The Shambhala Odyssey

CHAPTER 3 - Lost in a Doodle

"You've got five minutes left! Recheck to ensure everyone has written their roll numbers!" I hurriedly scribbled down the answers to the last question in the Forensic Medicine paper. It wrapped up three weeks of back-to-back exams, with this being the last question. "Okay, time's up!" As the invigilator announced, I concluded my answer for the management of Arsenic poisoning. After a quick scan through my paper, I mused "God, I just want to pass. I hope I made it through". With a sigh of relief, I handed the paper over to the invigilator and walked out of the exam hall. I had no interest in stopping by and joining the small post-exam discussion sessions held by my colleagues along the road; I just wanted to go to my room and relax as I was super exhausted.

I swung my door open, fully aware I wouldn't be greeted by a pristine scene. My room was the aftermath of exams – an absolute mess, my usual post-study aesthetic. Strangely, the chaos had been my odd source of motivation during the exam period. But now that the exams were done, the clutter was just killing my chill, and I knew I had to tackle it to find some peace.

After giving the room a quick sweep and tossing all my rough work papers into the bin, I headed towards my table. "Let's get you sorted, and then I'm calling it a day". I began arranging books on the table, stowing most of them in the cupboard for future use, and hoping they'd stay there for a good while. As I lifted the last stack of books, a few papers went on flying. "Not helping!" I sighed. Keeping the books aside, I started the task of picking them up one by one, sorting through them and crumpling the ones destined for the bin. In the midst of this paper shuffle, my gaze stuck when I came across a single sheet, bringing back memories from three months ago. It happened to be the piece of paper Mr. Lama left before being discharged from the hospital.

Picking it up, I settled on the floor, still wrestling with the mystery that had lingered since the day it landed in my hands. At one point back then, I had to set aside my thoughts as the exam schedule showed up and it demanded my attention. The piece of paper he gave me held a drawing, unlike anything I had seen before. The sketch portrayed this circular thing, surrounded by spikes or who-knows-what. The circle itself was sliced into eight parts by these spiky lines, all converging on another small spiky circle at the center, similar to the outer one. Mr. Lama, as it turns out, was no Da Vinci with a pencil. What was he really trying to convey? I sat there, turning the piece of paper this way and that, just as puzzled as I was three months ago.

My stream of thoughts was interrupted by a knock on the door this time. I stood up and opened it to find a familiar face—Saurav, grinning from ear to ear, and of course with his distinctive accent. "Oh ho! What's up, mate? Up for a walk? I tried to catch a nap, but sleep's playing hard to get! Bored out of my mind!" It was a typical symptom among medical students. We endured sleepless nights cramming for exams, daydreaming about the blissful days post-exams when we could finally catch up on sleep. Yet, once exams were over, sleep seemed to vanish, leaving us in a void of uncertainty about what to do next. I looked at my inviting bed, this time with a hint of skepticism, recalling my own struggles with the same challenge. After a brief moment of contemplation, I turned back to him and nodded.

In fifteen minutes, we found ourselves in a tempo—a small, three-wheeled public transportation vehicle in Nepal. While designed to comfortably accommodate around eight people, it was often jam-packed with up to fifteen passengers. After a twenty-minute tempo ride and a bit of walking, we were in Basantapur Durbar square, which was a historic square in the heart of Kathmandu known for its rich cultural and historical significance, featuring ancient palaces, courtyards, and temples. We strolled around Basantapur leisurely, savouring the view. Our eyes frequently caught glimpses of couples, hand in hand or arms wrapped around shoulders, seeking warmth against the chill which sparked a moment of reflection on our own mundane, non-romantic and lonely lives. With our animated chatter continuing, we eventually arrived at Thamel—an area well-known for its lively atmosphere, predominantly filled with tourists. It boasted a diverse mix of traditional Nepali crafts, modern fashion boutiques, souvenir shops, and fancy cafes, most of which we could only admire from afar.

 We stopped for a cup of coffee and continued our stroll.  As we wandered, I spotted a decently big, slightly aged bookshop. "Pilgrims Bookshop" hung on the sign. "Let's hop in" I suggested to Saurav. Bookshops, for me, were like a haven where I could lose myself for hours, soaking in the atmosphere, even if I didn't have any plans to buy. We entered and started walking through different sections, sharing comments on books we had already read. Climbing to the second floor, we found a narrow corridor with doors leading to various compartments.

As we walked into the spirituality section, my gaze was drawn to the sight of a familiar book, "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. I wanted to ask Saurav if he had read it, so I stretched up on my toes to reach the slightly elevated shelf. I got the book I wanted but accidentally knocked a couple of others off the shelf in the process. "Oh, shit," I muttered, glancing around to ensure no one had witnessed my mini mishap. Fortunately, the coast was clear, except for Saurav, who was already yawning and looking a bit bored. I swiftly bent down to retrieve the fallen books. Just before placing them back on the shelf, something caught my eye. "Wait a minute, this looks familiar." The title of one of the books read, "The Way to Shambhala" by Edwin Bernbaum. A bizarre feeling of nostalgia from three months ago enveloped me for the second time today. Filled with excitement, I started flipping through the pages randomly, only to discover the most intriguing coincidence of the day.

"Well, well, so this is what he wanted to show me!"