I have a confession. I am by far the most ignorant person in this expedition. I drive a Suzuki Swift and I have never driven a 4×4 vehicle in my life. I am here for a snow expedition and despite the fact that I grew up in Shimla, I have seen a snowfall only 3 times in my life. My assumption was that most people in the expedition would be from North India because who is mad enough to drive for 5 days and 2500 kms, only to drive for another 1200 kms in freezing temperatures and unforgiving terrain? So, when on the first day I met people and asked them where they had come from, I was surprised to discover that people had traversed the country to come for this expedition. People had come from as far as Chennai, Kerela, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai. In fact, there were only 5 of us from North India. So, out of curiosity, I began to ask them one by one how they decided to come here. I heard the same answer repeated time and again – I came here because of Shibu.
As I moved around the bonfire, I began to overhear different conversations. One person narrated how Shibhu helped him purchase his Isuzu, another narrated how he helped him decide on buying a Land Rover Discovery. As the night progressed, the legend of Shibu kept growing. At some point in the night I was introduced to him but because everyone knew Shibu, the person who introduced me probably saw no need for an introduction beyond the name. By that point I had heard his name so many times that I was too embarrassed to even enquire, for the fear of being judged.
In physical appearance, Shibu’s is somewhat incongruent with his personality. Though he was sitting in the group before I arrived at the first bonfire, if I hadn’t been introduced to him, he would have probably been my last guess. I expected to see an athletic, charismatic and flamboyant individual. Instead, Shibhu is medium set, has longish curly hair that follow their own rules, and he is extremely modest and friendly. If it wasn’t for the independent, artsy, somewhat offbeat streak that his hairstyle lends him, there would be no way to tell him apart in a gathering of techies. He is an ex-IT professional who quit a lucrative World Bank job to pursue his passion of creating a community of 4×4 enthusiasts. He is the founder of the 4×4 India community, which is probably one of the largest 4×4 communities in the world with people from over 120 countries. Shibu, single-handedly, manages tens of Facebook pages and Whatsapp groups dedicated to connecting and helping people from the 4×4 community. At his home in Kerela, he has 4 computer screens running in parallel to manage his community. He carries 3 phones and has 6 phone numbers. He sleeps less than 4 hours a day and by all accounts has dedicated nearly every minute of his life to help and nurture his community. It is little surprise then that he is immensely respected and revered. He is a legend in his own right and the legend is made greater still by Shibu’s humility, kindness and geniality.
