Lemon , Chillies and Baisakhi

I  was on my way to the school after my Physics tuition in the morning.It was around 7:30 in the morning.Suddenely i crossed a lemon tied to a green chilli and surrounded by haldi.All this stuff was kept on a chauraha (crossroads).This is a black magic trick and harms the person who crosses it.

My Friend -"hey gaurav see what you crossed just now."

Being a science student i ignored it and moved on.I had a normal day at school and i got back at 3:30pm.Usually my parents used to get home at 4:30 pm but that day they were both at home.

I didn't notice their being early but i did notice my mom's tears .I asked papa as to what happened.He didn't tell anything but instead pointed towards my mother to get my answers.

I asked her as to what had happened..

She kept crying and asked "Did you cross over some black magic today?"

I was absolutely shocked as i had crossed it in the morning but how could she know it? She was nowhere near to see me crossing it.

I answered in affirmation and her tears increased many folds.

With great persuasion she started telling me what had happened with her throughout the day.

She is a teacher and some baba(GodMan) had come to her school.

Baba told her that my grandfather is ill from last 13 years(which was true),he also told that there were blood drops surrounding our house a few years ago(again true).

He said that her son(me) sometimes gets up from sleep totally shocked(again true).

These things were enough to get my mother in confidence.

He asked her to take him home as something bad was about to happen with me.My mom got scared and immediately signed off for the day.She and baba left for home.The moment baba reached outside my room he started doing a tandav kind of dance.He was dancing awkwardly and shouting "Ghor Sankat ,Ghor Sankat".

My mother was petrified and shocked...she didn't know what to do and how to handle this.She called papa and asked him to come home at once.He refused at first but my mother pleaded and asked him to come for me.

"Please come for Gaurav and please swear of gaurav that you won't say anything to the baba."

Papa reached but he doesn't buy these baba-isms. Baba gave him a black thread and asked him to close the thread in his fist.Then he asked him to move that fist over my belongings,my bed,my books etc.He declared that if i was in danger ,the thread would shorten in length else the length would remain the same.

After doing what baba had asked, papa opened his fist and to his astonishment, thread was 3/4th of what it actually was.

My mother was almost stoned..she was absolutely still and had no clue whatsoever as to how she could save me from that danger.

In all these scenes Baba made an announcement

"Your son has crossed some black magic today.It ws not meant for him but as he has crossed it ,he has to pay the price.In 3 days from now ,on the day of baisakhi...he would DIE. He cannot be saved."

Hearing this ...my Papa lost his cool,he asked the baba to pick his stuff and get lost.However my mother wanted some solution and somehow beleived that the baba could save me.

She asked for some antidote...Baba just concluded by saying

"I'll not take any money as it is useless,i just came to inform you.He can not be saved..but if he does survive the baisakhi he is going to be hugely succecsful.

Survival although is really tough,he is going to die this baisakhi."

This was 10th of april and baisakhi was on 13th.

After hearing the day's proceedings ,i was making a mockery of the baba and my mother's superstitious nature.I asked her to prepare good food for me as i was left with just 3 more days.It was fun for some time but after an hour or so i also felt the intensity of the prediction.

I started thinking as to what if this comes true.

Just three more days and over.....

I had recently been selected for the school cricket team and i had to play my debut match in the next three days...I wanted to play that match but somwhere deep inside i was fearing the leather ball as it could become the reason for my demise.

My mother wanted me to opt out of the team,my father dared me to play the match .(agar mera beta hai to khelega) :(

It was getting scary...i was not allowed to play football in school...my friends asked me to cover my nose in the chemistry lab as we were never sure which fume could have taken away my life.

Baba had made the next three days some sort of a suspense thriller for me,....my mother kept crying and worshipping.My father tried to be very positive and practical but deep down he was also afraid. I also was praying to all my gods above to save me.

As if One baba was not enough ,my mother took me to another one.She said that the second one would tell us if the first one was right or not.

The second baba took out a huge magnifying glass and started analysing my palm.He zoomed in,zoomed out...suddenely he made a cross on my palm and shook his head side ways as we often do while refusing some thing.

I interpreted the movement as to everything is wrong(cross on my palm) and nothing can be done now but second baba had someting else to say...

second baba "everything is fine,there is no issue.These people(first baba) can tell about the past but none can tell about the future you are absoulutely safe beta."

"...but still if you feel afraid,take ganga jal ,chant hanuman chalisa while stirring the ganga jal.after the hanuman chalisa sprinkle the ganga jal in a circle around yourself before you sleep."

I did what he told but that made it even more scary....it felt as if all the spirits and the ghosts would be dancing just outside that ganga jal circle but they cannot enter the circle. They will be electrocuted if they try to enter the circle.

This feeling made it even more spooky and haunting...

However i spent the next two and a half days(10th to 11:40pm on 12 th night) like this only.....

It was 11:45 pm and in 15 minutes from now..baisakhi would start.I was imagining myself getting breathless and choking to death,or may be  heartattack and blood from the nose.Basically all the aahat shows were coming again and again to me....

Hanuman chalisa was on...ganga jal was all around me...

Clock struck 12:00..noithing happened.

12:05 ..still nothing.

1:05am nothing happened...i was not dead...baba was wrong.Black Magic was ineffective.

Next day i was on a leave and my mother sat right besides me the whole day.She thought that she could save me if something bad happened.

The day was over...infact 5 baisakhis have been over from that date and i am doing quite fine.

But whenever this festival comes ,it sends a chill down my spine ....

As i pay tribute to those three days....i wish you all a very joyous and a happy baisakhi.