Ch 1 - REACHING THE DOCTOR
OCCULT
PART-1 THE CURSE
CHAPTER-1 REACHING THE DOCTOR
THE SILVER COLOURED INNOVA WAS MOVING AT A SPEED OF 60KMPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FACES OF THE MEN SITTING IN THE CAR WAS TENSE WITH FEAR. HANUMAN CHALISA WAS PLAYING IN THE STEREO. EVERYONE IN THE CAR WAS CHANTING IT ALONG WITH THE STEREO AND HOPING THAT THEY WOULD REACH THE INTENDED LOCATION ALIVE AND WHOLE. SUDDENLY THEY HEARD A BIG CRASH AND FOUND THAT THE LAMP OF STREET LIGHT WHICH THEY JUST PASSED HAS FALLEN WHO WAS RIDING SHOTGUN SIGNALED TO DEVA IN DRIVER SEAT TO NOT STOP AND KEEP GOING WHILE HE KEPT CHANTING.
AS THEY KEPT MOVING THE WEATHER STARTED TO CHANGE. SLOWLY IT STARTED BECOMING CLOUDY. THE FIRST RAINDROP FELL ON THE WIND SHIELD WITH A "TAP" SOUND. DEVA IMMEDIATELY STARTED THE WIPERS AND KEPT DRIVING WHILE CHANTING HANUMAN CHALISA. HE COULD SEE A MILE BOARD WHICH READ VISAKHAPATNAM-400KM.
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IN THE HOSPITAL, PREETHI WAS TRASHING ON BED AS 2 MALE NURSES AND 2 FEMALE NURSES HELD HER DOWN AS DOCTOR PARANJAY WAS TRYING TO GIVE HER AN INJECTION. OUTSIDE PREETHI'S MOTHER SUMA AND AUNT VARSHINI WERE SITTING TENSED. SUMA WAS HOLDING TIGHTLY TO SANTOSH HER 9 YEAR OLD SON. SHE WAS FEELING HELPLESS AS HER 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE INSIDE THE ICU. SUMA'S LONG HAIR WHICH REACHED HER HIPS WAS IN A DISARRAY. HER BIG BLACK EYES WERE RED DUE TO CRYING AND HER KAJAL HAS MELTED GIVING HER BLACK MARKINGS UNDER HER EYES. HER SINDOOR WHICH WAS A SYMBOL OF HER MARRIAGE HAS MELTED DUE TO SWEAT AND DRIPPED DOWN ON HER FOREHEAD. IT WAS ONLY HER SAREE WHICH WAS STILL IN SOMEWHAT PRISTINE CONDITION. HER SON SANTOSH WHO WAS GENERALLY A VERY NAUGHTY BOY WAS SILENT AS IF UNDERSTANDING THE MOOD. HE WAS STILL IN HIS PAJAMAS AND NIGHT SHIRT. HAIR TOUSLED AND WAS STILL SLEEPY. VARSHINI WAS IN A SIMILAR STATE TO HER SISTER IN LAW SUMA. THOUGH HER HAIR WAS NOT AS LONG SHE GENERALLY KEPT IT PLAITED BUT NOW IT WAS LOOSE AND WAS IN DISARRAY. HER EYES TOO WERE RED DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP. SHE LOOKED AT THE DIGITAL CLOCK ON THE WALL WHICH READ 8:00 AM AND SAID IT'S BEEN ALMOST 3 HOURS VADINA(LOCAL TERM FOR SISTER IN LAW). I'LL TAKE SANTOSH AND GO HOME. I'LL FEED HIM AND GET SOMETHING FOR YOU. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER IT MAY TAKE. SUMA NODDED HER HEAD MUTELY UNABLE TO SPEAK.
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IN THE TEMPLE RAMALINGESWR SASTRI WAS PERFORMING THE MRUTHYUNJAYA HOMAM(LOCAL WORD FOR RITUAL). HE WAS STILL BLEEDING FROM THE WOUND ON HIS FOREHEAD WHICH HE RECEIVED A FEW HOURS PRIOR. HIS DISCIPLES WERE ASSISTING HIM AND WERE KEEPING UP THE CHANT. BLOOD WAS DRIPPING ON TO HIS EYE FROM THE WOUND AND MANY BURSIES WERE FORMING ON HIS BODY FROM HIS PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER BUT HE DID NOT CARE. THERE WAS FEAR AND DITERMINATION IN HIS EYES. A YOUNG GIRLS LIFE WAS HANGING BY A THREAD AND THE RITUAL HE WAS PERFORMING MIIGHT BE HER ONLY HOPE TO BUY FEW MORE DAYS. HE STOOD UP AND STARTED CIRCLING THE FIRE. HIS DESCIPLES COULD NOTICE THAT HE WAS LIMPING AND HIS RED DHOTI WAS TORN IN SOME PLACES. THOUGH HIS HEIGHT WAS ONLY 5'4 RAMALINGESWAR SASTRI CUT AN IMPOSING FIGURE WITH VIBHUTI REKHAS ON HIS BODY AND HIS LOUD CHANTING. WITH EVERY CHANT THE DESCIPLES OFFERED GHEE AND OTHER OFFERINGS TO THE FIRE PERFORMING THE RITUAL. THE RITUAL HAS TO BE SUCESSFUL. FAILURE MENT DEATH OF AN INNOCENT GIRL AND RELEASE OF A DAKINI INTO THE WORLD.
