The last few hours...

... have been harbingers of bad news aplenty. First i lost my youngest phupha, an amazing and extremely loving husband and father and a very sweet gentleman, suddenly to cardiac arrest. My mother and chachi left at 9:00 PM to Jaipur by car to catch the early morning flight to Kolkata. Feeling a bit restless, i sat and did some work and finally laid down to rest at 11:00 PM. Tossing and turning, i might have just slept when my phone rang and my mama said, something's wrong. He said they were talking to chachi when she suddenly screamed and the phone got disconnected. I called Guruji whose phone was busy and then my cousin who said she'd call me back. I called my mother who answered the call but didn't say anything and i could hear my aunt's agitated voice in the background. I disconnected the call and sat there imagining the worst and sat there shivering for about 30 minutes, a sick feeling in my stomach. I called Vikas, another sevak who lives in the campus and he came sat with me near the meditation hall.

This is the most scared i have been in my life. I just sat shaking and trembling waiting for the phone to ring and tell me everything is alright.

Almost an hour had passed when my cousin called to tell me everything is ok. She took me to her room, sat me, while i still shivered. The car in which my mother and aunt had been travelling had met with an accident. To avoid a head-on collision with a truck the driver had swerved. The car overturned thrice and rested on its roof with all 3 - the driver, and my family trapped inside. The driver came out through a broken window and helped my mother and aunt get out. Suddenly, out of the blue another car stopped near theirs, 5 men stepped out, stood their waiting, escorted everyone to a nearby police station and waited there to help. The 5 good men offered to drive Ma and Chachi to Jaipur where they were headed.

The police lit a fire outside the PS for my folks and were extremely kind to them throughout. Guruji managed to arrange another vehicle that picked them up and dropped them safely to Jaipur.

What's amazing is they found kindness in the middle of nowhere on a dark highway and emerged unscathed. Not one wound, except a little body pain from being tossed around.

Less than 2 hours of sleep and i woke up to an email from Cristian, a stranger who is now a pen-friend, who sent me pictures of the most gorgeous cloudscapes that instantly dispelled my gloomy countenance and made me feel immensely better.

Thanks Christian, and all those unknown, unseen people whose help and kindness make my life better. And of course, Guruji whose blessings prevented a disaster. And Shalu and Vikas, for your love and kindness. I am pretty over-whelmed right now and despite everything trying to be strong.