Chapter 1: The Early Days

Bangalore in 1973 was very much at its initial stages of development towards obtaining its eventual title of ‘Silicon Valley of India’, and witnessing the official renaming of Karnataka and it becoming its capital city. Around that time, somewhere in a remote area of Bangalore, in a tiny hospital, a family rejoiced at the birth of a newborn baby to parents Chakravarthi Raja Iyengar Bharathi, mother, and K.R.Srinivasan, the father. The baby’s resounding cries of happiness that announced his arrival, brought tremendous joy into the household’s members. He looked at the smiling and exuberant faces of his parents and relatives with curiosity, blissfully unaware of life’s upcoming hardships that were set to obstruct him, giving him an uphill and seemingly impossible task of overcoming them and being called as ‘The Chicklet Boy’.

The Chicklet Boy was pampered and showered with love and affection by his parents and relatives. He was adored, especially for his two big, round, and brown eyes, which were admired at by every visitor that congratulated his parents for their future.

“Ooh! What a lovely child with those adoring eyes”

“Congratulations for being blessed with a healthy and beautiful baby!”

“It’s got such big, brown eyes, its gaze melts our hearts!”

Little did they know of the wonderful capabilities that the infant’s eyes had, such as shedding tears in sorrow and desperation due to being in a state of constant depression.

The initial years of The Chicklet Boy’s life saw him receive the utmost affection and care from his mother and father. Both parents would shower love for him, ensuring there would not be a moment where he was not pampered. As he grew up, however, both his mother and father were on a constant struggle of surviving daily life, as providing a meal became a difficult task and there was barely any money in the household. Hence, both began to work in a factory that is located quite close to their house, which The Chicklet Boy began attending a school called as St. Anthony’s School, which was in a remote part of Bangalore.

St. Anthony’s School was a school reputed for the strict disciplinary actions it enforced on students with positive results, as kids would religiously follow the rules and regulations imposed to them. These disciplinary actions would also impact the very young Chicklet Boy during kindergarten, as influenced by their teachings; he began to regularly pray to God on a daily basis with devotion and innocence that most people lose as they grow up.

Compared to other kids in the Kindergarten, The Chicklet Boy was quite tall in appearance for his age, for which he was made to sit at the back bench. He was a bright boy with a memory sharper than the sharpest of blades, and he had also outgrown his curly and smooth hair, which he was always proud of. There was a classmate that had a special fascination towards chicklet, a type of chewing gum popular in the 1970s and 80s, and would be often spotted chewing on it often. He thought of a plan, “Let me stick the chicklet that I’m chewing onto this boy’s long hair” and proceeded to follow his plan and execute it.

The Chicklet Boy, innncently unaware of the prank played on him, leaves school for the day, and goes to his grandparents’ residence. There, his uncle, who was on a visit and had a soft spot for his nephew, noticed that something was odd with the boy’s hair. On inspection, they found the gum stuck onto his hair and laughed about it, calling him ‘The Chicklet Boy’. Since then, that nickname has been stuck to him like the chicklet gum, with constant shouting and callings by that name by his friends and people known to him in general.

However, the chicklet prank would be played upon him for some time till he had to let go of his long and curly hair, which he was so proud of. The pain of letting go of his hair due to the constant pranks that were being played upon him however rested. Moreover, the constant mockery played upon him by his friends and other mates, while calling him ‘The Chicklet Boy’, would not stop at all. They would go on to get stuck in the boy’s heart and mind, constantly troubling and traumatizing the boy’s mental health.

He soon began to disdain the very idea of going to school, as he would then have to face the constant teasing and mockery from his friends and classmates. However, an interesting incident occurred. One fine sunny day, as The Chicklet Boy was on his usual routine, a neighbour offered him a ride on his bicycle to his school. Being in the kindergarten, the idea of a free ride sounded heavenly as he’d reach school faster, and he agreed. He sat behind the neighbour, and while enjoying the free ride, his leg got accidentally stuck in between the rear wheel’s spokes. Instead of complaining about the accident and the pain it gave, he silently sobbed. When the neighbour noticed The Chicklet Boy’s tears, he was surprised until his eyes fell upon the wound caused by his leg getting stuck in between the spokes of the rear wheel.

Immediately, he went to a general store, bought a few chocolates, gave it to The Chicklet Boy, and dropped him off to his house and scurried away, due to the fear of receiving a handful of shouting and possibly, even slaps, from the boy’s family. When the family members discovered the injured boy, without wasting a moment, they took him to the hospital, where Plaster-Of-Paris was wrapped and placed upon his ankle. They constantly enquired as to what happened, yet he did not elaborate fully well for some reason or the other.

The kindergarten exams were round the corner, and yet The Chicklet Boy refused to go to school. His classmates, that were making fun of him by calling him names and sticking chicklets onto his hair, now began to make a mockery of his injury and his limping. However, his uncle saved him from being further embarrassed by ensuring he sat at the front bench, which also allowed for plenty of space for his injured ankle to be appropriately placed without allowing for further damage. This arrangement gave comfort to The Chicklet Boy, as he attended the exams and scored with ease.

