The LIGHT!

Chandran, I met him in the lobby of my office,where he sat with a visitor pass. As a kid I remember ,my Mom scared me saying he hallucinates ,goes all cranky and my grandpa makes  him drink water filled with cow dung so that he becomes normal. He was there to meet me and give me my home tucks that  my mother sent through him.

One afternoon,I must be 8 , I woke up to the noise , my neighbour said Chandra has got ghost into him . My mother ran to see him  , I went behind her.  There was Chandra , like a rebel fighting for the freedom of its soul, he flunged eveyone away. Four giant hulk  folks were not enough to power him down. He was trying to batter his brother . Some said its my grandmother , she never liked her eldest son. And indeed , it was a voice of a woman. my mother turned and saw me witness the whole event and slapped me on my face.

One summer vacation at grandpa’s place, I went to the terrace . Chandra was talking to himself , upon seeing me he asked “ your grandma says that you must study well and become an IAS officer and earn respect. But Mother, she should be what she wants to be “..he was again taking to himself and I was scared . I had to collect my books that  I left at the terrace .

“did you see the light ,like a rainbow,but of a single yellow color” he asked.

I asked him “where?”  may be I was curious.

He said he can’t point at it.I was so scared that I wished my mom comes to my rescue and whacks me again.

Suddenly I saw him drop to the ground and his mouth lathered. Now I know it was an epileptic attack. Chandran was then sent to rehab for an year , he recovered completely as they said. Currently, he is a professor at IIT Kanpur, married,two college going kids .I never saw him after that incident up until today.

He has grown relatively old .I took him to the cafeteria. He gave me the stuff my mother sent me .” I have a message for you .The light you will grasp soon and she was dishonest ,be what you want to be .She visits you and she is miserable to see you forlorn.You shoud get married.She glimpses a cheerful  life in your future.And she can’t wait” I started laughing and said “Uncle, I know my mom has sent this message through you. She wants me to get married. “

He revealed me the fact that he never went to the rehab at Mangalore instead he went to Delhi and was a yoga instructor there and then he completed his education. Now,He  just keeps everything to himself not even his wife. He has made peace with images and its light he sees. He says they guide and influence him.

As were leaving the cafeteria, my college friend bumped into me and said “Jasmin, I guess you are taking too much  of stress at work.You can talk to me , stop taking to yourself all alone”. I saw Chandran walk past me and disappear with the distance . A yellow patch of light persisted  in a certain corner angle of my right eye.