Chapter V

Presence in Absentia

One Janki Nath Patwari's father (name not recollected) one fine morning left his home after his breakfast to attend the court of law in connection with his land dispute. It was probably the last day of discussion and argumentation in the court.

On emerging from the lane leading from his house to the road outside, he encountered Swami Ji, followed by a group of his followers on his usual rambles through the city. Per force, on Swami Ji's bidding, he willy nilly joined the ramble. He walked briskly as was Swami Ji's habit, thorough out the whole day, nearly upto 4 p.m. The briskness of walking had tired him. Over the exhaustion he was restless and overwhelmingly worried on account of the Court Case. He could not attend the court case for which he had started from his home. He felt very sad and sullen at the end of the day when all people left for their homes. He was too nervous to walk back home.

"My God, how hypnotised had I become to ignore my immediate interests! What had urged me to lend myself to fruitless enticement if it may be called so ? I am undone. I have lost my winning case. The Hon'ble court might have given an ex-party judgment against me", he thought to himself.

"But who, is to be blamed, but I, myself" he muttered to himself in a highly emotive and disturbed state of mind.

In such an atmosphere of his mental turmoil, his trembling legs took him to the Court premises. He ventured forth to enter the concerned office as the Court session was already over. He enquired about the judgment or the date of next hearing. He was quite uncertain of the fate of his case.

"What a nuisance are you? You were very much yourself present during the deliberations. How many times should I tell you that it has been fixed for 15th November?" Feeling surprised he pressed for more information. The concerned clerk got irritated and retorted him and said " How pestering you are ? How dare you interfere with my office work?" He felt astonished when the truth dawned upon his mind. He felt as if he himself was present in the court during the  proceedings of the case while participating in Swami Ji's rambles at the same time. Soon after the case was decided outside the court by mutual   agreement in his favour.

One Kashi Nath of Nunar village who was working in the police department had to stand at the head of a group of his colleagues in a guest house occupied by some V.I.P. guests of the State Chief Minister, Shri G.M. Sadiq Sahib. On the very first day of his assignment, when he left his Karfali Mohalla residence, he was lured to accompany Swami Ji and his group of followers. He joined their tour around the city. He could not resist the persuasion. He was allowed to go after full one week during which he was expected to be on duty with the V.I.P.s.

Trembling and apprehensive, he went to attend his duties  expecting only to receive his dismissal order for his absence and dereliction of his duty. Instead, he is said to have been sent for by the Chief Minister himself on his arrival. The Chief Minister is said to have patted him and honoured him with appreciation for his devotion to duty as had been conveyed to him by his V.I.P. guests. Kashi Nath heaved a sigh of relief.

How unbelievable, but true !

The Petrol Incident

Petrol storage in advance

An Executive Engineer, Shri O.N. Thusoo, once purchased acan of petrol at some concessional rate, though he did not need it. His family members dumped it somewhere in the store room. Time passed by and all was forgotten about it.

Once while Mr. Thusoo was sitting comfortably among his family members, there was knocking at the door. The family, being deeply absorbed in gossip, did not hear it till the knocking became quite louder and more violent. Suddenly Mr. Thusoo got up and asked as to who was knocking at the door. He looked out of the window and was greeted with a "Salaam" by some gentleman, saying further he was sent by Swami Ji to call him out. Swami Ji was waiting in a car outside near the roadside.

Mr. Thusoo accompanied the gentleman to the car. There Swami Ji asked him to immediately fill the tank of the vehicle with petrol for full day's journey. Pandit Ji's mind reeled for a while  followed by a flash of uncertain recollection. He ran back home and told his family members about Swami Ji's demand and asked for the petrol can. The fuel tank of the vehicle was filled with petrol for the day's journey.

What a surprise it was for the family! They wondered how Swami Ji had anticipated the storage of petrol in that remote rural locality, Aishimuquam, lacking automobile traffic during those days.

Marital Verdict

The Marriage Problem

One of the sons of a Sumbly family was adamant not to get married, or at least, it seemed to be so. He always declined to marry till he was almost past the marriageable stage so much so that his parents had lost all hope of pushing him into any matrimonial relationship. 

But the parental aspirations would not and did not permit them to give up hope. As the last attempt they sought Swami Ji's advice and help to the extent possible to put their son on the wheels of family life.

" Why do people try to tie a robust youth to the peg of the green valley ? Can't they cherish the idea of his going out of this snowy circle of mountains to find his solace somewhere else?" was the retort the parents were greeted with as soon as they entered Swami Ji's room and sat amidst other people.

None but the parents of the boy turned pale on hearing this. They apprehended that they had lost their son to that tribe of yellow robed wandering saints.

But not long after, their son went to Kishtwar in connection with his service and got himself married there with the welcome  participation of his aggrieved parents and close relatives.