Around the same time, his parents decided to shift to another locality located in another side of Bangalore and one day, they made the move. The new area was more affluent in comparison to the previous locality, and this would play a vital part in The Chicklet Boy’s life, as he would soon discover the average woes and worries that plagued the general human adult and would also soon fall a victim to these problems that seem mundane, yet refuse to be eradicated.

Chapter 2: The Struggle and Battle Within

After moving to the new area in his grandparents’ residence, The Chicklet Boy soon joined a school called The East West Public School from first standard. There was a new obstacle lurking around, however, to obstruct The Chicklet Boy’s progress, as the new school made it a compulsion for students to interact in only the English

Language. However, the obstacle seemed to be of a miniscule size, as The Chicklet Boy was able to enjoy the company of his new classmates, who treated him with love and joy, providing him true companionship, the companionship he desired and preferred.

His grandfather Chakravarthi Narasimha Raja Iyengar a World War II veteran and a Freedom Fighter had a fascinating obsession towards stamps, and it went to the extent he began collecting and preserving hundreds of them, turning it into a hobby. This obsession got transferred “The Chicklet Boy” and interested in the large and carefully curated collection, he would frequently pester his grandfather to hand it over to him. Happy with his intense interest, his grandfather proposed a deal, “I shall give the collection to you eventually. However, you shall have to help in contributing towards building the collection, and I shall also pay you a rupee for every stamp you find.”

This sparked an intense burning desire within The Chicklet Boy, and he soon began collecting stamps from anywhere he could; collecting from friends, post-offices, and other places and people he could possibly contact. In return, he would be getting a rupee or 50p for each stamp. Even apart from this, the mutual love and bond shared between The Chicklet Boy’s grandparents and he was very strong, almost unbreakable.

The Chicklet Boy continued his pursuit of education in East-West Public School until he reached fifth standard. He was a bright child with excellent knowledge-retaining abilities, and they showed as he obtained the top spots each test and exam. His parents would be going to work at the factory, and as school usually opened at 11 a.m., he would be very bored in the house. So, he would visit his friend Sreetal at his house, and they would do combined studies together regularly. A reason for this was both competed against each other to see who’d obtain more marks and obtain first rank, with variable results. Sometimes, it would be The Chicklet Boy, other times; it would be Sreetal obtaining the upper hand.

Occasionally, the Chicklet Boy would also play pranks on his grandparents, especially disturbing his grandmother during her afternoon naps. This frustrated his grandparents after a certain point of time, and they complained to his parents, telling them to leave as his pranks were becoming increasingly unbearable. This saddened his mother deeply, and obtaining a loan from a bank, she and her husband got a house constructed in Indiranagar with great difficulty and moved there when he was in sixth standard.

The move would soon become somewhat of a tragic even for The Chicklet Boy, as he was pushed into another school run by a British couple. This couple stressed the importance of learning and mastering the English language, and with them was the headmistress, a Mathematics teacher, who was way stricter with kids learning the subject. Their insane dedication and extreme disciplinarian acts did not amuse The Chicklet Boy, who soon felt depressed under the stern conditions they imposed.

There was a big log on the school ground, and during lunch breaks, he would sit there and ponder over his situation:

‘Where am I? What am I doing here? It’s so pressurizing here. I feel imprisoned.’

‘My classmates speak in a different manner; I’m unable to follow them. My teachers are so strict and barely show mercy.’

The Chicklet Boy soon began to ponder and linger over the idea of running away from this school. Another factor that contributed heavily towards the growth of this idea was due to the very harsh nature of the punishments imposed upon them by his Mathematics teacher, who would give a tight slap upon the student’s cheeks for failing to properly finish their homework. This terrified The Chicklet Boy, and he would sit at the last bench. The last bench offered an advantage, as the teacher would check the homework bench wise, and occasionally the bell would ring, leaving him out. However, this advantage was more of a liability than an asset, as he too would be at the receiving end of a tight slap.

He made up his mind to change schools, and soon after completing sixth standard, he changed schools. There, The Chicklet Boy’s rise from ashes began to manifest even with tough times, and soon he made friends that loved him and played with him fairly. He began to excel in badminton and swimming, as he and his would travel by bicycles for around 20kms towards the Ulsoor swimming pool in the 80s. The charges were ₹1 per hour, and being unable to afford the fee easily, both friends came up with a novel idea. They collected scraps of metals such as iron rods or other metal objects and bundles of old newspapers from neighbours, and together would go and sell them for a certain amount of rupees and used that money to pay their swimming pool fees.

The Chicklet Boy and his friend share a common feature with Ekalavya of Mahabharat fame: learning from a distance. The Chicklet Boy and his friend would keenly observe the swimming coach training his rich students, and would later replicate those movements and religiously followed the coach’s instructions from afar.

