Sruthi Art Studios

The funeral party consisting of Vikraman and some servants left the bungalow and proceeded to the cremation grounds. It was a long and wild path with no proper road and quite a distance from the house.

When finally they reached there, all of a sudden there was lightning and thunder followed by heavy rains that lashed down furiously. Cremation in this situation was out of the question. So the party left the place leaving the body covered in a shroud by the ghat and returned home.

The rains lashed down mercilessly for hours and hours. Very many hours later when it stopped, they went back to the ghat. But of the body there was no sign. They searched all around. Absolutely no sign of the body – they decided the heavy rains must have moved the body somewhere else – so totally surprised, all of them returned to the bungalow. Although, they did notice bullock cart tracks on the wet road.

A group of wandering gypsies were passing close to the area in a caravan of four double bullock carts. Just then the rains came. To avoid the onslaught of the heavy rains, they found a secluded spot and waited. Time passed – after an endless wait the rains stopped.

They were preparing to leave when they observed the shroud, and heard sound and movements from inside. The gypsy chief got out of his cart and instructed his men to open the shroud. They cut it open and were stunned to find a man of 30s sick with some illness, but alive.

The chief recognised what malady the man was suffering from. He took him inside into his cart. From the next day on he began treating him, for which the chief collected certain leaves, roots of plants and such other things which only he was aware of. The treatment was carried out while the caravan continued their journey.

By about two and half months’ time, the patient was fully cured. These gypsies knew about diseases and ancient ways of curing them without going to hospitals or using allopathic medicines.

Now the young man was fully out of his illness but unfortunately he had no inkling as to who he was or did not remember anything about his past. To bring him to normalcy in respect of his memory, the gypsy chief tried various methods but without success.

During this time, the chief’s daughter – a beautiful lass of eighteen began taking an undue interest in the stranger. But the latter seemed to be unaware of it or just ignored the advances. He did not seem to have any interest in such matters.

After some months the group reached Benaras. The gypsies pass through various places and stay in each place according to their requirements.

On arriving at Benaras, the stranger desired that he be allowed to remain there near the holy river Ganga. The chief with great reluctance agreed. He sent one of his men to purchase some clothing. These along with some cash he gave the young man.

The gypsies had been so kind and good that the farewell was heart rending. The chief’s daughter sobbed uncontrollably.

“Goodbye my son – May God bless you” with that the chief and his party departed.

The chief had found a place for him where food and stay was provided for a reasonable rate. But he spend most of his time by the banks of the Ganga – he would take baths and sit by the steps of the bathing place.

On one such day, a swami finishing his bath saw him sitting there. Some sense – we may call it sixth and such, made the swami approach him. On his enquiry he realised that the latter was in a confused state, and the swami requested him to accompany him.

The swami lived in a small two room ashram. His disciples did the cooking, washing, cleaning, whatever chores had to be done. The daily routine was for them to leave the ashram and go to their respective homes as soon as the swami had his frugal supper. And come back next morning.

In the early mornings and late evenings, the swami gave lectures and took classes on the Vedas and Upanishads. His disciples were surprised that he had brought someone to live with him at the ashram – something he had never done before!

The swami began teaching him yoga and meditation; and for other spiritual courses he was attending the daily classes. He found the young man to be very receptive and quick in grasping, and practicing the subjects taught to him.

The swami named him Baba. Step by step he taught Baba various mysterious things and then taught him the practice of deep meditation. Understandably it was all very tough for the boy. But with the swami’s assistance the latter was able to go further and deeper.

During one such deep meditation practice, Baba began seeing some people, certain incidents; and suddenly as if in a shock he realised it was his own past life. Like a thunderbolt, all of the past came to him. Now he fully knew who he was.

That very evening he approached the swami when he was free. Baba related the experience he had during meditation and joyfully exclaimed that he knew who he was. He requested swami to allow him to go to his original village – and also since so much injustice had been done to him, he wanted to go back and get his dues for all the horrible wrongs done to him.

The swami being a very compassionate person did not raise any objections. He said he would find a way to send him to his place.

Reddy was a disciple of the swami.

He requested Reddy to find a way to get Baba to his native place. The swami did not divulge the full details of Baba’s past.

Reddy had no problem – he had his friend Menon in that village – so he himself offered to take Baba there.

This is chapter four of a short story written by my father – The baba who came to stay

The artwork has been painted in black inks.