XIX

After a few days, things became normal. Mrs Devi and Rakesh were still not very comfortable around each other, but somehow they were co-existing, with Sunita handling the environment by making their favorite dishes.

"Sunita, the smell is stronger today!" said Mrs. Devi after her daily morning Puja, " I can sense, she is not happy....something's about to happen". "Mom! please don't start again!" Sunita snapped, " I really don't want all that episode to repeat again"

" Sunita...you just never listen to me!" Mrs. Devi took Sunita by both her arms, making her pay attention to her words, " concentrate and smell! You will feel her....feel the smell getting strong". Sunita closed her eyes and and made an attempt to smell, just for her mother's sake. She smelled something really queer, and shook her mother, " whats that smell Mother?!"

"See, I told you....", " Wait...its coming from that side..." Sunita dragged her mother towards the balcony. "Wait beta, let me consult Guruji, she ...whosoever she is might attack us....what will we do then!!" " Oh God Mother!" Sunita exclaimed, rather unpleasantly, "just come with me" She dragged her by her arm.

"Its getting stronger...we shouldn't..." feared Mrs. Devi. Sunita hushed her and proceeded covering her nose with her handkerchief. They entered the balcony. The smell grew multi fold and became unbearable.

"She killed it.....what a bad omen!!" Mrs Devi shreiked in horror. Sunita rushed to bring a broom and dustpan. " Mom its a dead cat in our balcony, no "she" killed it, now you go inside, I'll clean it up"

"Sunita.....cat's death in your balcony......don't you realise what it means...." Mrs Devi shook Sunita by her shoulder. Sunita glared at her, symbolizing her to leave the place, "Ma, its a dead cat, let me just clean the place"

XVIII

Delicious aroma filled the house. Mrs. Devi could smell her favorite gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) even through the strong smell of her aroma candles. She wondered from where the strong smell of freshly made halwa was coming.

Rakesh paused his favorite song in his mp3 player, his mouth started watering as his nose tickled by the smell of his favorite kachoris. Since the morning, thanks to Guruji's arrival, he hadn't had anything to eat. His stomach growled by the enticing smell of kachoris.

Mrs. Devi couldn't resist further, she paced up towards the door of her room, but then stopped, she just recalled she was angry. "Yeah, I'm angry...still I can go to the kitchen....it doesn't stop me from going there" Mrs Devi said to herself, justifying her act of getting attracted towards the smell of halwa. She gave up her control and rushed towards the dinning hall.


Rakesh couldn't control anymore, neither his stomach nor his watering mouth, he had to have kachoris. He rushed towards the kitchen. As he stepped inside the living room, he stopped seeing his mother in law on the other end of the hall.


Mrs. Devi also stood on one foot, her left foot almost still in the air. She had hastily stepped towards the dinning table seeing the halwa, but then didn't set her other foot down seeing Rakesh. " The halwa is towards this end of the table, and Sunita is also sitting, I should join her.....also why was I angry at Rakesh, again" thought Mrs Devi, and without looking at Rakesh she sat down at one end of the table.

Rakesh also hurried along towards his end of the table, and gave Sunita a wide smile. Both of them attacked the kachoris and halwa. Sunita smiled to herself, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

XVII

Sunita paced up and down in her room. Her mind was full of jumbled thoughts, just like two trains and each wants to pass by the next station first. The station was obviously Sunita herself and the two trains were the two most important people in her life, her mother and Rakesh.



She didn't want either of them to get hurt, but in the current scenario, neither of them wanted to consider the other person's approach or feelings. While her mother was hell bent regarding Guruji's readings and sayings, Rakesh was completely not in a mood to even give Guruji a chance.

She was also well aware that she couldn't blame either of them, both of them were correct as per their thinking, and both were thinking about her, for her betterment.

At this thought, suddenly Sunita stopped, and a smile crept on her face. She was so lucky, two most important people of her life, and both of them thought so much about her!

She now knew what she had to do.

She quickly went to the kitchen, she knew the favourite dishes of both of them. After all food is every human's weakness. " I just hope among these dishes, "she" has her favourite too...and hope "she" likes it and leaves my house....haha!" Sunita joked to herself and chuckled as she hunted for the ingredients.

XVI

Stunned by the sound of the door slam, Rakesh almost fell down on the couch next to him and sat with his face buried in his hands, and started murmuring, " its happening again....all of this again..." Sunita rushed to Rakesh's side, and pressed his right shoulder lightly, " Rakesh....calm down...mummy will be fine in no moment..." " Sunita it has all started....I can sense it!" Rakesh took Sunita by surprise as he turned towards her in a jiffy and held her hands.

" What has started Rakesh.....please do not make vague statements like Guruji...it scares me!" Sunita overcame her surprise and gently asked Rakesh pressing his hands hard. Rakesh stared blank at Sunita. Sunita repeated her question, shaking Rakesh's hands. Rakesh spoke in a dull tone, " it took Shikha didi from us..... Took her away!" Sunita didn't quite understand, what Rakesh was saying, but she nodded her head in order to ease him and let him continue.

" Shikha didi was a wise young lady, good in studies, helpful to kids, .... Until she fell ill..... she fell so ill that tantrik baba had to be called upon.... For her treatment.... He did something to her waving his broom and all....I was a kid back then, I'm not sure what happened, but we soon lost Shikha didi...." and Rakesh buried his face in his palms.

