I had one of those funny traveler's experiences my last couple of days in India. I was fatigued from poor sleep. Busy trying to initiate my Indian Reiki disciple... which is a story in itself! And he asked if I could help his friend who ran a restaurant. I said "yes" expecting it was some sort of Reiki that was needed. His friend went into an explanation about a business deal with his relatives where they were making a partnership to build a hotel or something. But he wanted to ask one of the members to leave the partnership because he didn't fit in with their plans... I later learned this undesirable partner had allegedly raised money illegally. The business plan allowed for the process of terminating a partner. But the problem was it was family... a cousin. And in India, you can't ask a family member to leave a family business. I suggested he have his lawyer do it? No. What they needed was someone else to do the talking. Me! I accepted before I thought about it. I was told that me and this friend were the only ones that would be able to speak English, so I could say anything and he would translate it to suit his needs. Easy enough. He asked if I wanted a gift and I said that really the only suitable gift for me would be money. I have little materially and desire little materially.
The next day I arrived at the appointed time. Now you have to picture this. Here I am a white guy with facial piercings wearing backpacker attire. (I'd been told my attire didn't matter). I don't know what story about my persona was told to these business partners. And here were five Indian business men in suits and ties.
And as I might have expected, the meeting wasn't as expected! Another man spoke very good English. And it seemed that the three partners were together. It wasn't just one partner that needed to be expelled. I was thrown off. The script was gone! I started to panic wondering if this was some sort of scam. I heard the sob stories about the lives and families at stake if these men were thrown out. I tried to gain some feedback from the guy that had asked me to do this. But he was playing like he didn't know me and playing like he didn't want his family members kicked out. Finally, I heeded their pleas and said I would reconsider and we would meet at 4 pm. My contact said that was good and all that was needed. Apparently he didn't here the part about reconvening. He thanked me and said my job was done.
Later we received a call that I indeed needed to return at 4pm and say "Guruji has considered the matter. He wants all the partners removed. The matter is closed." So I again sat down. This time I was firm. I said I was sorry, but the matter was closed. The three men bowed their heads in an apparent state of distress. I sat, not really knowing what to do. When the last one finally got up and left he gave me a smile. I didn't know what to think. There are so many lies in India.. so much effort to save face. I didn't know if he knew I was just a puppet. I didn't know if his apparent distress was just an act. Was their entire behavior an act? did they know that it was their own family member who pushed them out? was it all just a game of saving face?
At any rate my role was done. I released my stress as I walked down the street of buzzing auto rickshaws and honking buses. I was told there would be a gift for me later that day. My disciple friend who had set it all up told me they planned to get me an expensive watch. I shared my lack of enthusiasm. I live like a sadhu. I imagined the fancy gold watch that would be a gift in the world of business. I am perfectly happy with my decade old waterproof sports watch. I told my friend I would really prefer some money. He had told me they'd pick out a 2-3000rs (50-70US$) watch. That would pay a good chunk of my 6 week, $150 hotel bill, which I was about to have to exchange money to pay. But he told me his friend could never do that because he would think it would be insulting to an American (presumably wealthy) to gift such a paltry amount of money. He suggested that perhaps I could sell the imported Indian watch for a great price in America. I didn't have the heart to tell him that Indian goods have a reputation for quality... poor quality... and that it likely wouldn't be a big money maker. Much less, it would just be silly busywork for me to do.
The next day the gift hadn't arrived and I called my friend about some other matters. He was at the watch shop trying to pick out a watch for me! I suggested if his friend had given him the money why didn't he just pass the money on to me. He said he didn't have the money, but was just researching for his friend. He suggested that maybe he could purchase the watch from me, but he couldn't afford to full price! He asked me what good name brands of watches were in the USA so maybe there was something better for me to resell here. The only name I recognized was Timex... which I knew wasn't going to be a great selling point... maybe a designer Swatch... but not Timex.
I hung up the phone. I became furious. This was silly. My friend knew me and my desires. So basically in the effort of saving my "face" he was saving his business man friends impression of saving my face and directly insulting my expressed wishes! I thought how absurd it was. I wished I didn't know the behind the scenes. I felt guilty for being ingratious. I tried to think of some reason why Spirit would want me to have a watch.. maybe it was for me to gift to someone else... down the line. I reflected on how the idea of selling it to make money was somewhat based in scarcity thinking.
Crazy! I suppose it makes sense to India culture. But not to me.
Then the total irony of the whole mess. My friend failed to meet me before I left for New Delhi and my flight to the USA. Maybe the whole gift thing was just a story to save face!
It made me happy to be taking a break from India and a culture I don't understand. I let me emotions and anger dissipate as I rode the bus to New Delhi. I tried to focus on being Present. On the meditative center in the eye of the storm that Osho talks about in his treatises on meditation. I watched myself watch the last visions of India from the bus window. I urged myself to think a bit and prepare myself mentally for stepping into suburbia in 40 hours.
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