Thus spoke Bapu...

"Brothers, and sisters, as I have said earlier also, sex is a sin.





Sex is a sin for Hindus, every single Hindu.






A man or woman, should never indulge in intercourse, until they desire to have a child.






I know, when you share the same room, it becomes quite difficult a thing to do. I would suggest, you sleep in different rooms, until you are really sure, that, you want to have a child.






Sex is one of the greater sins of Hindus, and will only debase us, as one of the Hindu race."












I couldn't quite understand all of it. But, I felt privileged that, Bapu had thought of considering me, by his side.





I longed for no more.





To be continued.....

The newly found mother...

Sometimes, I just feel a bit too afraid.






I don't know why.







Maybe because, I lost the people I loved, and wanted to cling on to. They somehow left me, untimely.








My mother, Kasturba, and .........








I just didn't want to lose Bapu.






He had turned my mother, unusually, but truly.








November, 1944.




Bapu called me to his side. He was alone, and looked perturbed, yet calm.





I sat down, by his side.





To be continued.....

The usual days...

I met Abha Behn.

She is the better half of Kanu Bhai. A lovely, young, charming lady.

I also came across Sushila Behn. Sushila Nayyar.

She is the younger sister of Pyarelal Nayyar, Bapu's personal secretary.

Sushila Behn has also been the personal physician of Bapu, and his family, for quite some time now.

This morning I opened my eyes to Bapu, by my side.

He smiled at me, calmly, brushed his hand on my forehead, and left.

To be continued.....

A tryst with the "Gandhi"...

October, 1944.








Bapu's usual mornings would start off with an early morning bath. And, before eating even a morsel, he would pray, and have the urine of cow.







"Manu, cow is our mother. It's not her urine that I drink. It's God's gift to Hindus. It's a mother's gift to her child. It's a spiritual thing."







I would simply admire the man, and feel blessed with crumbs of his vast knowledge and flawless philosophy. Bapu was rightly called "Mahatma".





He was beyond my frugal understanding.






Bapu's ways were magnetic, for me.





I had secretly started worshipping this great soul. My only wish was, to serve him, forever.







To be continued.....

The growing familiarity...

May, 1944.






The British finally decided to give in, and released Bapu from house arrest.






Mahadev had passed away, soon after Kasturba.






We walked out of the palace, probably, for the last time.













August, 1944.






My interactions with Bapu grew increasingly familiar, with every passing day.




I had started reading and talking about his ways of life, and I had been deeply touched by his thoughts.






Back at the "ashram" (Sabarmati Ashram), Bapu resumed his routine life. I drowned myself in studying more of him, and many other things, he felt, was essential, for the apt shaping of one's personality.






Sometimes, I would just sit, alongside him, and admire him, as he would speak.






I felt truly blessed, to be at his side.





To be continued.....

The beginning of small things...

I had lost my mother, months back. The demise of Kasturba was, losing her, yet again.








Bapu vowed for complete silence, soon after Kasturba passed away.






He never spoke a word, and all he had to say, was conveyed through written messages.





One day, Bapu wrote to me. To go back to Rajkot. And, start off my studies, once again.










I stayed back.




My world was somehow, increasingly revolving around this strangely charismatic, and affectionate man.





At the length of days, he had turned to be the support, I had been desperately searching for, since my mother's demise.






To be continued.....

The undesired...

Besides them, Mahadev Desai, Bapu's secretary had also being under house arrest, at this place, for nearly two years now.





Kasturba's health has been poorly deteriorating and she is having spells of breathlessness, not allowing her, even a night's sleep, in peace.





Bapu would usually be mostly silent, except a few small talks with Mahadev, or an occasional chat with Kasturba.





As for me, it was the first time, I was actually witnessing morsels of India's struggle to freedom, and also seeing Bapu, serve the nation.









February, 1944.







Kasturba passed away.






Bapu remained stoically silent.







As the pile of woods burnt ashes, I wiped a tear, off my eyes.






To be continued.....

The arrival...

January, 1944.




I finally arrived at the destination. The Aga Khan Palace.







With the fight for freedom continuing, the situation at the palace was, only worsening with time.




Kasturba (Gandhi), had suffered two successive heart attacks. She had survived, but, took to her bed, completely.






Bapu, as he was popularly called, is my father's uncle.







I felt blessed, being able to serve the greatest leader of the nation, and his ailing wife.






To be continued.....

The prelude...

I was 15.




He was 75.









The only piece of cloth that existed, was in the form of a flimsy blanket, and the bed linen.













I could feel the warmth of his breath.






To be continued.....