This little girl’s innocent face and sharp eyes sends chill into my heart

Sairam friends,

It must be sometime in 2012. A girl from Mangalore wrote me saying She wants to talk to me. Those days, I used to share my number easily with anyone who asks for it. She was doing her +2 in school and asked me to guide her.

I still can remember her words. She told me “Namaskaram Anna”…he he..

Some family have this habit of greeting others so traditionally. I asked her what happened?

She was friendly with a Boy who also comes to her home. He kept asking this girl to have physical relationship with her and also blackmailed her emotionally as they were close friends. This girl was neither able to avoid him nor agree with his demands. So I asked her to avoid him completely and never again talk to him or allow him to her house. She knew what she was doing is right but most girls won’t share such issues to their parents or even close friends. They prefer someone anonymous like me. Probably, She just wanted someone to confirm what She was doing is right because the boy was emotionally blackmailing her.

Many years later, I had a number in my phone and called up this girl. Her Mom picked the phone and gave this girls number. Now this girl has completed her College and probably working in Mumbai. She’s not a Sai friend because I only spoke to her in 2012 after which I was never in touch with her.

The reason I share this incident is that I have listened to various such problems which girls faces. I often write articles on Relationship and being pure especially since people who come to StarSai carry loads of problems related to such issues.

Externally, everything seems to be perfect in this Country but on a closer look, something isn’t right. 

Physically abusing a girl is one thing. It happens in every part of the world. Adding a flavour of Religion, Caste and community to justify crime against women is something completely different and it should never be tolerated.

I am not able to sleep peacefully for 2-3 days

I am not able to share this with any of my friends. On Friday night, I went to my parents room to speak to my Mom but I don’t want to tell her that this story is hurting me badly. I really don’t want to come back to my room at night as it doesn’t have A.C and its hot this summer in Coimbatore.

Somehow, I can’t sleep. I stopped with above words and went to sleep.

On Saturday morning, I woke up and wanted to read Sai Satcharita requesting Sai to bless me with answer on why he showed the girl at work in dream. Its easy to hug Sai book and sleep but to read it sincerely, with devotion takes immense patience and dedication. I lit lamp and sat near Sai to read Sai Satcharita aloud.

I just read 4 chapters. My Sister’s college mate had come home from far away place. He had worked in Taiwan for 4 years and now have a Medical lab in his own town. I asked him about Taiwan and if people of Taiwan are really willing to be merged with China? He told me, that they wish to be democratic as they are today. Memories of him and many of my Sister’s college mates studying in our home still stays fresh in my eyes. I wish my Sister could make it to India during August. She’s too busy with her work.

Anyway, I was wondering when everyone are sharing messages about the 8 year old Asifa who was raped and murdered in Kashmir, should I also write about her. The more I think of this girl, the more angered I am on myself, the society I belong and our own people.

I would have not wrote about Asifa has she not been kept as a captive inside a Devi Sthan temple in Rasana village. Should we call it a Temple any more?

I have read this a sacred book called Sri Padha Sri Vallabha Charitramrutam. Its a book about the 13th century Saint Sri Paadha Sri Vallabha. He’s the 1st Avatar of Lord Dattatreya. Our Sai is the 4th incarnation of Dattatreya.

The book clearly states this

“As Kalyug matures, people won’t go to temple as temples will be influenced by wrong doers”

I am not sure of the exact words in the book though. Secondly, its not specific to Hindu temple. Any religious place will be influenced by wrong doers in Kalyug.

For Kalyug to commence, it would take another thousands of years. The problem is, even now, we see such happenings in India.

What struck me in the Economic times article was the dream the Mother’s victim had seen on early hours of January 17th 2018.

Perpetrators should be hanged, says victim’s mother 

The 35-year-old woman, who belongs to the nomadic Bakarwal community, said she saw her daughter in a dream in the wee hours of January 17, a week after her daughter had disappeared from near her home next to the Rasana forest. As dawn broke, her daughter’s body was found mutilated in the forest.

“In the dream, I saw my daughter standing on the door of our house silently, as if looking for answers. I haven’t seen the dream again,”

the mother said.

I often tell Sai that I need answer from him for the dreams he showed me.

And here’s a little angel – Ashifa, who must have appeared in dream asking answer for the real brutality that she was forced to bear.

So I could not control having tears from my eyes. What would a little girl kept captive inside a temple and raped repeatedly think of this world or God for that matter? Every moment She would have desired that her Mom, Dad or even God could come down magically and rescue her.

Unfortunately, the whole Nation and its cultural system ruined Ashifa’s life.

