New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- According to Pali scriptures, after attaining nirvana through intense meditation beneath the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, Gautam Buddha fell into deep silence. Confronting the vastness of cosmic nothingness had left him utterly speechless. Sometimes, encounters at the opposite end of the spectrum, too, can have a similar effect.

A few months ago, I experienced just such an epiphany.

Thanks to some cunningly cultivated friendships back in kindergarten, I found myself included in the guest list of a glittering celebration at a Himalayan resort, where a friend's friend's father was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary.

I had always cast wistful glances at the famed property. With the cheapest room priced at Rs.30,00...