by Atul Sharma
Bauji emerged first from his room after hearing the voice of his son who always made entry in a loud fashion.
“What a surprise? I had no inkling that you would arrive so early,” said Bauji.
“Vineet likes the night driving, so we started from Delhi at
10 last night,” said Vineet’s wife Jyoti.
Their children Vandana and Ankur, alias Chinky and Tinku, who studied in 10th and 8th standard respectively were still feeling sleepy. By then almost everyone had come to the lobby.
“Didi, you asked me to reach early but you didn’t get up to receive us,” said Vineet.
“We slept late yesterday,” said Rajni.
“Where is the beautiful couple?” Jyoti asked about Aashish and Smriti.
“They are entitled to rise late,” said Raghav.
“Uncle, have you brought chamcham for us,” Tinku asked Kamal.
“Touch uncle’s feet first,” Jyoti said to Tinku who was fond of sweets.
“Bhabhi, I want Chana Bhatura cooked by you in the breakfast,” Vineet said to Neha.
Aashish and Smriti also got up on hearing the voices.
“Mamu, who can sleep after your thunder and storm!” said Aashish.
“Now go and refresh. I’ll give you a surprise before lunch,” Bauji said stimulating everyone’s mind.
Bauji had made everyone sit in the drawing room without letting them go outside before lunch.
“There is one benefit of your visit here. Vijay joins us for lunch daily,” Bauji said to Kamal.
“Why are you creating so much suspense?” asked Sushma.
During the conversation, Bauji received a call. After two minutes, he asked Raghav to open the door.
“Mamu!!!” Raghav jumped with joy on seeing Naren with his family standing at the door.
“Dadaji, you are a Santa Claus,” Raghav said as his happiness knew no bounds.
Everyone praised Bauji’s solo act. He had secretly settled this plan with Naren. He had asked Naren to park the car outside the villa so that no one could guess about the surprise.
“Is this your medical entrance guide?” Raghav teased Parul on seeing comic books in her hand.
“Big Boss has come to create another laugh riot,” Aashish said about Aaditya.
“They must be tired after a long travel. Serve them food first,” said Vijay.
“Thanks to Bauji, otherwise I had lost hope of your coming here this year,” Neha said while serving them lunch.
“How could we say no to Bauji’s request!” said Naren’s wife Anu.
“How’s your legal practice going on?” Naren asked Vineet.
“Very hectic, as usual,” replied Vineet.
“Mamu, have you brought cakes and pasteries for us?” enquired Chinky.
“Yes, my dear.”
“Raama, we miss your smiling face in Chandigarh,” said Anu.
Raama reciprocated with his trademark smile.
“Where’ll we go for picnic this time?” asked Tinku.
“Narkanda,” suggested Raghav.
“I’ll go to Hanuman Ghat first,” said Parul.
“Do you want to thank Hanumanji for securing 93 percent marks in matriculation?” asked Sushma.
“I want to pray to God to give some sense to him,” Parul said pointing towards Aaditya with whom she shared ‘Tom & Jerry’ kind of relationship.
“Aaditya, do you still tease my baby?” Neha asked while patting Parul for securing good marks.
“How many times in a year do you both speak cordially with each other?” Smriti asked on enjoying their sweet fight.
“Two times a year,” replied Aaditya promptly.
“Really! When?”
“Once on my birthday when she wishes me politely and secondly on her birthday when I wish without teasing her,” Aaditya replied as everyone enjoyed the comedy circus with delicious food.
Raghav and Aashish were busy in getting things ready for the evening gathering in the hall.
“What’s your plan for tonight?” asked Sushma.
“We’ll play tambola first and musical chair later,” informed Raghav.
Smriti requested Vijay to play some music on the piano in the evening.
“You should have been a musician,” Smriti praised Vijay’s art.
“My fingers feel better doing the orchard work than running on the piano,” said Vijay.
The farmhouse work was not just a source of living for Vijay but also a medium of job satisfaction.
“Bauji, you always lose money in tambola, more than anyone else,” Sushma said while counting her prize money.
“Which grandfather would like to win from his grandchildren?” Bauji replied. He wholeheartedly participated in every activity, be it tambola or dance.
“The joy of seeing all the children and grandchildren in full festive mood is more than any other happiness in the world,” Bauji said to Kamal when everyone else was hooked to the musical chair programme.
“It’s an unparalleled grace of God on our family that our strong bond defies the self-centred modern day culture,” said Kamal.
“Raghav, start the DJ,” Rajni asked as she could not wait any longer to storm the dance floor.
“Didi looks like a drunkard dancer every time she lets herself loose on the dancing arena,” Naren said to Vineet as both of them joined her.
“Play some Punjabi pop music,” said Sushma who was also in full swing.
“Smriti bhabhi, don’t be shy,” Chinky said asking her to join them.
“Are you dancing or plucking fruits from a tree?” Vineet said to his wife Jyoti.
“What about you? Jumping like a frog!” Jyoti shot back.
“The kids of today are unbelievable dancers,” Vijay said on seeing Aaditya, Tinku, Chinky and Parul performing like trained dancers.
