The Missing Man
Rahul Pandita - April 25, 2006
A week after his disappearance, Srikant’s family received an envelope. His father Bhagirath, responding to a knock on the door, collected it from a postman, whose nose was like an eagle’s beak.
Srikant’s name, with his address beneath, was typed neatly on the envelope and on the other side the sender’s name read as: The Marketing Manager, The Times of India. Bhagirath tore it from one corner, with the help of his silver paper cutter, lying on a table. It was a gift in lieu of annual subscription of a weekly magazine. Inside the envelope, Bhagirath found a note and a newspaper cutting. He read the note first.
Dear Mr. Srikant
Kindly find attached a cutting of the advertisement booked by you under the ‘Missing Persons’ column of The Times of India. Your ad appeared in the Delhi and Mumbai edition of the newspaper on March 22. In case of any error in the ad, please contact the Marketing Manager.
Bhagirath looked at the cutting. There was a photograph of a woman, quite clear, despite the cheap newspaper print. The woman smiled in the photograph. She wore a sleeveless T-shirt and trousers and looked very happy posing for this picture. There were details given below. Sneha, aged 34, fair complexion, tall. A small cut on her left arm. Missing from her residence since two months. In case of any information, please contact immediately: Srikant. There was Srikant’s e-mail and his mobile number provided along with his name. The same mobile number which went off that night. The night, when Srikant did not come back home.
Bhagirath felt his head spinning. He caught hold of a corner of the table and sat on the chair, as his legs wobbled. He had no clue about this woman. And he did not know how Srikant knew her and why he had given an ad in the newspaper. And where had he disappeared himself?
That night, the family waited for Srikant’s arrival. If he got late beyond 9 pm, he would always call and inform his father. Or his wife Kavita. Otherwise, they would always have dinner together by 9.30 pm. But that night, when Kavita tried to reach her husband on his mobile, she could not reach him. It was switched off.
By midnight, they were quite worried. Had he met with an accident? They tried calling few friends, with whom he usually spent his evenings. Nobody seemed to have any clue about his whereabouts.
Bhagirath handed over the newspaper cutting to Kavita. ‘Do you know this woman?’ She held it with trembling hands. She looked at it and then read the note. She did not know her. She had never heard her name. She had never seen her.
When he did not come back till the next evening, Bhagirath went to the Police. An hour after he had returned from the Police Station, a Sub-Inspector and a constable came to their house. They wanted to go through Srikant’s belongings. Bhagirath gave a nod.
‘Your son was very fond of books,’ the Police officer said as he looked at the huge rack of books in Srikant’s bedroom. Bhagirath did not know whether the officer was telling him or asking him. He kept silent.
After taking few more pictures of Srikant, they left. Kavita found a book which Srikant was reading the night before he went missing. It lay on his table, over a sheaf of papers. He had drawn some sketches here and there and scribbled in his usual indecipherable writing. The book was a novel by Herman Hesse. Narcissus and Goldmund. She opened it. On one page, Srikant had highlighted a passage from the novel with a fluorescent green highlighter:
A man’s wishes may not always determine his destiny, his mission; perhaps there are other, predetermining, factors.
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Posted by Rahul Pandita at April 25, 2006 11:23 PM
Comments
Rahul,
Intererting start.. want to read more
Very well expressed. Rivetting Narration.
The last line was particularly apt -"Man proposes, God disposes". Life functions as a confluence of deed and destiny-sometimes wishes and efforts do not translate into results no matter how hard you try and at other times you may get an unexpected windfall without trying hard enough. Though attributed to the law of Karma by some, this can never really be explained.
Dear Rahul,
This is certainly a bizarre, fascinating and captivating story. It seems true; yet fictional.
Please keep us posted!
Best regards.
Rahul,
Is this a true story or bit of your imagination? I hope it is the latter, and in that case, its an intriguing start.
Imagination is nothing but memories of your past birth - Pythagoras
Dear Rahul,
A suspence thriller this time! Good. A change was needed from your love stories. Hope you maintain the tempo.
Cheers!
Navin
Hi Rahul,
I like that you have created a tension story, and the intrique of not one, but two, missing persons.
Male and Female, and so I sense in the suspense, could still be a love story. And I do love love stories, and you have a way of making glances, and yearning, and desire, and embraces and caresses - feel very real.
Then again, the focus of your story may Be in the book!
Love,
~ Kate
a nice start....
Dear Rahul
Nice!
"...Bhagirath felt his head spinning. He caught hold of a corner of the table and sat on the chair, as his legs wobbled..." is how it felt when my son would stay out late -- I'd feel as if I were going mad, until the moment he'd come home.
love, Heath
Rahul, very interesting beginning. I must know what happens next. God bless Rahul.
