Fear drives people to do strange things—even macabre things. Like when Karthik Rajaram, a US based Indian businessman shot dead five of his family members before committing suicide at his posh residence in suburban Los Angeles, according to media reports. What could possibly have prompted the man to choose such an ignominious exit? Could the fear of losing face in public trigger such an extreme action in a one-time successful financial wizard and a highly educated one at that (IIT Madras and UCLA)?

While the situation calls for the deepest sympathy to grieving family and friends, it is interesting to observe what emerged from media musings and blog posts that have flooded chat rooms since Monday. Almost everyone was quick to identify the “market crash” bogeyman as the trigger for the macabre incident. Naturally. The Los Angeles Police Department LAPD examining two suicide notes found in the house—one for the police and one for his extended family and friends, said Karthik mentioned financial difficulties and took responsibility for killing his family.

Wherever this topic is discussed—be it in office circles or among families, friends or other social groups, varied reasons are discussed in an attempt to understand why the man did what he did. Hubris (arrogant pride), a false sense of pride, an out-sized ambition, obsession with wealth, wrong priorities in life, failure to understand the relevance and true meaning of life, a combination of all of the above…the list just goes on as more people continue to speculate and Karthik is not around anymore to undo the puzzle.

What seemed to confound people in chat rooms on the Net was, Indians are generally believed to have the equanimity to deal with desperate situations—given their cultural back up of religious orientation, family, community and above all a great nation to go back to! Some relatives who interacted with him in the US say he was moody and withdrawn of late, some others say he was his usual cheerful self at a Beverly Hills party a couple of weeks ago. The officiating priest at the Malibu temple that he frequented the last 20 years couldn’t believe the man was capable of anything like murder and suicide. The temple priest even wondered if Karthik was looking for answers when he visited the temple last week, for the last time.

Whatever, this gruesome incident is yet another reminder for mental health professionals to explore newer dimensions in early detection and health intervention, before a seemingly “normal” person causes serious damage to self and others. As it happened in the case of the Virginia University campus shoot out when Cho Seung-hui killed 33 people before putting a bullet in his head last April. It is also a wakeup call for religious leaders of every faith on earth to explore their religion and arrive at practical answers for serious questions people are asking to help deal with real-life situations. Likewise, for responsible adults to make education more meaningful and relevant in an ever- changing world. Most importantly, it is a reminder to every human being to reach out to “the other” in simple acts that demonstrate a sense of camaraderie—a smile, a hello or showing a willingness to share a moment—simple gestures that could possibly lead to detecting signs of someone horribly cracking up within.