My Friend Jyotish

When I became decathlon champion the second time, my friend Jyotish was sitting in the third row of the bleachers. When they made the announcement that I stood first in decathlon, he jumped off his seat. He thought that he would land on the ground. Instead, he fell down on two girls sitting in front of him. He was so excited, he fell down.

Years later, when I was working at the Indian Consulate, Jyotish was dying of leukemia. My family did not want to tell me. A few days before his passing, they informed me. I cried. Then with greatest difficulty I got through by telephone to his room in the General Hospital. Nirod had gone to visit him. I begged Nirod to put me through to him. Nirod said, “He will die in a few hours. He cannot speak to you.” I said, “He cannot speak to me? I am his dearest. Even his dying voice I want to hear.” He said, “No, no, no.” So Nirod did not tell him I was calling.

Then a telegram came about his passing. I cried and cried and cried. A few days later I went to a store. And what did I hear at that moment on the radio? I heard a story about a five-year-old boy who will soon die. He was suffering from leukemia. Right there I started shedding tears.

The owner said, “What is wrong? What are you doing here in the shop crying?”

I said, “My friend died of leukemia about a month ago.” This is what happened.

21 July 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York

From:Sri Chinmoy,Concern: A Reality of the Heart, Agni Press, 2025
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/crh