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Thursday, October 30, 2014

CHAITANYA MAHOTSAV 2014 and my MOTHER

Sometime in August this year I had gone online to book flight tickets from Mumbai to Bhuj for the 6th of November, 3-4 other fellow sadhaks and friends were also simultaneously booking their flight tickets. I tried for almost 2.5 to 3 hours to complete the booking. Each time I used to get to the payment gateway and then get stuck. By the time I got through the cost of the return ticket had gone up from Rs. 6900 to Rs. 14000. In the meanwhile I learnt that all my friends had completed their bookings at Rs. 6900. I assumed that Swamiji did not want me to fly and that I should drive down with sadhaks who had not got their tickets like I had done last year.

After that I was comfortable knowing that I just had to have the car in good condition for the drive, so what was in my control I planned to do. But as fate would have it on 10th October my mother fell down while coming out of the bath at around 4.30 in the evening. The next morning she was admitted to Sushrusha Hospital, Dadar, with symptoms of a mild stroke. After tests carried to detect the cause of inadequate oxygenation over a period of 8 days which all turned up normal to detect, the doctors decided to give her a discharge on Monday, the 20th of October. We brought her home in the evening, and she was bedridden as her left side's efficiency had reduced to 70% of normal due to the stroke - nothing which physiotherapy would not set right. We arranged a day nurse and a night nurse, with the physio to come daily post Diwali - she came for 3 days before Diwali and made my mother go through the exercise routine - to which she cooperated and did them willingly.

The physio was now to come directly after Diwali on the 27th of October. In the meanwhile, we had got into the routine of feeding her, encouraging her to eat by herself (she would refuse, but on insistence she would eat - just like a small child) and then give her milk/coffee along with her medication. After medication, she had to undergo nebulization and then she would lie down again - this was the routine, morning, afternoon and evening.

On 26th October, the day was the most normal of all. I had cut papaya and fed her, then asked her if she wanted Sitaphal, to which she said yes and told me to keep some for Arati (my wife) as she loved sitaphal. She took her medication along with coffee. Then she underwent nebulization. After that around 9.30pm she asked for the newspapers to check on the political situation in Maharashtra. Around 11.40 or so she got a call from her dearest childhood friend - a friendship spanning more than 70 years. She had a gala conversation with her going over the past, laughing and smiling for over 20 minutes. After she disconnected she lovingly pulled the house-maids cheeks. The house maid went to get clothes of the clothesline and when she turned back, both she and the nurse called out to me to come immediately. She had started wheezing, I called Arati and Arati told Vallari to call Dr. Govekar who stays above us. By the time the doctor came down I had called for the ambulance, we checked her blood pressure and pulse which was initially normal. But within a few minutes her difficulty in breathing increased and the wheezing became prominent, her pulse came down rapidly from 120, 90, 65, 38, 15, 11.....zero. Dr. Govekar tried pumping her chest to get the heart to beat again - but it was all over by around 12.10pm. Dr. Govekar was neither getting a pulse nor any reflex in the iris with torchlight.

A very strong lady who lived a happy married life for 23 years and then 41 years as a widower raising three sons. She went through a lot and saw a lot of events unfold before her eyes which were not nice, but she went through them with fortitude and a smile - always saying that your father was lucky - he left early and left me to face all this. I am glad that Swamiji heard my prayers and took her away without any suffering and she left when she was happy after speaking to her dearest friend. May her soul rest in eternal peace. _/|\_

I am writing this because, Swamiji KNEW that I will not be able to attend the CM2014 and hence my tickets could not go through. Prior to this I have never had a problem with either train or flight tickets!! So please excuse me as I will not be able to provide you with the detailed blog of the event, as the 13th day ceremony will take place on 6th of November.

Swamiji's Grace is always showering and I will try and connect during meditation timings or online transmissions as and when possible.

Please forgive me for not being able to come up with the blog this year.

JAI BABA SWAMI