by Atul Sharma
“Don’t worry. This too shall pass away,” said Babaji. “What asset do you have now?”
“Our villa. It is spread in a big area and has a guest house and a garden, other than our home.”
“Why don’t you explore possibilities to make that a source of earning? Don’t wait for any miracle to happen to provide you money. Think positively, you might come up with an idea that can turn the tide in your favour,” suggested Babaji.
Babaji’s advice made Raghav to look at life from a different perspective. He remained quiet and thought hard.
“Delve into your past. Someone might have suggested something which can now come to your rescue,” said Babaji.
“Many people say that our villa looks like a hotel or a resort,” said Raghav. “Some even suggested that we should shift our home to some other place as this villa has the potential of becoming a commercial goldmine.”
“Their views can be your destiny now,” said Babaji.
“You mean to say that we turn our villa into a hotel to earn money,” asked Raghav.
“I don’t know much about the worldly things but what’s the harm in doing something which can be a source of ethical income,” replied Babaji.
“How can we turn our home into a hotel and where’ll we live then?” asked Raghav.
“It is up to you to decide. You can make your home a weapon to finish your debt,” replied Babaji.
“It’ll be a tough decision to convert our home into a hotel forever,” said Raghav.
“Where’s the need to do that work forever?” asked Babaji. “Your primary obligation is to repay your debt. After you are done with it, you can again make it your home. You are a young man with a lot of potential. Do something then you are interested in.”
“I am interested in doing counselling and writing work in my subject but I don’t see an opportunity for me at present,” said Raghav.
“Opportunities are not seen but created. If you are interested in writing, start writing. There is no other way to excel in life than to start living your dreams,” said Babaji. “Your inner self is your best guide. Talk to yourself, question yourself. You’ll find all the answers within. If you are passionate for your work, God will make someone a medium for you to achieve your goal.”
“Babaji, I have a desire. Can it be fulfilled?”
“What’s it?” asked Babaji.
“I want to see and meet Hanumanji although I know that I haven’t done anything special to fulfil my wish.”
Babaji smiled.
“Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,” chanted Babaji. “Hanuman ko kya dhoondna, dhoondna hai to Shri Ram ko dhoondo. God always loves those who remember Him. If you have faith in God, it’ll take you to Him. But if you love God, it brings Him to you.”
There was a call on Raghav’s cell phone.
“Raghav, where are you?” asked Neha.
“Maa, I’m at Hanuman Ghat.”
“Come home soon,” asked Neha.
“What happened? Any urgency!”
“I’ll tell when you come,” Neha said in a happy mood.
“Babaji, my mother has called me. I want your permission to leave.”
“I’ll also leave for some other destination,” said Babaji.
“Why? Won’t you stay here for some days?” asked Raghav.
“I am a wandering yogi. I don’t stay long at one place. Maybe God had sent me to talk to you,” replied Babaji.
“Babaji, you have infused a new hope in my dying spirit. I thought my life was over but you showed me a way which can put my life back on track. You have also made me realise that Nandini has left me in body only and not in spirit. I’ll always remember you as my guide and my friend.”
“Make God your friend because He is the eternal friend and this friendship never perishes,” said Babaji.
“Babaji, please visit this place again. I’ll wait for you. And don’t forget me, my name is Raghav.”
“I can never forget you and your name,” Babaji replied with a divine smile on his face.
“Babaji, can I hug you?” asked Raghav.
Babaji hugged Raghav. Raghav felt immense joy. They both looked at each other. Raghav felt that Babaji’s eyes were showering plenty of love and blessings on him. He didn’t want to take his eyes away from the glowing face of the saint. He touched his feet. Babaji put his hand on his head and chanted ‘Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’.
Those were the last words that Raghav heard from the saint and those words now permanently resided in his heart.
“Raghav, I have a good news for you,” Neha said as soon as he came back.
“Even I want to share something good with you but you tell first,” said Raghav.
“Your papa stood up on his own from the bed,” said Neha in high spirits.
“Really!!! Raghav was on cloud nine.”
“When I brought food for him I saw him trying to stand on his own. I let him do that and after a little struggle he succeeded. I also called Dr. Rao after I called you. He said that this is a signal that he’ll recover soon now,” said Neha.
“Raghav went to his father’s room. He was sleeping.”
“What did you want to tell me?” asked Neha.
“Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,” said Raghav. “Today I met a saint at Hanuman Ghat. I was spellbound by his aura. He was very graceful and affectionate. My mind calmed down in his presence.”
“Where had he come from?”
“He said that he wanders from place to place. I feel he had come to guide me.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Ask what he not told me. His words were magical. He cleared my doubts, answered all my questions and infused confidence in me. He told me there’s life after death and that I haven’t lost Nandini forever. He said that he was like a friend to me.”
“It means you discussed everything with him,” asked Neha.
