A Nomad With Compass

This story is based on SRK’s famous, “My name is Khan”

John had another look at the credit card bill and exclaimed “No, Mary, no way we can survive for another quarter!” Mary did not reply, just looked mutely. John continued, “I can get my price only in India in the advanced computer technology that I have been trained in. That is the only place they are using this technology commercially. Come what may, I have to try to get an
Indian visa!”

The year is 2050. India is the super power in the world, followed closely by China. The dollar is reeling and, at the moment, one rupee is equivalent to 30 dollars. It is a real struggle
getting an Indian visa where the real technology and, hence, the real money is. John Johnson was always an above average American intellectually, right fromhis academic days. It was easy for him to score well in academics and get an engineering degree in
computers. He was confident of clearing the postgraduate entrance examination for an Indian university but did not make the grade.Hejoined a software company inUSand settled down.
Or so he thought! It changed after his marriage with Mary.

Mary Smith was a bit of dumbo. She just scrapped through her academics and her employability would be restricted to a clerical job. But in one area she fared better than John, she was practicaland was quick in finding solutions on her feet. John was more theoretical and (quoting Shiv Khera) was into ‘paralysis of analysis’.

Somehow they liked each other in the very first meeting and, after next six months got married. ‘Was it the first mistake?’, John mused. He Just about managed in the salary he got as long as hewas a junior in the company and, more so, as long as he was a bachelor.
Mary worked as a receptionist and managed her expenses. But, with their meagre salaries they could not think of having even a flat of their own. John had a tough childhood but wanted to make sure that his offsprings do not face those financial difficulties.

Thinking is one thing and harsh reality is another. John and Mary could not even think of starting a family, leave asidekeeping some cushion for the education of the children. No, not children, child! Surely, they could not afford more than one! Coming back to the present, John declared in a decisive tone, “Yes, I will do anything to go to India and get what I deserve.”
True to his word, he started earnestly. The President of India had just added more very stringent conditions and made getting I-1 visa a Hanumanque task. He was fortunate to have learned Jwala technology and it helped him. To cut the long story of his struggle short, his application to a software company in Indore, India, was accepted after a series of interviews and, with that company consenting, he did manage a visa. John started his sojourn to the east and joined the company in Indore. He had always been thinking very high of his
intellectual capabilities while in America but here he found it difficult to cope with sharper, more knowledgeable colleagues. Somehow, just getting average performance appraisals in the first 3 years, he survived. In fact, he saved a fair amount over the
years. John started feeling better about himself. And it was this feeling which made himmakeanother, the second, mistake.

Calling Mary to India.To be honest to Mary, she did her best toland herself a job inIndore to be of help to John. But she just could not. Learningnew language was her problem, while learning Hindi was herwaterloo!All jobs in India required Hindi except for very specializedsoftware development where John fitted. The only job she couldhave got was as a receptionist. As it is, most of such jobs wereheavily automated, where very little human element was needed.Hence, there was a lot of competition and her language difficultycame in the way. She could have picked up a stray job in Delhi inan American company but at Indore, it was not feasible. So, Maryremained at home. Bored and irritable in staying all alone whileJohn slogged out at the office for long hours. Her boredom wasthe thing which compelled John to another, the third, mistake.Of starting a family.

And so they did. Little Clara brought a lot of happiness to thefamily. John had completed four years in the company and thingsappeared settled.Not for nothing they say, ‘appearances are deceptive!’ Johnand Mary were soon to learn that.In the software industry the seniority counts. So after fouryear, John was the project leader and had three Indians under hischarge.All three of John’s juniors were bright (as compared toJohn!), smart-working and ambitious. While they did not say inas many words, being commanded by a ‘foreign’ guy, whom theyknew was not in their intellectual league, and was disliked bythem. As John hopelessly depended on their technical output, hewas not assertive enough. Hence, they took liberties with him.Somehow, he was just managing the show.But he had not catered for a show-stopper! Ironically, ithappened on the most auspicious day in India. On Diwali! Thisbeing their biggest festival, two of them were on leave while thethird had come for half day (night, as they were working in thenight shift). At around 1 AM, John was left alone in the officewhile the next guy was to come in the morning at 6.For the next three hours, it was quiet. John was able to workon his software. Then the disaster struck! First he did not noticethe smell of fire. But when it became more stringent, he wasbaffled. Five minutes were taken by him (all this was known laterthanks to the CCTV camera which was miraculously workingright till the end) to know that something was wrong. Then itdawned on him that the telephonic cables had smoke coming outof it and also some flames. Still he tried to contact the boss onphone but the phones were dead. Then he tried his mobile butrealized that he had not charged it for quite sometime and it hadno signals.