"Rakesh....Rakesh.... Listen to me," Sunita whispered to her husband, trying to calm him down, " it is a very old story, nowadays people rely more on doctors and medicines, you are not going to loose anybody now......" " Exactly my point Sunita" Rakesh got on his feet," that was an old story, but we had another baba at our home today!" Sunita was left speechless.

XV

" She!!...She!!...She!!....who is this 'she'" Sunita cried frantically as she saw Guruji walk pass the main iron gate of her house, " who are you.....tell me!!...." Rakesh hurried close to Sunita and made her sit down on the couch next to her, " Sunita....calm down dear....calm down" he pressed her head gently onto his chest, running his palm over her black shiny hair " don't let him get inside your head, I...I.. have seen the devastation before"

"Rakesh...Sunita....what was this?!!" Sunita's mother exclaimed, as she slamed the main door, as she returned back after seeing off Guruji. " Mother....I..." Sunita looked up to her mother and said slowly, " I think I should be the one answering this question...and not you Sunita" Rakesh interrupted Sunita, and spoke sharply looking towards Mrs. Devi and then looked at Sunita. Sunita stared open- mouthed at Rakesh, as he continued, " I will not tolerate any act of superstition, or even discussion about it, let me make it very clear to both of you..." Rakesh paused and then continued in a comparatively softer tone, " Maa...I know, you are very upset.....by my behavior and mostly because Guruji left because of me.....I understand...but..."

"..But?!!...but what Rakesh....are you even aware how humiliating it was for me in front of Guruji...and all his disciples.....all my life, I have always asked for Guruji's help for every small or big problem faced by me or my family....and Guruji has always helped me in some or the other way.....always!" Mrs. Devi stopped for a breath, her face red with anger, and then continued, " and today...what do I do.....I let my daughter and son-in law humiliate him....in front of everybody...everybody!!"

"Maa!...." Sunita fetched Mrs. Devi a glass of water, " just calm down....have some water....neither me or Rakesh had any intention of...." " What no intention....everything was evident.....it was so so disgraceful!......neither of you cared about my prestige!" Mrs. Devi inturrepted Sunita, and stormed towards her room"




/* how will Sunita bridge up her husband's and mother's relationship...check out in the next post*/

XIV

"Guruji!....I hope you are not trying to impose some paranormal story on us.....because that is something I am never going to believe" Rakesh interrupted Shastriji in a sharp loud voice, ".....as I have no faith in all of this....... whatsoever!!". Mrs Devi almost jumped to her feet in suprise, "Rakesh!!" she started scolding Rakesh, " what is wrong with you....." "Deviji" Guruji inturrepted Mrs. Devi, and continued further in a very calm and composed posture "let him speak........he needs to have faith....else my position is useless here".

Mrs. Devi tried saying something, but stopped, and sat mum with worried eyes fixed on Rakesh, thinking about what he was going to say next. Rakesh took a deep breath, and said " Guruji, I didn't mean to disrespect you.....I am well aware of your grandeur, your accomplished status....but I absolutely refuse to follow something which is astray from science and logic!" Mrs. Devi hit her forehead with her palm, in a reaction to her son-in-law's stubborn act.

"Hari Om!! Mrs. Devi.....I seek your permission to leave....", "Swamiji.....please" Mrs. Devi rushed forward with folded hands, " please don't be angry....they are children....they don't understand...", "Deviji....I'm not angry.....but I find my position useless here" Shastriji leaned forward to collect his belongings, "....kindly understand". " Guruji! kindly forgive me....for my naive behaviour....please do not be angry!". " Young man.." Shastriji placed his hand on Rakesh's shoulder, " I am not at all angry....and consider this... is as my respect towards your beliefs!" " In that case, I will not let you leave without having lunch with us!" Guruji smiled and nodded, "I would have loved to...but alas...now I can't.....knowing she is here!"

XIII

" Hari Om!", Sunita turned her head towards the door to find a tall man with long white beard, wearing bhagwa (saffron) colored clothes standing with calm expressions on his face. " Hari Om!" he chanted again, which drew Sunita's consciousness back, as she stood up, a bit embarrassed thinking she had been staring at him for the last few seconds.

" Pranam guruji!" Sunita's mom charged ahead hurriedly, giving a sharp look to Sunita, "welcome Guruji!" Mrs Devi greeted Guru Omdev Shastri and welcomed him inside the house. "Thank you so much for taking out time of your busy schedule for coming here.......that too at such a short notice!" Mrs Devi said with folded hands expressing her gratitude. "Deviji, you are among my most sincere followers, you know I could never refuse, that too for Sumi...never!" said Guruji turning towards Sunita, " don't you feel its presence here Sumi?" Sunita' felt as if her body froze..... she wanted to think something, say something....but she wasn't able to.

"Sunita...are you okay?" Rakesh asked waving his palm in front of Sunita's numb face. He was watching TV in the adjacent room, when he heard Shastriji's voice and came to meet him. Entering the hall he got surprised seeing Sunita standing like a statue midway in the hall."Sunita...??" Rakesh shook her by her right shoulder" "Ya..Yes...what...what presence??" Sunita jabbered, on gaining consciousness.

"Her presence Sunita....Rakesh do you feel it?" Shastriji answered. Mrs Devi nodded half frightened, and half smiling with the confidence of 'see I told you so' expression. "Please Guruji, be elaborate, what are you trying to suggest?" Rakesh asked in a calm, yet imposing manner, as if ready to face the next argument put foward, Sunita firmly held Rakesh's hand, fearing Guruji's answer to Rakesh's question.


/* Whose presence is Guruji referring to?...Check out in the next post!*/