Khorshed and Rumi Bhavnagri lived in Byculla in Bombay with their two sons, Vispi – born on August 9th, 1950 – and Ratoo, on December 13th, 1951. As the boys grew up they were extremely interested in all aspects of motoring. Eventually, Vispi and Ratoo set up a garage for motor services and repairs. They also participated in several motor rallies.
In the fateful year of 1980, Vispi and Ratoo were to enter a 1,632 mile cross-country motor rally. The rally was to start on February 23rd, and Vispi and Ratoo decided to take the car out for a trial run from Bombay to Khopoli, before the event. Khorshed narrated what happened just before her sons set out on their journey. "Ratoo hugged me tight, said goodbye and went out. He hardly went down a few steps (we lived on the 2nd floor), then he came running back to the door, to me. Again he hugged me tight and kissed me. I could not understand why, because this was unusual for Ratoo. He went down one floor, then once more he came running back to me and held me tight and hugged me. By then Vispi came to wish me goodbye as well. I told them to drive carefully. They said, 'Don't wait for us, mama, we will go till Khopoli and return, or we may stay overnight and come back tomorrow morning.'"
Just as they got into their car, the boys met their father. Rumi told them to drive carefully. Ratoo replied, 'Why are you worried, daddy? In any case, we can't go over 30 [miles per hour] since we have just overhauled the engine. We will be alright.' So, at 8.30 that night, Vispi and Ratoo set out in high spirits along with two mechanics and a friend.
When they did not return by 8 o'clock the next morning, Khorshed and Rumi began to worry. At 8.30 am a mechanic from the boys' garage came over saying that there had been an accident somewhere near Khopoli, and that both Vispi and Ratoo were in hospital.
Rumi rounded up a few friends and sped towards the accident site at Khopoli. There they found Vispi and Ratoo’s car smashed into a tree. Nobody was around, but they learned that the boys had been rushed to the hospital a few minutes away. When Rumi got to the hospital, he was told that both Vispi and Ratoo had been killed on the spot, but the other occupants of the car had escaped with minor injuries.
As Rumi painfully climbed the stairs to his apartment, Khorshed kept asking him from the landing, "Why have you taken so long? Where are Vispi and Ratoo? Why can't you move faster?" When Khorshed heard the news, she broke down. She felt she had nothing to live for.
Khorshed's faith in God was shaken. "I had been very religious," she said. "Now, for the first time, I began to question whether there was a God. If there was a God then why should He do this terrible thing to me, snatch my sons away when I have never harmed a hair on anyone’s head? I was ready to give up God, religion and life."
Then something wonderful happened. On the 29th day after the funeral, a neighbour named Mrs. Dastoor told Khorshed and Rumi an amazing story. Mrs. Dastoor's sister-in-law had gone to a concert and, during the intermission, overhead a lady speak of two boys who had recently died in an accident and wanted to send a message to their parents. So Mrs. Dastoor’s sister-in-law had taken down the lady's telephone number.
The next day, Khorshed and Rumi got in touch with this lady and she invited them to her house. She had lost her brother and was in contact with him through séances organised by a powerful medium named Mrs. Kapadia. On one such occasion, the séance was interrupted by a cry from two young boys. The boys said they had died in an accident and that their parents were shattered. They wanted their parents to know they were happy in the spirit world and not to worry as they could see their parents.
On March 22nd, 1980, Khorshed and Rumi attended a group séance at Mrs. Kapadia's residence on Napean Sea Road. Mrs. Kapadia, the medium, sat in the centre and the others were seated around her. She moved from one person to another to assist them in their communication with their dear ones who had died. When Mrs. Kapadia came to the Bhavnagris, the first words uttered by her were, "Hello Mummy, fatso." That was what Vispi had always called his mother. The fact that a stranger knew such an intimate detail was what gave Khorshed and Rumi proof that it was their sons, and this restored their faith in God.
Vispi and Ratoo then told their parents that they wanted to talk to them alone. So Mrs. Kapadia gave them the name of another medium, an elderly lady called Mrs. Rishi. A few days later the Bhavnagris spoke to their sons through Mrs. Rishi. They said, "Mom and Dad, this is Vispi and Ratoo. Yes, we died and reached the spirit world within minutes of our death. It is God's will and God knows what is best for each one of us. God is good. You must not cry for us or miss us, we are much happier here. We can see you all the time, and are looking after you. We cannot communicate with you until you are completely relaxed and happy. You have to develop powers of concentration." They also told her that she had to stay on Earth to do her spiritual mission, which was to help people and spread spiritual awareness.
Over the next few months, Khorshed and Rumi, with the help of their sons, developed powers of complete concentration and relaxation which made direct communication between the parents and their sons possible through a process known as Automatic Writing. She would hold a pen lightly onto a book, concentrate intensely, and gradually the spirits of her deceased sons would use her hand to move the pen slowly and unevenly over the page. At first there were mere scratches, but with days of practice, words formed and she could ask questions aloud, to which the answers would come, written onto the book.
Shortly after the boys' death, a very unfortunate family problem arose and Khorshed and Rumi had to resort to litigation. Contrary to the advice of some lawyers who said they should not fight the case, Khorshed and Rumi chose the lawyer on the advice that their deceased sons conveyed to them telepathically. To their surprise, against all odds, the litigation came to a successful conclusion. This was one more sign that the Bhavnagris were indeed being guided and protected.
After some time, Vispi and Ratoo conveyed to their parents a desire to dictate, by the same process of automatic writing and then telepathically, a book containing the laws of the spirit world, for which they had obtained special permission from higher souls. They thought it would be of considerable benefit to human beings on Earth to know the true laws of God and the spirit world, which, if followed, would help them advance spiritually. It was the desire of Vispi and Ratoo that the book be dictated, published and distributed widely. However, Vispi and Ratoo were very clear that their teachings and beliefs were not to be forced on anyone.
As friends, and even strangers, heard of Khorshed’s communication with her sons, they came pouring in at the Bhavnagri residence. Khorshed and Rumi slowly realised that by reducing the pain of others through selfless service, their own pain was being considerably reduced.
This was how they found solace after the death of their sons. They provided guidance and comfort to both young and old. By sharing their story, they prevented people who had suffered a similar loss from being consumed by sadness. They counseled people regarding various problems, but eventually they nourished those souls who had a true thirst for spiritual knowledge and a desire to improve spiritually. People posed questions, some of which have been reproduced in Part II of the book, The Laws of the Spirit World, published by Jaico.
As there is no religion in the spirit world, questions and answers that relate purely to any particular religion have been excluded.
Rumi and Khorshed Bhavnagri passed away in 1996 and 2007 respectively, and are happily reunited with their sons in the spirit world.