The following account is related by Malika Mala Devi Dasi, a preacher in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Once, with Kirtirani Mataji, we performed at a festival in Astana, Kazakhstan. We did not have time to have dinner and rushed to the plane because we were going to be late for the flight. The local devotees handed us a big bag with prasadam.
I said, “Krishna! The flight from Astana to Alma-Ata is just an hour and a half. We don’t need anything, especially at night.”
But Kirtirani said, “I’m hungry!” And the devotees insisted, “Take it all, please. Treat someone in Alma-Ata.”
On the plane, it turned out that we were in different rows, but there was a spare seat next to me. So, I waved to Kirtirani to come and take it: “Come on. Sit next to me.”
In the next seat was a guy who looked pretty unfriendly. His clothes were all dark colors. He was obviously in a bad mood.
After we were settled, Kirtirani said, “Krishna! I’m so hungry! Malika Mala, can I start to eat?”
“Sure.”
As soon as the plane took off, she started to rustle the plastic bags full of prasadam. “Oh! They got this! Oh! And they got this also!” She looked so happy. “Malika Mala, are you sure you are not going to eat?”
“I’m not hungry. Have you offered some to our neighbor?”
He interjected, “Do not do this!!”
“Oh, okay.”
The stewardess came to deliver food. In a whisper, he said, “I am a vegetarian.”
Kirtirani turned to me and said, “He ordered a vegetarian meal!”
“Wow! So, you treat him!”
“Excuse me, please excuse me,” she said to him. “I heard that you ordered a vegetarian meal. And we have vegetarian food.”
“I said no!” the man shouted.
“Aye. Okay.”
He looked really annoyed.
Kirtirani started taking prasadam, commenting, “Oh, how delicious!”
Again she offered him, “What about some sweets?”
“I said no!” he shouted.
But she didn’t stop: “Oh, look, here’s another thing we have! Why should you eat airplane food? We have homemade food here!”
Finally, he said: “Oh my God! Why is this happening to me?! Why is this happening to me again and again? I know you! You are Malika Mala!”
We were shocked that he called me by my name.
He continued, “As soon as I spotted you on the plane, I knew you would be sitting next to me!”
My eyes got big. What was going on?
He continued, “And of course, you called her to sit here, too! And yes, you started offering me prasadam! I know what you want! You want me to always remember Krishna! But I want to forget Him! Do you understand? I want to forget Him!”
We were sitting there shocked and speechless.
It turned out that he was a devotee, and he had quarreled with other devotees. It often happens. There were insults. He even used to be a pujari in our London temple. But then, due to the quarrels, he left the devotees and ended up alone. However, he remained a vegetarian.
Then he said, “You understand? It is impossible to get away from Krishna! I do not want to be friends with Him, but He does not stop being friends with me. Wherever I go, He will certainly send me prasadam. He will surely send me devotees. He will definitely leave me a Bhagavad-gita, or something else. He is so friendly! You just can’t imagine!”
Kirtirani and I both started to cry. There were tears in his eyes too.
“Can you even imagine what kind of friend He is? It is impossible to get away from Him! Impossible! And you know why it is happening now? I am coming from a funeral—my father died. It was a Kazakh funeral, and there was only meat. All these days I’ve eaten only tomatoes and cucumbers. I’m so hungry. I know why He sent this prasadam!”
I thought, “Lord! So, He cares for him so much that He made devotees provide us with a big amount of prasadam for this short flight. It was meant for him!”
Crying, I told him, “You strengthen our faith! Right away, right here, please help yourself!”
He started taking prasadam. And then he asked, “Can I take some with me, too? I missed prasadam so much!”
“Of course! Of course!”
Such is the story of Krishna’s friendship!
Hare Krishna.
Source: https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=17836
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