Story 1

Amma and appa as I called them were now free. I, their only daughter had got married and was busy with my life. Appa had retired from his job and amma was a house wife. I knew they had something in mind and things worked out great.
They shifted to Ambapur, a small village outside Chennai and bought a large piece of land. There they built about 10 small cottages where about 4 to 5 people could comfortably stay. The local villagers called it an ‘old age home’ but it was not just that. 10 people moved in. Let me first introduce the members of this organization, yes you heard it right it was an organization and they named it ANUBHAV.
Mr. and Mrs. Gokhale were the first couple to join Anubhav. They were abandoned by their successful kids and had no where to go. Mr. Gokhale was financially stable and wanted to utilize his money for a cause and not ‘WASTE’ it on his ‘good for nothing’ kids. Before you start looking at them with sympathy let me tell you that they were not at all disturbed with their so called ‘life full of tragedy’. They had accepted it and just wanted to move on with life. They were an educated couple where Mr. Gokhale was a lawyer and Mrs. Gokhale had got a masters degree in social work. They were not very talkative but they made sure that they would be friendly with everyone around. Mrs. Gokhale loved singing and her singing sessions had become an inseparable part of Anubhav.
The second couple to join the cause was Mr. and Mrs. Lalwani. Mrs. Lalwani was suffering from depression. They had lost their only son 6 months prior to their entry in the organization and Mr. Lalwani had come here primarily to divert her state of mind and then to bring back her confidence and faith in life by making her work for a cause. Mr. Lalwani was a thorough gentleman and very good my nature. He was a total extrovert and was always with his wife. Mrs. Lalwani, though depressed, was liking it here. She was under mild medication and the new place, people and atmosphere was working very well for her. She showed improvements in the first week of their stay at Anubhav itself.
The third couple was Mr. and Mrs. Shah. Mr. Shah was a business tycoon and so was his wife. They were working in the same organization and at the age of 55 they started finding life very monotonous. They needed a change in their pace of life and also needed to give a new meaning to life. They had no kids and were all alone. They retired and appa accepted them as a part of Anubhav. They were very well mannered and were always waiting to learn something new about life. They were very accommodating and fun to be with people. They loved dancing together and were proud about it. This is what everyone loved about them.
The next to join Anubhav was Mr. Shankar dayal. He was a bachelor and an ex-alcoholic. He was just back from a rehabilitation center in the northern part of India and was serious about getting rid of his habits. Apart from being appa’s school friend, Mr. dayal was also an ex police chief and had done commendable work during his serving period. Very strict by nature, he was a complete perfectionist. He was an introvert and didn’t like to talk much or laugh. But he had a soft corner for kids and became one himself when he was with kids.
The last member to join Anubhav was Ram Prasad Maharaj. He was a saint and was very kind to join appa and help him in his cause. He could not be of any monetary assistance to the org. but his experience and thoughts were all that was needed. He spent most of his time in the temple chanting. His lectures and experiences with life was something every one would wait to hear every evening.
Amma and Appa as we know were also a part of this group. Amma was a psychiatrist and Appa was a cardiac surgeon. Amma and appa was a very happy couple who had a love marriage and was still equally in love. They loved me, their only child and also my family which was made up of my husband and my son.
So this was it. Anubhav had started working. 10 people, a lot of energy, conviction and willingness. Everyone had a special quality and some weaknesses. Appa had been planning this from a long time. He had considered the applications and the personal letters sent by the above people. He had published advertisements in the newspapers and had also spoken to various NGOs about it. The whole process went on for about 2 years. In these 2 years he faced a lot of unwanted attention from different people and groups. But alls well that ends well and here it ended for a bright new beginning.
Anubhav, as u might have assumed, was not working for senior citizens and their rights. Nor was it working for orphans or street kids or for eradicating poverty. This was a unique cause. This was a cause where all the members could get themselves actively involved in the task, use their personal talents and fight their own weaknesses.
Now here is what Anubhav was all about. Anubhav’s academic term was that of 6 months. At the beginning of every six months 5 new patients from the Chennai mental asylum, with the permit of their relatives and doctors, were sent to Anubhav. Here the members were to treat them. Each member had a different task. All the 5 patients were suffering from different problems and it was Anubhav’s challenge to treat them completely.
Now lets see which tasks were assigned to the people and what was the schedule of these patients. The first thing in the morning each patient was supposed to go was to go to appa for their body checkups. After that the patients had to go with Mr. Shankar dayal for their physical training and work out schedules. This would take up most of their morning. After that they would come back to the center and cook their own meals in the assistance of Mrs. Lalwani who was an excellent cook. When the cooking was over the lunch session would begin the assistance of Mrs. Shah who would instruct them on manners and ethics. Afternoon was given to rest. In the afternoon there were talent and storytelling sessions conducted by Mr. Lalwani were the patients were made to do different things like painting knitting recitation elocution etc. In the evening all the patients would go to garden and listen to Mrs. Gokhale sing her beautiful songs. This was like a music time where other members would feel free to sing and play some music this was when everyone especially Mr. and Mrs. Shah would dance and so would the other patients. Then it was spiritual time where maharaja gave a lecture and did kirtans and chanting for the patients. Maharaja would also personally spend an hour with each patient in the evenings and give them a personal spiritual treatment. Then again cooking sessions for dinner with Mrs. Lalwani and then before going to sleep counseling sessions with amma would end their day. Amma would counsel them and ask them to give a fair report of their day. This was a regular day of the patients. The most important part here is that these patients are treated without any kind of drugs. Mr. Gokhale and Mr. Shah had been assigned with a job of organizing their picnics and outings and they also had to handle the legal formalities.
This was what anubhav was all about. Anubhav means experience and these people had to teach a simple lesson of life. The whole concept was initially to treat the patients with immense love, make sure they have a lot of fun and keep them busy throughout the day by ensuring their physical and mental fitness. This according to them was what the people were lacking in their lives. This was supposed to be the kind of life one is supposed to lead where in each flavor is present in the perfect proportion. This was a simple concept which did miracles with special lives of these patients.
A lot of incidents happened. Patients were cured. Lives were changed. Anubhav worked for 10 years and changed the lives of 160 patients. The patients now lead a normal life in different parts of the world. Mrs. Lalvani is now completely fine. Media attention is something appa always wanted to stay away from and he has done that. Chennai mental asylum doctors and the patients are the only ones who know what was happening. The villagers still thought it was an old age home. In the past 10 years anubhav saw the death of 7 people. Maharaj, Mr Gokhale and Mr. Lalvani are the only ones alive.
2000 was their last academic year. Right now I sit with a letter in my hands where in the patients themselves want to get along with maharaja, Mr. gokhale and Mr. lalvani and start a new Anubhav...