Author's note:

· Dear readers, there are going to be some drawings and mantras in this chapter; and this is information about them.

· All these drawings known as the yantras are not made up; they are originally from the Vedas and Upanishads

· The most famous compendium of them is the book Tantra raja tantra. There is an older translation of this by Sir. John woodroffe in English, but experts say that the magical magnitude has been downplayed in the English version.

· As I don't know Sanskrit I have to rely on the English one and most of them are googled.

· Why am I writing this note? This is done to tell you that the mantras and yantras are copied and are not my own.

· They belong to the Hindu scriptures. This is to clarify beforehand so that I don't want anyone to accuse me of plagiarism. The alapanas and mantras will be cited along with the source.

· Let's go to the story now.

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Are you still with me? So, can you hear? I think I can see you.... yes I see you now. My eyes are formed first in the sentient mass. My time and yours vary. Seconds for me is a lifetime for you.

You see mohinis are supposed to be formed after they die. It's their athma* which gains power. But I was different; I was more powerful than most mohini, as I was an absorber and I had absorbed more mohinis before I could die. The catch was I couldn't use my powers beyond an extent and even that not without very bad side effects. You see, the human body was so fragile to able to house a lot of power let alone use it.

Want me to let you into a secret? I never died.....

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The feeling of wellness, peace kept me stable. After a long time it was as if all my physical and emotional baggage was gone. I felt.... Free, Safe and steady.

The women all began to come close. Usually this would put me in a defense mode; they were treading on my private space. The feeling of tranquility had lulled me in to lethargy. My reflex and wariness were not up to the mark. The women now wavered; first among them to catch my eye was one who had lost her eye to the carrion crow.

She blurred and then when she came back in to focus she looked different. She had the same face, human breasts and the body of a swan, plumes and all. Surrounding her stood others, similar to her. One with a parrot face and human body, another with horse face and human body; there were nine of them. The others were something else.

"You see us in our true forms don't you?" asked the woman who had lost her eyes. "We are kinara** "

"Kinaras are the descendents of Garuda; compendium of knowledge and all forms of art. Disciples of lord hyagreeva" I said.

"I am sachi and you know your faith"

I shook my head, "I know my myths."

The balcony door then opened with a thud and in poured a whirlwind of thick dust and coalesced to form nine Aghoras*. I shook my head again and looked at sachi, "When will it end; how many..."

Her face changed in to a sorrowful one. "What's wrong?" I didn't complete the sentence; I felt the feel of a hand across my throat and a flash of pain; I touched my throat; blood was leaking, and then my wound opened wide and it simply sprayed out of my throat as I clutched it in vain.

The Aghoras had cut my throat. Sachi held my throat tight "Heal vedha, heal!" she shouted.

I simply looked at her; as my blood left me, I lost control of my limbs and bowels.

"Be with me" she said. "You need not tell, but must think the mantra for the yakshi is here and will help"

The Aghoras had begun to chant and as they chanted my blood flew and collected as a pool in the center of the room and began to form yantras.

"Look at me; you needn't say just think about it. I call upon Madana* "Om Hrim Madane Madanavidambini Alaye Sangamam Dehi Dehi Shrim Svaha." She who cures all and gives a cure-all pill."[quote]

The yakshi looked resplendent, alluring. "Don't worry little one! You have the power to heal yourself, but don't know how. I will aid you" she cupped her hand to her mouth and blew towards me; as the wind from her mouth touched my neck I began to heal. I felt faint, dizzy and nauseous from the lack of blood I swayed.

Meanwhile the aghoras neither stopped their chanting nor showed any remorse. My grandmother meenakshi, the praethathma** spoke for the first time.

She simply said "Brace yourself"

                                                                                    Nilapataka Nitya   

                                                                                  Kulasundari Nitya  

                                                                                  Nityaklinna Nitya

Three to each they chanted,

Aim Hrim Shrim PhremStrum Krom Am Klim Aim Blum Nityamadadrave Hum Phrem Hrim Em Nilapataka NityaShri Padukam Pujayami Tarpayami Namah.