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DEVA WAS GETTING TIRED FROM DRIVING CONTINUESLY AND THUS ALL FOUR TRAVELLERS DECIDED THAT IT WAS RAJESH'S TURN TO DRIVE. MOREOVER THEY STARTED IN SUCH A HURRY THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN CARRY WATER WITH THEM. THUS THEY STOPPED AT A TEA STALL. ALL FOUR GOT DOWN ANYONE SEEING THEM WOULD FEEL THAT THEY WERE A VERY ODD BUNCH. RAJESH WAS WEARING A BLUE SHIRT AND FORMAL BLACK PANTS, STANDING AT 5'11, WITH BLCK EYES AND THICK CURLY HAIR HE CUT A IMPOSING FIGURE BUT RIGHT NOW HIS FACE WAS WHITE WITH FEAR AND TENSION. HE QUICKLY WENT TO THE TEA STALL AND BOUGHT A FEW WATER BOTTLES AND KEPT THEM IN THE CAR. HE SIGNALED DEVA TO COME ALONG WITH HIM TO RELIVE HIS BLADDER WHICH WAS READY TO BURST. DEVA WHO STOOD AT A HEIGHT OF 6 FEET AND WAS NORMALLY VERY BRAVE WAS SCARED SENSELESS FROM THE DAYS EVENTS AND IMMEDIATELY ACCOMPANIED RAJESH AS HE TOO WANTED TO PEE. HIS HONEY COLOURED EYES WHICH WERE GENERALLY HARD AND UNNERVING WERE LOOKING HERE AND THERE NERVOUSLY AS IF EXPECTING AN ATTACK FROM ANY SIDE. EVEN AS RAJESH WAS RELIEVING HIMSELF DEVA KEPT CHANTING HANUMAN CHALISA AND IT WAS ONLY WHEN RAJESH PICKED UP THE CHANT THAT HE OPENED HIS BLUE JEENS AND RELIEVED HIMSELF. RAMU KAKA WAS WAITING PATIENTLY NEAR THE CAR ALONG WITH DHANAJAY SASTRI FOR THIS PAIR TO RETURN SO THAT THEY CAN RELIVE THEMSELVES. HE WAS MAN IN HIS 50'S ACCOMPANYING THESE MEN WHO WERE IN MID THIRTIES. HE SERVED RAJESH AGARWALS FATHER AND THEN SERVED RAJESH AND EVEN BROUGHT UP PREETHI. HE NEVER MARRIED AND THOUGHT RAJESH AS HIS SON AND PREETHI AS HIS GRAND DAUGHTER. IT WAS HIM WHO FIRST THOUGHT THAT WHATEVER WAS WRONG WITH PREETHI WAS SOMETHING BEYOND MEDICAL AND CONSULTED RAMALINGESWARA SASTRI. HE WORE A WHITE DHOTI AND A LALCHI AND HIS LIPS AND MOTH WERE RED DUE TO HABIT OF CHEWING BEETLE LEAVES. THE FOURTH PERSON WITH THEM WAS A DESCIPLE OF RAMALINGESWARA SASTRY AND WAS COMING ALONG AS A GUIDE AND TO EXPLAIN THE SIYUATION TO THE ONE PERSON WHO RAMALINGESWARA SASTRY BELIEVED COULD SOLVE THE CURRENT CRISIS. IN A FEW MINUTES ALL FOUR WERE BACK IN CAR WITH RAJESH BEHIND THE WHEEL AND THEY STARTED THE JOURNEY TOWARDS VISAKHAPATNAM. DEVA NOTICED THAT THE CLOCK WAS SHOWING 10:37AM AND THE LAST MILESTONE READ VISAKHAPATNAM-302KM
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AFTER STRUGGLING FOR HOURS DOCTOR PARANJAY HAS FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING PREETHI UNDER CONTROL. THOUGH THEY STILL UNSURE ABOUT THE PROBLEM HE HAS ATLEAST SUCCEEDED IN STABLIZING HER CONDITION. THEY HAD ALMOST LOST HER MULTIPLE TIMES AS HER HART RATE WENT OVER 130 ONLY TO DROP TO BELOW 10 IN THE NEXT MINUTE. PARANJAY WAS BAFFELED AT THIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR BUT WAS DETERMINED TO FIND THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM THUS ORDERED A MULTITIDE OF TESTS TO BE PERFORMED. HE ASSURED BOTH
SUMA AND VARSHINI THAT PREETHI WAS OUT OF DANGER FOR NOW AND THAT THEY NEED TO PERFORM MULTIPLE TESTS TO DETERMINE THE THE PROBLEM. BOTH WOMEN KEPT SILENT KNOWING THAT IF THEY TOLD THE DOCTOR WHAT THEY KNEW HE WOULD THINK THAT THEY WERE MAD BUT THE SCENE THEY WITNESSED FEW HOURS PRIOR HAD CONVINCED THEM THAT PREETHI WAS NOT SUFFERING FROM ANY MEDICAL PROBLEM AND THE DOCTORS CAN ONLY PROLONG THE INEVITABLE IF NOTHING ELSE WAS DONE IN THE MEAN TIME. ALL THEY HOPED FOR WAS THAT THE MEDICAL TREATMENT CAN BUY ENOUGH TIME FOR THEIR LITLE GIRL FOR THE EXPERT RECOMENDED BY RAMALINGA SASTRI TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
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RAMALINGA SASTRY KNEW THAT STOPPING THE RITUAL AT ANY PIONT WOULD BE A DEATH SENTENCE BOTH FOR PREETHI AND FOR THEM THUS HE INFORMED HIS DESCIPLES TO CALL MANY EXPERTS AND THEY KEPT THE HOMAM GOING IN SHIFTS.
