My wife used to solve the crossword puzzle in the Gujarati news-paper Jansatta. In April 1953, she solved the puzzle no. 6 as usual. At that time, I still had to repay a debt of Rs. 3,333/- out of the Rs. 50,000/- I had borrowed. By Baba’s grace my wife won a prize of Rs. 3,333/- in the puzzle. Nothing less, nothing more ! Was it not a miracle of Sri Sai Baba to relieve me from my debt ?

In the Bhadrapad month of 1953, the annual shraddh ceremony of my father and father-in-law came on the same day. As I had to attend the office, I could not visit my in-law’s house that day. My children were at school. At about 4 p.m., a man who perfectly resembled my father-in-law visited our house with  a khaki coloured bag which he handed over to my wife and went away. The bag contained some raw vegetables, udi and Rs. 1.25/-. When I came home, my wife gave me this news. I wondered, how my father-in-law who had died in 1950 in Jaipur could visit my house in Ahmedabad in 1953 ! Was it not the wonderful leela of Baba to fulfil my wishes ?

In 1954, I went to Shirdi with my family intending to stay for a day and return. But owing to heavy rains, I was forced to stay for three days in Shirdi. When I returned to Ahmedabad, I had the good fortune to meet His Holiness Sai Sharan Anand, Baba’s intimate devotee. I used to visit him now and then and soon became his staunch devotee. My wife gave daily bhiksha (alms) to the Swamiji.

In 1958, when Swamiji had gone to Mumbai, my wife went to Shirdi via Dadar by herself. At the railway station, there was a big crowd and she was not in a state to get a seat. At that time, an old man came and asked her for her chaddar (bed-sheet). Though she was in doubt initially, she eventually gave it to him. The old man disappeared into the crowd. After a while he returned as the train came into the station and told her to get into a particular compartment. When she obeyed, she found her chaddar there and the old man helped her to put in her luggage in the compartment. When she turned towards the platform to pay him, he went away without asking for anything. Wasn’t it indeed a miracle of Baba to help her in her hour of need ?

In 1980, between the 10th and 15th of March, a man wearing a silk shirt and dhoti came and handed over a packet to my wife, sometime between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. My wife asked him to wait; but he went away without saying anything. When she opened the packet, it contained four and a half railway reservation tickets from Ahmedabad to Manmad by Navjeevan Express with the names of all our family members. When I returned from the office, my wife handed them over to me. I was astonished to see them and upon inquiry at the railway station found them to be correct. I was sure that it was none other than Baba Who had given them. I asked His Holiness Sai Sharan Anandji. He advised me to proceed to Shirdi, as per Baba’s wish. Accordingly we went to Shirdi utilising the tickets upto Manmad.

Once again in 1981, between the 10th and 15th of March, a man came and threw a packet in our house between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. My father opened it and there were four and a half railway reservation tickets from Ahmedabad to Manmad as well as udi. We once again visited Shirdi, as per Baba’s wishes, utilising the tickets upto Manmad.

In 1982, for the third time, on 12th March, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. a man like a rikshawala came and gave a packet to my wife and went away. When she opened it, she once again found four and a half reservation tickets from Ahmedabad to Manmad. We once again visited Shirdi by utilising the tickets upto Manmad.

On March 15, 1983, my wife and daughter went for darshan of the Samadhi of His Holiness Sai Sharan Anand, who had expired on 25th August, 1982. They offered prasad to the pujari (sevak) there. When he gave them prasad from a white plastic jar which was there, a packet came in his hand which he handed over to my wife. When opened, it was found that there were four and a half railway reservation tickets from Ahmedabad to Manmad with the date of journey 30th April 1983. Mentioned this time, instead of my name, my son’s name was on one of the tickets viz. Nitin C. Mehta. I had utilised these tickets for the past three years i.e. in 1980, 1981, 1982. This time I decided to retain these tickets as Baba’s prasad and came to Shirdi on April 30, 1983 of my own accord.

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