NEW DELHI, May 27 -- As I made my way to St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, where I pursued English literature, I found myself seated in the college's special bus, Grace, next to a middle-aged individual. Engaging in small talk, I inquired about his name as he prepared to disembark at a junction where the Kozhencherry-Ranny Road began. To my astonishment, he introduced himself as Y. Mathai, equal to a combination of American President Richard Nixon, Soviet Union President Nikolai Podgorny, and Chinese Prime Minister Chou-en-Lai.

Instantly, I realised I was conversing with someone grappling with grandiose delusions, and it left me reeling. This encounter offered a glimpse into the mind of an individual consumed by fantasies of significance...