Happy Birthday to An Awakened Soul

It was a chance meeting with Dr Subhashini Malik when I as teacher incharge of FCC hostel accompanied a girl in pain to Malik Nursing Home, Balsamand Road, Hisar. I saw the doc anxious and agitated giving piece of mind to a pregnant rural woman who had developed some complication due to utter negligence. She was angry and loud but her concern was  purely intensely human. When our turn came, she apologised for making us wait. I complimented her for her humane ness. She said: my name is Subhashini but I am  kubhashini. That was our first meeting.

Came to know more about her through a friend that she has read scriptures of all dharmas-Gurubani, Vedas, Puranam, Ramayana, Bhagwad Gita and she does six hours 'jap' daily. I was curious. In second meeting I asked her how she managed to do so much 'jap', she said she wanted to check veracity of some saintly person's saying that with one crore mantra jap one can have self revelation.

As chance would have it, I met her three four times during my seven years tenure in Hisar. Annual feature was wishing each other on birthday. When my maiden compilation of poems ' Amaltas' was published I sent her a copy . It was a treat to get a critique on Amaltas in hand written, beautiful, literary letter from her. Sharing of books that followed further enriched me with her generously complimentary missives. In span of almost thirty five years I have met her less than ten times but every time I meet her, her energy level, the aura of a deeply spiritual being, the crystal clear notions and above all her overflowing zeal for learning mesmerised me. She lost her mother at a very early age and is often reminiscent of how courageous her father brought the kids up nurturing in them 'sanskaras' and taste for literature. 

A few years ago the worst tragedy befell her when she lost her only son. In her utter grief, it was unbelievable to see how her spiritual upbringing brought her to terms with traumatic reality. Perhaps all her reading of literature and scriptures, 'jap', meditations had mentally prepared her involuntarily for this irreparable loss and save her from being shattered. 

There are very few people in this world who  have only the positive influence on us possession the ability to love unconditionally. The gifted selves like her are like Sun- givers without expectations. I have often wondered how its always rejuvenating only whenever I am able to connect to her on special occasion like her birthday. A soul like hers is indeed an awakened soul with a purpose of contributing in spread of positivity and human concern. 

Today ie 10th July, she is 77. Happy birthday to you, Mrs Malik.