"Imagination is nothing but memories of your past birth" -Pythagoras. That means Pythagoras believed in reincarnation!! That is great indeed. I am collecting people who believe in reincarnation. Do you Rahul? Do you Bloggers??
Geeta: Several years back I had also gotten interested in "reincarnation" and how different cultures percieve it. I had an opportunity to meet a gentleman who has done a lot of research on this topic. Dr. Kirti Swaroop Rawat has immense knowledge about this topic. He has spent a lot of time researching with Dr. Stevenson. You can google his name and find lot of concrete information about current research.
-jasleen
Rahul: The beginning is a gripping read. I do want to turn the pages. Waiting for what happens next...
-jasleen
Nice piece, but disturbs the reader
rahul.. very interesting beginning!
geeta.. count me in! some personal experiences and of those around me changed me from being a skeptic..
jasleen... will google up this doc u mentioned.. i think i mentioned here before but i have read books of Dr. Brian L. Weiss too on this topic (many lives many masters, only love is real etc.) and they are pretty convincing.
Namita: Thank you for the suggestion. I just went through the website. It is very impressive. I particularly like the stories.
During one of the discussions (which took place several years back so I can't remember the details), the learned men felt that the first step was to study the secrets of death (understanding of which is essential to study reincarnation). Vedas hold the key to this mystery. Particularly the story of Nachiket, the Brahmin and his meeting with Yama. It is a delightful story where Nachiket questions Yama, the God of death about the secret of death. Hope you can find that story. It is very enlightening.
-jasleen
Hi Jasleen, and Nimita, I was in my early twenties when I first landed in USA. At that time I was a skeptic about reincarnation. I remember asking one of the elders to prove to me that people reincarnated. Now almost 30 years later, I do past life regressions. I am a 100 % believer in reincarnation. I like Brian Weiss too, especially because, he started out being a non believer and completely turned around. I am a Hindu, and our scriptures support that. Brian is a Jew, and his scriptures say there is no reincarnation. I have a feeling this Dr Stevenson is the one who wrote old souls,or was the one who did the research on reincarnation.The book is one of my favorite books, that proves reincarnation. It is so much fun talking to you both. God bless.
Dear Bloggers,when I read about the mail carrier with the nose like an eagle's beak, I thought of this book I read once, about 40 years ago, about different kinds of noses and what they tell us about the bearers of these noses. If my memory serves me right, a beak nose means a person who is very wordly, good in business matters. A person who has a Grecian nose is very artistic etc. does any of you know the rest of the noses around. I am very nosy about the noses. Thanks for your response.
Geeta Darling,
Oh my! You've gone and done it now...I can't let
you off too easy!
This re-incarnation has been a real sticking
point for Me2. I've read the latest, and some things...
most especially language recall and fluency on top of it...
I believe the facts! But... both you and I know that
only personal, knock-down dead-Truth convinces
a native of the "SHOW ME" state! That being Me2, of course.
How to I get a hold of your services? Babe, you
are one of the FEW I trust here! If you have no
special arrangement, as such, tell me here, and
be damned to the rest, if they don't like it! Or,
mull it over and tell me at the campsite? Dave got
me goin' on this, yes you Dave, even tho your quiet now...
Maybe it would help "sort things out" for Me2.
I hadn't yet delved into Astrology till about 3
months ago. I got a ladies name from a Psychic Detective,
her secretary gave me the number of her personal
guide. This lady was 75 yrs. old and either she
was psychic,or my birth chart,to the minute, was so
accurate as to be silly! It was a cold call, as
little as possible said I.
I'm either living out her prediction, here at IB,
or somethin' fishy's goin' on! I have a tape of our
conversation, if this keeps up...she has some scary
news too, I bet most astrologers refrain from that
usually. If it turns out...about other family
members, well...what do you think? Can it make a
difference? I've read some weird stats on characteristics
and occupations related to this matter...have yet
to see it discussed here.
Sweet Woman,
You can tell me something about me I don't know?
Let a mystery begin...all ears! Love ya, Keith
P.S. I have a big, round red nose like Santa!
Holy crap! I had no idea what I walked into reading that one there! Good stuff and I'm not even a fan of Fiction. I strictly read Non-Fiction LOL. Until I read the comments I thought this was a real story!
Dear Rahul,
I have come back to read your story again, and the last lines you have written ... about destiny and mission, our lives and what veers the course we have set out, determined, or undermined .....
ah, the mystery.
Who is really in control?
Love,
Guess Who
So 'Guess Who' is Malviya Nagar up your blog?
