Blade of Vish |

5. A Stranger RESCUED Me

When I opened my eyes, I found myself laying on a bed in a room. Then a strange person came. He had long black bread, a pair of mesmerizing eyes and muscular arms. But from his face, he looked quite old ( actually at the footstep of old age). He glanced at me and chanted, “God blessed the child!”

I stared at my own condition. I had bandages all over my body including my knees, arms and chest. My chest was paining badly like someone had just stabbed a spear right into it. Right next to my bed sitting my sister Anshu. After seeing me back to my senses she was full of happiness. But in that happiness, I could feel the hidden emotions – sadness, worry and fear – all at once. “Its all my fault.” She said to me and started crying. I knew it wasn’t her fault. It was my fault. Sis was thinking that she made noise and because of her we were here. Then I noticed her left arm, it was wrapped in bandage but I could see a black spot on her arm. There was no black spot on her arm before.

I had many questions in my mind. What happened? Where were we? How did we get there? And the most awaited, What was the meaning of blessed?

I finally raised the question, “Is anyone going to tell me what the heck is going n here?”

They exchanged looks and finally Sis started in a heavy tone, “ After we were hit with that dark mass, you went unconscious. Chitrakshi brought us here. Guruji healed me with the help of herbs and the treatment he knew but you were making no progress. Finally he yelled in the God’s name as at that time your life was in the hands of the Almighty. Suddenly the dark mark collected near your chest and you were back to your senses. So he chanted ‘God blessed the child!’ ”

Now I understood what the black spot was. It was a residue of my foolishness. Now sis had an inerasable ugly mark on her had. It was all my fault.

I tried to get up to my feet but the knees were still wounded so I screamed in pain.

“ Bring medicines and water immediately." the old man ordered a boy.

Was it my imagination or the boy came back with medicine and water in less than a second? I thought I was still half unconscious.

The girl, whose was Chitrakshi, gave me medicine. I was resting while sis and Chitrakshi were having some conversation with that strange old man.

I rested for the whole day. All my wounds healed in a single day, like magic. But still there was that black mark.

I know I am not telling too many details about my life. But, I urgently need to discuss some. Let’s talk about my locket.

On my 5th birthday, the celebrations were going on. Dad knew my favourites. He had done it all- chocolate cake, waffles, and my other favorite stuff. While we were celebrating birthday sis came near me, “ Neel, that woman is wishing you happy birthday. She wants to meet you.” So I left the party aside and headed straight towards the lady. She was wearing a saree and her face was covered. “Happy Birthday Neel.” She said and then took out a small pouch, “What belongs to us will always belong to us Neel. Do you understand that?” Her tone was harsher now. Fear ran in my nerves. She caught my arm and pulled me aside, “Let’s go Neel.”

The fear transformed into horror. The lady was going to kidnap me! She was separating me from my family. I struggled to release my arm. All was in vain. I was about to cry. By sheer luck, at that instant my mom arrived. “Leave him!” she shouted. The woman left the hold of my arm and I ran towards mom. I cried in her arms. I cried a lot. “Are you okay Neel?” mom asked me. I was in no condition of opening my mouth. I nodded. She hugged me. The party was over now. I looked for that woman but she was nowhere to be seen. She vanished in a second. Like she dissolved in the sky.

When we returned home, mom didn’t let me and Sis out of her reach. The very next day, mom went somewhere and came back with the locket. It had a strange stick on one of its sides and a peacock on the other. Mom ordered me never to take it off. But I used to take it off sometimes.

And from last two years, a strange dream has been seen by me many times.

In the 1st dream, I was roaming in the dark, in a forest if I say more precisely. The birds were making strange voices, like giving a warning to me. The wind was cold and bitter. The only light source there was the moon. I was finding my way out when I the noise made by birds took a pause. I turned around but found nothing. I headed to my search again. And then all the things happened at once- the wolves howled, the lion roared and the bushes near me started to move. There was something inside the bushes. The bushes came nearer and then I saw, a pair of glittering eyes staring at me.
In the next dream, the eyes came near. In my last dream, I saw its true form, it was a snake and its motive was to eat me. Every time, I felt myself getting eaten up by the snake. And hence, I woke up screaming.