Racking my non-cooperative brain, other such instances suddenly come to light—especially marriages. Marriages are said to be made in heaven, but they have to be performed on earth’s terra firma.

My own marriage is a good example. My wife’s brother, who was an acquaintance of my father, happened to visit our house. That was the only time he had visited before the wedding. Shrewdly noting that my family had two employed sons with decent jobs, he wasted no time approaching my parents with a proposal. Over time, the discussions became serious, and since my brother was in the USA, he expressed a desire that his sister be considered as a match for me. The talks were ongoing when my brother planned a short visit of a fortnight to India. Things took off at jet speed, and after his arrival, the marriage was fixed. In just 10 to 12 days, everything was arranged, and the wedding took place. It went like a dream.

A similar thing happened with my elder son when he was on a visit to India. We were discussing his marriage, but things were moving slowly. He wasn’t fully convinced, and we were not adequately prepared. Then, just a day before he was set to leave, one of my close friends mentioned that another colleague had a daughter and was interested in an alliance with our family. Marriages were simple back then. Despite some reluctance due to the time constraints, we met the girl and her family at a temple. We had another meeting the next day, and then? Within six months, they were married.

It seems to run in our family. My younger son had a similar experience. By this time, marriage websites had sprouted. We had sought an alliance through a website, but the family asked us to wait for a few days. We continued looking at other prospects, but nothing was working out. We suddenly remembered the alliance that was still pending. I decided to follow up, and what had been dormant for three months sprang to life. In just about a month, my son and the girl met, the parents met, and the marriage was fixed to be held in a couple of months.

It’s not that everything always ends rosy. During one of my tenures in Chennai, we were distributing loans to slum dwellers for starting their own businesses, in the august presence of our religious leader. After the small function, I prostrated before the revered guru, and he blessed me. But just a couple of days later, I was transferred to another state in central India, where the full blast of adversity in all its forms assaulted me for nearly seven years. I did come through.

I wondered why. Had I not been blessed? But when things go well, don’t we often keep quiet? How am I to know the alternative scenarios? If this hadn’t happened or that hadn’t happened, would life have been better or worse? If I hadn’t been transferred to the place where I suffered, who’s to say things would have been rosy? It could have been worse. We have to take it philosophically. This occurred, and this was the result. Accept and adjust. Things happen for a reason.

I could go on and on, but I’ll try to end with one more instance. After my prostate cancer diagnosis, we planned for a specific type of radiation. My elder son was here for three weeks to support us through this tough time. While we were consulting with the oncologist about the treatment, we happened to meet a Director of Radiation Oncology whose brother was a close friend of my son. On hearing this, the doctor came to the consulting room and, after lengthy discussions, suggested we opt for Proton Radiation Therapy, which could be completed in a shorter duration. Our whole plan changed, and we went ahead with this treatment.

So, were these instances merely incidents? Were they accidents that led to something? Being a believer, I think these were neither but simply God’s intervention. Let’s give God His due share of credit.

Things happen for a reason. There is a wonderful book called A Prayer for Owen Meany, which explains how the entire life of this guy was oriented towards a very noble purpose in the end. It’s worth reading.

To be continued... Part 30 - Souls That Linger in the Heart