Aim Hrim Shrim Aim Klim Sauh Kulasundari Nitya Shri Padukam Pujayami Tarpayami Namah.

Aim Hrim Shrim Nityaklinne Madadrave Svaha im Nityaklinna Nitya Shri Padukam Pujayami Tarpayami Namah.

As they chanted, the yakshi, kinaras, chetakas and the mohinis began to stir. Sachi was the first to go; as the mantras grew, all of them compressed. Sachi landed on my right breast; there she began to carve her picture out.

Of course I screamed.

Madana the yakshi settled on my mons, while the cannibal on my hip; it was the chetaka called devourer. There were 36 in all. Nine of each mohinis, kinaras, yakshis and chetakas and they all carved their spot in my body as I screamed for oblivion.

The chanting never stopped. Worse was yet to come. After carving their spot, they settled in to it and now they began to burn as they were sealed in to me. I couldn't take it anymore; the pain was intense and my mind began to falter at the sheer repeat of excruciating pain. I began to burn.

My grandmother flew swiftly to me and caught my shoulders and took the brunt of my pain. Now she burned along with me but swifter. It seemed to never end; both the chanting and my screams as we burned together; the chants stopped after an eternity, but we still continued to burn as the nithyas manifested and then the barrier was gone but not my screams for my grandmother had given her all, so I would survive. She was just ashes and now not even that.

Before I fainted I could hear the rush of footsteps, hammering of the door, loud voices and click of the lock opening.

It took me five days to regain consciousness. I could hear two male voices near me. Where was I?

"Don't fall in love with her phani!" said a deep masculine voice.

"I admire her, sir. That's just it"

"No you do love her. But she is out of bounds" said the voice in a condescending manner.

I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't. Who was this man? And what gave him the right to dictate others especially about love? Phani could fall in love with whomever he wants.

"And what if I do love her sir? What then? What will you do?"

"Ah, but she's mine. For I've waited an eternity for her. And you better not be in my way"

Calloused hands then touched my cheeks with infinite patience. And try as I might I couldn't open my eyes.

"Vedha is mine phani; don't come in-between us" said the voice

A finger raised my chin slightly; I could hear the rustle of coverlet and smelt the scent of a male. The rush of perfume or after shave, the crisp smell of his shirt, warm breath on my cheek, graze of his mush beneath my nose and then his lips met mine. His lips stayed on mine for a minute, first encircling my upper and then lower lips. And in all this I felt safe?? Yes, I didn't feel violated at all. And then he was gone stealing my first virgin kiss.

I went back to sleep. I awoke to mayhem four days later. By the time everything settled, it was too late. The tantrics who accosted me in the airport, had reached rupa's house first.

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Hi all!!!!

Yet another chapter over; I hope you really like it. Feel free to comment and please vote and share if you like my story.

Athma – sprit

Praethathma – wraith

Kinaras – seen in Hindu, Buddhist mythology and throughout south East Asia. In India they are depicted as half horse and half human or as half human and half bird. Unlike their Greek counter parts, the head is a horse while the body is human. The birds go both ways.

Garuda – the eagle, and divine beast, steed of lord Vishnu. Depicted as a human with wings and eagle head or completely as an eagle.

Hyagreevar – an incarnation of Vishnu, god of wisdom. He is depicted with the head of an horse and human body.

Madana – lustful [used by both genders in case of names]

Sachi - one who knows, truth[feminine gender in case of names]

Yakshis – females of kubera's court. Powerful beings who grant boons if worshiped.

Chetakas – these beings too grant whishes but require lot of energy to sustain them

Aghoras – are devotees of shiva in all his forms. They give up their worldly life and most of them move around with only a loin cloth.    

The chetakas and yakshis are generally used in what is akin to Indian version of witchcraft. It is commonly believed that namboodris and aghoras practice such tantric rites.

The 15 Nithyas are the different forms of the devi who control different aspects of the universe and invoking them grants power over the things which come under them. The 3 Nithyas mentioned here have under their control, the kinnara, yakshis, mohinis and chetakas.

What differentiates Hinduism from other religions is that in case of witchcraft, both good and bad, we don't have different deities for both. They both worship the same god shiva and goddess kali.