God Can Contact You Anytime!!

Short Story with Moral Lesson – God Can Contact You Anytime!
Photo credit: jeltovski from morguefile.com

Now that the luggage was arranged, Samskruti pushed her pink slippers under her seat. She sat with her feet comfortably tucked under her knees looking outside the window. Her mom seated opposite to her joined to witness the scenes on the platform. Nothing peculiar though! Everything seemed normal. Passengers locating the coaches, a shop that sold beverages and eatables, a train cooing happily to announce its arrival on the other platform etc.

Mom and Samskruti were on the Kacheguda Express to meet their relatives in Hyderabad. With another thirty minutes to go for their train to say Goodbye to Bangalore they killed the time looking here and there and sometimes just staring at each other. It was after a long time that they had stepped outside the house and were super excited about the journey.

What caught Samskruti’s eyes after a few seconds was a guy clad in dhoti and kurta. He was pacing towards them inside the coach with a few books in his hand. That attire looks familiar to me- ran in her mind though she couldnt clearly recollect how. When the gentleman stopped near her she recognized that the priests in Iskcon temple dressed themselves in that fashion.

“Mataji,” said the young chap politely.

“Hi,” replied Samskruti surprised at the word used to address her. Mom’s curiosity levels rose and silently watched them.

Samskruti noticed that he was milk white with brown eyes. he was indeed a foreigner. Most of his head was shaved with a few locks tied neatly behind.

He oozed  spirituality. “Am from Iskcon, this is the Bhagvad Gita,” he spoke giving the book to her.

Samskruti looked at the cover which had Lord Krishna driving Arjuna’s chariot. She was immediately transported to memories of her childhood. Sundays 9am was TV time. Mom, dad n she sat to watch Mahabharata. Though she couldn’t remember the details of the story she did remember the characters.

“Am from France and I joined the hare Krishna movement a year ago,” continued the foreign bloke in an accent not familiar to them. Samskruti nodded her head coming back to the present.

“The Gita is a must for everybody. have you read it?”

“I… No….” muttered Samskruti.

“It comes handy when you are stuck and in doubt at certain times in life. Even otherwise you can read it. When I first read it, I didn’t understand all that well. Repeated readings and association with Krishna devotees changed my life.”

Mom and Samskruti gave their undivided attention.

“We also have an offer now……”

Oh here comes the sales pitch- thought Samskruti.

“How much,” asked Mom.

“251”.

“God! This Non Indian is selling something Indian, to us Indians. How funny can this be,” said Samskruti to Mom in Hindi.

“And you still didn’t read it and he already knows its essence,” said Mom in Hindi again offering the money to him. Samskruti held the book with exaggerated care. “Dont just read it ,” said the spritual soul. “Apply it in everyday life. I quit smoking and drinking after reading. You’ll definitely become a better person to take on the challenges of life.”

“Thank you,” Samskruti chimed watched him going away. The journey was smooth and they had a lovely time in Hyderabad. When they were back to Bangalore, the holy book was placed along with the other collection of Robin cook and Sidney Sheldon. She read the novels but never bothered to open the Gita.

“Am just 24 Maaa. When am old like you, ll definitely go through it,” came the reply every time Mom asked her to read.

And then came the accident after seven years which left Samskruti bed ridden for eight months. She was left with a left leg that could hardly do its work of transporting her to places and a hand-neck injury. She met every specialist in Bangalore but was sent away with hard hitting words- Spinal injuries take a looong time to heal. Take the medicines, do the exercises even if your body hurts and attend the physio therapy sessions. Now unemployed and fewer visits from friends, depression easily engulfed her.

“What is the use of advanced medical research? They come up with cures for every God damn disease, dont they have any treatment for me?” asked Samskruti eating lunch one afternoon. “When ll I be my usual self? Am tired of being confined to my room am and lonely.”

“The neighbours suggested another doctor. Shall we go to him this weekend?” asked mom washing plates.

“No Ma, I dont need anymore useless doctors,” Samskruti was sobbing now.  ” They dont have a solution. Am feeling bad that all the saved money is being spent on me with no results. You spend that money for something else. Am tired of investigations and and scans….”

“Dont worry darling,” Mom assured hugging her. :We ll bounce back.”

“I dont think so Mom. Doesnt God ever get bored of punishing us all the time. As if losing dad and lack of money is not enough, now this….. When he knows I’ve to work to survive how could he do this to me? I failed in everything that I took up in all these years. I ve hurt you mom. I should have died in that accident….”

“Have patience dear, this too shall pass…”

Mom tucked Samskruti in the bed and pulled her favorite pink sheet that had teddy bears on it till her neck. She was about to switch off the lights when Samskruti said, ” Can you get the Gita please?”  Mom smiled.

After sitting in a comfortable position with the Gita on her lap, Samskruti turned the pages without really reading anything. She tried to recollect the shlokas that she heard on the TV as a kid. Her gaze stuck on one such verse- Karmanye vaadhikaraste…..

And then she read the meaning- Perform actions without being attached to the results. Inaction is sinful…  This was little close to what mom had said when she participated in competitions in school and college. Do your best and leave the rest to God. She placed the book aside and fell asleep pondering over it.

The divine stuff must have knocked some sense into her. She performed the next action. She went to the doctor that the neighbors suggested. He was supposed to be the best in South India with a record of healing almost everybody. Samskruti tried consciously not to worry about the results( if the doc could match the task of healing her).

She came back with loads of medicines and didn’t really show any recovery for the next few months. She tried not to think about her friends who were settling down personally and professionally. She did her best in everything- right from taking the medicines on time, helping the kids of the neighbours with their homework or just helping mom with whatever little she could. The outcomes stopped bothering her.  Then came the streak of hope in her life after six months when she could move about herself without any help. Recovery did indeed start happening. She looked forward to face life with more confidence and probably whatever happened next would be handled with ease.

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