Vasudha Shah
(Shyam Sunder:) “Vasudha was the name she got from her parents. At the Ashram she was called ‘Akka’ by the younger generation as well as the visitors. (‘Akka’ means ‘sister’ in Marathi). In her letters Mother addressed her as ‘My little smile’. The letters have since been published as a book.
Vasudha was a girl of 14 when she came to the Ashram in 1928 and stayed on. She lived in an apartment next to the Ashram on the eastern side at the south-east corner. The same premises housed the Ashram Embroidery set up and looked after by her. In course of time she became a personal attendant of the Mother. Many a time I noticed her going to or coming from Mother at fixed hourse with a shoulder-bag and flowers in hand. I felt envious at times of her good fortune of physical proximity to Mother.
Those who wanted to communicate to Mother through her would either go to her apartment or wait for her on the Ashram footpath. Kind, always smiling, she also felt concerned for the worldly problems of people around her.
Once my son didn't come back home. When I went to her with the request to report the matter to Mother with prayer for his welfare and return, she asked for several detailsand made me write a letter to Mother. When the boy returned after two days, she personally shared our sense of relief.
Once, on her way to Mother's room, Vasudha saw me sitting on the Meditation Hall staircase where I was trying to get over an intense toothache. She saw from my face that all was not well, inquired, and reported to Mother.
...
Later, when I started going to the Mother sometimes, once Mother returned my flower-glass with a transformation flower in it and very modestly she pointed to her heart and said that the little flower came from there. Vasudha, who was nearby, felt that I had not fully understood Mother's words and gesture, and joyously told me next time that the flower I got from Mother was the one she had put on her gown's buttonhole near her heart. Naturally I was elated over the privilege.”[1]
(Shyam Sunder:) “After the passing of the Mother... Vasudha was surrounded by people who felt happy in maligning me in the post-1974 period and was impressed by their statements for quite some time. She mentioned it to my wife and said that it had been difficult for her to imagine how I could have become so bad. Subsequently, she herself was bruised by ill-treatment and then she said that after that she understood what I had gone through.”[2]
See also
- Chandulal Shah (Vasudha's brother)