Inside Nolini-Da's room

Two hours later, I went to Nolini-da’s room. Manoj, who now works in his room, had been my class friend, but Manoj was not there. Nolini-da’s bedroom and the adjacent room were both open and they were very beautifully decorated for Nolini-da’s birthday. When I arrived, the lady who keeps the rooms clean saw me. I was standing in the doorway, hesitating, because my friend was not there.

I did not know the lady at all, but she said, “Come in, come in,” as if she knew me.

I went inside and looked at Nolini-da’s picture. The lady began asking me questions about when I worked there as Nolini-da’s secretary. She was very, very kind to me. I had been told that you cannot take pictures in Nolini-da’s bedroom; it is forbidden. Pictures can be taken only in the front room. But the lady saw my camera and said, “Normally it is forbidden to take pictures here, but for you nothing is forbidden. You can go inside and take as many pictures as you like. I was told you used to work here.”

I showed her where I worked, on the floor right beside Nolini-da’s bed. The bed that is in the room now is very large and beautiful. The previous one, the one that Nolini-da had used, was half the size. It was very small and narrow. Sometimes Nolini-da used to take rest in his bed while I was working and sometimes he used to sit there.

Then I showed the lady all the files that I used to take care of. Nolini-da had about two hundred files of his writings and ashram activities. I had to know them almost all by heart.

Then the lady said to me, “Please take my picture.” At that moment a friend of hers came into the room and I took their picture together.

I was so happy to see the place where I had worked for years.