While his work transcended mere theorems, his life was so short and often confused with yet another great mathematician of his time. A Tamil born, Chidambaram Padmanabhan Ramanujam was always an excellent student in academics who loved spending his time solving analytical theories. As a result of his extraordinary ability to connect abstract numbers with simple and easy terms, he became interested in subjects like mathematics and chemistry from an early age. It was clear that he was one of those kids who followed every episode of 'Backyard of Science' for real and didn't worry about explosions. Jokes apart, his interest in chemistry was evident as he had set up a small laboratory at home and conducted a variety of experiments.

While he was studying at university, he befriended Charles Racine who taught him in his last year of honours. Charles immediately saw Ramanujam's potential as a young mind that mastered the concepts effectively and unravelled the mysteries of numbers with such interest that if guided properly he can do wonders. Like a true friend, he encouraged Ramanujam to apply to more universities and to pursue a master's degree in mathematics. Despite his father's desire for him to join the Indian Statistical Institute, he followed Charles' advice and followed mathematics no matter what.

In the years after Ramanujam leaving college, and entering the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, his relationship continued to flourish over numbers. Although it was like living on a boat in a sea of world-class mathematicians at the Tata Institute, Ramanujam carried out some of the most groundbreaking research. Ramanujam was one of those graduate students who wrote up notes of Max Deuring's lectures on algebraic functions of one variable in his first year as per tradition. This was a complicated task, but his notes came across in a rather clear and comprehensive manner. This was well received and appreciated by everyone in the institute. During the next few years, he worked on the work of Carl Ludwig Siegel and even took up Waring's problem in algebraic number fields.

Because of his dedication and contribution to Number Theory, the Institute decided to promote him to associate professor which in turn created hope for other students to perform well. However, Ramanujam protested against this decision because he felt he wasn't deserving of the promotion. Hence he was persuaded to accept the position, and even though he tried to resign many times, he would still find himself associated with the institute in some way or another.

However, things started falling apart as his health deteriorated. As a result of severe depression, Ramanujam was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1964. The disorder which is curable now was not properly treated back then, and he began to suffer from the first of many such breakdowns and attacks. Gradually, his depression took its toll on him and made him feel unsuited for the mathematical research he was working on. Not just this, it even caused him to leave his position at the Institute.

While, he was later hired as a professor at the University of Punjab, but only after a year did he leave since nothing seemed to work properly and his illness always hampered him. In fact, during this period, Ramanujam had been approached several times and received offers from other leading universities. He even went for a year to the University of Warwick as a professor and relocated to England, but his health issues made him irritated and annoyed, which continued until the end of his life.

He, unfortunately, passed away at such a young age of 36 after an overdose of Barbiturates, leaving all of the fellow mathematicians in despair. It was indeed a big loss, but he left behind a legacy of passion and interest in numbers that continues to inspire young people who see math as their first love. In spite of such a tragic end of one of the greatest mathematicians, his life and researches are such a lasting contribution to the discipline.