Telling lies to parents as i don’t want them to worry and Mistakes I did due to exitement

Sairam friends,

I have tried to open up all the happenings in my life honestly and truthfully in StarSai. I just make sure, I don’t interfere in the life of people who bring experiences to me. I have a privacy policy of not writing the names of people whom I meet in day to day life especially if they are not close to me and try my best to follow it all these years.

This revelation about me telling lies to my parents might suit my situation but this does not in anyway justify that telling lies is right at times. We must always say truth but seems this time, telling a little lie is OK for me. So here it goes…

It was a beautiful Friday. 29/11/2013. I  started to Tirunelveli my Ammas native as Mom had given for Pooja in a temple. To me, its not a pilgrimage. Honestly its a escapism from any marriage topics at home during week end. My parents keep asking if I like any girl and I keep saying girls I like don’t like me. Now a days, They don’t speak about it much and as long as they don’t take this topic, I feel relaxed. I know so many girls who are Sai devotees,  I like to speak to them but somehow they all are busy with their life and just speak to me as a brother. Now a days, I completely avoided speaking on phone to Sai devotees as I need time to write articles and do other useful things.

My friends wanted me to work on a short film for new year fest at office. I can’t shoot any thing. So i worked with images in my editing software. Two days before the journey, I slept late night.  So I was too tired. As i boarded the train, i was bored. Really my interest in going to temples is not as before as i realized we must not get ritualistic. I wish to imagine God lives in ourself and meditate on the Lord.  I was hungry but felt not even to have coffee and slept off. I woke up at midnight when the train stopped in two stations.

I kept alarm in my android phone to wake me up at 4.50 early in the morning as the train might reach Tirunelveli anytime after that. I slept telling myself that i have to sleep well because i was awake for past two days. Never in my wildest dream that i guessed something wrong is going to happen. I had some strange dream and suddenly woke up. It was 5.37 AM. Oh God ! I told myself hope Tirunelveli has not yet crossed. I ran down from upper birth to the door, saw the train passing through a town and i know something is wrong.

Thanks to good mobile internet. I saw live data from IndiaRailinfo.com . The train has just crossed Tirunelveli before 5 to 10 minutes. I had woke up only when the train started moving away from Tirunelveli. I went to the near by couch just to confirm and asked a guy sitting in side window seat “Tirunelveli ?” He replied “Poiduche”  ..its gone !

Saibaba nalla thoonga vachutia. I felt really ashamed of myself. Even when i was in Mumbai i have not slept like this in train. Varalaru nammala thappa pesume baba. History seems to tell the world Venkat is so stupid he cant get down in the right destination. The next station the train will stop is at Valliyur.

I kept my bag near the train door and worried how am gonna manage. The train was running so fast. I watched from the door that its going through a railway crossing and the train was a bit slow.  Baba, wish i could jump here itself because uncle will be expecting me and parents back home will be worried about me, panic and get so tensed if i tell them that i missed to get down in Tirunelveli and train is going past it.

With in no time i called my uncle and told him that the train is late by two hours and i will come myself. I want to make sure he doesn’t come railway station himself to pick . My uncle believed it….Ye Ye Ye jolly. Next lie to my parents at home in Coimbatore.  I told them that train is late and i will reach uncles home by 7 -8 AM – The time i believed it will take for me to get down in next station and go back to Tirunelveli.

I saw the train now is speeding through a village called Sengulam and it dint stop here. Saiiii whats wrong with you?. You never make me go through sufferings for silly reasons. I updated from indiarailinfo.com that Valliyur will surely stop the train. Nagarkovil varaikum poidadha baba please…( Please Baba, I can’t go all the way to Nagarkovil and come back. Let the trian stop in any station soon)

My uncle and parents called me again to make history record that Venkat will lie and he will stick to his lies. Here comes the problem. My uncle asked what station has the train crossed now. I coolly said hmm hmm …checked indiarailinfo to trace a station which comes 2 hours before Tirunelveli n told him promptly. He said…oh its only coming there and i felt relaxed as I managed to make him belief in me.

Valliyur is small railway station. Just that its not a hill station to be replaced with the station in my favorite love story – The train stops at Shamli by Ruskin bond. As the train slowed down itself i jumped on the platform. I was fearing what if the train dint stop? I requested native if there’s a train to go back to Tirunelveli. He said there might be. I thought if i should take bus or a train. I went above the steel sky walker to photograph the train which took me all the way. Even in this situation my mind was only thinking about how to write this stupidity of mine in starsai…idhula photo vera…look na…

I went out side to see possibility if taking a bus but seems i must first take auto to reach near by bus stop. This seemed to be a small town sai. I went to platform and asked is there a train to Tirunelveli. A auto man standing there to get customer kindly said “Guruvayur express”. Its 6. 15 …I got my ticket from Valliyur to Tirunelvel, jumped down the rail tracks to cross to other platform where the train is supposed to come. I saw a very beautiful sun rise.

