Sunday Musings: Travelling with God !

I enjoy travelling. It is a great opportunity to make new friends. Some of my close acquaintances have been struck on wheels and wings. Many of these, spreading across the globe, are part of my contact list.

I was flying from Delhi to Indore in 2011. I had done the booking well in advance and secured a seat in the front row, as it gives more leg space. In the waiting lounge a large crowd was seen sitting on the floor while a bearded man in a saffron wrap sat in a chair and was imparting holy wisdom through his oratory. The crowd of floor-sitters kept rapidly increasing; most had removed their shoes. Not religiously inclined, I paid it no mind and kept reading my book.

In time, I boarded the plane and occupied the 1-D seat allotted to me. It is normal to be curious about one’s seat companion. I did not have to wait long. After I had settled down, a man of ample rotundity wearing a starched while kurta entered and approached me. He was holding a bead-string and moving his lips in a chant.

“You go back to the chauthi kataar”, he said, almost commandingly. I would normally have adjusted if the request was politely made. But his rude tone put me off. Remaining unmoved, I threw him a disapproving look. “You take my place in the chauthi kataar”, he repeated, even showing me his boarding pass as proof of his seat allotment. It was not a request, not even a suggestion. He made it sound more like a divine ordain. He was haughty and crude, which made my resolve firmer.

“This is my seat”, I said with a dismissive finality. Obviously not finding my response worthy of his approval, he added what he thought was a clincher. “God Baba has the seat next to your and I want to sit with him.” The ‘God Baba’ had yet to arrive, but I could relate him to the person addressing the congregation in the lounge. Apparently, he had an impressive cult following. By now I had already decided not to accede to the bullying tone of his disciple.

“If you want to sit with your God Baba, take him back to the chauthi kataar”, I said, with the last two words coming almost in a mimicking tone.

The stewardess must have heard our exchange. She came, looked at his boarding pass and told the man to move back to his allotted seat. He did so, eyeing me hostilely and mumbling celestial curses.

Even though not religious by nature, I confess experiencing some excitement, at the prospect of having the ‘God’ in physical form sit on my right side.

As he came in, I recognized the saffron-wrapped person from his frequent discourses on TV. During the hour-long flight, I enjoyed a lively conversation with the God Baba – Shri Asaram.