“Dadaji, what are you waiting for? Come on,” requested Raghav as by then almost everyone was on the dance floor.
“Bauji, do it like me,” Tinku shouted as he wanted the old man to dance like Bipasha Basu on the Bidi number.
“It seems that a football is bouncing on the field,” Kamal commented on his wife Rajni when she was jumping up and down on a Brazilian song.
“And it seems that a hockey stick is moving on its own towards the goal post,” Rajni fired back at her lean husband.
After an exhaustive dance session everyone seated for the dinner.
“I enjoyed the naughty tussle among the elders more than the dancing,” said Smriti.
“I want you all in the garden at 6 in the morning for yoga session,” Bauji said as he was a devoted follower of Swami Ramdev.
6 a.m.! The children found it a tough demand on holidays.
“I have controlled my diabetes problem through Pranayam,” said Kamal.
“India’s yoga-art is flowering in America also,” said Aashish.
“If you want to remain fit and free of disease forever, better follow Swami Ramdev,” suggested Anu.
“Bhaiya, you follow Kamdev after dinner,” Raghav whispered in Aashish’s ears making both of them split with laughter.
“Raama, have you packed everything?” Vijay enquired on the morning of the day when they were going for a day’s picnic to Narkanda.
“I have kept everything in your car,” informed Raama.
“Why aren’t we moving? What are we waiting for?” Chinky asked getting impatient by the delay.
“Jagdeep will join us with his family. We are waiting for them,” said Vijay. For him, his friend was no less than any other family member.
“Sorry, we made you wait longer,” Jagdeep said as soon as he arrived with wife Shilpa and sons, Sahil and Mayank.
They all exchanged pleasantries.
“Your sons are goin
g great guns,” Rajni complimented Jagdeep as his sons were academic toppers.
“It’s all your blessings,” said Shilpa.
“Sahil cleared the CAT exam last year and is studying in
IIM-Ahmedabad. Mayank is in the second year of computer engineering in IIT-Kanpur,” Jagdeep boasted his sons’ achievements.
“What do you plan to do after completing Graduation now?” Aashish asked Raghav when they were roaming in Narkanda.
“I want to do Post Graduation in Psychology,” replied Raghav.
“What are the career options for you after doing this?” asked Aashish.
“I want to write books on my subject. Counselling and Psychiatry are other options.”
When everyone else was busy in shopping, Jagdeep took Vijay aside.
“How’s the mood of Bauji now?” enquired Jagdeep.
“You know Bauji’s nature. He is very emotional when it comes to his dream of opening a charitable home in the land near the Giri river,” said Vijay.
“My proposal was for your benefit only. I’ll still ask you to ponder over the merits of my proposal,” said Jagdeep.
Jagdeep desperately wanted to make Vijay comply with his scheme of things.
“Yaar, when have I refused you for anything? We’ll cross this bridge too when we come over it,” replied Vijay opening a window of opportunity for him.
They all enjoyed the views from there. The lunch prepared by Maharaj was delicious as usual.
“Aaditya, which subject you fared best in your exam?” Rajni asked when they were having lunch.
“He topped in English,” Parul said promptly before he could answer.
“He got 48 marks in English while in all other subjects he could not touch the bar he set in English,” Parul explained as she left no stone unturned in taking a dig at her brother.
“You are a sweetie Parul. Do come to my home in Amritsar in your next holidays,” said Rajni.
“Buaji, she has to come to Amritsar one day but she’ll not stay in your home. There is already a suitable place for her there,” Aaditya shot back referring to the famous mental asylum of Amritsar.
The merry making time ended. Rajni’s family was the first to leave.
“Good time flies so fast. It seems we have woken up from a dream,” Aashish said while packing his luggage.
“Now another cycle of waiting for a year,” said Raghav.
“Neha, I am sorry to leave so early this time. Smriti’s parents have invited all of us,” said Rajni.
Vijay embraced Sushma in his arms while taking her towards the gate.
“Mamaji, why are you taking me towards the car in this fashion?” Sushma asked.
“I am just doing the practice for your bidai as I’ll take you like this towards your doli when you’ll get married,” replied an emotional Vijay bringing tears in everyone’s eyes.
“Sometimes I feel that it would have been better if had I chosen Shimla High Court for my practice. Then we would have been living together,” Vineet said when his time to depart came.
“I have packed a box of besan burfi for you,” Neha said as she treated Vineet like her son ever since she moved in the villa after her marriage.
“Bauji, please come to Delhi during winters for a thorough medical check up,” insisted Jyoti.
“I can’t match the pace of life there,” replied Bauji who seldom moved out of Devpur.
“Raghav, now start taking interest in the farmhouse business. How long will jijaji shoulder the responsibility?” Naren advised.
“Mamu, I want to pursue education. Moreover, I am not interested in this,” replied Raghav.
The villa looked a deserted place after everyone had left.
Raghav was feeling sad. So Bauji tried to cheer him up.
“Life moves in this fashion only,” said Bauji. “We’ll go for a walk in the morning.”