Rahul,
I have just finished sipping tea in a cafe. Did you glance over - and catch the written words my eyes were devouring? Surely you know now, I am seeking the thrill of your story, and you have me waiting .... for more
QW
Rahul,
Finally! Someone does know H.Hesse, me guru!
Also "Steppenwolf", for those who wondered...Me2
Geeta,
you do past life regressions??! you mean on other people or have you done it on yourself?
Sometime back I went for a couple of sessions of past life regression to a psychiatrist in Toronto. But I couldn't get into a trance properly and it was pretty expensive for me. At that time I was having some emotional problems, and then after that I got really busy with study/work etc. I find this all very intriguing.... can you share any significant stories?
Yes Keith. Steppenwolfe and Rosshalde and Peter Camenzind
Keith, I feel bad you wasted all those endearments on an old lady, who can not even help you. I am really sorry. I am a pediatrician, a fairly busy one. I am in charge of Satsang in my small town, that means I have to read a lot to discuss. My house is on the market and I have been cleaning a lot. I love the intentblog. So I am spending time here. There is no time left to do regressions. I will give you the name of a book and CD I have used a lot."Mirrors of time" by Dr Brian Weiss M.D. The CD can be used to do past life regression on yourself.
Most of the American astrologers I have consulted have turned out to be psychic as well. So may be the 75 yr old is a psychic too.Keith are we still friends?? God bless you.
Nimita, may be you can try the book, and CD by Brian too. Don't get discouraaged if nothing happens the first time. Try to do it when you are all alone with no disturbance and when in a meditative mood. Do a prayer session first. Nimita next time go to a psychologist or a spiritualist for hypnotic regression. They are less expensive. God bless.
I was completely engrossed. This is the quantity of word, I was waiting for, Rahul..this is book-quality material! I did not want the story to end.. when he grabbed the corner of the table, I felt I was grabbing it with him.. kudo's for the gripping tale...
North
Nimita, I can share couple of my past lives with you. I was a greek soldier, in one past life and was killed by some one from the back. The arrow pierced my back above the scapula. I have a birth mark in the form of an arrow tip at that spot!!
I was an early Christian in Rome. I was a guy and was captured and fed to the lions. I have been extremely allergic to all cats in this life. After the regression my allergies are better, but not gone.
I was a daughter of a rishi in another life time in India. There was nothing awful about my death in that life time.In another life I was a Buddhist in Tibet.
In one life I was in France, I witnessed a lot of women(Cathars) being burnt alive, I was tied up near a fire place, and the smell of that smoke was suffocating me, that is one of the reasons I have asthma.
Regression is useful for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.In your mind think of the problem you want to address, eg, say I would like to go to that life time that will help me to figure out why I am depressed or anxious etc.
God bless you Nimita.
Geeta Darling,
Sentiments?...no deary, long as I know of you today,
is as long as my yesterdays! Your equinimity is
contagious, hopes it's the next "virus" to hit town! Luvs, Me2
P.S. My quarter sized birthmark is an inch under
my left nipple, now I'm anxious...not your fault!
geeta.... thanks..
this is very interesting... fed to the lions? that must have been painful! world was so barbaric in those times!
I have tried the CDs, but only once or twice. Nowadays I am really busy (infact going back to Toronto tomorrow to start my study semester) so don't have the time or patience.. but will definitely try them sometime in a routine when i am more settled.
I have no alergies as such, but i have a food phobia lol.. i eat very little! I conciously force feed myself now and am ok but as a kid i could go days without eating, i gave my mom a very hard time, i used to eat roti with just water and nothing else. i didnt even like cakes or ice-creams. hmmmm perhaps i was poisoned in some lifetime!
Nimita,
Hi! You are not old, you can re-learn(re-member)
why you NEED to eat!
Affirmations, optimism and the real-isation,
that un'canned, un-blemished breads of life, are
the very substances you need. They provide everything
you need(take a vitamin,anyway) to give you complete
and total healing, strength, energy and endurance
that you may face the tasks set before you, today,
tonight, tomorrow and all of the rest of your days on this earth!
As a co-creator, all these things are done thru
the fruits, milk and grains of the Earth, the water of Life,
the "breathe of God", the sweat of labor, and
the tears of joy and sorrow. Amen!
Tis the "Body Of Christ", I eat in Remembrance of this "idea"!
Can only be by Grace, and following these precepts,
that I have been so "lucky"! I know, as a matter
of course(4), it could all be in my jeans! Woops...not!
Start a new "habit", not for Nuns, but for U! Good Luck! Me2
Dear Rahul,
"Neither of us can ever understand the other completely in such things. But there is one realization all men of good will share: In the end our works make us feel ashamed, we have to start out again and each time the sacrifice has to be made anew"
Is this true for you?
