There is a popular belief that the digital social media kills personal relationships, or those that are built are too superficial. Such a belief couldn't be more untrue, based on how I sad and disturbed I've been feeling over the last twenty four hours.
Naresh, @nareshk on Twitter and Naresh Kodithala on Fb, all of 26 years old, couldn't survive an accidental slip from a Peak in Lonavala yesterday.
I can't tell you how much I hoped it was a prank, when I first heard the news. When the news was eventually confirmed, I felt miserable. Naresh was such a vibrant fellow and full of life, how could life play such games with him?
Naresh's jestful catfights with his sister @skodithala (Sangeetha Kodithala) and zestful calls to Kat on Twitter kept ringing through my head since then. He was so sincere when he called me some months ago to seek advice on how he could gather new insights into rural retail channels, when he was going on market visits to Andhra villages.
I haven't felt as bad in a long time. And, I never met Naresh in person even once! Talk about the power of social media in building personal relationships...