“I don’t know how it all started. I told him what all happened with me recently. His replies and suggestions were spot on. He asked me to make efforts to earn money to repay the debt and brought me to a conclusion which generated hope of recovery. He told me to think innovatively to make our villa an earning source.”
“How?”
“When I told him that many people say that our villa
gives the impression of a hotel, he suggested me to follow that
course for sometime to earn money. I think he was right because for how long we’ll keep on selling your jewellery to meet our expenses.”
“How’s it possible?”
“Maa, I believe that turning our villa into a hotel is a very good proposition because this is the only way we can earn money now. We won’t have to sell jewellery or borrow money from others to redeem our lost pride, our orchard. We both can do our bit to pull ourselves out of this mess.”
“Is it a practical idea and where will we live if we convert our home into a hotel?”
“There’s nothing impractical about it. I agree that it’s a completely unknown zone for us but with time we too can learn the tricks of this trade. I have thought of a solution for us to reside. The guest house can be our makeshift home.”
“Will you be happy to do so?” asked Neha.
“It’s a matter of need, not choice. Moreover, we’ll close this business when our debt will be cleared because then we’ll get back our earning source. I know that I’ll feel sad on seeing my home as a hotel but we don’t have any other option. Do we?”
“I see merit in this plan,” said Neha. “I am happy too. Not just for the light I’m seeing at the end of the tunnel but because my son has held the torch to light our way.”
They discussed the plan with Vijay. He couldn’t speak properly but he understood their proposal and nodded in affirmation.
“May God bless us to
come out with flying colours,” Raghav said and chanted ‘Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’.
“Raghav, I have noticed that you are chanting this mantra a lot since you have come here from Hanuman Ghat,” said Neha.
“Babaji, whom I met there, chanted this a lot. “It has subconsciously entered my mind.”
“Really!!! How did he look like?” asked Neha animatedly.
“I told you that he was elegant and poised. I haven’t seen someone as pleasing to the eye as he was,” replied Raghav.
“How did you feel when you were with him?” asked Neha.
“Maa, I was extremely relaxed in his presence. But why are you looking so thrilled?”
Neha smiled to which Raghav asked the reason.
“Bauji once told me during the ‘Ramayan Paath’ that this is the mantra which Hanumanji always chants; it’s mentioned in the scriptures,” said Neha.
“You mean ‘Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’,” asked Raghav.
“Yes,” said Neha. Her eyes sparkled as much as her smile.
Raghav’s thoughts came to a halt. He was speechless and motionless.
“What does it mean?” asked Raghav.
“Maybe the saint who blessed you was none other than Hanumanji Himself,” said Neha. “Your dear God might have come to calm down your depressed mind and to show you the way for future.”
Raghav was in seventh heaven. He was madly driven by the thought that if what his mother is telling is true then he had seen the God Himself.
“Say something,” asked Neha.
“If it’s true then why didn’t I get even a small hint? The aura that I saw in Babaji could certainly be of Hanumanji. And even if he was not Hanumanji, your view itself has made my life successful. I can’t forget the other happiness that I have got today. Papa has also shown remarkable improvement in his health today only. He has really blessed all of us.”
“Maybe He wanted to meet you as a friend only,” said Neha.
“He told me that he won’t forget me and my name,” said Raghav.
“How can He forget your name because it is another name of Lord Ram!” said Neha.
Raghav took out the car and rushed to Hanuman Ghat. He went to the place of their interaction. Babaji was not there. Raghav was still ecstatic because if Babaji was Hanumanji then He had blessed him with Nandini’s love forever.
Raghav could not sleep that night. He remained immersed in recollecting his divine interaction with Babaji. He considered himself the luckiest person in the world because he was not only blessed by the God but had found an eternal friend in Him.
After a couple of days, Raghav decided to put his focus on converting the villa into a hotel. He visited many hotels in Shimla to see the real and practical side of the business. It was evident that the rooms in the villa matched the best in the business. He gathered information about how to proceed further to apply for the registration with the concerned authorities.
After preparing all the documents, he put his application in the office of the Hospitality and Tourism department. The department found the proposal viable and the inspection team visited the villa after some days.
“The outer view is amazing,” said one member of the inspection team on entering the villa.
“How many rooms do you have?” asked the inspector.
“There are eight rooms in the villa. All rooms have attached bathrooms and balconies too,” replied Raghav.
The inspection team viewed the complete villa from inside. One good thing about the villa was that it had all the facilities that are must for any hotel. The kitchen and the dining hall were spacious. There was already a games room, a hall and a library room in the villa. There was ample parking facility. The drawing room was modified to give the look of the reception area.
Raghav was called to the office of the department after some days. He was given the approval letter by the department and was asked to make necessary arrangements like official stationery, cutlery, linen, staff dresses and installation of room intercom facility. The tariff of the rooms was fixed as well. It was kept two thousand rupees per day for six deluxe rooms and three thousand for two super deluxe suites. The family decided to keep ‘The Sunrise Villa’ as the name of the new hotel.