HE DIVIDED HIS OWN DESCIPLES INTO DIFFERENT GROUPS TO PERFORM VARIOUS TASKS. ALL OF THEM WERE TOLD TO MOVE IN GROUPS AND NOT TO STOP CHANTING DIVINE HYMS WHENEVER THEY WERE OUTSIDE TEMPLE PREMISIS. THE SITUATION WAS SO DIRE THAT THEY WERE TOLD TO EVEN BATHE AND ATTEND NATURES CALL IN PAIRS SO THAT ONE COULD KEEP UP THE CHANT WHEN OTHER WAS RELIVEING HIMSELF. WHEN ONE OF THE DESCIPLES OF THE EXPERTS WHO CAME ON HIS REQUEST QUESTIONED IF SUCH CAUTION WAS NECESSARY HE SIMPLY SHOWED HIS BURSIES AND WOUNDS AND TOLD THAT THOSE WERE FROM WHEN HE FACED THE DAKINI WITH SUPPORT OF 9 DESCIPLES. IF THEY WERE CONFIDANT IN FACING THAT DEAMON ALONE THEY WERE WELCOME TO TRY. THIS IMMIDEATLY SHUT UP THE DESCIPLES WHO THOUGHT IT WAS SOME SIMPLE GHOST OR A VENGEFUL SPIRIT.
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IT WAS ALMOST 4PM BYTHE TIME RAJESH'S GROUP REACHED THE SHANTI DHAM, THEIR DESTINATION. IT WAS A PALATIAL HOUSE BUILT IN 2 ACERS LAND WITH MANY MORDERN FACILITIES. THERE WAS A PAVED CEMENT ROAD FROM THE MAIN GATE WITH 10 FOOT WALL TO THE CENTRAL BUILDING. THERE WERE MANY KONDS OF PLANTS AND TREES GROWING IN THE EMPTY SPACE BETWEEN THE MAIN COMPOUND WALL AND CENTRAL BUILDING. THEY COULD SEE A SMALL POND IN A DISTANCE IN WHICH A FEW DUCKS WERE SWIMMING. AS THEY REACHED THE MAIN BUILDING WHICH WAS PAINTED WHITE FROM THE OUTSIDE THEY COULD SEEN TWO CARS WERE PARKED OUTSIDE AND AS THEY PARKED THE INNOVA AND GOT DOWN A SERVANT CAME AND GREETED THEM. WHEN DHANANJAY SASTRI SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO MEET DOCTOR RAM NARAYANA SHARMA THE SERVANT SAID THAT SAHAB WAS WITH A PATIENT AND ASKED THEM TO WAIT IN THE SITTING THEY WERE WAITING THEY COULD SEE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF PERSONS WITH DATES WRITTEN UNDERNEATH THEM MAKING THE PEOPLE REALISE THET THEY WERE PHOTOS OF DEAD PERSONS AND THE DATES WERE DATE OF BIRTH AND DATE OF DEATH. WHAT WAS ODD WAS THE PHOTOS RANGED FROM THOSE OF YOUNG KIDS TO MIDDLEAGED PERSONS. IT WAS THERE DEVA NOTICED THE NAME PLATE. IT READ "Dr. RAM NARAYAN SHARMA, PSYCOLOGIST, SPIRIT HEALER AND EXPERT IN OCCULT SCINENCES AND DEMONOLOGY. READING THAT HE THOUGHT "WE ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE".
/novel/chapter/af69f3c5abf4a45d2a0f9d38974f1f719bbe1f62?seq=1
