Once inside, he hurriedly lit a fire in the fireplace and settled down, knowing well that Bibi would spend a lot of time talking to her God. The dry wood caught fire quickly, in turn spreading warmth to all corners of the small room. Rubbing his palms, he turned to look at her and found her in deep meditation. He walked up to her, draped a thick woollen blanket around her shoulders and then got busy preparing kehwa to keep himself warm. She didn’t move or get disturbed. Her eyes remained closed. Her heart was beating ever so gently. She looked in complete peace with her Waheguru.

Amidst the complete silence and dim lights, the priest could feel a strange glow around Bibi. He had never witnessed such a phenomenon before. Is this a figment of my imagination? he wondered and kept staring at Bibi. She was surely communicating with God but her lips weren’t moving. Yet he could feel the presence of an energy surrounding her. He closed his eyes to listen to the sound of silence and be a part of this mysticism. He thanked God for giving him the strength and courage to travel the distance. The experience was invaluable, serene and surreal, yet magnetic, pious and unexplainable in words. ‘I wish to merge with this divine serenity forever, O God,’ he prayed.

There was no question of Bibi returning to her home that night. She prayed and meditated as if there was no tomorrow. The priest stayed awake too, to witness with his own eyes every single moment of Bibi’s spiritual journey. Thank you, God, for rewarding me so graciously, he repeated many times in his mind. Sometime around midnight, Bibi lay down, folding herself into a small bundle, and went to sleep. The priest stood up, and, without making any noise, went closer. His eyes scanned the right side of her face, hands and feet. They were all milky-white and flawless. Even though her eyes were shut, there was an amazing aura around her face.

Lifting the blanket softly, he covered her body and then went back to the fireplace to add more wood. He then returned to where Bibi was resting and sat down next to her. His lips didn’t move, his eyes remained shut and his hands folded, but his heart was praying for Bibi. O Lord, this child of yours has travelled a long journey and performed every task you asked her to. She has only one desire—to meet her children before she dies. Please, I humbly pray, grant her this wish. I seek nothing else. By then, the small prayer hall had become warm and cosy. An hour later, the priest too fell asleep.

* * *