I consider myself extremely blessed to have Bhagawan Baba as my Beloved God. 

Now how I came to Swami’s Divine fold is an interesting story. 

I come from the Himalayan state of Sikkim of India. If my memory serves me right, I think I was 13 or 14 years old when Swami came in my dream for the first time. In fact it was a series of three dreams and He told me something very sweetly and embraced me, but I could not understand a word of what He said. But the warmth of His motherly embrace stayed with me. This was the time, when there were no Sai Samiti in the vicinity of my home.  We used to travel miles to reach the nearest Sai Centre. 

 In the year 1975, Bhagawan’s 50th Birthday, I got the first opportunity to visit Puttaparthi for the second World Conference as a delegate from India. During that period for 13 days, I got the opportunity of performing seva for 13 days as a nurse in the Poornachandra Auditorium, where a dispensary was set up for the devotees. From then onwards the desire to stay in Puttapathi permanently and perform seva came to my mind and got strengthened. And as all Swami’s devotees would know, the moment the desire came to my mind, Swami knew it then and there. 

From then onwards almost every year, Swami gave me an opportunity to perform seva at Prasanthi Nilayam. Those days I used to perform seva at the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, with Dr. Santa and Dr. Kamla. 

  The turning point in my life came in 1991, when I came to Parthi during Dashera festival and Swami came to General Hospital and told me, “Go and join the Super Specialty Hospital,” it was as if a thunderbolt had hit me. Was it for real? The yearning of decades to work permanently in Puttapathi, Swami fulfilled in a trice and pretty nonchalantly. My mind went numb for some time, but gathering my wits, I reported immediately to the Super Specialty hospital. It was in between our seva period, but I stayed put. I did not go home almost for a year. Swami then called me for an interview. “Oh so you have not gone home since you joined. Now you go see your family and be back in 20 days,” Swami told me. Swami also gave me a wrist watch, His Robe, money for my expenses. Since then till the year 2000, Swami would always call me personally and ask me to go home also paying for my expenses. While in the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, initially I was helping in the nursing department, but gradually, Swami sent me for professional nursing training at various places, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Christian Medical College, Vellore. 

While working at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, Swami granted me around 15 interviews and in each interview He would shower me with so many gifts, wrist watches, rings, when I would say Swami why so many? Swami already was paying, me salary. He would say, “keep it, your Mother is giving”. 

Those days, there were no mobile phones and the only landline in the hospital was in the conference hall of the CTVS. My father would call me once in a month on that number. That day, while the call came, I was unable to talk as the line was not clear. My mood was spoilt and in the same mood I went to my room, where my sister was waiting for me. For some petty issue, we both flared up and had an altercation. Next day when we went for Darshan, Swami called us both for interview and chided us saying, “Chota chota baat pe gussa nahin karte”, in Hindi meaning, “don’t get angry on petty issues.” We hear so many times that Swami is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, well that was a direct experience of that. 

One day in the interview room, Swami started teasing both me and my sister to get married. He told us His grand plans. He said, I will arrange a grand lunch for all the guests on the first floor of the South Indian Canteen, I will provide all ornaments and beautiful clothes to all of you, you just say yes, that is all,”. Me and my sister knew better, we may get a grand wedding, but grander still was the opportunity to serve Swami. We knew, Swami was trying to check whether, we will fall for worldly things or we really wished to be a part of His mission. When we persistently said “No”, Swami finished with, “ You both are mad.” Consequence of our little victory? Swami then looked at our father and said, “Don’t worry, your daughters are mine, I will take care of them.”And then never brought forth the topic of marriage again. And  I have continued to work at the Super Speciality hospital and my sister is the State Coordinator of   Sikkim’s state Sai Organisation. 

In my early days at Puttaparthi, I used to keep a fast three days of the week. On Monday  the auspicious day of Shiva, on Thursday, Swami’s day and on Saturday the holy day of Mother Durga. One day in the interview room Swami accosted me,

“Who is Shiva?”

“Swami You”

“Who is Durga?”

“Swami You”

“Who is Sai Maa?”

“Swami of course You”

Then Swami said, “Sai Maa does not like you fasting for three days in the week. If you wish keep fast on one day in the week, for your good health, but no three days fasting.”

There are so many experiences with Swami that writing a book will also not be enough, but suffice to say that Swami’s love is of a thousand mothers. And that love he showers on us always. He knows your deepest desires and He fulfils them better than you ever expected. He is always with us every moment, watching over us and guiding us through this world. This is my personal experience. 

Jai Sai Ram.