I was traveling in a bus from Hamilton to Wellington in New Zealand. An Indian in his late twenties was sitting next to me. He was restless, looked tired and avoided eye-contact. As I had to travel with him for 6 hours, I decided to break the silence.

"Do you like this country?" I asked him. "A fugitive has no choice. He must live wherever he can find shelter and food and must be ready to leave that place at a moment’s notice," Akash, that was his name, replied.

"What’s your problem?" I asked him. Akash said, "I was running a small real estate business in India and I was doing well. A few months back, I collected Rs.5 lakhs as fixed deposits from my customers. I lost that money in a fateful ‘cash’ transaction. I requested my depositors to wait for a few months so that I could set things right. But, the moment they came to know that I did not have any money, everyone demanded one’s money back! So, I left India without informing anyone. My sister is living in this country. I don’t know how long I can stay with her. I do menial part-time jobs in restaurants. This petty cash takes care of my personal expenses. But, how am I going to repay my debts? I did not steal the money and I want to repay my debts. But, no one believes the truth in my heart. I am a fugitive without a future."

"What a coincidence! Tomorrow Kiwi Television will start telecasting the serial ‘The Fugitive.’ It will run for more than two years. Have you ever heard about it?" I asked him. "No," said Akash.

I narrated the story, "It is the story of a pediatrician, Dr. Richard Kimble, an innocent victim of blind justice, falsely convicted for the murder of his wife, reprieved by fate when a train wreck freed him en route to the death house, freed him to hide in lonely desperation, freed him to change his identity, freed him to toil at many job, freed him to search for a one-armed man he saw leave the scene of the crime, freed him to run before the relentless pursuit of the police lieutenant obsessed with his capture…" Akash interrupted, "It’s quite moving."

"Richard Kimble is a man of higher values. His fugitive life brings him into contact with all types of people and he becomes a master of human nature. Finally, the truth in his heart – even though it is a drop in the ocean – saves him and he becomes more prosperous and more famous than he was before becoming a fugitive. There is no reason why you can not solve your problem with the truth in your heart and higher values," I told him. Akash did not reply.

"The Fugitive is one of the most successful television serials in the world. Rosenzweig, a devotee of the serial, says that the Fugitive has entered into American cultural history as an influential icon. When the last episode aired in 1967, it was seen by 82 million people, that is, 72% of American households. But the story of Richard Kimble went on to inspire many future events and trends in the society. In 1972, the American Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Furman v. Georgia case that invalidated hundreds of scheduled executions. It noted that because of ‘the difficulties inherent in reliably determining whether one-armed men or other unknown parties may in fact be responsible for the crimes attributed to pediatricians and similarly innocent citizens falsely convicted of murders,’ capital punishment should be abolished," I told him.

"Yes, television serials and movies have the power to influence the society. But, what is there for me in this serial?" Akash asked me.

"You understand the power of the television serials. Each popular serial has millions of fans. Why don’t you create a web site or an Internet discussion forum on a good serial and publish transcripts, comments, behind the scene stories and trivia? You can earn money through ads and sale of related books, posters and video. Even if a fraction of the fans come to your site, you can make decent money working from home."

Akash meditated over my suggestion for a few minutes and then said in a hesitant voice, "I don’t have interest in computer or the Internet business. I would like to do something related to real estate." I smiled and told him, "A fugitive has no choice. He must do whatever work he gets." Akash too smiled.

"Yes, you got me. I would like to start a website on the Fugitive television serial," he said. "It’s a resourceful idea. In the past 30 years, it has been a popular drama whenever and wherever it was telecasted. Go ahead with it," I encouraged him.

Akash called me over telephone after three months, "I borrowed tapes from the video library and watched all the episodes. Then I learnt how to create a website and promote it. Last week I launched my website. I am updating it regularly and promoting it actively." I became a regular visitor to his discussion forum. Whenever I visited the website, I saw some improvement and progress.

After two years, Akash called me and said, "In the first four months, I did not see even a cent. But I did not give up. I kept asking myself how I could improve my site and how I could serve my visitors better. Then a small stream of income started. Over time it grew. In the last two years, I have earned more than Rs.8 lakhs and I have repaid all my debts. I have a savings of Rs.3 lakhs. I am going back to India," Akash said happily. "I am glad to hear that. I wish you all the best in your new real estate business," I told him.

"What do you mean?" Akash asked me, "I have nothing to do with real estate business. I am an Internet entrepreneur."

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