jal ja jal ja ishq mein jal ja... jale so kundan hoe…
It’s all about dedication, sincerity and “madness”. Yes, you got it right, MADNESS. Let yourself be mad in love and for the one you love. This love can be for a human or for GOD!! Even if it is for a human, it ends up loving God as it’s said that ‘inside every heart resides He, who created the world.’ And loving Him is the final destination for our souls. The soul yearns for true love and to give it what it yearns for is the task of madness!
I had no idea what was waiting for me over there. I just dusted the rooms for my cousins to spend the night and leave for the function there. I was excited for several reasons but the one I’m writing about never crossed my mind. I was tired and dirty by the time they got near our home. I washed my face and was now ready to receive them. It was around 11 o’ clock and they stood there almost ready to leave again. And then came the news, we were leaving for the lovely place right then! I changed into my jeans and in about 5 minutes we were already on our journey. About 50 minutes of falling from left to right on the back seat took us to the holy ‘Ashram’ in the beautiful valleys of ‘Dharampur’. Pretty near my home but still I was unaware of its presence. We climbed up the stairs and were then ushered into ‘Maharajji’ ji’s room. It was an honor that he was waiting for us at this time (midnight). The calmness in his voice and face, took away all the discomfort of the journey and uneasiness of meeting him for the first time. We sat there, sipping hot milk and listening to him. I loved it when he said that ‘we serve hot beverages only to those whom we want to stay longer’.
The meeting ended as I took the last sip and we left for our hotel. The suite was big and ‘scary’ (for me). Three people slept on a single bed with the extra bedding lying empty thanks to the achluophobic part of me. I hugged my blanket, cuddled up and slept off with the meeting with ‘Swamiji’ and the expectations for the next day in mind.
Next morning, we woke up, got ready and rushed back to the ‘Ashram’ just in time for tasty ‘paranthas’ and ‘dahi’. Then we all set for the preparations for the evening.
By 4 o’clock, Divyanand ji, the next Guru (about 11yrs in age), disappointed with his visit to ‘Monkey point’, decided to go to Pinjore. I gave an idea and it was accepted so instead of going to Pinjore, Divyanand ji left for chakki mod with me accompanying him with few more friends. We bought a football on the way and took off. Chakki mod, a small river was totally dry, but thanks to Bharat’s newly discovered trekking spot, I was saved from his anger. We all trekked for around half an hour and reached our destination. Divyanand ji was delighted and played there happily. On our way back to the Ashram, we stopped over at Mc Donald’s and ate our burgers still drenched due to our water play at the brook. We clicked pictures, making cute poses and enjoyed a lot. Finally at the Ashram we had to get ready fast and I had to leave for the hotel for that. Luckily, I found Sidharth on his way to the hotel.
We came back to the Ashram in about half an hour and it was then that I realized that it isn’t until you reach your destination that you feel your real purpose of being there. And my purpose became pretty clear when I dressed up as ‘Gopi’ for the natkhat ‘Krishan’ ji’s raslila with our beautiful ‘Radha-rani’. Though we all were looking plumpy in the make-up and pink lehangas, it was an act to remember. Garima bhabhi as Radha and Charu as Krishan- an awesome couple was being eyed upon by Akash ‘ji’ :P. but unluckily only to be noticed by everyone other than Radhaji herself. Materialistically, it was an odd experience of Radha doing ‘ringa ringa roses’ with her own ‘saasuma’ (maousiji) and husband taking aarti of his wife and how to forget Radhaji helping Gopi’s to get ready! But spiritually, it was a beautiful act, which filled everyone with enthusiasm and filled hearts with unlimited joy. The Bhajan Sandhya ‘rocked’ everyone to the core. The night ended with dinner and tasty mangoes as sweet dish. We ate happily with makeup still sticking to our faces just like our smiles.
The next day started with Pravachan and beautiful bhajans by ‘Maharajji’. I helped as ‘sewadar’ for the ‘langar’. It was fun asking saying repeatedly “Kadhi Ramji” “Paneer Ramji” and serving ‘papad’, ‘puri’ and mangoes along with Bhavanshu was even more fun. It was great until he decided to give out ‘papads’ and asked me to hold the carton because then started the hilarious part. He would miss out every second person who asked for ‘papad’ and I would shout “Oye, idhar bhi!!”
After seva, we sat for our seva and ate with laughing bouts, all thanks to Akash Bhaiya’s “Sita experience”.
After lunch, we went into ‘Maharajji’ to meet him before he left for jalandhar. We had tea (again hot) in his room and he gave us ‘Prasad’ and t-shits. We all left with smiling faces and then Mom, masadji and renu didi left for home. We stayed back.
I went upstairs to see the ashram with Bhavanshu and we went onto the slanting roof like in movies (Main hu naa). When it was time for us to leave, bhabhi’s parents asked her to stop for the night and though she was hesitant she agreed and even bhaiya agreed to much of our surprise. Me and bhaiya left the ashram and while on way he remembered that the keys were with bhabhi. That was the time he realized that “she won’t be there whole day”. He called her up and asked her to come back home. She so happily agreed to it. We got together with Sidharth, Gaurav bhaiya and Neeraj uncle in other car. We stopped over at Mc d’s and also at a roadside spot for photo session.
The whole trip was awesome and full of unforgettable moments. I’ll never forget those hugging the front seat on the whole drive to Dharmpur, packing ‘laddus’, french fries poses at Mc Donald’s with Divyanand ji and friends, getting ready for the ‘sakhi’ role, the raslila, Bhabhi’s kurta, ‘langar’ fun with Bhavanshu, ‘khatti litchis’ by Sidharth, rooftop adventure with Bhavanshu, meetings with ‘Maharajji’, stop overs at CCD and Mc Donald’s, photo session near timber trail, Gaurav Bhaiya’s “gaadi side pe lagau” and shouts and finally teasing Sidharth for a sentence. So much in just two days!
This is what I call “SPREADING SPIRITUALISM IN A FUN WAY”!!
