The next morning, at Mr Ng’s house, yogis gathered and chatted over breakfast as Shri Mataji ate upstairs. I looked at the faces around the table and thought there was something attractive about them, but couldn’t tell what it was. Shortly after, Mr Ng came downstairs and said that Shri Mataji would like to go shopping.
‘Young man, would you like to go?’ He looked at me and said. ‘We could use some strong arms to carry all the shopping bags.’ I was burning with newfound curiosity about Shri Mataji, so I agreed, welcoming the chance to see Her again.
We drove in a little convoy to the centre of the city. We were told later that Shri Mataji wanted to buy saris for the upcoming India Tour, but at the time, I had no idea what that was about. I followed at a discreet distance as this group of about eight men walked behind Shri Mataji towards the shops. She seemed to know exactly where She wanted to go, and Mr Ng was by Her side, carrying Her large brown handbag.
Robert Ramesh Tan