Early 2020 turned out to be very difficult year for us. I had health problems, with a persistent pain in my right hand, which was not relieved by physiotherapy. My hemoglobin too was low, and capsules for iron weren't helping. On top of that, in July, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with DLBCL (diffuse large B cell lymphoma). She came to stay with us in Delhi and went for half a dozen chemotherapy sessions.
One of her sisters would frequently enquire about her wellbeing and often say "Guruji will take care of everything". Whenever she would talk to me, she would say "Jai Guruji". My family and I were not aware of Guruji. We were devotees of Sai Baba.
By the first month of the following year, my mother-in-law had completed her treatment and planned to return to her home. At this point, my husband came to know of Guruji at an acquaintance's shop, where he saw Guruji's
swaroop. My husband confided to his friend about mom-in-law's disease, and my friend suggested that she go to Bade Mandir and have
jal prasad there. There wasn't enough time to take my mother-in-law to the Mandir, but the next day, my husband went to Bade Mandir on a pretext. He did not get jal prasad, but a
kinnow (keenu, or tangerine) as prasad. And he was given a swaroop.
At home, my husband asked me to distribute the keenu to the family and to keep the swaroop in mummy's luggage. I took my husband to task, wondering if he did not have faith in Baba. He said no harm could come from following his friend's suggestion. The matter passed. When later I went to the kitchen for work, I had a vision of Guruji, attired in a pink
chola. He told me: "
Je tere naal hove taan mannegi. Ley tera vi kadd dena." (When it happens to you, then you will believe. Here, I have taken your pain away too). I had earlier seen His swaroop at several shops, but here Guruji was right in front of me.
My mother-in-law soon left, and the pain in my arm, forgotten while dealing with mummy's disease, returned. I now found that I also had pain in my right breast, where I could feel a lump. Tests showed that I had breast cancer. At that point, I immediately asked my husband to take me to Bade Mandir. This was during Covid, so entries to the Mandir were managed through e-passes. We went without one and were allowed entry after we apprised the
sewadaars of my medical condition. Just outside the Mandir shoe stand, an unknown lady asked for our mobile, so she could call her husband. When she came to know we were first timers, she remarked memorably that people were even cured of cancer at the Mandir. She walked away after saying 'Jai Guruji', and we returned after having
darshan and
langar prasad.
Doctors advised breast surgery and chemotherapy, which I was afraid of. I visited the Bade Mandir before surgery and with Guruji's grace were again allowed entry without an e-pass. Believing that Guruji's jal prasad was my chemo and my medicine, I began drinking it since that day.
At the hospital, my surgeon said there was only a 20 per cent possibility that chemo would be required after the surgery. After the operation, the doctor thought that chemo might not even be required, but referred us to the oncologist. The oncologist told us the biopsy would determine the decision. We went back to the surgeon who told us that he would have put a chemo port on the body during the surgery if it was essential. The biopsy report came: The cancer was only at stage 1 and it had not spread.
Considering my age, doctors advised me to go for a few rounds of chemo to be on the safe side. We consulted other doctors who also suggested chemo. Finally, we went back to our surgeon and told him about the advice of the oncologist, who was junior to him. He did not say anything but smiled. He took my husband aside and told him that the doctors were suggesting chemo for monetary gain. He advised a MammaPrint test to evaluate the risk of the cancer spreading. The result showed there was low risk.
It has been over 15 months since my surgery, and I have undergone several follow-up tests which have all come out to okay with Guruji's grace. I understood that it was Guruji who had communicated through the surgeon that chemo—my main fear—would not be required and that was what happened. Though I had to undergo surgery, Guruji minimized its pain. At times, I felt negative, but Guruji held my hand firmly and saved me from heading into depression as well.
Today, I take only a single tablet of medicine daily with jal prasad. I ardently pray to Guruji to hold my hand, because I am not strong enough to hold on to Him. As the divine line has it:
जे तू न फाड़दा बाह, असां रूल जाना सी, सानु किते ना मिलदी था, असां रूल जाना सी। My life has been gifted to me by Guruji. I offer my heartfelt thanks to Him. His grace is unfathomable and there is no way I can express it.
Ritu Ahuja, a devotee
July 2022