The Flying Swami

The lounge was unusually crowded. There was still one more hour before the flight was to depart so I looked around for a seat and managed to find one in the corner. There was a gentleman bent over his laptop, busy preparing a report. Then ,there was a very slim girl wearing a skin hugging outfit outlining the contours of her firm figure. She was reading a Sidney Sheldon bestseller and occasionally sipping the cappuccino. Another couple was engaged in a conversation. I was soon rewarded in my indulgence of observing people rather than following the news playing on the TV. A yellow robed swami, very well built and with a flowing black beard, holding a blackberry in one hand, and a ring on every finger, entered. His looks reminded me of Chandra swami of the yesteryears. He was accompanied with an entourage of six people-two women very well dressed and three gentlemen in tie and shirts and one in a spotless white kurta and a matching pajama. All of them appeared to be very well off.  A man in a black suit and a purple tie who was clean shave and had a receding hairline, sitting on an adjacent sofa got up from his seat and walked up to the swami, bowed and greeted him. The swami’s eyes shone in familiarity and waved a hand to bless his disciple. ‘Swamiji, let me introduce you to my wife and daughter’ he said, as he brought swami closer to the place where they both were sipping a cold drink. Upon seeing the swami walk up to them they both got up and greeted him with folded hands and head bowed in reverence. ’Jeete raho’ swami said, as he blessed them in turns. After brief introductions they all settled down in a semi circle  and continued to talk. Curiously, I moved a little closer to eavesdrop on the on going conversation. ‘ Swamiji, this is my daughter, Neetu about whom I had mentioned to you last time. She will be twenty eight next month and our search for a bridegroom has not yielded any results,' the man anxiously explained to the swami. The mobile of swami rang and the conversation was interrupted for a while as he cut short the discussion on the telephone. Swamiji opened his brief case which lay on his feet and pulled out a black thread with metallic cylinder  in the middle(a taveej). He handed it over to the girl and said ’Beti you should wear this and do not remove it’. He then looked at the man and his wife and continued ’your daughter will be married within next six months, so have faith in god’. The couple   gratefully looked at the swami and thanked him. The announcement of my flight interrupted the session and after a brief discussion both the swami and his disciple got up and walked towards a corner. I guess the disciple had gone to make an offering of cash to the god man. As I stepped out of the room, I looked back and found the swami smiling at his disciple.