I was reading Shantaram, and began to feel good about the country. I don’t know why things become different when we see from other’s eyes and especially from few ones whom we look forward too … the so called developed countries. It was when i got done with short nap and reading and eating … and Delhi station was just an hour ahead when i met Sion, a tourist from S.Korea. He was in traveling in quest of spirituality.  A slender guy, bald, with a hat, an orange bag in his neck, pale skin and above all with the cutest smile i have ever seen. It was a captivating smile.

Sion had something compelling, he didn’t say anything, just sat there and watched curiously outside the window. It was only when an eunuch came and asked for money (ofcourse, i didn’t give !), he asked my neighbor, why did he give money to him/her ? My co-passenger who seemed to be pretty social fellow said that he/she was a beggar and then realized that nopes, he had said something wrong and asked me what we call hijdas in english ? Out of my urge to speak to the guy, i myself told the guy that in Indian society, its a kind of myth that once you pay to eunuchs, stars will shine upon you.

And then a conversation begin !!!

Sion is in India since August and is touring all the spiritual places in the country. He was just back from Chennai, have been to Vrindavan to meet an Italian friend, but since he was not there, so came back to Delhi and now planning to go to Satya Sai Baba somewhere near B’lore. I gave a smirk, shying that one more foreigner finding peace in the country which is perhaps most restless in the world !

But misconception got cleared soon.

I guided him few things about B’lore and cheap hotels in Delhi. When he asked me what do i do ? I answered with a high neck that i completed my engineering graduation and pursuing MBA. He nodded innocently and then told me that he also did MBA way back in some 1990s from Sloan School of Management, MIT !

What ??? I was shocked ? Did he say MIT ?

He did his engineering from S.Korea, got corporate exposure, moved to US for MBA, worked in US, moved to Europe, worked in UK and France and finally back to S. Korea and then suddenly quit all and started his quest to find his innerself.
Here i am quoting few excerpts from the talks that we had :

• He got rescued from death several years back and then he got cut off from all social activities and then left all, his family, his parents and his son (he didn’t mention his wife !)
• According to him, India and China both has their set of problems and perhaps they’ll rise drastically in the next few decades, they will get decayed internally (he didn’t explain in detail, might have thought that i may get offended !)
• In his quest, he find India disappointing a bit. Out of many places that he visited, he liked Rishikesh and Vrindavan most.
• He spoke in length about the militancy in Kashmir (he had been to Srinagar !)
• MBA is loosing its charm in US owing to more innovative ways of businesses evolving.

Some thing that made me stand  on my feet !

• He was working on a book on the changing nature of the world. He emphasized that  in 21st century, whatever inventions are there, they are more or less destructive and disruptive in nature, a reverse trend from 20th century. He was supposed to complete the book in coming 10-12 years.
• He told me his age and he was 43. Looked like 30.
• He was a Buddisht and presently was trying every religion. Didn’t like Christianity and Islam, living with Hindusim that time.
• A new avatar of Jesus or Buddha has to be reincarnated. There’s the need !

But is the post just meant to write the detailed account of a man whom i will never meet again and who’ll never read this blog. Nopes, its to know myself as a human being.  Who am i ? M i having such free will as the fellow ? I have done one MBA and looking forward for another … and the guy has quit the best paying jobs. I may differ with him on his quest for spirituality but at-least he is doing the work where he is finding peace.

We people have that straight line as our life. Children are brought up with pamper. No non-traditional career paths, no interests .. nothing ! Here’s the herd mentality. If a guy gets into IIT, his parent’s fortune changes and if he gets into IIMs, then his family fortune changes. We are so so bounded by chains … the chains of emotions, the chain of perceptions and even chain of love that at one point, we try to find our comfort zone in those chains and in that process, we lost !