…is not proprietary to Mr. Maradona. It's real.

I've been a bit "off" God, if I may say so, in the past couple of years. I mean, I do believe in Him to the core, but I haven't been thinking about him, thanking him, asking his help too much lately. But He doesn't go away. He sticks around to show you often that he doesn't reciprocate the ignorance. And at those times, you'd really have to be a blind fool to not notice His work.

So this one day recently, I had to go to this college to apply for my M.Com admission. Pops was out of town so I could take his nice big car (which I don't get the chance to drive often). As usual, and as expected, mom objected immediately. "You're not taking that car. You know I don't like you driving it in your father's absence." I, not willing to heed this argument, dismissed her "Mom, I'm taking the car. For heaven's sake, please don't say anything to stop me. The day you object, something happens to the car." My conscience pricked me as soon as I said that, but I dismissed that as well.

So I drive my careful best to college and park on the road adjacent. I enter the college with a lot of documents, and a pen and a cellphone in hand. I'm in the college for 20 minutes and thankfully everything goes well. That is until I begin my walk towards the car. I check all my pockets and I don't find the keys. "This can't be happening. Not after what I told mom." The stupid conscience comes poking as if to say 'HAHA! I told you so!' I check with everyone I met in the college to look for my keys. I retrace my steps down the staircase – nothing there. I ask the gate security if he found it, and got the expected response. Finally, I accept my fate and call my mom. I'm walking back to the car while asking her to get there with the spare keys. And then I see it. Holy Hell! The key's hanging on the door lock! How can that happen?! It's in the middle of the road with the key hanging on its side for 20 frikkin minutes and nobody thought of running away with it?? Can that ever even happen?

Yes it can. It did.

Before going to college that day, I had gone to the gurudwara for the first time in over a month (as compared to twice a day a couple of years back) just to pray for the admission to go smoothly. I don't know why I decided to go that day, but I guess I just felt the need to.

How then can I not associate the two incidents? Such instances make things crystal clear. God exists for everyone. And He shows it. We just choose whether we want to see Him or not.