In May 2023, the 52-year-old Smt. Menaka Malik visited Prasanthi Nilayam for the seva as she had done on the previous 10 occasions. She had been visiting Prasanthi for seva since 2014. As part of the seva, the sevadals have to register themselves at the registration counter outside the Ladies Sevadal Hostel in Prasanthi Nilayam. 

“When I stood there, I saw someone going past me, someone wearing red. When I turned around and looked it was Sai Baba. Though I had seen Sai Baba in photos I never had Baba’s Darshan in flesh and blood. I could not believe my eyes. I thought maybe it was a dream, but it was not, it was for real. He looked at me intently and just walked past. I looked around and realised that I was the only person who could see Him, as all the others around me were just going about their business. I felt thrilled. Now I feel that it was a blessing He was giving me for what was to happen next,” she said.

Smt. Menaka registered herself with the West Bengal sevadal and as it was past noon, she hurried to the Ashram canteen for lunch. Incidentally her area in charge Sri. Koushik Nandi was just a few steps behind her. He was also going to the canteen for lunch. The main street of the Ashram looked slightly more crowded as the new Sevadals walked past her for registration. The canteen was still a few steps away when Smt. Menaka felt as if she was suddenly without energy. Her left side of her body ached, and she found herself losing balance. “It all started going dark in front of my eyes and I think I just collapsed on the ground right outside the canteen,” she said.

As mentioned, her Sevadal area in-charge Sri Koushik Nandy was right behind her and he could recognise her. Sri Nandi rushed to her help and immediately alerted our State Office bearers and within a few minutes the Ashram ambulance was on the spot. The ambulance rushed Smt. Menaka to the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital (SSSGH), Prasanthi Nilayam, where doctors immediately realised that she had had a heart attack. The SSSGH doctors stabilised her and then referred her to the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS), Prasanthigram's cardiology department. 

The moment Smt. Menaka reached the emergency department at SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, she was rushed to the Catheterisation Laboratory of the Cardiology Department for an emergency angioplasty. Stents were placed in her blocked heart vessels and for recovery, she was kept in the Cardiac Care Unit. Swami's Hospital provides every kind of treatment totally free of charge to all people irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion or nationality. It is a big boon, especially for the poor and the needy. 

“I remember having a blackout, but the next thing I remember was that I was in a grand AC hall that looked like an expensive hotel. I woke up and felt why was I there. I was told that I was in Swami’s hospital. I was asking myself, why was I in Swami’s hospital when there was nothing wrong with me? Only later I came to know that I had had a heart attack in the Ashram and was brought here for treatment and my life was saved,” she said. 

Smt. Menaka Malik and her husband belong to a very poor family. They are landless labourers. When the requirement of labour comes down, they grow vegetables on a rented piece of land and sell it on a pushcart. She was introduced to Swami by one of the Sai Samithi members in the area around 10 years ago and since then she has been a regular member of the sevadal from the region. Such is the zeal of the Smt. Menaka that whatever the circumstances, she will make it a point to visit Puttaparthi for Swami's Seva. 

“Me and my husband have three children and with our hard work, we managed to marry off all of them. Now in our house me and my husband only stay. Whatever happens, we have to come for Swami's Seva. We both have noticed that since we started coming for Seva, our situation back home has improved a lot. This is all Swami's Grace," she says and smiles. “We work the whole year and with what we save, with that money, we come for Swami's seva,” she added. 

Jai Sai Ram