I was walking in the platform looking at the scenic village when I saw 3 friends were speaking “de idha photo eduthu Facebookla podanum”…One guy was telling that his friend will be posting beautiful photos in Facebook and if no one clicks “Like” he will call and plead to click like…he he..

I believe Mark Zuckerberg knew his reach that even in Indian villages Facebook is a part of life that is so confident about its survival even after several years. My short film is about this concept….that life is beyond social networks and we must live our true life.

Indian trains are on time. Trust me this time it was. 6.35 Am Guruvayur express reached Valliyur station and i was happy the unreserved compartment was not crowded. I boarded and showed tata to a guy to whom i had told that i missed to get down in tiru n now going back. The guy was a stranger but i know from his smile the way he waved his hand, he was happy for me. Sometimes even strangers can understand our pain.

The train was not so fast but it was taking me closer to Tirunelveli. I told myself with in 30 minutes we will reach Tirunelveli. NO. God had other plans or Indian railways had. The train stopped in Sengulam. It was more than 20 minutes. I was impatient. My uncle called up and asked about me. Now again lie….i told him it will reach in few minutes. I was irritated as the man holding red and green flag was not using it. De kalambunga da. Sai are you there? ….i know you gave me this experience for some good reason but God knows why.

Finally i reached Tirunelveli and now Venkat has one last lie to say. I Called up uncle and said mama uppa dhaan train vandhuchu….Train just came as it was over two hours late…he he…I called my parents to tell the same lie. Good I managed to hide this Episide and made sure no one gets tensed about me.

As my parents get old they worry for little things I do. So I cant tell them things that upsets them. Now when i reached uncles home he said “I thought you slept off in train and missed to get down”.

I wad blinking….Therunju pocha baba….did he guessed it. Nope !

He just thought so. I told myself….Venkat apidiye maintain pannu. I said illa…..Train late.

After having breakfast we went to another uncles home. My aunt told he came at 8 instead of 5 Am as train was late. This uncle said.. “aama paperla paathen..I saw in News paper”.

I was shocked and smiled to myself thinking “namma mattera paper la vera podanuma”. It seems he read in newspaper a train from North India had a problem due to which all trains were late. I was acting too good and nodded my head and thought inside me ” Thanks Baba. Now the world believes my lies” no more worries.

It was a beautiful evening. My aunt and i went to Nellaiappar Temple. Its Sani pradosham The pradosam which comes on Saturday and very auspicious. I was so happy as i felt its a blessing to have Darshan of Lord Shiva in the form of Nellaiappar. I love this temple a lot. I lit lamps and felt divine. I lit lamps to Nandhi, Saraswathi, Ambal and had divine feeling.

Some Ayyapa devotees were tensed as crowd of devotees were blocking them from going out and they have to catch the train. I told them ” Happya iru ne” I take this local language at times to get sync with them. When people in crowd or any place get too tensed, I pat their shoulder and say “Be happy”. I have experimented it in several places and most of the times, I see people smiling when I say this.

Nellaiappar temple is so huge and I love the divinity here. The priest gave me a lemon, flowers and prasad. I loved the way such temples are build by ancient Kings.

The next day which is Sunday we went to a temple of lord kailasanadhar in a village for pooja. I love the road on way to this temple as it was filled with greenary.

Once we reached the Shiva temple, I sat looking at Shiva lingam and kept chanting his holy name. We did good prayers had Annadhan and came out. I saw a old lady who asked for alms. I gave her 10 Rs. I was shocked to look at her left hand. We can see her bone was broken inside into two. She is living with that. Her hand is twisting in all ways. I told her if you go to Government Hospital they will treat you.

She said a drunken driver had hit her and doctors asked her to remove the hand. She said no to it…went to goddess temple and prayed. She says only power of goddess helps her use the hand and eat everyday.I realized how it was paining for me due to hand pain last week and wondered how can this women speak so confidently surviving with broken hand. Honestly, If we have faith and will to live, no matter what difficulties are there, we really can live in peace.

We went to Sankaran kovil about which i shall write later.Sankaran kovil was really beautiful but as a Hindu I must say that the temple was not kept clean. I mean, the Nandhi and various other Gods in the Sannidhi din’t had abishekam for many days. At least can’t they pour water, offer good dress and keep chandan and kumkum? Many ancient temples which earns well also are giving importance only to main deity. The other Gods and Goddess sannihdi are simply there. I am not complaining on this temple alone. It takes hard work of priests and other staff in Temple to keep it clean. The devotees too must cooperate.

I love the below Elephant in Sankaran Kovil

Telling lies to parents as i don’t want them to worry and Mistakes I did due to exitement

OK Now…I am coming to the last event of this Trip…Many times, I have done the mistake of getting exited when what Sai showed in dream actually comes true. This time , I realized, I must never ever get exited and take it normal..

