The year was 2010 and the month was January. It was the second week of that month. I was at Cuttack then, with my parents. Gurudev had also come to Cuttack for a few days for his annual discourses on The Gita.
During that time I was doing the Seven Thursdays vrata of Shirdi Sai. I had absolutely no clue that Baba had such a wonderful gift in store for me. It took me, well over a year actually to figure it out.
So one fine and blessed morning, my Mother told me that we all should go and get Gurudev's darshan. My parents had already met him before and my mother was very keen that I should seek his blessings as well. I did not think too much about it and wasn't very interested in going. I remember that day, during my morning prayer telling Sai Baba this - " I consider you my Guru. I am going, only to make Mother happy".
We reached the place sometime around 11:00 am, which was the time given to us. The building was a popular function palace. It had been rented out for a few days for the above mentioned event. We were ushered in, to one of the inner rooms where Gurudev was sitting. There was also an old lady present in the room with him. She was a disciple and also a family friend of ours. I remember the smiling face of Master welcoming us, as we entered the room. He asked us to sit down on the vacant chairs in front of him. We did as we were told.
He talked to my parents for a while. My mother told him about me, and asked him to bless me. I went and touched his feet. He asked me my name and what I did. I told him I work at Hyderabad. Hearing about Hyderabad, he told us about a family in Hyderabad who were known to him and he usually stayed at their place whenever he visited Hyderabad.
I don't remember having any other piece of conversation with him that day. The old lady was quite talkative though. She was obviously, very happy to have got time to spend in Baba's company.
Soon, it was time for us to leave. But just before that, Baba surprised me by asking me to give him my email address. He looked at my parents and said - " You see this is the age of internet, and this is the only way to be in touch with the younger generation". There was an Oriya newspaper lying on the table in front of him. He asked me to put down the address in the margin which had some free space. I still remember what I was thinking while writing down my email id - " Is he serious? Does he know how to check email?" . He looked at me then and said - "Do keep writing to me. I may not reply always, but I will surely read all your emails"
We all arose to leave. I went to him and touched his feet and he blessed me saying - " Be Successful". There was a plate of fruits in front of him. He asked me to pick up one before I leave. I was a bit confused as to which one to choose. Ultimately I decided on taking a grape, and I picked it up. He smiled and saw us off.
We reached home within 10 minutes. I went to check my office email, as I was awaiting some important message. I hadn't got any, so I opened my personal email account and saw a new email which had come just 5 minutes back. It was from Master!! I was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Gurudev and that oo within minutes of meeting him. It was unbelievable!
He had written in the mail that he was very happy to have met me and he wanted me to keep in touch with him. He also wrote that he was praying for me and my family. I was touched by this gesture and I mentally promised to write to him regularly.
So that was it and unfortunately for me, that day, I had no clue what a life altering day it had been. It took sometime, to sink in and for me to figure out that, SaiBaba had given me the biggest and the most wonderful gift of my life that day.
During that time I was doing the Seven Thursdays vrata of Shirdi Sai. I had absolutely no clue that Baba had such a wonderful gift in store for me. It took me, well over a year actually to figure it out.
So one fine and blessed morning, my Mother told me that we all should go and get Gurudev's darshan. My parents had already met him before and my mother was very keen that I should seek his blessings as well. I did not think too much about it and wasn't very interested in going. I remember that day, during my morning prayer telling Sai Baba this - " I consider you my Guru. I am going, only to make Mother happy".
We reached the place sometime around 11:00 am, which was the time given to us. The building was a popular function palace. It had been rented out for a few days for the above mentioned event. We were ushered in, to one of the inner rooms where Gurudev was sitting. There was also an old lady present in the room with him. She was a disciple and also a family friend of ours. I remember the smiling face of Master welcoming us, as we entered the room. He asked us to sit down on the vacant chairs in front of him. We did as we were told.
He talked to my parents for a while. My mother told him about me, and asked him to bless me. I went and touched his feet. He asked me my name and what I did. I told him I work at Hyderabad. Hearing about Hyderabad, he told us about a family in Hyderabad who were known to him and he usually stayed at their place whenever he visited Hyderabad.
I don't remember having any other piece of conversation with him that day. The old lady was quite talkative though. She was obviously, very happy to have got time to spend in Baba's company.
Soon, it was time for us to leave. But just before that, Baba surprised me by asking me to give him my email address. He looked at my parents and said - " You see this is the age of internet, and this is the only way to be in touch with the younger generation". There was an Oriya newspaper lying on the table in front of him. He asked me to put down the address in the margin which had some free space. I still remember what I was thinking while writing down my email id - " Is he serious? Does he know how to check email?" . He looked at me then and said - "Do keep writing to me. I may not reply always, but I will surely read all your emails"
We all arose to leave. I went to him and touched his feet and he blessed me saying - " Be Successful". There was a plate of fruits in front of him. He asked me to pick up one before I leave. I was a bit confused as to which one to choose. Ultimately I decided on taking a grape, and I picked it up. He smiled and saw us off.
We reached home within 10 minutes. I went to check my office email, as I was awaiting some important message. I hadn't got any, so I opened my personal email account and saw a new email which had come just 5 minutes back. It was from Master!! I was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Gurudev and that oo within minutes of meeting him. It was unbelievable!
He had written in the mail that he was very happy to have met me and he wanted me to keep in touch with him. He also wrote that he was praying for me and my family. I was touched by this gesture and I mentally promised to write to him regularly.
So that was it and unfortunately for me, that day, I had no clue what a life altering day it had been. It took sometime, to sink in and for me to figure out that, SaiBaba had given me the biggest and the most wonderful gift of my life that day.
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