Mother and Me

The Mother’s Ring

In late 1971 or early 1972, I received news from the Government of India that I had been awarded a British Council fellowship for one year. So as usual, I went to the Mother for her blessings before accepting the fellowship. The Mother looked at me and after some hesitation, smiled and blessed me. She looked at “D” and perhaps gave some unspoken instruction. After three days, I was specially called and told by “D” that as a special blessing, the Mother had given me a gold ring with her symbol to wear always.

As a doctor who has to wash his hands often, I never used to wear any ring. Once some friends had brought a steel ring for me from some Himalayan temple as a blessing of the Almighty. I have kept it safely in my almirah but do not wear it. However, when the Mother asked me to constantly wear the ring given by her, I have kept her order and my word.

Now what is so special about this ring?

The most special thing is that it has become a part of my body and constantly reminds me of the Mother. There is some attachment of the ring to me besides my own attachment to it! That is perhaps why it has fallen off my finger twice and both times, I have got it back!

Once when I was taking off my sweater, I heard a tinkling sound and the next moment, the ring on my finger was missing. My wife and I searched the whole floor of the room where it had supposedly fallen but we could not find it. It was such a painful thing. But what could we do? With a sad heart, I sank exhausted after the search and went to sleep. No dreams, no premonition of finding it.

So I thought perhaps the Mother wanted it back. So be it. Accept whatever she gives or takes as holy Prasaad. After some time the incident was forgotten.

Next week, the washerman brought our clothes and while checking my pants, my wife found the ring stuck between the folds of the leg sleeve! Imagine, the dhobi took the dirty clothes, then put them in his bhaati, then ironed it and then brought it back, and yet all this time, he did not find it. Was it a miracle?

The other incident happened in Delhi. During the winter I used to wear gloves and go to my office on my scooter. One day, I suddenly found the ring was missing. I thought I had left it at home, but when I called my wife to see if it was in my small tray (where I used to keep my watch and loose change), she replied it was not there! Though I was working the whole day, I was very uncomfortable the entire time. So I decided to leave the office early and go back.

When I came down to get my scooter, to my astonishment, the ring was lying on the footboard! It must have fallen while I was taking off my gloves. Anyway, what was surprising was that almost 40–60 scooters were parked in line and people kept coming and going — but no one noticed the ring. I kissed the ring and thanked the Mother.

Ever since, I always wear the ring on the ring finger of my right hand. God has made fingers unequal and this finger being a little thicker, it even retains the ring better!