How I see others

This is how I see people:

Remesh

Here is a superlative genius of the human species. He is honest, straightforward and brave, and at the same time, very diplomatic and soft-spoken. Our relationship is not like friendship, but more like a father-son or guru-shishya one. He is wonderful and pleasant in any company. He goes out of the way to help not only his friends, but anyone who requests help, not only in money matters, but in other ways too. His capacity to work for hours on end has surprised me often. He appreciates anything good and in buying things he selects only the best and costly items. He is my best student in Surgery - learns fast and executes fast, and perfectly too.

When I found that I can't stand for long periods of time, he used to come for helping me in Surgery - he used to oblige me whenever I called him.

I have a very small circle of friends of which Remesh is the only friend who visits us and calls us regularly and frequently. His parents are no more. He asked the two of us one day, "Shall I call you Accha (Father) and Amma (Mother)?" We were so happy to hear that and he still calls us that. He is so close that we have no secrets between us. He discusses even delicate family troubles with me and vice versa. We used to discuss Swami and he became an ardent Sai devotee. He claims that he came to Sai Sannidhi because of me. We would often go to Puttaparthi in his car and had many pleasant trips like that.

Remesh's house is a specially constructed one and many people come to see its architecture. He is the only person who regularly and earnestly does timely repairs - and it is a fad for him. He has a wonderful and loving family of sisters and a brother. Remesh's wife Soja is a paediatrician and was working in a nursing home. His son Kannan and daughter Gouri are real gems. They happily follow their father in human values. They do regular prayers and Sai bhajans. Others may be jealous of these children - they are being brought up so well by Remesh. Their performance in school is also top class. Typical of Remesh - he loves animals and birds. His dog Appu is lucky to be his pet. Other dogs would be jealous of Appu, because Remesh gives him such a luxurious life! Appu looks ferocious, but is as soft as a kitten, and mischievous in that he creates havoc in the garden by chewing the grass etc.

Remesh's house is on Karanthur-Medical College road, about 1 km from Karanthur. Not only is Remesh Saathwick, most of his friends are also like that.

Once, Rema and I visited his house in the morning, and he gave us a very tasty, sumptuous breakfast of puttu and tasty uzhunnu vadas. My mouth still waters, when I think about that meal!

Rema

What can I write about my most beloved partner! She is a Divine gift to me from Sai. Very soft character is her hallmark. Very emotional and intensely loving behaviour. Always helpful to servants and gives them whatever they ask for. She is occasionally angry if someone does anything wrong, but soon she reverts back after she cools down. She does the same to me also. We had small petty quarrels often and most of the time I was the wrong-doer, but our emotions cool down to normal soon. Whenever there is any controversy, I realise later that she was always right - and that is still continuing even now.

She showed extreme patience while she was ill with Quadriplegia and hospitalised, since September last year. Not once did she show any sign of depression or complaint. That is the reason, probably, for her marked recovery now.

To me and to our children, she was a Goddess worthy of adoration. Whoever comes into contact with her is impressed by her forthrightness, frankness and friendly talk. Though we used to fight, I always knew she was right. She is my Guru, often correcting me when I go astray. Our children' s character was moulded by her advice and by her reading good books to them. She brought me into the Sai fold by giving me Murphet's book Man of Miracles to read. She got an interview with Bhagawan in 1983 I think and Hari was with her for the balvikas rally. She went into the interview room with another lady. Sai is everything for her and Swami knows it.

Hari

Here is another Divine gift for me. He is generally very quiet and calm but he is very deep and no one can read his mind easily. Extremely intelligent and analytical like his Grandfather Prof PR Pisharoty. Being Sai's student, human values is in his blood, and he never goes against Sai's will or desire. Though he is my son, I consider him my Guru in many matters. Our main complaint to Swami is that he is still unmarried. We console ourselves, thinking that it is His will. After his MSc he waited for 1 1/2 yrs to get a job with Sai's permission. That shows his will and patience. He took what Swami asked him to do - joined planetarium. He could have easily got any job elsewhere with high emoluments but he didn't want to leave Swami. He still continues that job. Probably Sai has seen his efficiency, commitment and dedication - otherwise he would not have been taken up.