We have this pathetic conflict between people of other caste, creed and religion. Eventually, it gets politisied  where the power play takes toll of life of innocent children.

All this has happened for to threaten the Bakerwal community to drive them away from the village. So you will rape a kid and justify the same?

I tried speaking to my Sai friends to come out of this pain I feel deep in me. Eventually, everyone has the same question to me “Why din’t the God help?”

Well. People have asked the same question when there’s accidents near temple. “Why din’t your Baba helped?”

To be honest, I am pained as the Baby girl was kept as a captive inside a temple.

Many of you know how much I admire the Small temples of India. Its my habit to scroll down Google Maps and discover small temple situated in various towns.

Join me on a pilgrimage to temples situated in small towns and villages of India

Now, I can’t digest the fact the a little girl was humiliated inside such a temple. It hurts me. It hurts the very core of what I stand for.

Went to Temples

On Saturday evening, I took my parents to couple of ancient temples around Coimbatore.

In both the temples, we found the priests were really annoyed due to crowd and they showed their frustration on the devotees. Obviously, on a festive day of Tamil New Year, more devotees would come to Temple. I am not asking them to be kind but they can certainly avoid being harsh.

This also applies to Saibaba temple. On Thursdays, due to huge crowd, the priests and everyone will be little tired and frustration.That’s why I never go inside Sai temple on Thursdays.

Weekend Walk

On Sunday, I din’t do anything productive. I tried sleeping after lunch. I was again thinking about Ashifa. Hundreds of girls are raped in India every single day. Just that this is too cruel even to think about. I went to Saibaba temple in the evening. The only thing that make me happy was that it was cloudy in the evening in Coimbatore.

As soon as I reached temple, I saw this guy who joined me for walking last week Sunday. So after I lit lamps and worshipped, again we started walking today all through Saibaba colony. He kept speaking about the 10 days he had stayed in Shirdi in 2017. I also told him about my experiences in Shirdi. I like such ordinary people than those who are highly educated, have a big job and show off too much. I enjoy company of people who are down to earth.

On the way, I stopped in the Pharmacy to buy some medicine for my Mom. I remembered just one stripe of Tablet to keep in the box in Office to give to Employees when they get sick. This week, I have to list down the tablets which has to be purchased.

I told this guy that I am feeling bad about what happened to Ashifa. Later, I reached Temple and spoke to Varalakshmi. We were on video call and hence I also saw her Mom.

The night Aarti was over and I helped my friends to arrange prasad. Later, I distributed prasad in Dwarakamai and spoke to my friends outside temple for a while.

I reached home and spoke to my Sister’s Daughter Katya for a while on Google Duo.

Katya doesn’t know Tamil and hence its my Mom’s desire that someday, She must atleast learn basic words in Tamil. Today, for the first time Katya called her Mom as “Amma” instead of Mommy which made my parents really happy. I asked Katya to show her new books and She walked all through her house to show the books She had kept in every room and hall. I love this habit of hers. She reads so much for her age. I wish every Indian child has such love for books.

I asked Katya to ask her Mom if She remembers that I had stolen a Horse and bought it home and locked it inside our compound when I was a kid. Thankfully, My Sister remembered this incident. Katya laughed when I told her that my Mom beat me for brining a Horse belonging to some stranger into our compound. I often ask Katya about the Animals in her neighbourhood. This way, I make her value Animals.

Now, its going to be 1.37 at night.

One thing I have realized is that, my Phychological pain is getting reduced if I write about it in StarSai.

After writing about Ashifa Yesturday, I felt little light. I was atleast able to sleep. Today, I am purposely away through late night because if I go to bed early, my mind again remembers this girls Innocent face and Sharp eyes. I sends chill into my heart and I can’t sleep at all.

I pray Sai that people of all caste, creed and religion must be united in this country.

I pray Sai that Children and girls must be respected and Boys must be taught to learn how to Women as they grow up.

I pray Sai to keep temples as temples.

Once again, I can’t bear it when Ashifa’s Mom had told that her Daughter was eagerly expecting this years Apple season for She loves Apples.

I pray Sai for little Ashifa who never tasted Apples during this Apple Season for some bastards chopped her too soon.

There are few words which I never used to StarSai but I don’t have any other place to vent out my anger.

Sai himself uses abusive words when he was angry. So I can justify my anger.

After all, I am a human and too.

Om Sai Ram

Venkat

Write to me

starsai27@gmail.com

I removed Ashifa’s photo which I wanted to feature in this article. I can’t see her too often. It hurts me that we din’t let a little girl live her life.