A Fine Family: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

at everyone. Bauji was taken up by his awesome bearing. He thanked the guru for his courtesy and briefly stated his marriage proposal. The guru smiled and gently called in the boy, Seva Ram, to meet Bauji. Although Bauji found his potential son-in-law quiet and aloof, he was impressed with the young man’s intelligence and simple manners. The only thing that bothered Bauji was his short stature because he would have liked a tall grandson.
    One of the disciples struck up a conversation with the guru. Seva Ram listened attentively, but he had a distant look and Bauji could not tell what he was thinking. He was sitting on the opposite side of the room and every now and then Bauji glanced at him. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had a pleasant face, thought Bauji, neither handsome nor plain, rather shy and in no way remarkable. His looks were certainly not capable of winning Tara’s heart.
    Bauji was struck by the fact that though he had not said more than half-a-dozen words since entering the room, he seemed to be perfectly at ease and in a curious way he appeared to take part in the guru’s conversation without opening his mouth. Bauji noticed his hands. They were not long, but they were nicely shaped, even though they were large for his size. He was slightly built but not delicate in appearance; on the contrary he was wiry and resistant. His face was tanned, a minor disadvantage thought Bauji, because fairness was preferred. But he was not naturally dark, Bauji realized, and he felt reassured; it was probably because he spent a lot of time in the sun. His features, though regular enough, were undistinguished. He had normal cheekbones and his temples were hollow. He had wavy black hair which he combed to the back. His eyes looked larger than they really were because they were deep set and his lashes were thick and long. His eyes had a peculiar intensity.
    A few notables of the ashram now entered the room. Among them were a princess of a small state in central India and a professor of philosophy. The conversation suddenly became livelier. As people were chatting and enjoying the breeze from the river, Bauji leaned over the edge of the terrace and looked out at the river. In the setting sun, the river glowed along its quarter-mile width, framed by ravines and reeds on the flat plain. He was struck by the beauty of the moment. When he turned back to the company, he heard the professor of philosophy ask, ‘Guruji, if there is a God why does he permit such suffering and pain in the world? Why isn’t the world a better place to live in? Why aren’t people happy?’
    The guru laughed as he always did, not at the questioner or the question, but to convey that it was a difficult one and hence a good question. ‘God did not intend this world to be a perfect place for human happiness or to be our permanent home,’ he replied. ‘It is a school, where you come to learn.’
    ‘Learn what?’ asked the princess.
    ‘Learn, my child, the way to your real home, which is the place for true human happiness.’
    ‘And how do I learn that?’ she asked.
    ‘You learn through meditation. By emptying your mind of all distracting thoughts and concentrating your attention between the eyes. During meditation you will forget your body and you will be guided either by an inner light or the sound of inner music. The light will sometimes appear in the form of your guru, who will guide your spiritual journey towards God with the help of the light and the music.’
    ‘Guruji, if this world is not my true home, then why do I get involved here? I mean get attached to my family?’
    ‘Child, you must teach your heart. What a waste these attachments are! One day you will die, and that too without warning. Suddenly you will leave your family and friends. You see, the world is not a permanent place. Nothing is forever.’
    ‘Look upon this world as a passenger on a train looks at a wayside stop. On the train journey the traveller makes