Living With The Sixth Sense

Several people have the ability to know the future and I happen to be one of them. A lot has been written about premonitions or the sixth sense. I happened to read Sakshi's article, which touched my heart to a point that I was suddenly down memory lane remembering several incidents which I became aware of sometimes hours before something happened or sometimes days ahead.

The first time I became aware of this sixth sense was way back on 3rd September 1970.the days when the best form of entertainment was to watch a movie followed by dinner in the famous park street of Calcutta. We had gone to see Dilip Kumar's film, Leader, a highly entertaining film. We were in a very light mood, having seen a good film and anticipating a hearty meal. While driving past the Victoria memorial [a monument in marble] enjoying the moon which was casting a strange and eerie light over the monument. Suddenly the clouds covered the moon, the shadow seemed to indicate something, there was a lightning, a flash, and a thought crossed my mind. What if granny dies today [my paternal grand mom was alone in Asansol]? Who will perform the last rites? It was a silly thought in the middle of a happy evening. I tried to brush the thought, but it persistently kept flashing at me, I kept on thinking. According to Hindu tradition a son/grandson/nephew can perform the last rites. Since my brothers were living faraway I felt her nephew who lived nearby could do the needful. Having solved the mental dilemma my mind was at ease. being 7 months pregnant I started looking forward to the meal at the restaurant, but the food tasted insipid and I was restless ,I wanted to go back home.

It was 9.45 at night when we entered home, by then the sky was overcast, it was raining cats and dogs, there seemed to be a cloudburst. Before we could enter the door the telephone started ringing, never had the ring sounded so shrill. it was like a spoilt child screaming for attention, I was scared it wasn't so late friends did call at that time for a chat, but I knew this call had something else to say, even before my husband could pick up the phone I was hysterical ,I was howling, and saying granny is dead! She is no more! My husband picked up the phone, a grave voice of my uncle informed us---granny is no more she passed away at 8:25, the time we were crossing Victoria memorial, and yes my uncle performed the last rites.

Two years later we were refueling our car when a good friend drove past us. His wife had had a successful hysterectomy a week ago; she was scheduled to go home that very evening. I turned and told my husband that this man's wife is no more. He reprimanded me for talking like that and was was in a pensive mood throughout the drive to the club. I suddenly saw her last rites being performed at the crematorium - a place I had never visited in my life till then. The car came to a halt; people were talking in solemn and hushed tones, when asked the reason for the somber atmosphere we were told gravely of the demise of our friend's wife a short while ago. And believe me when we went for the cremation the place was exactly the way I had visualized. By this time I started getting scared of these flashes. Few months later I was sitting in our showroom with a friend, a distant relative walked in with a long face, he told us his mother had fractured her leg. After he had left I laughed and told my friend Nita,"This guy's mother is going to kick the bucket". My friend thought I was being funny, but believe me the lady was no more the next day.

The saddest day however was the day I lost my mother. Over the years a lot of superstitions get embedded in our minds, some through hearsay, and others through our experiences. I am very superstitious about white flowers, for my prayers I use three garlands of marigold ever day. On 28th June 1992 after my bath I went to my temple to pray. As usual I opened the packet of garlands to my horror I saw 4 white tube rose garlands staring ominously at me. They seemed like coiled serpents ready to attack. I screamed at my maid, my mother reprimanded them for being so careless, in the same breath she told me not to be fussy and continue with the same set of garlands. ,there was a flash before my eyes the fourth garland was for mummy, sure enough in the early hours of the morning my mother who was fit as a fiddle passed away and the white garland was placed over her body. it is uncanny but true down the years there been many more occasions ,mostly of visions of family members not being there anymore, but mercifully now and
Then I do see good things happen too.

My son-in law was in Tehran for a posting. His job took him all over the world, but India was not in the company's domain. One day over dinner I declared that in two years he would be posted in Bombay. The family thought I was being funny, I took a riyal note and scribbled my thoughts on the
Note, sure enough in 2years they were posted in Bombay. It is funny when my daughter and granddaughter want me to be their soothsayer. I don't know whether to feel happy or sad with this faculty. at times days ahead I feel stressed ,strained and restless as something is going to happen and once the situation is over a sense of calm prevails.

The only time I felt blessed was when my husband left for work as usual after breakfast, exactly 15 minutes later I felt that he would need immediate medical aid. I jumped into my car; drove like a maniac, planning of which doctor and friend I would be calling incase he was not well. I had it all planned, I was calm and not nervous which I generally am. I reached his office; he was sitting on his chair smiled weakly at me. "I think I need a doctor", he said, his tongue was being pulled inside, his speech was slurring. Within seconds we were in the car, I called my friend; timely medical aid averted a major stroke. I count my blessings and thank God every moment for helping us sail through a major calamity of our lives.

God is there to give us the signs, he is there to carry us in his arms over the rough seas, only we should through our faith and understanding be able to see those messages it is difficult to understand this and I do not want to know about my tomorrow or of those I love, I live from moment to moment and count my blessings for the beautiful moments in life, because what is life, but the sum total of a few moments and before you blink those moments are memories, like rainbows in the horizon, they fade but are etched in our minds forever and forever.