They both used to converse on various topics, including astrology, in which Bauji had deep knowledge.
3
Path of Wisdom
“An educated person is one who can explain colour even to a blind person.”
They followed the route towards the Trekkers Hut for their morning walk.
“Dadaji, how long have you been following this routine of walking and exercising?”
“I have strictly adhered to self discipline in my life which
includes waking up early in the morning and keeping myself physically fit,” said Bauji.
“Does getting up early in the morning really have a positive effect on our health?”
“I firmly believe that one must wake up before the first rays of the sun descend on earth. It increases your vitality. You’ll be surprised to know that I have never been seriously ill during my life. It’s due to old age now that ailments like asthma have cropped up.” Bauji said.
“These trees of devdar give breezy winds even in the month of June now,” Raghav said on the route which had trees of devdar on both sides.
“That’s why I decided to settle in Devpur instead of Shimla. I came to Shimla with my uncle after my father passed. I was very young then. I found this place very close to nature and decided to stay here.”
“When did you buy the land and the orchard here?” asked Raghav.
“I didn’t buy all this property in a single shot. In the beginning, I lived in a rented house in Shimla and worked with a forest contractor in Devpur. I bought the apple orchard in 1966. When the separate state of Himachal was created, the owners of the orchard moved to their native place in Punjab. They sold their orchard to me for two thousand rupees,” replied Bauji.
“Two thousand rupees only!” Raghav wondered.
“Two thousand rupees was a big amount then. I had to borrow a loan of nine hundred rupees from a private moneylender which I paid back in two years.”
“And when did you buy the villa land?”
“My lucky charm, I bought this land in 1985 when you were born.”
“Really! I didn’t know.”
“You don’t know many other things as well, Bauji said with a smile on his face.”
“Like what?”
“That I bought this land on your name,” replied a jubilant grandfather.
“I am amazed,” said Raghav.
“My business of orchard and contractorship flourished there after. Earlier we used to live in the cottage inside our orchard. When I raised sufficient money, I took the task of constructing this beautiful villa. My fortune shone like the rising sun after I entered here. That’s why I named it ‘The Sunrise Villa’. After sometime I bought the land near the Giri river. In the meantime, I also bought properties in Delhi and settled Vineet there.”
“Dadaji, up to what standard have you studied?”
“9th standard.”
“Only 9th standard! Then how did you get so much knowledge?”
“Raghav, education is not received but achieved. I couldn’t continue my studies due to financial constraints at home. I had to earn a living for my family as I was the eldest. But my yearning for education didn’t diminish. I used to read books of my interest regularly.”
“Many people come to you for astrological consultations. How did you attain this knowledge?”
“I used to visit Hanuman Ghat regularly. The priest of the temple was a learned astrologer as well. My bond with him grew stronger when I took care of him during his illness. Seeing my eagerness to learn new things, he started imparting the knowledge of astrology to me. Today this knowledge has become a tool for me to serve others.”
“Is astrology a science?”
“Yes, it is based on the calculations made on the placement of the planets in the universe.”
“If it’s a science you should know the exact future of anyone.”
“Not exact but i
n bits and pieces. Astrology is a reflection of your past life deeds. It indicates about the future which is based on the acts you did in your previous birth.”
“Do you believe in reincarnation?” asked Bauji.
“Yes. Being a student of Psychology I believe that our soul travels in different bodies. There is a book titled ‘Many Lives Many Masters’ by Dr. Brian Weiss, who is a doctor and psychiatric. In this book, he has narrated a real incident about a girl who visited her many previous births when hypnotised. There are many things which have not come within the full grasp of man. These include subjects like aliens, UFOs, the mystery of Bermuda triangle etc. Is astrology one among them?” asked Raghav.
“A large pool of the knowledge of astrology is still untapped. Rishis of the past like Bhrigu touched the highest level. No one knows that much today.”
“Then what use has it for our society?” Raghav asked as they seated on a parafit near the Trekkers Hut.
“What do you do when it rains? You can’t stop the rain. Instead you can save yourself by using an umbrella. Likewise, astrology can just suggest the ways with which you can improve the quality of
your life.”
“Doesn’t astrology make one superstitious?”
“It’s up to every individual’s thinking. If you are mentally strong, you’ll rely on God and do your duty. But if you are weak, you’ll try to find ways to avoid your problems.”
“What approach should we have regarding life?”
“Have faith in God and follow your conscience.”
“Dadaji, I want to do Masters in Psychology. What’s your take on that?”
“I am happy that you want to pursue your interest because if you get a work of your choice then work becomes a joy. But do remember that if you don’t get a work of your choice, treat it as the choice of God and give it your best shot,” advised Bauji.
“Who is the biggest exponent in the field of astrology till date?” asked Raghav.
“I can’t name a single figure as the pinnacle of this study but I got interested in it when I came to know that Hanumanji also studied it and wrote a scripture on astrology named ‘Hanuman Jyotish’.”
This generated Raghav’s interest as his own idol had made a foray in this field.
“You’ll have a student of astrology with you from tomorrow.