Author-philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty shared a memorable anecdote about receiving an unexpected call from former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Initially mistaking it for a wrong number meant for her husband Narayana Murthy, she soon discovered that Kalam had actually called to commend one of her articles published in a prominent daily. She later posted a photo on her official X account, showing Kalam presenting her with the Padma Shri award in 2006.

The former chairwoman of Infosys Foundation shared a segment from the recorded show conversation. Sudha Murty recounted receiving a call informing her that Abdul Kalam wanted to speak with her.

Murty, thinking she had no connection to Abdul Kalam, told the operator that it seemed like a ‘wrong number’ and there might have been a ‘mistake.’

She notified the operator that the call was connected to Mrs. Murty instead of Mr. Murthy, assuming it was intended for Narayana Murthy.

Later, Sudha Murty learned that Abdul Kalam had expressed a specific desire to speak with her. ‘I became concerned and wondered why Abdul Kalam wanted to talk to me,’ she remarked.

She disclosed that Abdul Kalam had phoned to commend one of her columns. ‘He mentioned reading my column on the ‘IT divide’ and expressed his admiration for it, calling it fantastic,’ she recounted. ‘He mentioned that he regularly reads my columns,’ she added.

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Once I received a call from Mr. Abdul Kalam, who told me that he reads my columns and enjoys them. pic.twitter.com/SWEQ6zfeu4

— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) June 25, 2024

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The post has garnered over 21,000 views on the social media platform.

According to Money Control, Sudha Murty discussed her inspiration for the article, recalling an incident at a store where she was buying mangoes advertised at Rs 100 per dozen. However, when her student, a software engineer at Infosys, attempted to purchase the same mangoes, he was asked to pay Rs 200 per dozen.

When Murty questioned the shopkeeper, he allegedly remarked that she was a “school teacher” who wouldn’t comprehend, while justifying the higher price for the Infosys IT specialist, referring to their corporate affiliation.

Renowned for her contributions to Kannada and English literature, Murty is celebrated as the author of numerous novels primarily aimed at children.

She has been honored with three distinctions: the Padma Bhushan (2023), the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, and the Padma Shri (2006).