From the time I joined Sulekha, I’d been hearing about Ixedoc. He was the first rank holder then. Being a very studious chap, I hold first rank holders in great esteem. Every now and then I used to pop over and peep what he’s written about.

Most of the stuff out there was personal. Anecdotes from his life. Written with a great deal of emotion. I was hooked. At that time I was an absolute newbie here. At rank # 10564. Ixedoc was the topper and Supriya was there at Rank # 4. I felt like an absolute dunce. A backbencher. I had to study hard and write well. I had to rise up the ranks.

A blog a day and soon I was climbing. My ambition was to be there among the top 100. Every month I climbed higher…or fell lower???? I don’t know. From 10, 564 to 564 is a fall, isn’t it?

Anyway, Sulekha stepped in and changed the rules. Ranks became history. Now it was more like King arthur’s round table. Instead of Knights, you have “Noted”. And of those “noted”, you have to be “active” to be recognized and seen. Anyway, times change and rules change.

Okay, let me get back to the subject. I was planning a trip to Mangalore. I called up Subbuji and he gladly gave me Ixedoc’s number. He also told me that Ixedoc was the principal of a Medical college. I started sweating. I still have nightmares of previous meetings with Princi’s in their offices. I asked Subbu if he would join me. Unfortunately, Subbu, being the industrious type, had textile machinery parts to be sold and money to be made during weekdays. Weekend was ok with him.

Anyway, if one has to the meet the Princi, one has to! It was quite a relief to hear a pleasant female voice at the other end. “Doctor Sir is at the college. Kindly leave your name and number.” It had to be Lakshmi.

An hour later I called again, and it was the Doc this time. He arranged for me to be picked up from the hotel I was staying in. At the appointed time, a silver Ford Ikon is in front of the hotel. A smiling young man opens the door and I ask him if his name is Ravi.

His smile became broader. He knew that I am a Sulekha-ite.

About twenty minutes later, we are at the K. S Hegde Medical Academy. I walk in with trepidation in the Dean’s corner office. At least this one time, I didn’t have to feel guilty meeting a Princi. Yet, I was a bit jittery.

His smile and demeanour put me at ease completely and soon we were talking like long lost friends. His simplicity and humility is something worth emulating. He shared his experience of joining Sulekha at Rank number sixteen thousand something, and then sitting down and writing a blog a day till he became the numero uno. He was of the opinion that blogging is truly cathartic.

While we were chatting a group of students dropped in. They wanted to gift their Dean something. He refused it. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable as I had a gift wrapped package with me.

The students had come with a pair of Black and White t-shirts with the legend “Ixedoc” at the back.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time…with due apologies to the Kshema students who paid for that gift, I now have one of those. Doc made them give one to me.

After his work was over at the College, we went over to his house where four eager Mudhol and Rajapalayam hounds were eagerly eyeing the ample flesh on my body.

Or did I imagine that? Anyway, I was in no mood to take a risk. I wanted to run away as quickly as possible.

But the hospitality of Doc and the fresh lime juice Lakshmi prepared, made me linger on for half an hour. Since all good things must come to an end, I had to go. Though my mind didn’t.

It was great meeting Ixedoc, and my theory holds true, that behind good writing there are good men.

And meeting Princi’s doesn’t have to be scary!