Page 215 - JyotipunjEng
P. 215

258

don’t have any of these.” Vasantrao said, “Well, then, do one
thing, bring fried lady’s fingers and paranthas.”

     Vasasntrao was a vegetarian. Still he surprised his
companions and made them enjoy the occasion. Even the hotel
staff came to see him one by one.

     In one way, he used to forget events, things. Yet, his memory
was so sharp that he could write down a speech, that he had
heard, that too in the correct sequence. His attachment and
devotion to work was so exalted that he was often absorbed in
his work without any anxiety of the surroundings. In his normal
life, he was not bound in any limitations. He knew how to live
a blissful life. In my memory, there is no man who ever
complained against Vasasntrao. In such a long period, he had
cultivated a personality which helped him enter any situation
as smoothly as water. He never got stuck in a corner or got
stagnated in life. His presence always enlivened the atmosphere.
Even his absence did not allow the atmosphere to go empty.
And perhaps, this was the outcome of his most exalted state of
his journey of life.

     For years, he had not used any other transport other than a
bicycle. As the Sangh work expanded, the means too became
available. The younger Swayamsevaks working under him rode
scooters, but Vasantrao never touched any other transport than
a bicycle to go around. However, he always took care to ensure
that his junior workers enjoyed a good facility.

     If the bicycle broke down, Vasantrao would hire a bicycle,
but he often forgot which shop he hired it from, so he had to
enquire from five-six shops to which it belonged. We find a
wonderful assimilation of high intelligence, simplicity, hard
work, attitude to wit, detached sentiments in his personality.

     In the final couple of years, he suffered from paralysis; still
he did not break away from his work. To the final day of his
life, he kept himself busy in learning, working for purity of
language and joining words. Despite his suffering, he tried his
best to attend every programme that he could. He suffered from
paralysis close to two years, still he did not mention about his
suffering to any Swayamsevak or visitor in the Sangh office. If
   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220