Flight to Inferno

Before undertaking any trip, Nalini would take her passport and ticket and pray for Swami's blessings.  It so happened that once she was unable to go to Parthi as she was scheduled to leave for Brussels, but thinking "Work is worship" and "Duty is God", she got ready to leave on Saturday evening to commence work on Monday morning at 9 a.m.

Although the travel agent had promised to deliver her travel documents before one o'clock to her office, there was no news.  Not thinking much about it, she went home and attended to pending chores.  Hours passed and there was still no ticket.  The young man who normally brought papers to her, had lost his way and could not be traced (there were no mobile phones in those days).  Finally he arrived with the ticket but only after the flight had departed.  She realized that when Swami had prevented her from taking the flight, there must be a good reason.  She decided to convey her apologies to the foreign office first thing on Monday morning.  The next morning, she discovered why Swami had stopped her from going.

She switched on the TV and was watching the BBC news.  The Art Hotel she was booked in to, was burning and flames were gushing out of the windows, as the curtains caught fire on the very floor and room she always stayed in.  Fire fighters were hard at work trying to extinguish the flames and there was pandemonium and bedlam all around, with people screaming and running, as water came down and huge glass window panes crashed to the sidewalk.  There was rioting and clashes in which cars and public property were damaged.  The police were tackling the crowds of rioters as best as they could.  Had she taken the flight, she would have been caught in the thick of it and been roasted alive in the hotel room.

He alone could see what was going to happen there and so prevented her from taking the flight and saved her life.  She determined that the rest of her life would be spent in His service and her gratitude knew no bounds.

"Gratitude is the most fundamental virtue of Man", sys Swami.  Some of Nalini's colleagues who saw the news, called the hotel and were relieved to learn that she had not checked in.  When the meetings were rescheduled later, she told them how He had saved her and that whatever He did, was for their good.  So we must simply trust in Him without question or doubt and all would be well.  Questions were flung at her - "But how could He know, so far away in India?"  "Who is He?"  "What does He do?"

This incident served to arouse their interest and curiosity and gave Nalini an opportunity to sing the glories of Swami.

(From "Sai the Omnipresent One" by Nalini Gopal Ayya and published in the book "Mother Sai's Miracles of Love")