There is an amazing calm about him. Nothing hurried. Sure, he is portly, but his walk is hardly an amble. It is that of a man who knows he is walking into history books.

His quiet confidence is supplemented by a terrific sense of humour, but of an understated nature. He makes a quip, and waits for your smile first, before smiling himself. But by far the best trait in him: He is simple. And he simplifies everything.

That's Samaresh Jung, 36 years of age and on the threshold of history as he added a fifth gold medal to his amazing collection. He also has a silver, which was what started it all here on the first day of shooting competition at the ongoing Commonwealth games.

Ask him about history and his growing collection of medals, all he will say is, "I'm not interested in the record or the gold. If I am shooting well then I am happy." But seemingly unconcerned about the games records, he is aware that he is rewriting the record books.

Australian swimmers Hayley Lewis in 1990 at Auckland and Ian Thorpe, in Manchester in 2002, won five gold medals each in Commonwealth Games and Samaresh Jung has already reached that mark and the best part is that he has two more events to go.

So, why does he shoot? "Because that's what I am good at. I enjoy it," he retorts.

His grandfather and father (Col. Shailesh Jung) were both in the Indian Army and in a manner of speaking guns ran in the family.

"There were always guns around. Shooting was commonplace at home. Maybe a hundred years ago, my forefathers even went for hunting. And I don't event recall when I first held a gun. It must have been when I was very young," he confesses.

Is shooting like meditation, he is asked. His reply: "I don't know about meditation. I don't think too much about it. I just go there and shoot. Yes, there is a routine, but I don't think about it. Different events have different routines, different guns have different trigger pressures."

Okay, forget meditation, are you religious, I ask. He peers and then says, "If I am shooting well, its fine, but if I am not shooting well, I pray so that I can get better scores." Serious? No answer, all he replies with is his disarmingly mischievous smile.

So, is this the iceman, who feels nothing and just thinks that shooting is fun and shoots down gold medals like it is the easiest thing in the world?

"Of course I feel pressure. My coach used to tell me, only two kind of people don't feel pressure. One, if they are fools or if they are dead," he replies and tops that with another mischievous smile.

Next, the most obvious question to a shooter from India, where cricket is an obsession: "Why shooting?" For a change, he pauses, and thinks.

"Many years ago I saw a cricket trial for a state team in Delhi. There were 17 places and 1700 people for the trials. So, I said why not shooting. It ran in the family. And it came easy," is his simple answer.

It sure looks easy, when you keep winning gold medals and breaking records, but coach, Sunny Thomas, who has seen him right from the start, testifies: "He is the most hard-working guy in the team. He trains hard and has his own goals."

Ask his wife, Anuja Tere Jung, also a shooter and a silver medallist at these games, about her husband's goal and she says: "I am sure he would like to answer that."

What kind of a guy is he? "Oh, normal. He is not bothered about the events. He knows when to concentrate and be easy going. All he wants to do is shoot good scores," says the strikingly good-looking Thane-born, Anuja.

The duo met and became friends during one of the many shooting camps. Married some years back, they have a two-year old daughter, Souravi.

"Yes, being in the national team gives us time together, but we don't talk shooting all the time. There's life outside shooting, too."

Samaresh is backed by the Central Industrial Security Force and is designated as an inspector, but his job is shooting. With the kind of success, he has had, he is a brand in himself for the organisation.

He won two gold and three silver at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, and last month at Australia Cup - a warm-up event at the same venue - he had three gold.

"I had better scores in that tournament," says Samaresh.

Finally, I inform him that back home, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, has announced a cash prize of Rs.1,00,000 for him.

"Oh is it," he asks and then I add, "I have already told your wife, and she is going shopping." A mock-serious look ensues and then he says, "Oh no."

The wife is probably already shopping, while Samaresh Jung is shopping for medals.