As the time for Shri Nathji’s departure from Bombay came closer and closer, Sukhdev felt a gnawing sorrow take possession of him. He felt he would not be able to live without Shri Nathji. He also knew that Shri Nathji would not let him give up his job to follow him to Mussoorie. Shri Nathji called him to his room daily and spoke to him with great love, filling his entire being with his Love. Shri Nathji also gave him strength to bear the physical separation that was to come shortly.
Sukhdev wished to know what he could buy for Shri Nathji before he left the city of Bombay. And Shri Nathji recollected that he needed a radio to listen to the news about the world in the isolated atmosphere of Mussoorie. The PYE radio which he had with him at Mussoorie had a sound so low that Shri Nathji had to strain his ears and even cup them close to the radio to catch the words.
Sukhdev immediately went to the market and purchased a small RCA radio, which had a volume so loud that it rocked the entire building! It was the very antithesis of the first radio. Shri Nathji laughed as he listened to its blast. However here was a gift that would remind him of Sukhdev every time he looked at it or listened to it in the silence of the Himalayas at Mussoorie.
Sukhdev had a neighbour, Shri Advani, who was the owner of an Airline. He had devotion for Shri Nathji and wished to offer his services for Shri Nathji’s travel to Delhi, and he offered seats on his flight to Delhi. Shri Nathji blessed him, and his airline prospered in an incredible manner thereafter. This was the barkat – prosperity – that all who served Shri Nathji obtained through serving him.
It was thus on March 23, 1948, that Shri Nathji went to the Santa Cruz Airport at Bombay to board a plane that was to take him away from the city of Bombay. Sukhdev had come to the airport to say farewell.
His heart was so heavy with sadness that for a while he could not even cry. When Shri Nathji embraced him for the last time before turning towards the plane, Sukhdev burst out into tears and fell to the ground at Shri Nathji’s feet. Shri Nathji raised him and embraced him again.
There were tears in the eyes of all who had come to the airport to see Shri Nathji off. Even total strangers who watched the scene were filled with a feeling of love which was so intense that it brought tears into their eyes.
Indeed, Shri Nathji’s Love was so overpowering that it was beyond the power of a human being to endure separation from him. It was only Shri Nathji who could comfort those wrenched by the sorrow of parting from him.
And it was thus that Shri Nathji entered the plane and took to the skies of Bombay, raising his hand in a gesture of blessing as he passed over the heads of the citizens of the city.
Sukhdev stood and watched the aeroplane disappear into the depths of the sky.
He wrote a letter to Shri Nathji that night in which he said:
“As I watched the aeroplane carrying you away into the skies, I felt as if my very soul had flown away.
“Mujhe aise lagaa jaise meri rooh urr gayi hai!”