One cry in desperation to Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu saved us from a horrific accident !

 

On 7th June 2008, at about 12:10 in the afternoon, my wife Vishakha, her elder sister who lives in Baroda, my daughters Shruti and Shreeya, and I left our home in my car to see a movie. Vishakha’s elder sister wanted to see the Marathi movie ‘De Dhakka’, so we headed for Cinemax Sion. We were on the Eastern Express Highway, and I drove quite slowly due to the rainy season.

We were around Chheda Nagar when a strange incident happened. It was a straight road, and so the vehicle, too, was running straight ahead. Suddenly, the steering wheel in my hands veered sharply to the left. I felt the wheel being pulled and the jerk as if someone was tugging at it. I struggled as I tried to turn it in the opposite direction, but it was in vain. My strength was just not enough. I thought it may have been locked. So I tried to apply the brakes, but this too, did not work.  

My daughters in the back seat were yelling, “Papa, what in the world are you trying to do?” Then I wondered if the car had a punctured tyre, which could have dragged the vehicle to the left. Vishakha was sitting next to me. She kept crying out loudly, ‘Bapu... Bapu!’ (Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu). I was terrified. The car seemed like it would either collide or turn over and skid. The vehicle had already swerved twice from right to left. It was now the third time, and with all her strength and energy, Vishakha screamed, ‘BAPU!!!’  

There was a trailer truck parked just a little ahead of us, and we were about to crash into it. But then... our car just came to a sudden halt! It just stopped right where it was, about four feet from the trailer! It was Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu who had responded to Vishakha’s call for help. Oh yes, there was no doubt about that. He had rushed to that spot for sure. Otherwise, how could the vehicle have stopped suddenly? Death was right in front of us; our time had come, but Sadguru Bapu just did not allow it to happen!

Moreover, this highway constantly streams traffic, but when my vehicle went out of control, no single vehicle drove past or even toward us. It was as if all the cars had been stalled for that moment. It was only after this incident that people and other vehicles gathered around us. I stepped out of the car and examined all four tyres. They were fine. Then, I tried to move the steering wheel, which also worked fine. Even the brakes were working properly. I looked at my watch, it was 12.30 p.m. At that moment, we saw a man wearing a raincoat and riding a scooter, making his way through the crowd and driving towards us. When he reached us, he spoke in Hindi, “You are saved. Drive carefully and slowly.”

Just a few moments back, another car had skid at this spot. Now, you take the road under the bridge.” I was so petrified that I just about managed to blurt out a ‘Yes’. The person drove away. My younger daughter asked, “Papa, do you know him? Where did he go?” There was a traffic jam ahead of us. So, the person could not have gone too far. I looked in the direction he had gone but could not see him. I got back into the car and began driving very cautiously.  

Due to heavy traffic, I had to apply the brakes frequently. So, I realized that there was no mechanical fault in the vehicle. I returned home without getting the car checked by a mechanic. It was a shock, a jolt out of the blue. We saw it, we felt it, and we lived it. But by the grace of our Sadguru, we were saved, and the entire family emerged safe and sound. It was Sadguru Bapu’s grace! His grace alone had made it possible. His grace and His grace alone!