A PR man gets his voice back

Achal Paul, July 2007 हिंदी
The winter of December 1999 brought chilling news for me. Slowly and steadily, my voice was fading away, and I had to make a real effort to speak even a few words. After I met ENT specialists, I felt that the Delhi winter, foggy and miserable, was going to be a long one.

The specialists recommended immediate surgery after detailed investigations. I went under the knife at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. After surgery, the growth piece on my vocal cord was sent for a biopsy. The report confirmed my family's worst fears: the growth was malignant, that is, cancerous.

Just two months after I had suspected that my voice was deteriorating, I was facing hell - and wondering what had led to it. After all, I do not smoke or drink alcohol and neither do I chew tobacco or have paan (betel leaves).

But God is quick to save.

Within one week of my surgery, during my three-week voice-rest period, I was under Guruji's protection, His sharan. Both my wife and I came to Guruji with our predicament. But we had to pass a test.

Five days after I had been operated on, I felt a compelling urge to go to Guruji. Doctors had warned me that water should not touch my throat at any cost. And that day it was raining very heavily when we started from home.

My family advised me to take rest and go some other day. However, I was determined I would go to Guruji. My inner self told me that today is the day and I must!

As we entered Empire Estate (a cluster of independent flats located on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road) the walk up to Guruji's sthan (literally, place) was very soothing. Guruji, in His colourful robe, was sitting on His majestic gaddi (seat, a symbol of spiritual authority). We were introduced and asked to sit on the rich red carpet that covered the hall. The sacred songs of the Gurbani were being played over the audio system; the atmosphere was charged. After a while, chai prasad was served.

Right after, Guruji called us up. He told my distraught wife: "Ja tere husband nu 50% theek kar ditta (Your husband has been half cured); go get the tests done again." It was not easy to believe that a cancerous growth had been treated. But we followed Guruji's advice. We sourced the four remaining biopsy slides from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and sent two slides each to AIIMS, New Delhi, and Tata Institute, Mumbai, for a re-test.

After about a week, we got the reports and came to Empire Estate. As soon as we entered, Guruji smiled and said: "Kyon doctors confuse ho gai (The doctors are confused, aren't they?)". Indeed, they were. Both reports declared me fit: the first miracle - since there were others that followed - had come to pass.

Thereafter doctors advised me not to ignore the histopathology findings and get the full treatment done. I was determined that if at all I had to get any further treatment, it would only be on Guruji's directions. Fulfilling my wishes, that's what happened: Guruji blessed me and made me eat langar full of chillies - which was a strict no-no as per the doctors, who had asked me to stick to boiled food. Guruji went another step further: He even made me speak and pronounced that I was all right.

I was still continuing with my radiotherapy treatment on Guruji's advice. But I didn't feel any side-effects at all. I had no nausea, and my haemoglobin level throughout remained above normal.

The only medicine, if I may call it so, was the water I drank from a copper tumbler blessed by Guruji. I was asked to fill the tumbler with water every night before going to sleep and the next morning to drink half of it first thing and to put the rest in my bath bucket. That's it. By following this simple ritual, I was fully cured.

Such has been my miraculous transition to a new fit life! And I have two daughters and my wife to share it with - thanks to Guruji.

Achal Paul, PR & Advertising Professional

July 2007