It was my 19th birthday. As most other people, even I had plans for the big day, and was looking forward to the celebrations. On my birthday night, owing to the bad behaviour of my very close friend, I got very upset and I cried almost all night. And then, all my birthday plans got cancelled, which made me even more upset! I was just so disheartened and dejected. Half the day passed, and I was at home, crying and sulking, as it was my birthday and I wanted it to be special! I was feeling very terrible. I knew not what to do. I made a small prayer to Gurudev, pleading Him to make everything alright, for the rest of the day was still left, and I wanted a miracle to happen. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, my mother received a call from my uncle, who is an Art of Living teacher as well. He excitedly informed her that Guruji was in Delhi, and He had a flight to catch in a while, so there was a good chance of Him giving Darshan to the devotees before leaving. On hearing this, I got extremely happy, bought my birthday cake and went to Vasant Vihar, with the hope of meeting Him. As we entered, the room was full with people. I quietly went and sat in a corner with my mom and dad. Bhajans (devotional hyms) were going on. I sat patiently, yet there was a bit of anxiety in my mind, as Gurudev had a flight to board, which meant that He would have to leave the room soon. I prayed and hoped that He would meet me well before leaving, especially as it was my birthday then. We waited for almost 2 hours, but I was losing hope with each passing minute! And then suddenly, the moment arrived. Guruji started walking towards us. On seeing Him, I ran with the cake in my hand and went and stood near Gurudev. He was looking directly into my eyes. I can never forget that look of His. He saw my birthday cake and said, “It looks very tempting.” He then took a knife, cut the cake and said to me, “First you eat the cake, and then I’ll eat.” Slowly He picked a piece, looked into my eyes for almost 10 seconds, continuous, and then placed that piece of cake on my hand. He then took another piece and ate it! WOW! I was on cloud nine. I truly could not have asked for more. Getting the opportunity to spend your birthday with your very own Master, that too so closely, was nothing short of a Divine blessing. I had tears of gratitude in my eyes. I am so grateful to Gurudev for giving me the Best Birthday ever. I also took back a small learning from this experience. I realised that whatever happens, happens for the best. I was sulking during the first half of my birthday as all my plans had fallen through, but now I feel that there was no point in being sad, as it was all meant to happen so that I could celebrate my special day with my Guru! Always have the faith that it will all fall into place by the end. Don’t worry, be happy. Jgd.
- Lehar Juneja
