Chapter 1: My preparation

Chapter 1

The twentieth of February 2011, will be a day of significance in my life. That day I received a SMS from Sunder, informing about Rudraparayanam at Chandanagar Shivalayam.

I was motivated from within to attend it. That evening Sudheer asked "Do you have passport?" I said yes. Then he asked "Will you go to Ati Rudra Maha Yagna? I replied "if He wills". Later I came to know that ARMY he was talking about would be organized in Thailand. I had to plan for a two week leave and go to Thailand!

Getting a leave was a problem for me at that time. It had been just a few months that I got into the new job. I was not sure if I would get leave for a long duration. I offered everything to Swamy and whole heartedly said .,. O Lord, if it is Your Will, then I shall go.

On the 23rd of March 2011, Sudheer wanted me to confirm my attendance and enrollment. I was still not sure about getting leave. I said to myself "Sairam" and replied "Confirming attendance".

The events that followed were all a part of the Divine Will manifesting itself. I was introduced to Mr. AK Kumar of Chennai through email. He sent me the ritwik registration form. i filled it up and sent it to Sudheer through Sundar, who had came to my home late one night from office to collect it. Sudheer sent it Mr. Kumar, thus the registration part was done. Even at this point I was not sure of attending the Yagna, as I had not asked or applied for leave till then. I was all the offering all the thoughts to Swamy.

I should at this point also share that during the same time was supposed to a conference at Sweden, which I could not decline unless I was determined to even leave the company, I was prepared to do it if required.

In a strange turn of events, another lady in the company was going through her maternity and opted to quit the company. I was having the required qualification and so my managers decided to shift my department from one to this! It meant that I need not any longer worry about attending the conference in Sweden representing my erstwhile department and was totally into new area of work and now I was reporting to new people. With one block gone, my confidence started to strengthen and I started to work on myself preparing for the event.

Two weeks before the event I applied for leave and with a brief discussion on my 'South-East-Asia holiday', and it immediately got an approval. It was such a sigh of relief and concretization of grace!

My work in the department started and the weeks ahead were planned for me, and no wonder, the two weeks duration was in buffer period. Meaning I had nothing to work on, and was meant to a breather time between projects. I should add that while planning the schedule my vacation was not considered. But THE PLANNER had planned it well!

With leave approved, and new responsibilities in project, I was pretty much being made ready