All the beautiful daughters of Mara by Ashok Aatreya (books to read for 12 year olds .TXT) 📕

ALL THE BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS
OF MARA


ASHOK AATREYA


(Unpublished)


1/THE TRYST
In a caravan of trucks, cars and motorbikes filled with supporters to the top, amid a sea of people carrying slogans and approving shouts, Anand was moving from Tihar Jail to the magnificent architectural grandiose of British Times and our nation’s supreme institution- the Rashtrapati Bhavan to be sworn in as the new solitary central minister. It was quite apparent from the slogans and overwhelming supporters that this poised khadi clad man was not that typecast popular politician or the elected elite; but a charismatic man having a different background and stature.
That was perhaps the most remarkable event in Anand’s life. A Few days back, there was news flashing across all media about him. As the country’s leading encounter specialist, senior ex police officer of Anti Terrorist Squad (A.T.S.), Anand had gunned down many terrorists. In the last fortnight, maximum coverage was given to that Maharastra-cadre police officer for many a reasons-good and bad. He was praised for picking at the terror groups and also arrested on a charge for using third degree methods for interrogation causing death of the convict following which Anand absconded from duties. He faced enquiries and trials at both departmental as well as judicial level. His lifestyle, relations with politicians and the underworld had also been under scanned
Anand had had a statutory lot of scandals attached to his profile. Surprisingly, the man who was interrogated till yesterday by the top- brass of C.B.I. team was offered a ministerial portfolio and red plate flag car that morning and was asked to administer the same department where his cases were pending. Although, there were speculations that Anand managed to get his hands off most of the cases. Probably that must have been the reason of his induction in the ministry. Of course, his gallantry awards, calculative moves, a good understanding of human weakness and of course friendly relations with public servants always kept him close to the power blocks and made him popular among his colleagues and others.
The upheavals in the last few days, dreadful interrogations, events unfolding one after the other, his underlying fantasies and tryst with life’s realities had altered that thinking altogether. The fact, that he was now invited to join the country’s most prestigious position, despite him not being an M.P. nor representing any constituency and chosen as minister in the central cabinet, all seemed like a dream.
What got him astounded was his meeting with his Guru in guise of a Jailor AN Dave in Tihar jail. His Guru prefigured all that was going to happen within three days of his remand. He foretold the events which will transform Anand’s life altogether. That was an exciting and revealing meeting.
Anand was summoned by the Jailor in his office. He went there to see him and the moment he saw Mr. Dave, Anand had felt as if the Jailor didn't belong to this world. His face emitted grace... there was an aura around him that touched Anand’s inner self!
“Good, you come…I have been waiting for you Anand”. He heard a voice from somewhere! Anand was shocked. He stood still…
“From this day on, you will be free from your past life and will enter into a better future. I am your Guru. I was your Guru. And I will always be your Guru…So I called you here. This is my abode, my hell”. Jailor smiled.
Anand had a strange feeling…Something like that had never happened to him before…he felt somewhat giddy, somewhat mesmerized and nostalgic, there was an ebb and flow of his past images before him. The Jailor had led him as his Guru. That man had unfathomable charisma. It seemed as if he was from the ethereal or spiritual world...
Guru led Anand in the office. Apparently, that was a Jailor’s office but as he entered inside, an ante-room, just behind the formal office, Anand was awestruck. The room was lit up as if it had some divine presence flowing from a prism made of crystal supposedly, the divine abode of goddess Tripura-Sunderi of Shri-Vidya of Tantra tradition…
“My son, your name in the previous birth was Sachidanand…” said his Guru. “Since you are a blessed son of the mother goddess; your name in this birth is again Anand which in its real religious and spiritual sense means the ultimate salvation. And salvation can’t be attained on the physical plane”.
“In our existenc, we come across three distinct stages. These stages are Sat, Chit and Anand. Since your past life suggests that you were a real devotee of goddess Tripura Sundari, you belonged to the Shakti cult and had taken Deeksha from me, I had given you the name Sachidanand”. But as you deviated from the religious path and started wrong doings; in your new birth, your unfulfilled desires caught you in the shackles of MAYA. But that was not your destiny. Hence, I have been asked to show you where you come from what you are and what you must do in this life henceforth. I''ll show you the path and help you to come out of the sins, from which, you have been unfortunately surrounded by in this life”.
Anand realised through his Guru that an inward journey had started then. His guru made him sit before the Shriyantra and unfolded the past, present and future events of Anand’s life. He predicted that Anand would be soon invited and inducted in the cabinet and just after the oath ceremony; he would meet his old beloved Shaheen! Anand was stunned…How did the man claiming to be his guru knowing everything? He knew every possible detail of Anand’s past and present, his flings, indulgence and fantasies, indication of failures and success in relationships.
