If not for 'One Legged Crow' - 1.

Muser had two other special friends, who were his colleagues. They were quite different from his other friends – composed, pragmatic and jovial. They were Mr.BV, a hostel mate like muser, and SK, who stayed with his parents near by the Company.

Due to the insistence of the duo, the muser reluctantly agreed to apply for a post in a government organization, along with them. The Government Organization was then looking for candidates with industrial experience.
The trio initially shared staying accommodation with an Administrative Officer, on pro-rata rent basis. After a year or so each one of them became eligible for individual quarters.

When the Muser became eligible for the individual quarters, he took in two of his acquaintances-Ravi & Iyer. They were working for an Electrical Engineering Company based out of Madras. Their company was carrying out erecting & commissioning of electrical switch gears and other equipments. Soon the 30’ X 12’ hall became their living quarters.

Wherever the Muser was, strains of musical notes would fill the air. Drawing from his previous experience (earthen pots & speaker elements) he came up with an idea, making his favorite singer’s voice to travel, literally, along the walls of their 30’ x 12’ hall.

Using a rotary switch (with multiple terminals), a spare tape-recorder drive motor and sets of radio speakers he designed a change-over system, which functioned flawlessly, from the 1st switch contact to the last without missing even a single musical note.

In a rare exhilarated mood, Muser invited his best friends and over cups of steaming black coffee (java-juice) he declared his home made audio system operational.

The gathering was speechless when, 30 odd speakers, sequentially played the musical notes from the tape. The song kept racing like a cyclist in a velodrome. The sight of several speaker units hanging from the wall was like bats hanging from tree branches.

Every one appreciated the ingenuity and took leave. BV, SK, Ravi & Iyer stayed back as all of them had to go for dinner together. Out of the blue sky a sudden bolt of a question struck the Muser. He was asked, by BV & SK, “What would have happened if you had not been inspired by the Lame Crow?”

Muser never expected them to remember that incident after that many years. Muser fell silent for a moment as his friends had asked that question then after 5 odd years.

Muser did not miss a beat and said “I would have joined a Pain Balm company (or) a small scale fertilizer industry (or) a pharmaceutical company”.

His confidence was due to the fact that the then Managing Director of a Balm company was his Chemistry Professor and had been renewing a job offer for the muser in his Lab. Also, his maternal uncle had influence in many Fertilizer & Pharmaceutical companies.

The Muser further said that he probably would have become a self made inventor.

He assured his friends that he would have made something of his life rather than languishing.

What the Muser did not know then was that such sound systems were going to be marketed by International Audio system manufacturers.