ELUSIVE ANSWER

Why does he get those premonitions, forewarnings? Jadav was perpetually mystified? He got them from an early age. He didn’t remember the age. Was it when he was about eight years?  He could not understand the feelings then.

When he was about 13 years he began to understand. He had one day suddenly sensed that his favourite uncle in Chennai was dead. On telling his mother she looked at him with disbelief thinking it as a young mind’s aberration. But when the very next day they got the information that his uncle had indeed died late last night, the whole family took notice of his utterance. There was no explanation, of course, and many said that it was a coincidence.

As years wore on, Jadav’s forewarnings became less. He ignored them with no great consequences. He spoke to no one. With growing years he appeared to have become oblivious of his paranormal powers.

That day, Jadav was getting ready for his college. The only thought in his mind was as to how he would present his paper before the class.

Then all of a sudden a vivid picture flashed through his mind. Was it a forewarning? He realised that he was seeing in his mind’s eyes the body of his girlfriend, Lily, lying on a burning pyre! The orange red flames were riding higher and engulfing her.

He felt horrified and tried to obliterate the thought. Shaking his head and picking up his lap top he went down to breakfast. Not wanting to give any further heed to such feelings he spoke to no one and drove fast towards his campus.

After the class Jadav and Lily were sitting in the college cafeteria, with coffee cups before them, discussing his presentation. After some moments, Jadav lapsed into long silence, uncharacteristically. Lily looked at him, “what is the problem Jadu? Why have you stopped talking? “

Jadav was looking down, “Lily….,” he hesitated, “you may laugh at me …..but I have a feeling that something wrong will happen to you.. ”

Lily’s eyes narrowed, “are you losing your mind? …or is it one of your sick jokes? What are you saying?”

Jadav shook his head and narrated the mind-image he had seen. He said “ Lily do you know I have an ability to get forewarned of future events ; you may call it my second sight, the third eye or the sixth sense, whatever….” .

Looking at an astonished Lily he continued, “throughout ages such visions, psychic experiences did exist, many times categorised as clairvoyance…. so many researches had been made….and do you know I had forewarned my uncle’s death many years ago. It happened. Even after that I had been getting these warnings…. mostly insignificant, but this can’t be overlooked”.

Lily sat thinking. She had heard of such intuitions and somehow believed them. And this was very grave. Understanding with growing trepidation the gravity of her boy friend’s concern and the danger on her life she shivered and held his hand tightly as her eyes swelled with tear. “What are we supposed to do?”

Jadav’s face was drawn in anxiety, “ yes, what should we do?” He looked around in desperation, too perplexed, “we have to be very careful Lily”.

She moved nearer to him whispering “when and how will my end come…my God!”

They remained silent. After some minutes she got up, “we have to inform my parents…”

She and Jadav went out driving the Zen car towards Lily’s house which was at the other end of the town.

It was the usual week day traffic and driving in such a heavy rush was always irritating. But that day both Jadav & Lily were too preoccupied in their thoughts. Probably Jadav was driving mechanically, his concentration wavering.

On red light turning green his car moved forward. Although there was no traffic police near that intersection the movement was orderly.

It might be possible that movement had made Jadav careless since he didn’t see a Santro car jumping the red light from the other end which came hurtling down. Out of corner of his eyes he perceived rather than saw the fatal danger coming their way.

It was too late and before he could swerve, Santro was upon them.

Lily screamed” Look out”.

The world seemed to turn upside down. Momentarily both of them closed their eyes expecting the end to come.

Then there was sound of screeching tyres and shouting from the passersby.

By then Jadav had involuntarily braked hard.

But they were already safe! Realising they had miraculously escaped he turned his head to see an elderly semi bald man on the road bleeding and gasping for his last breath.  The front left tyre of Santro was on his chest – people were running towards the scene!

Jadav flung open the door of his car, alighted and ran towards the man followed by Lily.  He came near looking at the man whose face had remained unscratched. He frowned; it faintly looked familiar. The ambulance had reached the spot; he was taken away.

Jadav went to the hospital to find that the man had been brought dead. He was shaken to the core. Lily held his hand through-out.

The hospital was informed by the police that no family of the victim was traceable.

The funeral was fixed for the next afternoon. Jadav and Lily attended. The flames were engulfing the man. While watching, the exact vision flickered through Jadav’s mind but instead of Lily on the pyre, this man was lying. He was perplexed.

During this horrific incident both of them had forgotten totally about the forewarning. That night Lily came to Jadav’s house.

They were talking in his drawing room. On the side table a family album was lying. Lily picked it up and was leafing through the photos casually when she saw the photo of a smiling semi bald man. He looked very familiar.

“Who is he…. looking familiar… do I know him?” she asked Jadav. He peered at it and uttered a cry.”Oh my God!!”

She looked at him in bewilderment… Jadav’s face was covered in sweat, “he was my uncle who had died and whose death I had forewarned so many years back… like I told you…”

He pointed with shaking hands … “and my Uncle is the man who died again yesterday…… in the accident. How? Why …..?  To change the premonition of your death…, to save you.. Lily? ”

They stared at each other for a long moment. There was no answer. Who could give the answer?

__END__

AMITAV GANGULY

24th August 2015