2012, May 24th Chennai airport

I sat in the airport in silent contemplation about the sense of unrest within me. My gut insisted that something abnormal was brewing and it was rarely wrong. It is like this feeling of familiarity with it but you don't know exactly what and the more your mind tries to uncover it, the more it is tantalizingly near but yet very far; the heaviness inside my mind, the constant feeling of disquiet; the increase in intensity of my nightmares.

My dreams were becoming very physical and it was really starting to unsettle me. They appeared in a flurry and were not restricted to one story as before. Many women walked my dreams now; and all of them fight to their gruesome death. A lot of pain, loss, anger and rage; there are bugles of courage, hope and iron will too. The emotional slurry is simply too much for me. "O god can't I have one hunk walking my dreams, just once? No such luck; they all had to be women." I sighed.

What disturbs me most is the physicality of the dreams; I bear all their mortal wounds. The pain is intense, but they heal by the end of the day only to form new ones the next. Yesterday was yet about another woman named devasena, and I had a huge purplish bruise running diagonally across my stomach where they had cut her in my dreams to kill her; along with it is a scar right above my heart, where the arrow pierced Nupura, another woman in my dream.

The pain was intense in the morning, but it has subsided now; but the scars remain, though they have started to fade; there is a sense of suppressed energy around me. It's as if something is clawing to come out; and I just don't know what. With all this: sleep doesn't scare me; even the bruises just unsettle me slightly; there is this sense of detachment;

I push all these thoughts back in to a corner of my mind, and start on the practical issues which plague me, now that I've taken charge of my huge company, responsibility is now on my back like a ton of rocks; getting a project done on a brainstorm was not going to happen every day; the files don't make any sense especially the accounts and stock exchange, it's simply too alien to me. I didn't know zit about it; and I didn't know anything about the power hierarchy in the whole management; who to be wary of, whom to trust.

My bravado had come to bite on my back! But I'm not a quitter; so, I've just made a life altering decision of abandoning my masters in science to do MBA.I have not yet discussed it with my parents.

Aaaaaaahhhh! Just thinking about speaking to them about it is giving me added headache; and to top it all my flight has been delayed by an hour

I took a deep breath; delegation was the most important work of a head, I decided to test waters and called phani.

"Phani, meet me at the lemon tree hotel Indore on 25th at 10 A.M. Bring all the relevant files and the one about the new renovation project; bring sandhya with you. My room number is 205, ask the concierges to inform me when you both arrive and wait till I call you guys up. See you both on 25th then." I closed my phone and then called Rupa.

"Hi rupa, Will be delayed by a day in joining you guys. I will be there on 26th; just on time to make it to the shooting range!"

"Sorry loser, we have booked it on 25th so you can't come" said Rupa.

I sighed "Really...? I confirmed the dates with uncle and double checked on web site; you know, you are a pathetic liar and I really hope you get a decent scoring this time."

"How do you do it? Your aim is real good, even with moving targets and even while you are moving. I believe that is the only time your jiggling fat behind moves with any speed at all"

"You mean just like your padded, still nonexistent front tries to, every time a new boy passes you by!"

"Ouch! That was a low blow you know."

"What can I say Rupa, truth hurts!" I snickerd.

"You always have the last say! Fine, join us soon and don't delay any further. Have a safe journey vedha! Bye. "

As I was informing Mr. Guru about my change in plans, they started boarding. I took my hand luggage and joined the queue.

Suddenly chills climbed up my spine.

"Danger!" a single voice said; then a horde of voices surrounded me. Some said, "Run vedha run! Now!" Others said, "Avenge us sister!" few said, "Hide! They are searching". The sudden assault left me standing motionless in a moving line; people around me were saying something, I could see their lips moving, but I couldn't hear them. It was as if the world had muted out, except for my heartbeat, which was increasing its crescendo as I looked at the people around me.

Then I saw them. Two young men; one was really young about 25 years; the other though he had the appearance of a young man was really ancient. At least 200 years old; no 250 years, a voice corrected me. What was he? They were dressed similarly in dhotis* and their long hair was tied to a bun on one side. They each had a distantly spaced spadikamala** around their neck and a rakshai* on their arms and many other threads around their necks. As the ancient's eyes met mine, it widened a fraction as he really looked at me.

When our eyes met, the visions struck me fast, a carrion crow pecking a woman's eyes as she lay too weak to move in her wounded state; another woman impaled on a spike, and one woman was cannibalizing her dead comrade out of hunger; I would have stood there for all eternity, had not one of the flight attendant shook my shoulder to enquire if something was wrong. It was as if the TV volume was turned back on. People were muttering about how I was standing like a dolt, another lady was calling me names.

I shook my dazed head and turned to thank the attendant, when the ancient said in loud voice, "MOHINI! I SEE YOU!"

I stopped and turned to see him as did the crowd beside us, then the young one made a huge blunder; he came closer and touched me out of avarice or compulsion or wonder I would never know, all it took was his touch, for my rage to erupt in a torrent.

People around us froze in time; my muscles bulged with inhuman strength as I lifted him off the ground by his neck and threw him away as if he weighed nothing. His back crunched as he hit the wall making a dent in it;

The ancient one looked shocked. He shook with fury and fear.

"Mohini! We will come for you." he said.

Fire then burst from my skin and my clothes smoked. I laughed at them and burnt all their rakshais; their, spadikas began to ricochet and burst only one spadika remained in the hands of the ancient.

Rage was seen in his eyes now; "I am going to enjoy breaking you; don't sleep for I will come." He hissed.

I gave him a glorious smile "I am waiting" I replied.

The last spadika then broke. The ancient then looked at his hands in horror; "free! Free! Free at last!" The voices now sang.

"Goddess save me!" was the last words uttered by the ancient before I blacked out.......

I awoke to the gentle shaking of my arm by the air hostess. She smiled at me and said "we've arrived miss; had a restful sleep I suppose?" People had disembarked from the flight. I was confused and rightfully so,

"Are we in Indore?" i asked.

"Yes Mam!"

I took my bags and apologized to them for the delay and left the plane. Outside the airport guru waited for me in his vehicle. We left for Ujjain. Did all those things really happen, or was it a dream? I didn't remember boarding the flight. I wondered if I was hallucinating or is this, a dream? I pondered silently while I travelled.

I adjusted my watch and felt something clinging to it. I removed my watch, to find the wool of the rakshai hooked to it.

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· Rakshai* - protective amulet

· Sacred threads - Hindus have the habit of wearing threads of different colors according to the gods, with knots in them or plain around their necks, wrist and arms.

· Spadikamala or spadika ** - a kind of white bead, usually worn in chains of spiritual nature as they are said to retain the resonance and vibrations heard during chanting

· Devasena - one who serves god, war host of gods [used by both genders]

· Nupura - anklet [feminine gender in case of names]