Meanwhile, the family shifted to the guest house. It was a tough and emotional moment for them to leave their home. The employees in the villa got new designations for the old roles. Pratap, the accountant of the orchard business, became the manager. Maharaj was now the chef of the hotel. Raama and Sanju became waiter-cum-housekeeper. Manoj had the same duty of cleaning the villa. The marketing work was started through website and online bookings. Raghav tied with Baxsons Tours and Travels, a leading travel agency, to get good business.
The villa was re-inaugurated as a hotel. People showed their inclination to visit Devpur and stay there. Raghav and the employees didn’t feel any charm because the new guests would be strangers and not the relatives or friends.
“Smooth roads never make good drivers. This experience will make you strong and wise,” Neha raised Raghav’s morale on the inauguration day. “God is not rubbing you against rocks, He is just polishing a gem.”
8
Life as a Challenge
“In the SUNrise villa he shone like the MOON in the darkest hour of his life when no sunlight was around.”
Back to the present
After spending a week in the villa H.S. Dhillon prepared to leave.
“Raghav, I felt huge relief here. I’ll keep in touch with you and will come again,” said Dhillon while leaving.
“I have shortlisted these two candidates for the job of cook and kitchen helper.” Pratap introduced them to Raghav.
“Vinay is a cook and has an experience of six years in this trade.” Pratap introduced the first one.
“What’s your name?” Raghav asked the other boy who was a teenager.
“Sir, I’m Balbir. I belong to Uttarakhand. I don’t have any prior working experience but I’ll do any work which you’ll assign to me.”
“You are very young. What forced you to work so early?” asked Raghav.
“My father expired three months ago. My mother does tailoring work. Her income isn’t sufficient for our family, so I want to work.”
“I’m impressed with your approach. Will you do the kitchen work like washing cutlery etc.,” asked Raghav.
“Yes Sir,” Balbir replied happily.
“I have discussed the salary part with them,” informed Pratap.
Michael Henry returned from his second sightseeing trip of Devpur.
“How’s your academic work going on?” asked Raghav.
“I had come here to devote my attention on my thesis work but I’m rather spending more time exploring Devpur,” replied Michael.
“Not bad,” said Raghav. “You can take care of your studies once you are back to New Zeland. Till then enjoy India and Indian culture.”
“I’ll definitely miss the Indian food there, especially ‘Mitti ki roti and sarson ka baag’,” Michael said misspelling his favourite Indian cuisine.
“It’s ‘Makki ki roti and sarson ka saag’,” Raghav corrected while everyone enjoyed Michael’s Hindi accent.
“Pratap, how many bookings do we have this weekend?” asked Raghav.
“Three rooms are reserved from tomorrow onwards. A group of seven boys will stay for two nights. A retired Brigadier will check-in with his wife day after tomorrow. They’ll stay here for five days,” Pratap informed after checking the reservation chart.
A group of young boys reached the villa early in the morning the next day.
“We have a reservation here, open our rooms,” said one of them to Pratap. His arrogant tone matched his uncivilised behaviour as he sat on the sofa spreading his legs on the table in front.
“Si
r, you’ll have to wait for some time,” said Pratap. “It’ll take some time to clean the rooms.”
“Why aren’t our rooms ready by now?” asked another boy.
“The guests have just checked out. Please wait for a while,” said Raghav.
“We have paid money for a comfortable stay. Do it fast,” the boy ordered Raghav.
“It’s not our fault, you have come early. The check-in time is 12 noon,” said Raama. He was disturbed because one of them had spoken harshly with Raghav.
“Raama, we’ll have to bear many things from now onwards,” Raghav said after the boys had settled in their rooms.
The boys took no time to disturb the tranquillity of the villa. There were loud noises, loose talk and banging on the floor. Michael Henry and other guests complained about it.
“Tell them not to disturb others,” Raghav asked Pratap.
“I have requested them many a times to maintain peace inside the villa but they are unresponsive,” replied Pratap.
“They have asked me to serve dinner to them at 12 in the night,” Raama informed Raghav in the evening.
“Didn’t you tell them that kitchen service closes at 11?” asked Raghav.
“They didn’t listen to me,” replied Raama.
Raghav himself went to their rooms to ask them to take the dinner early and to not to disturb others.
“Will you teach us the manners now?” said one of them. “We’ll have dinner only after our drink session.”
“Get out and don’t disturb us again!” one of them shouted on Raghav.
“Raghav Anand, welcome to Sunrise Villa – The Hotel,” Raghav said to himself when he returned from the room. For the first time in his life, he was asked to get out from his own home.
The unrestrained behaviour of the boys took the house by storm that evening. By the time they went to sleep after dinner it was 2 a.m. in the morning.
“Why have you come so late today?” asked Neha.
“A group of boys disturbed us the whole day with their unruly behaviour.”
“When’ll they go back?”