I started from uncles home in rain and reached railway station. I already knew my number is confirmed from RAC but wana check if its right. So used the machine in station to check my seat. It said…timed out. A girl was standing behind me looking eagerly if the machine works fine. When it dint she sighed and went away. Another family too wanted to check if their seat is confirmed. So i asked if i should help them check in my mobile net n say. They said no probably as they thought am a stranger.

Then i saw the girl who was behind me calling someone. I thought she is asking her friend to check her ticket status. Usually i don’t easily talk to strangers but this girl was homely and i believed shes Sai devotee. So i asked..if she wana check ticket status. She immediately wanted to. I was so sad she was on waiting list 50.

I was thinking about calling some of my Sai friends who are into Railways etc who might be able to help her but honestly for such waiting list stuff, they can’t do much. I felt bad as I could not help her practically. She asked what can be done and I just had a Sai’s Photo to give as I believe Sai will take her safe in her journey.

I told her this train is too horrible and she must have booked early. Her mom was near her and i told them go to ladies compartment but they said it will be crowded too. I gave her a little Sai pic and also said when shes at her friends home she must visit Sai mandir in Coimbatore. After a while her mom was not there. So i asked what happened to your mom
She said “She’s gone to near by shop and will be back”. Well. She just want to make sure I don’t know she’s alone now. ( Smartama)

I nodded as if i believed it and went away. Its good she was careful with me being a stranger. We really cant trust anyone in this world. I was concerned about a mistake i did. Usually i never say where i work to anyone i speak about starsai. When the girls mom was asking about me i casually mentioned where i work. I wanted to tell the girl not to say anyone about where i work but duno how to bluntly say that.

My career has nothing to do with Starsai and its mistake i told her about me. I was also concerned about how the girl will manage to go safe in unreserved. I know shes traveling alone. Many years i have wrote article about how women must be careful n chant babas name when they travel.

I felt this time Sai gave me a opportunity to make a girl feel sai is with her when she travels. So i decided to give the sais book with me to her. I wrote on it how much i will miss the book and that its a beautiful book with many sai leela and the very reason I want to give the book is that I wrote in it not to tell anyone about my work as StarSai is my treasure. More than a lakh of devotees come here every month, some could come here from where I work but I myself don’t want to reveal this to anyone as long as they find by themselves. I got so tensed why this happened.

When ever I choose to introduce myself to people, I reveal either of the two…If they are Sai devotees, I speak about Sai and StarSai and if they are not, I say about what I do, my other activities etc. This time, I really was nervous that I told this girls mom about both.

There are two reasons i was surprised meeting this girl ..

One is that sai told me her name last night in dream. ( Due to privacy policy, I am not writing the name but its name of Goddess and I felt happy about it)

I felt may be sai wants to see how far i will go to practically help people and i did my best.

This is not new to saibaba.

Once during babas life time tarkad saw a old lady carrying wooden logs in dream. Next day when he went to dwarakamai to see baba he saw exactly the same lady. Baba told tarkad ….dint you see her in dream..give her two annas and he gave.

Similarly Sai told me a girls name in dream and i met her. Infact the reason i wana give her the book is that i wrote in it about saibabas dream and she must feel blessed. I also felt exited as she’s going to meet her friend in the same place where my “Friend” resides…Thank god she dint got it or else may be she will be confused.

I dint want to write the girls name as and whats important to me is just these little sai leela to share with friends.

So this trip to Tirunelveli has been very strange. I missed to get down. I dint like some temples kept unclean and i saw a girl who carries the name sai said. Probably it may not be her real name. We never know but such experiences are unbelievable.

I really love Coimbatore..i love my dhuni in Nagasai mandir and i really feel good to go back to Coimbatore.

I will be too tired tomorrow as i am awake all night to write this to you. I want to tell you more but now my back pains as i sit for hours writing this to you

This experience taught me that if we can’t help people practically, we must not feel sorry for it and give Sai pics etc even if they are devotees. You see, Sai does help people but world feels too insecure with a stranger and I appreciate it. Many times, I have avoided being exited when what Sai said actually comes true. This time. I could not as it was a surprise.

The girl herself might read this article and I wonder what she might think?. Sometimes, We never know why few incidents happen in life. I will never meet her again in my lifetime she taught me a lesson.

If you can’t help people practically, just let it go. Sai is always present in every one. Not in pictures or books. If people remember Sai, Sai verily lives in them.

StarSai is stepping in to 10th year in 2014 and all these years, I have only wrote articles. I have not practically helped people myself. I have not helped anyone get educated, I have not helped anyone travel safe and I have not helped anyone do better in life. May be Sai feels its better if I continue to write as much as I can and Sai will take care of the rest.

I only know to write and I do it as long as I live,

Love,

Venkat

starsai27@gmail.com