66. For Doctorjee, Other People's Convenience Always Came First:

In the winter of 1932, the Sangha camp was taking place on the shores of Lake Ambazari (in Nagpur). It was bitterly cold, with blasting chilly winds. Swayamsevaks slept in pitched tents. Doctorjee's tent was separate, and it was so small that only one person could barely sleep in it. It was devoid of any bed or other comforts that even other Swayamsevaks had; for Doctorjee believed in utterly simple life.

The "lights off" time was 10:00 PM. Up to 11 PM, I used to go about making sure that all the "Vyawastha" items (i.e. food, toilet arrangements, water etc) for the next day were all properly set up, and then I myself would go to bed.

At about 11:00 PM one night, I saw Doctorjee out of his tent, moving about. I walked to him and said: "It must be a dire emergency indeed, that has made you look for something in this blood-freezing chilly night. Please tell me, if I can be of some help". With his usual, ever-present smile, Doctorjee replied: "There is no emergency. Just a few minutes ago, one of my friends came to visit our camp, from the city of Umred. He didn't have any bed or any other sleeping arrangement. So I have given him my bed. Don't worry, I will find out some place to sleep”.

What a greatness of heart this was! Doctorjee had been up since 3:30 AM that day. He had worked continuously throughout the day, doing back-breaking labor - lifting heavy large kitchen vessels full of food and cleaning them. In that bitterly cold night, no one deserved a bed more than the utterly exhausted Doctorjee. The guest could have been sent to Nagpur or accommodated elsewhere. Yet Doctorjee cheerfully gave up his bed to this last-minute, unplanned "Athithi" (unexpected guest), with a smile on his face!

Only Doctorjee could do this, I thought. At a dire cost to himself, he had, as a lifetime habit, put others convenience first, ahead of his own.

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