Bannister is a recently-divorced American man. He travels through India with a group of pilgrims on their way to see the guru Swami. Each pilgrim has a unique reason for wanting to meet Swami—some are afflicted by illness, some face relationship troubles, and some are financially ruined. All have faith in Swami except for Bannister, who simply wanted to distance himself from home after his divorce. He and the other pilgrims arrive in Bangalore, only to learn that Swami has left town for an emergency. To pass the time, the pilgrims shop in Bangalore and are scheduled to travel across Karnataka to Mysore where they will continue to sightsee and shop. While they browse the commercial district, Bannister occupies his time trying to avoid the company of veteran pilgrim Greta, who has taken an unreciprocated liking to him. He is more interested in a dying woman, Angeline, but does not attempt to connect with her. Instead, he endures Greta’s commentary about the severe poverty and suffering in India. Though he does not have any need to see Swami, he does not abandon the group; he has grown too attached. He learns from Greta that Swami only charges the wealthy, and sometimes turns people away when their funds have been exceeded. For the average person, however, he instructs them to do good works for the poor in their home country in exchange for his services. As they travel across Karnataka, their bus driver is directed down a detour that Bannister does not register on his map. The pilgrims become agitated, and soon the cause of the diversion is revealed: they are being robbed. The robbers round up the pilgrims and herd them into a shelter on the side of the road. The robbers are known for their violence, and Bannister suspects they will be killed. He instructs the pilgrims to comply with their captors’ orders. Angeline is pulled from the group, and one of the robbers aims his gun at her. As he is about to shoot, Greta throws her boot at him. Another robber suddenly runs in, holding pictures of Swami, and proclaims that it would be bad karma to kill them. There is gunfire outside and the robbers flee. The pilgrims return to Bangalore, all convinced that the perfect timing of events was down to Swami’s intervention. Bannister is not compelled to agree. However, once he thinks back to his own feelings during the crisis, he is more open to spiritual possibility, and reevaluates his trip and his companions’ reasoning. Though he does not feel a complete sense of resolution, his newly opened mind causes him to look around for Greta, only to find that she has sat out of sight.