We were saved from a horrific car accident only due to Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu's grace

 

I am narrating an experience that occurred few years back. At 7:30 am, about ten volunteers from Kalyan and Shahad Upasana centres left in a Sumo car. We were to coordinate upasana at two places near Kasara in Vashala. Another set of 10 volunteers from Bhandup centres, also travelling by Sumo, met us near Kasara. To reach the village of Veluk, one has to traverse a short section of a ghat after passing the Central School at Vashala. 

While driving up the ghat, our Sumo suddenly left its path at a steep blind corner in an attempt to give way to another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The driver had accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brakes. The car rattled along the rugged terrain, bumping and sliding at places, but it would not stop. All of us kept screaming, "Bapu Bapu!" 

Finally, seeing a huge, deep ditch in front of us, we closed our eyes and braced ourselves to face the imminent final moments of our lives. At that precise moment, everyone called out to Bapu in sheer desperation, and the car suddenly came to a standstill. To our amazement, when we opened our eyes, the car had been held back simply by a feeble, dry shrub. A few moments later, only the shrub fell into the ditch, but not us. We had a very narrow escape! 

The front wheels of the vehicle were stuck in the ditch. Since the rear seat had bent forward, four of us including me were trapped between the front and the rear seats. I had been pushed onto the door, which caused a severe injury to my right elbow and knee. To everyone's surprise, the door did not open. We would have been thrashed against the rocks had the door flung open. Anjanaveera, who was sitting beside me, had hurt her forehead on the displaced rear seat. Two passengers were badly injured by the screws of a Tabla, which was resting at their feet. The leg of one of them was bleeding and started to swell like a cake right in front of our eyes. The sight was extremely frightening. 

Everyone rubbed Udi on his leg, and in no time, the leg returned to its normal shape and size. The Sumo carrying volunteers from the Bhandup centres had gone ahead of us. So we had to call them back. After reaching where we were, they took the car out of the ditch. Our driver was trembling with fear. He only said, "Please give me a photograph of the person you called out to as 'Bapu'." 

After regaining our composure, we decided to conduct the upasana as planned instead of cancelling it. After holding the upasana at Veluk and Dhakane, we returned at around 8 pm. On reaching home, we realised the extent of the accident's impact on us. The pain had started to become evident only then. We came to realise the importance of Aanhik, as explained by Dr. Yogindrasinh Joshi. We knew that, in reality, it was next to impossible for a dry shrub to hold back a vehicle such as the Sumo carrying ten people in it. 

I bowed down in front of Bapu's Padukas and cried inconsolably. I asked him why he loved us so much when we barely did anything for him. What coaxes him to be present for us on each and every occasion? It then dawned upon me that there was no answer to such a question. He is like that and will always be.