When our home changed
Ma sometimes came to stay with us during ekant vaas. The rooms were the same, but the atmosphere changed. There was the fragrance of incense, the sound of prayers and a feeling of calm throughout the house. People came to see Ma, our routines adjusted around her stay and we all slept on the floor.
As a child, I did not have the language to describe what I felt. I only knew that the house felt like the purest place it could possibly be.
We always waited for Ma to come and live with us. The longest Ma ever stayed with us was for three months at our home in Bareilly. That stay included Diwali, and it was during this time that Ma gave me my name, Sumati.
My name has therefore never felt like only a name. It carries a connection to Ma and to that time in our home.
Evenings in Dehradun
During one of Ma’s stays at our home in Dehradun, we sat with her in the evenings while she told us stories about Maharajji. These were not formal occasions. They were simply evenings with Ma, and perhaps that is why they remain so close to my heart.
When Ma prepared to leave, I insisted that I would make tea for her. I made it, and she drank it before leaving.
Later, Mom travelled with Ma in the car towards Rishikesh. Mom told me that during the journey Ma said, ‘Aaj chai peekar tripti mil gayi.’ Today, after drinking the tea, I felt completely satisfied.
I had not heard Ma say it myself. This is something Mom brought back and told me. I had only made her a cup of tea, but her words made that small act feel precious.
What remains in a home
When Ma left, everyday life resumed, yet the memory of her presence remained. Some of my dearest memories of Ma do not come from a temple or a great occasion. They come from home.