Images of Shaheen, Bhairavi, Sonal and Divine, beside other women with whom Anand had alleged flings appeared one after the other on the crystal screen of Shriyantra… The guru told Anand that as he was going to start a new life, he must be cautious and deleberate .
The episode stirred Anand to follow his Guru’s path. He promised himself that he would be more vigilant and righteous, true to his line of spirituality, although, he had some obligations to meet in material world. However, since his Guru would then be the life force and guide, Anand was more or less relieved. Gurudev made everything seem so simple that anything happened in the name of investigations and interrogation sounded like a mere formality.
Anand was to face several inquiries to be conducted against him. After the revelation, everything seemed so easy to him.
There was a case of a casualty that had occurred during police interrogation. Anand had allegedly used third degree methods for interrogation to get information from the convict on his link up with some terrorists from Pakistan.
Anand was also charge sheeted for molesting a bargirl who had supposed links with a militant. As the girl happened to have close relations with some top brass politicians, they were trying everything to get him released. Anand refused to give into the demand of the politicians and hence he faced the charge. That was the first of that kind of a case in the Maharastra Police history when such a senior officer was accused of a heinous crime like rape. Anand’s case had some legal flaws and lack of evidence that it diluted in his favour. Eventually, the case was decided resulting in the acquittal of Anand and he got a clean chit.
A series of events unfolded one after the other and it came as a surprise that the man, whom the police and other officials were drilling till late night, was invited for induction in the cabinet to hold the State Home Minister’s portfolio.
Through Guru AN Dave, Anand had previewed everything that was destined to happen…
The beauty of that experience was such that after the seeing the future, his Guru washed away the experience Anand had just had, from his immediate memory.
He gained consciousness, and everything was normal before him…he felt as if he had woken up from a dream. Yet, he had an abstract outline of the things in his mind. Things that he had to do…sort of a handy guide to the path that he must then follow. Otherwise, Anand was like just his normal self- the amiable ATS officer Anand. Interestingly!
While leaving Tihar…he shook hands with the "Jailor" and not his ‘Guru’…
In the investigations that followed, Anand was given a clean chit from the CBI’s Investigations...And he was going to be sworn in the ministry. Thoughts flashed in Anand’s mind as he moved towards Rashtrpati Bhawan for his induction. After the oath-taking ceremony, he came out of the Central Banquet Hall. There were VIPs waiting outside the Central hall to receive him.
‘Aadab! Minister Sahib…congratulations!!! Anand’s eyes met with a Burqha clad woman. He got nervous. His face reddened as he saw her in the eyes… It was Shaheen. For once, it felt like a dejavu…
“Shaheen …it’s her!!! What is she doing here…Does she still have that mystic Monalisa like smile?,'' Questions popped up in Anand’s mind. Her presence seemed to change everything around him…he was as nervous as a young boy who just had his first kiss ever.
“ Oh God, Shaheen…Is that you?
''I… I am…how are you..?”
“I am fine, Thanks!"
Read a lot about you, in the last few days…You are making headlines everywhere. I learnt from a friend that today is your induction day in the Cabinet…” It is surprising…all this while, I wanted to see you, but couldn’t think of any appropriate reason…it looked odd. However, today, I couldn’t really resist coming here….congratulations''.
'‘Thanks… Yes, I am also surprised that you are here. The last couple of days have been exciting even for me…It seemed all messed up, those allegations and all…I thought I had lost it…but things fell in place… I don’t know how it all happened…but it did! And I am thankful to God for that. I hope you are happy ….Before Anand could say anything further, memories flashed in his mind…he however managed to clog his emotions, conscious of the crowd surrounding him. There were people all around waiting to meet and greet….in helter-skelter, he gave his card to Shaheen and moved away. In a short while, he had to meet the Press, and face all the controversies that erupted in the last few days. Anand took a leave of his supporters and dashed out to the Pressroom….
As Home Minister, that was Anand’s first address to the media. The media however, was more interested to take a dig at Anand’s personal life than his newly acquired Home Ministry. The very first question came from a close acquaintance, a senior reporter of National News- “Mr. Anand what do you feel and how would you like to react as Home Minister in the cabinet as just few hours back you were under the investigation and trial of CBI in Tihar Jail…?''
“As the Home Minister of the state, I would like say all of you that all pending cases and enquiries against ex ATS officer Anand, have been dropped and he has been given a clean chit by the investigating committee. And it's the only post the acquittal from the agencies that he was invited to join the Ministry.” I may assure you that person standing before you is all sober and blotless”. Anand said with a chuckle. The press