There was so much to look forward to, even at the start of the New Year.  Retirement was just around the corner, end January 2014. More than six years ago Maya shifted to a new job in a private bank.  From February she would be footloose and fancy free doing the things she always wanted to, that her full time job in a corporate never allowed her, join a bunch of trekkers heading for the mountains, enrol for a foreign language course or maybe a yoga course, and most of all, on top of her mind, was the yen, to do some leisure cooking and prepare some delicious yummy food that Maya’s grand old father-in-law of 93 years, Mr. Mani would relish. 

Maya had learned to cook from her mother and even at the cost of sounding conceited she would say there were some dishes she could prepare really well and added that elder members in the family had appreciated and endorsed that opinion.  But more than everything else, the biggest happening of Maya’s lifetime was to take place in mid January. Her dearest darling daughter Anita was engaged to be married on 14 January. And preparations were on in full swing.

 It was a cold December morning, precisely Christmas Eve.  A hundred million thoughts raced through Maya’s mind as she woke up that morning with an excruciating pain in her spine. She could not get up from bed and wondered what was wrong. She tried all kinds of ways to slowly sit up on her bed, but no, nothing worked. She was shocked and totally unable to accept it. The previous night she was fine when she went to bed. What then could be the reason for this? She blamed it to her bad sleeping posture or maybe she thought, it’s from lugging some heavy weight from shopping and thought she would be alright.  But that was not to be. On consulting the doctor and doing a series of tests from Xrays to even an MRI, the whole family got busy.  After examination of her medical reports, Maya was confined to bed for the next ten days and the doctor, in a very solemn voice, said “After ten days, if all is well with medication and rest, she may be able to travel!”  Maya was aghast. How absurd, she thought to herself and said a silent prayer for good measure.

Maya’s History teacher in School, Mrs. Baynes always quoted the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Maya remembered that every History class began with a prayer. Not certain if that has had any bearing on her faith in Prayer, ever since she was a child Maya believed in prayer. This faith only grew stronger with age. Right from her childhood Maya had learned by-heart a whole lot of shlokas, the reciting of which, she believed, had stood her in good stead through all the tough times that she’s had to face.

So here she was, just lying in bed while her dear daughter and husband were left high and dry, to catch up with the rest of the work that had to be completed before they left Mumbai for Ludhiana.

It was indeed the most depressing phase in Maya’s life. She had let down her daughter at the most crucial time of her life and she could never pardon herself for this.  Emotions ran high. While each of them in the family went about their chores as if all would soon be fine, each one of them knew, deep down in their hearts, that everything at that point of time was topsy-turvy and they could never be sure of how it would turn out, ten days thence. There were myriad questions in their heads but no answers.

And yes, there were well meaning people, both friends and relatives, who swore that all would soon be fine. But at the bottom of Maya’s heart she knew that even they were not sure but for her sake, put on a brave facade. Along with her pain she also suffered pangs of guilt, helplessness, wretchedness and unworthiness. And yet all the love and compassion together with the anxiety that Maya had for her little girl, she simply locked it all up in her heart and kept a calm and peaceful countenance. Anita was shattered but did not show it and went about it all with the patience and understanding of a mature person that she’s known to be.

Ten days went by and the doctor’s verdict brought great relief and happiness. He also cautioned them to be extra careful and wary about any unnecessary stress or exertion that may inadvertently be caused to Maya’s condition. With that advice, a lot of painkillers and a prescription for emergency, Maya and her family left for Ludhiana.

An even colder winter was forecast this season and they went prepared to the hilt. The train chugged into Ludhiana station. Maya alighted and gingerly set foot on the platform. She felt fine and thanked God in her heart and prayed that all should be well. Something like a miracle had touched her, she felt within.

And YES, everything went well with the support and well wishes of friends and family. Maya and her family returned happy as ever after a week. But to this day, what happened to Maya before the wedding, remains an enigma. She is unable to comprehend how or why it happened. She’s sure it was a miracle when she set foot in Ludhiana and felt no pain at all from then on. Did God try to tell her something? She wonders. And to this day Maya is still trying to decipher what that could be.

Call it what you will, but the power of love and trust with a lot of faith in your heart, can lift you to heaven from the dumps.