Faith Will Keep Our Dreams Alive.

Before writing about the divine intervention, let me tell you that on the forenoon of 20^th of January, 2014, I had the blues. I felt miserable, low and lost, completely. The holidays would be over soon. Another year was coming to an end and I was where I was at the beginning of the year. But for the PAN card, I had no other authentic documents to prove my identity as an Indian. Just a few days back, the photocopy of my ration card was rejected by my bank at the time of the submission of the KYC, on the ground that there was a spelling mistake in my name. I have never had a Voter Card.  So I felt low thinking that another year would go kapoot without any of those much-needed documents.  Surprisingly, someone, something at the back of my mind asked me not to loose hope as all my anxiety and anguish would prove to be unfounded in due course of time.

Having reached my tether, I decided to head for Sealdah Station to prove a point to my wife and daughter that the Puri trip was just out of the question due to the heavy  rush for travel across Bengal and the neighbouring states before the holidays ( 23^rd is Netaji’s Birthday and 26^th happens to be The Republic Day and in between there was a Sunday).

Eventually book the tickets we did.  Even then neither my misery nor my anguish would unburden my soul. How were we going to manage everything before the train next day? The thought of ready cash coupled with the running around I had to do at a break-neck speed , from the queue to the photocopier outside the station , was beginning to take its toll. When the counter closed at around 12, ( we had been in the queue for nearly 30-40 minutes by then!) that was the last straw. I could not help venting my anger on Jaya and asked her to cancel the tickets.  Sensing my murderous mood, she also readily agreed.  But the very next minute the next counter, which was closed till then, opened. Jaya made a dash for it and finally the ticket to Puri was ours!

Now to get back to the gist of the matter, when we were back to Deblane from Sealdah after booking our tickets and about to troop into our ancestral home, we found a young chap sitting on the corridor of the Chowdhury’s, showing some papers to one of my local friends, Ghana.  Jaya asked him if he had anything to do with Aathar card.  Surprise of surprises, he did. At Jaya’s request, the man flipped through the papers for 41 Deblane. I caught sight of a paper containing the name of my late brother, Amitabha Bhattacharyya. “He is no more. He passed away in November two years back …”.  I had very little hope of my name being there in the lot. But the very next page contained my name and details! After years of anxiety, there was a glimmer of hope of my getting this priceless possession!

I realized then once more that there is a superior power driving us on to our pre-destined destination.  Every time you feel like giving up on Him, He lifts you up to show mercy, justice and fairplay, call it what you will, to assure you that all is not lost yet.  And this divine interference keeps us going and from hitting the deck. All you need to do is to have faith and take a step closer to Him.