My Ghost Story - 2

-Shishir Kumar

I don’t know where to start this narration from. I am even unsure whether to put this incident in my experiences with ghosts or not. To be clearer I put this very instance of my life in the category of “supernatural”. It was weird and is till date a puzzle about what actually had happened during that missing hour of my life.

Year 2002

Date 16th January

I clearly remember the date as that week of my life was different. Far away from books, no isomerism, no LHS=RHS, no reflection and rarefaction and no tension of calculating the per capita income – a perfect life as I imagined. I studied in the 11th standard then.

Back in my school, my name meant trouble for the school administration. I was the ring master of all the students who were ‘grown ups’. Bashing of a Romeos, non-cooperation movement by students, seizer of heap of crackers before Dipawali, weird chemicals in chemistry labs to the sobbing smarty and raw agents – the administration exactly knew where to start the investigation from.

If I skipped a class the teachers instead of shooting complain thanked God for saving the day. I still remember the day I left school the principal personally came to see me off with a gleam in his eyes that were shouting in ecstasy, “Those days are over.”

No I was not a bad guy, I was the Robin Hood.

It was January, the school thought of getting a week long leave from me. So the whole administration hatched a conspiracy. Ramkrishna Mission Ashram - Ranchi had invited our school for Youth Convention-cum-National Integration Camp. I and my group were briefed about the event “This is it, you cannot get a better opportunity to live life to fullest. Food-Fun-Frolic”! It sounded more like a Fete than a camp. I mean full hypnosis.

What next, we were seen in the bus with our luggage to experience the “Wow”. And the teachers, Relief!

All was Ok in the 40 minutes drive to the ashram. We knew we did it. We fooled the teachers that we are best of the best so they have sent us. We were cracking jokes on the principal claiming and believing yes we fooled him. But all good things come to an end.

It was an ‘L’ shaped dormitory at the intervening point stood a small dais, a foot elevated, that had photos of Ram Krishna Parahansa, Maa Sarda and Swami Vivekananda. And at the end was a door that leads to the auditorium. The beds spread on ground.

We kids stood in midst of 100 self claimed youths - some with beards, some with tint of whiteness that they carried on their head and then were those who would straight head towards Himalayas after this workshop.

None of us spoke a word. Eyes were also unable to utter a word, like a stone in state of shock. Screwed!

After moments of self –realization and thunderous screams inside, we too reserved our by making a square shape border of bags so that no one enters our territory. As people went for snacks we held a secret meeting. Two of us were assigned a task, to find the lowest boundary wall of the Ashram, at night we elope. Deal!

As we went for snacks our minds changed. Yes, there were participants from Patna Women’s College. So this was unspoken voting and the motion was passed – OK we are staying back.

I continued my ways at ashram too, while the new sanyasi banged their heads on wall seeing me, the older or say the ripe ones smiled off saying, “He is kid”. Some young bhramacharis (the new joinings in the sanyan marga) became my friend too, everyone likes a rebel.

On the third day, there was chanting class. Everyone went to attend it. I asked my fellows to go ahead as I had no interest in mantras and chanting. So I continued my relaxing spree in the ‘L’ shaped corridor without disturbance.

Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name - a soft voice in a harsh tone, not too loud to catch attention yet I got up hearing that. I saw a sanyasi dressed like Vivekananda.

He summoned me. I went to him.

His eyes sparkled. I had seen that face. No it had no matching with Swamiji. This person had a thin face, clear jawline, fair skin, black eyes, sharp nose and mesmerizing eyes. I could not look at him for length and so started gazing at his feet.

He asked me sit down. I sat beside him. He became insensitive and asked me sit on the ground and not on the dais. Now, that was a blow on my self esteem.

But then I realized that I could do nothing but follow what he was saying. We chatted for about an hour. And then he asked me to go and attended the chanting classes. I could not say a ‘NO’. I got up and went towards the adjacent door opened it.

But then he called me again. I was acting like a robot. He asked me “Have you read The Complete work of Swami Vivekanada?”

“Yes, the subsided one.”

“Once in life read all the volumes.”

Downstairs, a bhramachari friend stood waiting for me. He inquired where I as was as the Bade Maharaj, the head of the ashram was looking for me. I told him the full story.

He said no one except the then General Secretary who lived in Belur Math wore such a dress. So it was impossible for meet such a person at Ranchi Ashram.

Then he asked who the person was. To my surprise that man stood on the main stage and was compering. My friend smiled again and said that the person was a bhramchari and is not supposed to wear even saffron but white and from the past one hour he is on stage.

So I did become victim of a prank?

His final question is what left me restless for life.

What did you talk? I told him how he called me and then asked me sit near his feet. Also when I was coming he asked me to read The Complete work of Swami Vivekananda.

What else? Well…

That’s the day and till date that one hour of my life is missing. I can’t remember a word of the one hour conversation I had with that gentleman. From the deepest meditation to the best of regression, I can remember every bit of my life but not this one hour.

I returned back with a lifelong puzzle and a mantra, a mantra that I learned when I went downstairs – the mantra that a guru gives his disciple.

ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः || हरी ही ॐ तत सत||

Nothing else changed. The Riot at the school continued. We covered up for the week long absence at the school. It was a fire cracker show. We had an untimely parent meeting. Neither we informed nor did they turn up. Life rocked as before!