Thursday, November 25, 2010

What's in a Name?

I like my name spelt 'Aarthi'. May be because I was originally christened with those letters, not too short and neither too long. Just perfect with the 'thi' balancing the double 'Aa's.
I am from the southern part of India; the culture, art, design somehow manifest my name as an intricate 'Aarthi'. But my name makes a long journey.As it starts traveling north and then to the west, it loses its intricacy and becomes a bold 'Aarthy' and sometimes 'Aarathy'. In Bombay where I spent greater part of my childhood it loses its softness and becomes 'Aarti'. As it moves further north or if it falls into a lazy person's hand it becomes a short 'Arti'
If it so happens that such a person moves altogether to a western country the name further confounds the localite and becomes an artistic 'Artie'. Although my name has taken different hues and forms, I do seem to like the final 'Artie'. Oh well its only after my actual 'Aarthi' :)