After MSc, he asked me whether I had any objection in waiting for a job here. I said OK, do what Swami likes. His mastery can be seen in his computer work and also in man management of the Planetarium. His thesis for his PhD is on Optical Coherence, suiting his work at the Planetarium. He gets calls often from various sections of Prasanthi Nilayam for helping in different aspects of computer-related work. Thanks to him, we are able to stay comfortably in this VYKUNTTHAM in this old age, especially because of Rema's helpless situation. He has completely taken over all my work, like income-tax returns and other bank matters, and that is a big relief for me. He doesn't allow me to worry unnecessarily. So that is why a SALPUTHRAN (good son) is desirable. The amount of dedicated service that he offers to his mother is to be seen to be believed. It looks as though he is born to look after us. Our Poorvajanma Sukrutham (merit of previous lives) has gifted this Salputhran to us.

Anjali

Anjali is our eldest daughter. She is our BANGAARU in Swami's words meaning SWARNAKKATTA (golden nugget). She is like a fresh flower with beauty, freshness and fragrance, our most precious Muthu (pearl). She was born after waiting for 7 long years but it was worth the wait. Anju, as we all call her, is always smiling and always pleasing to all around her. No one can find any fault with her as she is 100% saathwik in character. No wonder Anoop was attracted to her. It is only natural they were attracted to each other - like a Diamond earring - Diamond shining on a gold background. Both are made for each other. I have never seen her with a gloomy face, only with a pleasant smiling face. Poor girl, being elder in childhood, she was faulted even by me to please and protect the younger Hari. But she knows that I love her anyway. The two children used to fight often, but that was all temporary - Both we and they knew it. When we found out about Anoop, we were not upset, but she felt guilty that she did not inform us earlier. She is intelligent and was made an examiner of RCR UK with real merit. Anoop and Anju went to the UK to avoid the unhealthy caste-based reservation here. So many deserving candidates are overlooked and the deserving candidates suffer. If they had been here, they would have remained as assistant professors and retired as such. Now in UK, they are both consultants because they have no reservations there. They have a pretty, sweet daughter Aparna. All adjectives for Anju apply to Aparna too. Anju melts when we talk about Swami and she used to cry whenever we would return from Prasanthi Nilayam. Internally she is strong too, as when Rema was laid up with quadriparesis, she was the one who gave me the strength to face the situation

Sunitha

Sunitha was our neighbour in Arcade Apartments, in the flat opposite ours. She has two children - Vishnu and Ammini, both engineering students. Ammini studied at a Government college near Quilandy and Vishnu at a private college in Chennai. Sunitha's husband is in Singapore - Sabari Girish - who is now stuck there due to Corona. Sunitha is a capable lady and can manage her household alone. Very hardworking, friendly with everyone around, and always with a smiling face. She was like a daughter to us and was always willing to help. She would give us breakfast and lunch whenever we had servant problems. She would call us for lunch or dinner when they had someone's birthday. Her mother is in Manjeri. She is as sweet as her daughter but lost her husband a few years back. Sunitha has a sister and the three of them make up a close-knit and loving family, worth of emulation by all.

Sunitha is a graduate and was working in the Electricity department, and before that as a teacher. She can withstand any amount of household problems and is always cool. Other women would be jealous, seeing her capacity to coolly deal with all troubles, in the household or otherwise. Sunitha is a wonder woman and I will say that Sabari is really lucky and blessed for getting Sunitha as his life partner. We were five families in Arcade Apts till recently, and every one of them was close to Sunitha.

Appa

Since I am doing some posts about individuals close to us, how can I do any write-up without mentioning you, Appa, who is like my own brother! It was due to God's blessings that Anju got a father-in-law like you. You are very straight-forward, honest, modest and decent. I realised this the first time we met at Bangalore, when you gladly agreed to give your equally wonderful Anoop for Anju. On that day, I came to you straight after Swami's darsan, and so we have no doubt that He has a hand in this. We are extremely lucky and blessed to have your wonderful family in Kannur as our closest relations. You have a robust body with an attractive and sincere personality, and your friends too are very decent and friendly. I don't have to flatter your loving daughter Sreekala and her family, because they are intrinsically Saathwik in nature, who will be blessed in plenty by God. I consider that Sreekala herself is a Mahalakshmi. Her goodness is 100% inherited from you. Our Anju, no doubt, is truly blessed to have you as such a loving 'Achan'.

As for me, Appa is closer to me than my brothers, whom I lost one by one over the years. Now I have made up for that loss by your presence. At Arcade, we always felt reassured by your presence downstairs.

At some time, all of us have to leave our dwellings. I can imagine your anxiety at leaving Arcade, but you will soon get over it. I had a similar situation, but now everything is all right. Time is a great healer - you have experienced this more than me, at various times. Hope you will be returning soon, for the whole of Arcade will be missing you.

GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!