Soon, they became experts at swimming, but being unaware about the local swimming competitions hosted, did not participate in them. Another sport that was actively pursued by The Chicklet Boy was cricket, and he would play it regularly with his friends in and around the gullies (streets) and the local maidans (sports ground).

His father was a natural bodybuilder that participated till national lever sporting events, accomplishing several achievements and winning several accolades in the process. His excellent genetics was embedded into his son, who was able to excel in each sport he played, from swimming and badminton to even cricket, where he was an all-rounder. He played for several local teams, winning trophies and ‘Man of The Match’ several moments. Another sport that caught his eye was Tennis, which at that time, was exclusively played by people earning a higher income annually. Curiosity got the better of him, and he inquired on the price of a racquet. Upon hearing the very high price of ₹500, he felt very disheartened and gave up his dream of playing tennis.

Chapter 3: Dark Days

Being from a family where income was meagre, The Chicklet Boy would watch and observe the variations in sports played by kids of both the upper and lower classes with amusement. He was an excellent badminton player, and was excited upon hearing the announcement for open trials towards the selection for the badminton team. He confidently strode in the open trials with his friend, however the trials were rigged by parents with influence, and he was given the last slot to display his skills. As he went to do his first serve, the coach abruptly halted his movement, declaring ‘Over!’

The Chicklet Boy was shocked, disheartened, and devastated. He felt revolted at the open injustice that was being meted out to him, due to the selfish desires of the influential parents who came along with their children, but his parents were struggling at the Factory and finally he was not selected at the end and he returned home, dejected. This got stuck in his head like the chicklet again upon his hair like in the past.

An even more tragic was to follow. His father, who was also a good driver, was into several kinds of vehicles. On an unassuming day, as he was returning from the market after vegetable shopping, but due to the negligence of a truck driver he was pierced with Iron rods protruding behind a lorry. The lorry came to a sudden halt, and the rods piercing the unsuspecting man immediately and ending his life.

This tragic event traumatised The Chicklet Boy for some time, as his father was very dear to him; he was an indispensible part of his life. He remembered requesting his father to teach him the techniques of bodybuilding; however, his father gave him a golden advice in return “Wait for your time, as the appropriate moment will arrive on its own.” This event affected the progress of his studies and sports activities in general for some time, as there was an air of gloom and depression looming around.

However, he realized that he had to break from the shell of depression and achieve more accomplishments as a tribute to his father. He would hear his father often communicate with him mentally, encouraging him to engage with life and its activities. Engraving these advices in his mind, He began to practice yoga and engage in other spiritual activities related to Hinduism, which made him grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Chapter 4: The Journey and Victory

The Chicklet Boy, now transformed into Badari Narayan, the identity given to him by his mother. He had broken free of his former shell, having grown mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He developed an interest towards historical places and monuments of significance. He was however appalled at the disinterest displayed by the general public towards these places and pieces of high importance. Realizing the need to educate the public on the importance of these places, he embarked on a journey of performing his favourite yoga posture, The Shirshasana aka ‘King of Yoga Postures’ at these historic places.

He would get pictures of himself performing the posture at these spots clicked, and then would post it on social media. The caption

however would consist of information regarding the place at which he’s performing shirshasana, thus educating people on the importance of these places and nudging them towards pursuing yoga and making it a part of their daily life.

Badari Narayan has travelled to over 1500 places, and has successfully embellished his name in various record books. Known as

‘The Shirshasana Man’, his accomplishments were printed in newspapers and articles and also became synonymous with transitioning from IMPOSSIBLE to ‘I AM POSSIBLE’ in every aspect of life with one question constantly ringing in his mind:

“If not you, then who?”

He ensured to answer the question with his father’s words, “So do it yourself,” by achieving tasks that were seemingly impossible for the rest of mankind. He had one achievement to accomplish in mind: gazing at the sun during peak afternoon hours, and he wanted to dedicate this achievement to his father. So, on a hot afternoon, in front of a temple, Badari Narayan sat down and began to gaze at the sun.

The Sun Gazing proved to be more intense than anticipated. Badari Narayan was tolerating the heat, as his determination was forged out of iron. In between, however, there were signs of the iron rusting, as Badari Narayan felt like quitting at moments due to the harsh heat. However, his father’s soothing advice and his mother’s solid support rejuvenated him, and he intensified his Gazing against the sun. Finally, over an hour later, he concluded the Sun Gazing with victory. As He dedicated this record in memory of his father and mother.

Badari Narayan felt satisfied after this incredible performance, as his anger, sorrow, and pain were visibly reflected upon his eyes, and Gazing upon the sun soothed him. He felt free from the harassment he faced over the years, and all the Chicklets of Harassment, Hatred, Anger, Arrogance and Jealousy, the prejudice, and mockery that haunted his dreams, and as energy and relief surged through his veins, he became stronger mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

He rose, and walked away to a new destination to attain another significant achievement…

As he remarked its just a BEGINNING NOT A END!

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