Moving into Nana Nani with Shirdi Sai Baba`s blessings

 It was Sivasankari, the award-winning writer in Tamil, who told me that Baba decides to enter people`s lives and bless them, whenever he chose. It seems Baba entered her life fifteen years ago. Since then she has become an ardent devotee of Baba. Shirdi Sai Baba entered my life four years ago and has become one of my `Ishta deivams` along with my all-time favourites; Venkachalapathy and Vinayaka. I visit his temple every Thursday, wherever I am. I read one or two chapters from his ``Satcharithra` every day as a part of my daily prayers. These days I can feel his presence whenever I am facing a problem or I am in a dilemma about which way to proceed on issues I face in my life.

When I decided to move to a Senior Citizen Home, I was particular that I rent out an apartment in Phase 4 of Nana Nani in Coimbatore. I found phase 4 was the best of the lot of homes I visited when I was writing an article on Senior Citizen Homes. I was told by some friends who are residents of Phase 4 that the vacancies for rented apartments would be known only in February,24 when some of the tenants get possession of the accommodation they had booked in Phase 6 which was expected to be inaugurated in February. They also told me that there was a big waiting list for rented apartments in Phase 4. I was worried.

In December,23 I decided to attend the Navjyoth ceremony of the grandchildren of my good friend and ex-partner Sam Balsara in Mumbai which was scheduled on 20th December,23. When I rang up my schoolmate Sundaresan about my proposed visit, he not only invited me to stay with him but also informed me about the introduction of the Vandhe Bharath train from Mumbai to Shirdi and back on the same day. I jumped with joy and told him that a visit to Shirdi was very much on my cards. Based on his advice I reached Mumbai on 17th December as the train ticket was booked for the following day. Chatting with him on the 17th evening at his home I casually told him about my desire to get an apartment in Phase 4 and how I will have to wait till February to try to get one. He responded immediately with a call to a close friend who was living in Phase 4. That friend informed me that a tenant in his neighbouring flat was moving to another building in the same complex and that the tenant was authorised to recommend a candidate of his choice to the owner of the flat who was living in Bangalore. The next day while I was in Shirdi there was a constant dialogue between me and the friend, who wanted me to rush to Coimbatore immediately to firm up the deal with the tenant. Because of my prefixed programme in Mumbai I could visit Coimbatore only the following week end.

The tenant looked a pious man. He connected me to the owner of the flat who confirmed that it is okay to deal with the tenant in the matter. I gave a month`s deposit out of the five months deposit required to the tenant and returned with the understanding that I would have to go back to Coimbatore in the middle of February to go through the formalities required by the management of Nana Nani and take possession of the flat. The next month was spent in suspense as I was not sure if I had done the right thing by dealing only with the tenant. Adding fuel to the fire a good friend who had visited Nana Nani the previous month told me that without the permission of the management of Nana Nani, it is not possible to get a rented apartment. I was confused and worried. However, I did not contact the Nana Nani management or the owner again, but surrendered to Sai Ram and prayed for the success of my efforts. He did not let me down. After going through some ups and downs and all the formalities including a medical check up I am now well settled in Room No G 206 in Phase 4 of Nana Nani. I believe that the fast-tracking of the whole process of getting the apartment was made possible by my trust in Sai Ram. Om Sai Ram!

More about my experience in Nana Nani in due course!