Two guys

There's a guy I see everyday who stands at the junction of the erstwhile Lokhandwala Circle, an extremely high traffic zone in the middle of the JVPD scheme. He has short salt-and-pepper hair, the kind that one has when one hasn't shaved off the head for a week or so. He has medium height and built. He wears a white kurta and a white dhoti. And he just stands there. Oblivious to the passing traffic and people. A half-smile on his face. At peace with himself and the world.

In March, when I was in Santa Monica for ten days, I had to walk three blocks from my hotel down Wilshire Boulevard to the studio where I had to work. There was a guy I saw everyday who stood at the corner of Wilshire and 2nd. He had really long grey-blonde hair and beard. Dressed in dirty blue jeans and a cardigan, the original colour of which was impossible to know. And he too just stood there. Also oblivious to the passing traffic and people. Eyes half-closed and looking doped. Totally isolated from the world for sure, maybe even from himself.

The guy in Mumbai holds a signboard that reads, "Follow your own faith. Love all humanity".

The guy in Santa Monica held a begging bowl.