Strange Stories - 1

The wedding was in progress. Lots of people all around. The bride and groom looked so lovely together. The rituals were in progress. In the wedding mandap sat the bride's uncle and aunt officiating as parents. Just behind them on a chair looking lovely as always, dignified and beautiful sat the bride's mother, Sapna, 57 years old and the happiness on her face was a joy to watch.

I just could not take my eyes off the bride or Sapna, after all, Sapna was my wife and the bride my daughter, now 35 years old and who meant more than life to me. I wanted to go and hold them, hug them, kiss them and participate in this happy occasion with joy. But I could not because I had made a promise, I was keeping my promise. Even if I wanted to, I could not break my promise, because - I was just a few months old babies lying in my mother's lap watching the wedding. I heard my mother say to her neighbor...

"I thought he would be cranky and crying in this crowd, heat, and noise but he has not made any noise, and it's as if he is watching the wedding. When I get up to stretch my legs or leave this place he starts crying and becomes cranky."

I smiled. Little did she know the truth. I was actually watching the wedding. I did not want to miss even one minute as my little baby daughter got married to start a new life, make true the dreams of Sapna which like most typical women of her age – Marriage was the goal to be reached. She wished for this moment so badly that she was willing to give anything to make it happen. I loved her so madly that I was willing to give anything too so that she was happy. And by some strange circumstances, it had happened.

Almost a decade ago I and Sapna decided to go to Varanasi for a visit and her sister and her husband's wife joined us. When we were there we were told that the Maha Khumb Mela was in progress. We knew that there would be lakhs of people but we decided to go visit anyway. We went and spent the day walking around seeing all those sadhus, saints, others and it was fascinating. People told us about the extraordinary powers some sadhus had but I generally didn't believe them.

As we walked we espied a sadhu in a small tent who looked strange, looked strangely at us, yet not looking at us and my brother-in-law dared Sapna to go greet him. She took up the challenge and went inside the small tent. She was back after a few minutes and said that the sadhu had only one eye and he had told her that Sapna and the sadhu had met each other 250 years ago. He then told her – "I know you don't believe me, but you will come back to meet me and then you will believe me" In a crowd of lakhs, one small tent, one unknown sadhu !! – We laughed at his stories and then forgot all about it.

9 years later the memory of this meeting totally forgotten, we again made a trip to the Khumb Mela. Just the two of us. As we walked around we saw an open big booth and a solitary sadhu sitting inside. He was busy doing something. As we crossed the booth, one more like lakhs of others, Sapna suddenly said – "I want to go meet him" and before I could say anything she had crossed the road and darted into the booth. I was really angry at this and so stood where I was and watched.

They spoke for a while and then he took some peacock feathers and blessed her and then turned to look at me and beckoned me to come. I hesitated when Sapna excitedly called me to come. Reluctantly I went and he looked at me sternly and his piercing look unnerved me but also angered me. He looked at me and said in a high-pitched authoritative voice.

How much do you love your wife?

Very much but why are you asking such a question?

Will you do whatever you can to make her happy and make her wishes come true?

I was now a bit scared especially because Sapna suddenly looked bewildered. I said Yes.

He now looked at her and said "OK tell me what is it that is troubling you and what is it that you wish for ?"

Sapna very surprised half-scared said "My daughter is as yet unmarried and I want her to settle down with someone good who will care for her and love her"

He looked at me and said "Still ready to do whatever you can to make her happy? 

I said yes with my courage and even anger back. He glared at me and said, "What if I ask for your life?"

I was now furious at him and Sapna for this situation. Angrily I said "You think I am not keen to see her married and settled? What nonsense you speak. As if, if I say yes, you can make this happen. How can I see her wedding if I am not alive"

Turning to Sapna I said – Come let's go, enough of this tamasha.

He looked at me, his hands clenched, punching the air, and said "You don't know me, I will show you" and saying thus he walked off into his booth.

As we left Sapna was afraid and said "Do you know who he was ?'

No, why should I? There are lakhs of such sadhus here.

No, remember 10 years back when we came here, my brother inlaw dared me to go see a sadhu? This was the same guy. A sadhu with just one eye. I don't know what happened as we were walking, I got this uncontrollable urge to go see him. When I went inside he said, "So you are back, it's now 260 years, I told you we will meet again". I was scared but just could not get up and leave and he said "I know that you are worried, what is it. Your husband will make your dreams come true".

I told him the same thing, that my daughter is not married and then he said "She will get married within one year but only if your husband agrees to give me what I ask". He called you and I was thinking he may ask for money but I didn't know it would turn out like this. Sapna was almost in tears and afraid.

I told her to stop believing such nonsense and even if she was disturbed for a few days after that, I told her to ignore and I forgot all about it. A few weeks later I was to fly back home from an outstation visit and I was at the airport waiting to board the flight when Sapna called. She again sounded scared and worried about the sadhu, and then she started asking about our daughter getting married and something snapped inside me and I angrily said: "That sadhu wanted my life, I am still here talking to you. So what are you worried about – my life or the wedding? It seems that this wedding obsession will finally take my life".

My flight was called and I boarded. As usual, I had a window seat in the front. A lady and the air hostess requested if I would mind shifting to a different aisle seat towards the back. I said no and moved. The flight was rather rough with lots of turbulence and heavy shaking and as we were approaching for landing there was a snag and the aircraft landed a bit earlier than planned and it landed with a heavy thump and impact. Suddenly the luggage compartment across my seat flew open and a heavy steel suitcase flew out and crashed into my head. That's all I remember.

I must have died because the next thing I remember was when I woke up crying and kicking my legs as someone pulled me up out of my mother's womb and held me by the legs. I was in a confused state, taking my first breath. I had hazy memories of my past life which quickly faded. Even if I remembered something it would get pushed away with another memory. It was like a line in which people were being pushed ahead. I remember nothing. 

Then one day my mother dressed up, dressed me up, and took me out and I was somehow feeling disturbed though why I did not know. My excitement was high and soon my mother showed me off to the bride and her mother. Sapna greeted them warmly and said she was so happy that we had come and how I looked cute. She said that her husband had passed away a few months back and would have been so happy if he was alive and how he would have been crying so much with happiness seeing the wedding and suddenly a bunch of memories flooded back very vividly. But strangely they were limited to the wedding, the events leading to the wedding but nothing else. It was as if I were an adult and recalling all that had happened. But my memory was limited to what I have shared here.

I suddenly realized that the sadhu had claimed my life, to what end I know not, but even as he made my wife's wish come true he had also made my wish come true in the form of a newborn baby watching the wedding. What would happen next I didn't know, whether these memories would stay with me as I grew up I didn't know. 

Soon the ritual of giving away the bride started and I started crying buckets with happiness but not knowing how to express I screamed, bawled as I cried nonstop. My mother took me away from that place. All memories faded away once again.