have a Parker pen with gold (literally) cap and nib, produced in the year 1953 in USA! These days this pen is very costly due to its antique value and I get scared of using it.
About a year ago the ‘Deccan Pen Store’ of Abids happened in my life and for life. I purchased a handmade beautiful brown & blue fountain pen from this store. Yet another pen brown & green was presented by a dear advocate friend Mr. Uzair Amed Khan. Ever since I am using these exquisite handmade fountain pens. My journal and the pen twins are always with me wherever I go…like my knowledge and my death. They alone shall remain as mute witnesses to this Great, Wide, Beautiful, Wonderful World.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
