The Reverse
Journey
Vivek Kumar Singh

First published in India 2011 by Frog Books
an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
1 Level, Trade Centre
Bandra Kurla Complex
Bandra (East) Mumbai 400 051 India
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Copyright © Vivek Kumar Singh
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher. Any person who does any
unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to
criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
ISBN 978-93-81115-35-0
Publisher and Managing Editor: Sunil K Poolani
Books Editor: Rhonda Lee Carver
Design Editor: Mishta Roy
Typeset in Book Antiqua
Printed at Repro India Ltd, Mumbai
Price — India: Rs 95; Elsewhere: US $6


to thinking, Indian middle-class professionals, who immigrates
to developed countries — carrying their value system with
them; only to return later to find the belongingness


About the Author


Vivek Kumar Singh belongs to Class of ’96 of IITKanpur.
Since then, he has been part of the IT revolution
— travelling across the globe and working for various
companies.
He learned conscience and sensitiveness in the jungles
of Jharkhand where he did his schooling, at Netarhat, a
government residential public school, and a spell at Science
College, Patna, made him a politically sensitive animal.
Presently Vivek is based in Bangalore and can be
reached at vivek_ks@hotmail.com

FOREWORD

The idea of compiling my feelings, experiences and
thought into a book, struck me during this reverse
journey. So far, I had been reader and observer, but the
joy of sharing American experience was great, I convinced
myself to charter the new territory of writing. I promised
to myself that as soon as I would land in India, I would
start working on it.
So, here it is! Though not as soon as I had expected!
I am trying to write down my feelings without being
cynical or puritan. Cultures, religions and regions should
not be categorised as good or bad. They are simply
different. There is nothing like ‘my language, culture or
religion is good and yours is bad’. These aspects are
beyond comparison and at the most, can be treated as
different rather than good, bad or ugly. It is like, to show
your love for your wife, you do not have to pour scorn
on others’ wife. (Though some may agree it is best way
to pacify your wife. It reaffirms, she is the best.)
And this is same for creative expressions too. There is
nothing called a good way of writing or a bad way of
writing. What you can identify with and that which
invigorates your brain cells seems good to you while it
might be dull for others. I am writing my experiences
and thoughts.
Can we say my thoughts are better than yours? No.
Everyone has his own reasons to support his thinking. I
have mine.
I do not want to preach anything in this book. I am an
authority on nothing. But I have every right to think, to
6 The Reverse Journey
feel and to scribble about it. I want to be a silent observer
of what is happening around me. Read the faces, read the
underlying tenor without disturbing the harmony or not
even being a part of the ecosystem. I do not want to
dominate the ecosystem. I do not think I have the gravity
to pull things around me. I never had a feeling of ‘I have
arrived’ or ‘My time has come’. Journey is an unobtrusive
process. If you accept that you have arrived. You are
writing off the precedence that made you arrive and you
are becoming focal point of new ecosystem. Journey
rediscovers. It does not create one. It does not change
one.
Rediscovery should not be a synonym of creation.
I think during my journey. My thought sequences are
divergent and may lack focus. Sometimes you might
wonder, are two congruous thoughts related? Somehow,
it comes together in my erratic thought process but readers
are free to define their own correlation for seemingly
unrelated thought process. I feel don’t try to impose my
views on readers. It is intellectual arrogance. Authors
should engage readers in dialogue, rather than negotiating
on the readers’ subservience and identification.


PREFACE

This is a candid attempt to pen down feeling,
frustration and the thought-process of a middle-class
Indian’s journey. It is not an autobiography. It is the story
of millions of Indian youths, who enter the job market
each year, with an overpowering ambition to succeed and
make money. They run in every possible direction to grab
money – perhaps the only indicator of success in their
eyes. Mid-way through the pursuit of lucre, they lose focus
or rather gain focus and think about the purpose of all
the running around behind mega bucks. They realise that
money alone is not sufficient for a blissful journey.
“Is this what I want to do for the rest my life or there
is something else?” The question starts haunting their
minds. However, materialistic urges and the fear of the
unknown, keep them trapped into the vicious cycle.
Sometimes, it is sheer peer pressure – to do what everyone
else is doing – that holds them on the dreaded path, also
known as the “rat race”.
Brain creates fear psychosis. It keep sending stimulus
to tell, “If money is lost, comfort will be lost. You will be
denigrated to nobody. So keep garnering cash. Do not
digress or you will be the loser.”
Heart’s rumblings are often ignored by the brain.
However, if the heart is strong enough, brain will concede
and look for a compromise. Alignment of heart and brain
is a must for successful and contented journey of life. An
emotional heart and rational brain will figure out a middle
path, which satisfies both.
But, more often than not, brain and heart are in a fight
8 The Reverse Journey
for supremacy. We are torn between what ‘we want to
do’ and what ‘we are supposed to do’. We are split
between where ‘we want to live’ and where ‘we should
live’.
Ours’ becomes a journey of dichotomy – a journey of
getting lost and rediscovering it; a journey of moving
away and then coming back.
Here is the story my journey. To be precise – the story
of my reverse journey.


1 CHAPTER
Enigma
I wanted to go back to India – for good. I never did
want to settle down in USA though I had been part of
USA workforce for five long years. But these five long
years could not charm me enough to ask for the Green
Card. USA was like a flawless beauty, which floored me
with her sex appeal, but could not convince me enough to
spend my life with her.
Most immigrants will apply for a Green card - the most
coveted of all cards, at the first given opportunity. It gives
greater flexibility and more rights to immigrants. Some
companies lure immigrant workforce by processing their
green card. A green card is a must for American
citizenship. So everyone with an “American Dream”
applies for one.
Most of my friends applied as soon as they landed in
USA. While some of them had it by now, most of them
were about to get it soon. I was not in the Green card
(GC) queue.
“Why?” I didn’t know.
The idea of possessing a GC myself and in turn an
American citizenship never came to me. Howbeit, I had
been to GC bashes thrown by my fresh GC-enabled
friends.
10 The Reverse Journey
Everyone had a reason to throw a GC party.
“Even if I lose my job, I will open a gas station (petrol
bunk) or a motel.” That was the reason Nimesh Shah threw
the green card party.
Rahul Sinha was working smart to get his GC. He was
busy dating his HR (human resource) manager – a white
Caucasian young woman – to get his green card out of
turn. I was part of green card parties, but not the green
card rush. I couldn’t see much value in a green card status.
This was baffling to my friends and the Indian-American
people I had met in USA.
“There is already a huge queue for GC seeker, why I
should add more worries to processing department.
America has been good to us, so we should be good to
America.” I used to jokingly shrug off the idea.
“Why the heck you want to go back? Here, you can
get a bloody date just by paying $20 in a pub. In India
you have to date the whole family before you get a date
from the girl.” That was DR’s way of persuading.
DR was the ladies’ man of our friend circle. His name
was Dhananjay Roy. We called him ‘DR’ to let him feel
sophisticated. He liked his nickname. Now he introduces
himself as ‘Danny Re’ to new acquaintances.
DR had love interest all over the globe. He was in all
chat rooms. So many young, and not-so-young girls across
the world, wanted to marry an American green card
holder, to come to USA. DR enjoyed his green card status.
DR travels a lot -mostly for pleasure rather than business.
I am sure when USA legalizes gay marriage he will
start getting offers from eligible men too.
“You freaking put your foot on the gas pedal
(accelerator) and your car bumps into front car’s ass. You
feel so pathetic when a bicyclist overtakes your car.” That
was Rahul’s frustration with the Indian traffic system.
Rahul liked driving fast. He was an automobile
aficionado. .....

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.08.2011

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