How globe-trotting businessman ended up on Mumbai streets

Arun Paurana has been living on this Borivli footpath for the last four days Pic Pradeep DhivarLying swaddled in filthy rags on a footpath outside Indraprastha Shopping Centre in Borivli at first glance 70yearold Arun Paurana doesnrsquot seem like a homeless man He puts doubts to rest when within seconds of spotting this midday reporter he explains in fluent English how once a gold medal winning chemical engineer he ended up on the footpath across the building where he owned an apartmentldquoI never thought about rainy days Maybe thatrsquos why Irsquom here You canrsquot not be under a cloud once in a while I should have known betterrdquo he says sagely Four days ago when Purana found himself on the streets again after escaping from the stifling environment of an ashram he was living at in Charkop he had no spare clothes ldquoI had an expensive watch that I exchanged with a beggar for a lungi I need clothes on my back What would I do without this lungirdquo he saysChemicals were his passion He started his career at ChemoOceanrsquos factory in the 1960s in Rajkot ldquoBut in 1974 we lost all our raw material in a cyclone and I arrived in Mumbairdquo he remembersSensing our scepticism Paurana rattles off the names of friends who can corroborate his story We call one Chandrakant Mirani who confirms Pauranarsquos claim ldquoBack in the rsquo70s I had completed my Msc and was working under him as a chemist at the Rajkot factory He was the director and lived a lavish life He had hundreds of people working under him Itrsquos unfortunate whatrsquos become of him I canrsquot believe itrsquos the same personrdquoDisowned by familyPauranas wife used to be an advocate but none of his friends know where she is His daughter Aparna she refused to share her full name who lives in Santacruz refuses to have anything to do with him his friends said When we called on a number the friends provided she said before abruptly disconnecting the call ldquoNobody knows his entire story his history He didnt tell you the complete truth Im surerdquoPaurana gets by with help from old friends like Mirani Six months ago he met with an accident ldquoAfter that he was admitted to an ashram in Gorai where he was doing well but he canrsquot stay in one place So he ran away He was then shifted to the Shantidan Ashram in Charkop but he left from there toordquo Mirani saidArun Paurana has been living on this Borivli footpath after fleeing from a Charkop ashram four days ago Pic Pradeep DhivarWith help from friendsDhirubhai Rajput from Pidilite in Vapi who has known Paurana for a while said ldquoHersquos one of the most intelligent people Irsquove met I found him under a bridge in Vapi and realised he deserves better Ever since I have been trying to relocate him between ashrams but he wonrsquot stay put Right now I donrsquot know where he isrdquoBhaskar Tanna who worked with Paurana back in 1971 at ChemOOcean in Rajkot says ldquoHe made a lot of money in his time He has seen the best places in the world I now visit him whenever he manages to call me I urge people to come forward and help him relocate to a place where he can live peacefullyrdquoLost everythingOn how he ended up losing his money and property Mirani said ldquoHe doesnrsquot seem to have a grip on what he spends After he returned to Mumbai in 1974 he started another firm called Chem Mech with one of his friends That worked well for a few years but later shut down His family is well off but they donrsquot help him because he can spend thousands within minutesrdquoMirani said Paurana had sold his Palghar house last year but within six months he had squandered the money ldquoI have travelled to more than 20 countries some on work some for pleasure I realised this long ago that money doesnrsquot stay in my hands What do I dordquoHe may have lost material possessions but Paurana hasnrsquot lost grip on humour ldquoI have a girlfriend here on the streets I came to see her While looking for her I met with the accident Love is like thatrdquo Paurana saidMirani said ldquoEven when I used to work for him he never cared about money He pursued new inventions discoveries his work So now when he has nothing it doesnrsquot bother him even if he is on the streetsrdquo