We were told to get ready for a quiet trip to Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. The Governor, Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, etc. of UP all wanted to meet Maharaj there, and Rai Singh was urging him to come. We were to travel to Bareilly tonight, then on to Lucknow tomorrow and stay at Rai Singh’s while Maharaj gave audience to these VIPs. A staff member told me to bring at least 100 Hindi Jaap Sahibs and 25 Punjabi ones for Maharaj to give to the VIPs, and I also stocked in a supply of Loving God, Everyday Miracles in the House of God, 3 rolls of film, 6 blank audiocassettes, and 2 blank videotapes, plus more clothes than one would need for 4 days, because with Maharaj we never know what will happen.
What happened? Nothing. We got part way across Delhi and Maharaj’s car, the 1984 Ford Bronco, started stalling. Again and again our young men would jump out of their cars to fix it, but it would go only a few feet and then stop again, with traffic swirling all around. This drama went on for about 45 minutes until Maharaj sent word that we were to turn back since there was no hukam for us to proceed. Rani and I jumped out of the old Mercedes in which we were riding, so that Maharaj could sit in it for the drive back to Gobind Sadan. Nikka and Goldie and Sethi, Nikka’s brother, were left to get the Bronco fixed. As we saw them pull away into a different road, the Bronco appeared to be working fine again.
Later Nikka reported to us that within two minutes of when Maharaj switched cars and headed back to Gobind Sadan in the Mercedes, he did one little thing with the air cleaner and the Bronco was perfectly all right. They would have reached Gobind Sadan before us, except that they stopped to have some juice. With Maharaj in the Bronco, it would go ahead when they would drive slowly, but as soon as they would push on the accelerator, it would stop. Nikke reported, “Once Maharaj was out of the Bronco, we drove it back at 80 to 100 kilometres per hour. Actually, Maharaj did not want to go because there was no hukam.”
It must have been very hot for Maharaj to sit in the Bronco with no air conditioning as they repeatedly tried to repair it, and with so many rough people staring in the window as they passed by on the road. My feeling is that Maharaj had to go through this difficulty because he could not bear to hurt the feelings of the people lovingly awaiting him in Lucknow. He had told Rani that he was going only because of Rai Singh’s love. Otherwise, since September Maharaj has not gone anywhere except to pay a 15-minute consolation call to ailing Father Gregorios. Normally he travels only when the hukam comes to do so—and today we saw what happens when there is no hukam for his travelling.
Sethi says that Maharaj foresees a very terrible time ahead for the world, but that those who recite Nam will be protected. They won’t even see what is on the other side of the wall. Perhaps this is why on April 1 we were given the hukam to collectively recite 1,25,000 Jaap Sahibs. We are still working on that hukam, reading Jaap Sahib as often as possible and recording how many times we have read it each day in a register kept at the havan. It is not work. We are all enjoying it so much, and the love among those who are doing so many Jaap Sahibs is very sweet.
Now that we are back in Gobind Sadan together, instead of on the road to Lucknow, everyone is in a very happy mood. It always strikes us as a pleasant thing when a program is cancelled because God’s hukam does not allow it. We know Who is in charge of cars as well as of us.