~ Kate
Keith, thank you for being a friend, and for that nice complement. God bless.
Nimita, if you come to a situation in the regression where it is painful, become an observer, you definitely don't have to go through it again. I did not suffer during regression, the hypnotherapist guided me to be an observer.God bless.
Dear Geeta,
One time, I did have someone do a session that involved me relaxing completely, and imagining that I was 'walking back in time' to an era and place before my birth.
I couldn't see or hear anything, but as I was deeply relaxed, this thought came to me, and I said aloud 'she wants to cry, and she's afraid, just tell her, it's o.k. to cry'
Little tears escaped my eyes. But soon, I felt a sense of release, and a freedom that was sure and safe.
Always,
my love to you,
~ Kate
Kate,beautiful rxperience. The first regression I ever did was so crystal clear. I could see the beautiful carvings of the door I was entering. Sometimes regression brings out stuff really quickly, some times it is difficult. The regression where I was smelling the burning human flesh was very difficult. before regression, I had decided I will try to find why I have asthma.
God bless you angel Kate.
Dear Geeta, Kate,
I had gone both into my past as well as my future life using Edgar Cayce's methods. I have just one more time to come on this planet and I saw myself living in a penthouse in Manhattan (a place I've never been too in this life, so far)with my wife named Stephanie. That is where I'm gonna be in my next (and last) life.
Cheers!
Navin
Hey Navin, that is great, that means you will be very, very rich!! Don't forget us bloggers in your future life, with Stephanie. May be some of us will be back again in America!!
On a serious note, I have been reading that 2100 will bring an end to humanity on Earth for quite some time so that Mother Earth can recuperate from all the abuse we have heaped on her. For a lot of us this life is the last for a long while, for some of us we have another life on this Earth.
Edgar Cayce is supposed to incarnate in Utah by 2050, according to his readings. It is all so interesting.
God bless you Navin.
Geeta: I thought Cayce was supposed to join Keith--in Nebraska, around 2,100+- A.D.--when the ocean waters have come that far north again?
And sweetheart, "no worries" on humanity "not being here" at that time--we are coming up on that cleansing you're referring to--but we'll be here through, and with it--we are a part of it.
That 1,000 years of peace and brotherhood is not really too far away; in spite of how it looks now. Dave
Dave, I wrote that from memory. I did not check the source. May be it is Nebraska, where Cayce is supposed to come back, and help humanity on its last years before the rest period. It is all so interesting. So Dave, do you believe we are all taking a break from incarnating for a thousand years, after 2100?? It is so good to have a wise soul on board the Blog to ask questions. Thank you so much, Dave. God bless.
Dave and Geeta Darling,
You're freakin' Me2 out here! Quit! El Halto!
You know Frodo, maybe their are some things left
on this Earth, worth fighting for...to hell w/L7! Keith
Dear Rahul,
I am in the process of giving the final touches to a script i am planning to make into a movie. It is called 'HINDU- An outsider'. It deals with the life of a kashmiri pandit living in a refugee camp in jammu for the last 15yrs and has to back to Srinagar for a partcular reason. Need to get in touch with you for some research. If you read this( or anybody else ) please send me your contact details at anupamkher@gmail.com.
Thanks.
Anupam.
Dear Anupamji,
Hi. Have just mailed you some numbers which might be of help to you, including Rahul's. The subject you've chosen is a very potent one and I wish you all the best for its success.
Goodluck and Cheers!
Navin
Geeta
Yeah , you are right, beak nosed consider themselves down to earth( like an ostrich with its head in the sand!),and lack appreciation for aesthetics or art or abstractions. Do you have any idea if the marriage between a guy with a grecian nose and a woman with a beak will work out happily ?
I was a shrew like survivor of the KT Extinction event in my last incarnation( 65.4 Million years ago)! But the dinos and larger creatures werent so lucky.
Thanks
Ramesh
Hey Rahul,
I hope you remember meeting me in Chandigarh in 1994 when we were working for Panun Kashmir organization and you were staying at the Vivekananda ashram.
I have been trying to contact your for quite sometime but could find your email id. I got the link to this blog through KOA zone 7 group email.
If you do please contact me.
Your friend,
Nitin
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Nitin Dhar commented on The Missing Man
Hey Rahul,
I hope you remember meeting me -
Ramesh commented on The Missing Man
Geeta
Yeah , you are right, beak nosed
-
Navin commented on The Missing Man
Dear Anupamji,
Hi. Have just mailed you s -
anupam kher commented on The Missing Man
Dear Rahul,
I am in the process of giving -
Keith Watson commented on The Missing Man
Dave and Geeta Darling,
You're freaki
You did it buddy! Now keep on writing!