Chapter 14 - 'Khatushyam Ji'

​I was attending a three-day workshop in Jaipur. I hadn't had proper sleep for the last two nights. It was now the second day of the workshop.

​A few people suggested me to visit the 'Khatushyam Ji' temple. Even though I was extremely tired, I thought that I might not get this chance again soon. However, I still needed to attend my workshop the next day at 9:00 AM sharp.

​Thousands, or perhaps lakhs, of pilgrims visit the 'Khatushyam Temple' every day. I knew it might take several hours to have darshan. The taxi driver who had previously taken me to 'Pushkar' promised to take me to 'Khatushyam Ji' as well. I didn't book a taxi online because I trusted him.

​This was the third night in a row that I hadn't slept properly. I got ready early in the morning, around 2:00 AM, and waited for the taxi. I called the driver at 2:45 AM, but he didn't answer. I called him several more times, but there was still no response. I waited until 3:30 AM.

​I tried booking an intercity Uber, but I couldn't find one. I walked out of my hotel and stood on the road, trying to stop a few taxis, but I failed. Since my hotel was near the airport, most taxis passing by were already occupied.

​I gave up.

​Suddenly, a taxi stopped on the opposite side of the hotel gate. I asked the driver, "Are you available?"

​He said, "No."

​By then, I was exhausted. I thought, "Let's just go back and sleep."

As I started walking back into the hotel, the driver called out to me from the road. He asked, "Sir, where do you want to go?"

​I asked him, "You just said you weren't free. What happened suddenly?"

​He replied, "Sir, I am free now."

​I told him I wanted to go to the 'Khatushyam Ji' Temple, and he agreed to take me. Interestingly, he even quoted a lower price than the previous driver.

​As we started the journey, I asked him again what had changed.

He told me that a lady passenger in his car had vomited. She complained about the smell inside the car and refused to continue the journey. She had released the taxi right in front of my hotel gate.

​I felt in that moment that 'Khatushyam Ji' was helping me.

​The driver turned out to be a devoted follower of 'Khatushyam Ji'.

He didn't ask for a single rupee in advance. When we stopped at a restaurant, he even paid the bill for our tea. He even purchased the prasad for me with his own money and refused to let me pay him back for it.

​There were thousands, maybe even lakhs, of people in the temple queue. I was worried I would miss my workshop, but the driver showed me a way to navigate through. I managed to have a very quick darshan in just 45 minutes.

​I started my return journey and reached the hotel around 8:00 AM. I had my breakfast and attended my workshop on time.

When I paid the taxi fare, he still wouldn't accept money for the prasad or the tea.

​I felt as if 'Khatushyam Ji' himself had come to help me out.

​जय श्री श्याम।