What would you do if you approached a girl and she refused you?

I already mentioned that due to my travels all over the world people also started visiting the Ashram when they travelled to India. Some of them had anyway planned their journey to India and were happy to have a place to visit where they knew someone. Others got encouraged by getting to know me to dare and make a journey – and start at the Ashram. I remember well that in 2004 several people came to visit us, among them one of my friends, a woman whom I had met in Germany, on my first stay in Cologne.

She came and just as I had gotten on well with her, so did my brothers and sister and when she mentioned that she wanted to travel to the Himalayan mountains, my younger brother Yashendu offered to come along, help her get around and show her some nice places where he had been before. Our second guest at that time, a man whom I also knew from my journeys, decided to join them, too.

They left with thick winter clothing and extra blankets in the car in case they would reach cold areas in the mountains where the guesthouse blankets would not suffice. I knew my younger brother had travelled a lot in India and could get around very well on his own and also with two further people. Nevertheless we stayed in touch over phone and knew where they were and that everything was going fine and they were enjoying their time.

When they came back, they were a bit exhausted from the long drives but very happy and filled with impressions of their trip. When Yashendu, Purnendu and I were sitting together at the Ashram again, Yashendu told us about the experiences they had made and added that he had had a very funny conversation with our male guest.

Yashendu had felt throughout the trip that our male friend was interested in our female friend. It must have been quite obvious to him, the third person, that there was absolutely no interest at all from the other side. So one day they were sitting in a guest house, resting and enjoying a great view onto the surrounding mountains, when the European man started a conversation:

“What would you do if you approached a girl and she refused you?”

Wondering about what to say to this question, which was so obviously referring to the man’s personal experience, Yashendu replied “I don’t think I would get myself into this situation. It just would not happen. I will only make a step towards a woman if I have a strong feeling that I will get a favourable reply!”

“But what if?” was the next question.

Seeing that our German friend grimaced at this, Yashendu answered diplomatically “Well, I guess I would just keep a friendship then!”

The man did not agree: “No, I think that’s not it, I would try again!”

At this point the German woman interrupted the conversation with a very strong opinion: “I definitely agree with Yashendu!”

We brothers heartily laughed about Yashendu’s story and as far as I know that was the end of this man’s advances towards our German friend.