Faith and Fate

Raj was listening to the preachings very consciously. Guruji was talking about the behavior of the heart at the time of death. The thumping and then the silence. He was so calm and peaceful. His charisma draw Raj towards him.

“Come here son.” Guruji called Raj after the lecture. He stood perplexed for a moment and then hurried to him, tumbling and managing his things. Guruji don’t talk to anyone much. He tried many times but Guruji never allowed anyone. Death was not something to be talked about like idiots. Guruji was a spiritual teacher but he had a special command when describing death. His followers believed that he has met with death more than once.

“I have seen you here often. They tell me that you are roaming around the Ashram and trying to learn from other people.”

“Guruji, I want to know the truth about death. I am scared of it but don’t want to be.”

“You look from a nice family son, must have a good job also. WHY?”

“Yes, I had a job which others dream of. I got bored of it. I want to understand what a relationship is. Why we are so much attracted and bonded with some people but not with others? Most of all I want to know, if there is an afterlife?”

There was a shine in Guruji’s eyes.

“How long have you been here? Your family knows about it?”

“Yes, they know. They tried a lot to convince me to come back but have left hope now.”

“Ok, go out and wait in the meditation room. Someone will come and tell you, what needs to be done.”

The smile of joy changed into that of victory. Guruji had accepted to teach him. He waited for more than an hour but no one came. His phones had already been taken at the gate of the Ashram so was very bored. But he knew, every great achievement needs a lot of patience.

A man in a saffron cloth wrapped around his body, came to him. He had never seen him before. He took out a straight razor and signaled him to sit straight. His head was shaved and was given a saffron Kurta. It was too wide for him but he didn’t raise a single question. He knew the silence meant that he was not going to be answered. The guy then rolled the carpet and showed a hidden path. He followed him. The dungeon was quite dark and creepy. He was not scared. He had stayed hours in graveyard trying to understand death.

“You are now ready.” The voice of guruji echoed. The guy disappeared.

Guruji came infront of him and started to roam around. The dungeon was dark enough and he was finding it hard to follow Guruji’s movement, standing few feet away from him.

“You wanted to see death right.”

Raj just nodded. He didn’t know he was too excited or scared but he couldn’t turn back now.

“Have a good look then, you are standing with death.”

Raj looked around trying to understand the dungeon for the first time.

A knife swiftly touched his ribs leaving a stream of blood. LED lights flashed in the dungeon.

“Next lecture, I will tell how eyes behave at the time of death.” Guruji said in his calm voice, pleasantly resting Raj’s head in his lap.