Now he panicked. His company was in an independentbuilding and had just one security person at night. John wentaround to see the security guy but could not find him andreturned. By now, the fire had taken root at many places.Computers and telephones were burning. John did not have thepresence of mind to go to the main switch and stop the electricsupply. In fact, he was desperately looking for instruction on firemanagement!Hehad never learned the Indian trait of jugad!One police guy on patrol noticed the flames and the smokeand alerted the fire brigade. Soon many guys came around andtook control.A lot of damage was suffered by the company. Investigationwas made. CCTV camera was the effective witness against John.He was asked a simple question, “Why did you not switch off theelectric supply?” And John had no answer.“We can’t afford to keep a stupid person at this designation!In fact, if we show this camera recording to the insurance guys,we will not get any compensation at all!”, was the accusation.There was a small print in his contract, which made himresponsible for the company property. John was thrown out. Hewas out in the street, with no benefits.

Indore was a very costly city to live in. They could barely afford with John’s salary but now it was worse. He tried getting a job desperately, but Indore was, that way, a small town. Even though the company did not spoil his service record, the news traveled fast and John stood like a sour thumb. He did not find a job, Soon their savings evaporated and everyday was a struggle. It
was then that Mary took a decision. “I am leaving for America,”she simply stated.“And Clara, would she also go with you?”, asked John without thinking. That was the limit and Mary burst out, “What a stupid question to ask? That’s why they all call you stupid! And that’s
why you cant look after the responsibility of the family!” John protested, “No, no, I amnot stupid!” “You may be the only guy believing in it. Is there anyone else who says so?” retorted Mary.With anger rising, John retorted, “OK, what do I do to prove that I am not stupid?” Mary gave a thought for a minute and challenged John “Get a certificate from President of India, who
its their highest representative!”

That hurt John very hard. After Mary left, he made it a mission to meet the President in person. But it was almost impossible to meet the Indian president . He tried his level best and went to many places, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, but could not meet the pres. He could not afford to travel by public transport and he had to hitch hike. He was at his lowest ebb that day on the railway platform at Indore, when it all happened. An ordinary looking person was standing near the huge clock on Indore platform, with a brown bag. John approached him for asking about how to go to Rajendra Nagar, where he had an interview. John started,“Listen...!”, and it all started. The man suddenly reached his robe and took out a revolver and started running towards the station exit while firing indiscriminately. A lady in burka around 25 meters away also started running furiously. Another two sitting near the cloak roomtoo joined them.
The police and other security persons rushed immediately and two of the four desperados was caught. Fortunately, no one was hurt with the spray of bullets coming from the first man,
except for the one which pierced John’s left wrist. The two bags left by the lady and the man were checked by the specialists to reveal that it had enough explosives to bring the whole station down. A media person was on hand, who saw it all happen and he pointed out to John to the police officer during investigation. John, with hand bleeding, had realized the enormity of all this and quickly took advantage. “I don’t know how but I thought he was looking suspicious and, on an impulse, I wanted to ask him his bona fides.”

The media was full of reports as how an American had saved the railway station and hundreds of the people, with his alertness. John was escorted to the Choitram hospital and the media surrounded him even before he had recovered. He was asked what does he want in return. “I want to meet the president and tell him that my name is John and I am not stupid.” John’s
wish was splashed all over the newspapers and TV channels the next day, in fact, whole of the following week.

Fortunately, the president of India was to visit Indore next month. She met John at the hospital to enquire about his health. When John came in person to the formidable looking president,
he stammered, “Sir, my name is John...” and the president completed, “and you are not stupid!”

***
Now young readers, please promise to make this happen by
2050!