“How is Shakti, did he again have that nightmare? Is he sleeping well?” Asked Shekhar while entering the home, he was back after a two day official tour.
“Shekhar I am really tensed now, I don’t know what is happening to our son? Now this is touching the heights, don’t you think we should consult some good doctor or maybe a psychiatrist for him? Gayatri also showed her anxiety to her husband as soon as he entered the home.
Shekhar sat on the couch and felt very depressed, he held Gayatri’s hand and said, “See, we have only a single child and I know how much it is painful to see our child in this pathetic condition. I promise you we would definitely consult the best doctors for him and he would be just fine very soon.” Gayatri burst into tears and leaned on his shoulder for some time.
Shakti was the alone son of Gayatri and Shekhar. He was a very charming boy and an apple of his parent’s eyes everyone in the family loved him. Due to some complications unfortunately Gayatri could not conceive her second child and hence Shakti became the centre for all her aspirations and dreams. Both the parents were extremely attached to their son. After all Shakti was their first and last child, perhaps this factor made the parents too much protective and possessive of him. They were always anxious and over protective for their boy. But on the contrary Shakti was a brave and bold boy; he loved adventure and always enjoyed doing adventurous tasks. Mountaineering was his most favourite activity and since they lived in Gawhati, Assam, he could easily satisfy his hobby. He used to move out for tracking and mountaineering with his friends on weekends and lied to his parents that he was going to stay at a friend’s place for study or some purposes. However he was just a ten years old boy but his interests were quite bold and different from the other kids of his peer group. Since very small age he used to say that he would become a soldier and would die for his country. He had a hobby of collecting pictures of brave Indian Army Soliders. But his parents never took this interest of his too seriously. They were fearful as a parent and they always thought that they have a single child who must be present with them for their whole life at least till they have their own lives.
Shakti was born as a healthy child with all the sensibilities and features; a normal child usually possesses. His parents were too much happy when he was born. Like any other parent they also had many dreams for their son. In fact Shekhar already decided that his son would join his established business and would accompany him in his work in future. He decided that he would give every possible comfort to his son and would try to make him happy in all the ways. The boy had been a spoilt brat since childhood he was not treated less than a prince in his home. His mother was around him everytime. Gayatri was herself very educated and talented woman but when her son was born she decided to devote her whole time to him only. The boy was a brilliant student in his school, amiable among friends and teachers and also very extrovert kind of a person. But something was there which was holding him back, something that made him terribly weak from inside. It was a darker side of his past life that turned his present as tougher for him to face.
Shakti was although a perfectly healthy boy but soon he and his parents realized that he had a problem of nightmares. This vicious cycle began with the instance when one night he came to his parent’s room while crying and complaining them that he is not able to sleep as a nightmare is disturbing him a lot. It was not the first time that he was having a nightmare but this was certainly the first time when he got so much disturbed and nervous. However, his parents also got little surprised but they actually did not bother to know; what was that nightmare that troubled their son so much and what pushed him to come into their room and made him cry so much. They made him sleep with them on that night but this situation began to become worse day by day. Shakti felt unable to sleep well and after some time he began to fear from sleep, he refused to sleep alone and sooner his condition got worse when after the nightmare he had his first panic attack. Many things began to get affected, his study, peer group and above all his mental status.
He was too much young for all these situations and was not ready to share his nightmare with anyone not even with his parents because he was tensed, anxious and nervous. Both the parents tried a lot to ask the boy many times about his dream but he was not able to describe it well. All he could tell them is that in his dream he sees that there is a soldier who was fighting in a war but he wants to run away from there and when he tries to make an escape, some enemy shot him from back and he dies then and there. He told his parents that, he sees a lot of bloodshed in the battlefield, he could actually listen to the loud voices of bullets, bombarding and tanks. As soon as he would start telling about his dream he began to have cold sweating and anxiety, the nightmare was this much horrendous for him.
Now the parents got much tensed that all of a sudden why the things are turning this way for them! shakti had been so active and mentally stable, however he used to complain about this nightmare for a long time but it was not so often like this before. Parents thought that their son is a growing child he sees many things on television, and shares many kinds of talks with his friends and also he had a great love for soldiers and army men that is why his mind is overwhelmed by such thoughts. They thought it might be something temporary and the boy will forget this soon but destiny had some different plans for this family.
Now the boy showed many unexpected changes in his behaviour that made his parents to act in anxiety and in such a situation Shekhar called Dr. Sumeet who was his very good and close friend.He discussed everything with his friend. His friend was a doctor by profession and a very mature and sensible person. However both the friends were not in a regular touch due to their busy schedules but whenever they needed each other no one used to delay the meeting. Sumeet fixed up a meeting at his friend’s house to talk to his son in a very friendly manner, soon the boy opened up his self in front of his uncle. The boy told his uncle about his nightmare and how much frightened he feels when goes to his bed. Gayatri immediately then sends him to play with his friends so that they all can talk well.
“I guess the nightmare that is disturbing your son so much has something to do with his past, something that had already been stored in his subconscious mind and now it is reflecting out in the form of a dream.” Said Sumeet.
Sumeet also asked his friend about the small details and changes in the boy’s behaviour in the recent time. They told him that besides this nightmare their son is now scared of loud voices and has discontinued his passion of collecting the pictures of brave soliders. Their friend tried to look into this matter very deeply and suggested them to go for a past life regression therapy for their son. He told that he is himself a doctor but he also believed in spirituality and whatever he has heard about the boy; it seems that this soul has taken forward many things with him from his past life. And his behaviour, wishes, and then this nightmare simply show that his past life could be related to a soldier’s life.
After seeing Shakti in so much of mental turmoil his parents instantly agreed to their friend’s suggestion and very soon they met Mr. Pramod who was a past life regression therapist. He and Sumeet were also good professional friends and shared a nice space between each other. was actually a well known of Sumeet and used to discuss with him many facts and information about spirituality. When Sumeet saw the boy’s condition he thought that this friend of his probably would be the best suitable person who can help in finding the reason of the nightmare.
Finally, the boy with his parents and uncle visited Pramod’s place. Pramod took him and his parents in a separate room where he used to practice his study of past life regression. He made the boy comfortable and asked him to lie down on a bed and to relax. Gayatri and Shekhar were really anxious as they thought that their son might turn up nervous too but they got surprised to see the ease level of the boy who soon slept peacefully. The therapist began the process, he tried to awaken the boy’s subconscious mind and during therapy he was exposed to many surprising facts related to Shakti’s past life.
And when the therapy ended, the therapist assured the parents that the boy has been just fine and now his nightmare would not trouble him anymore. He said that their son was a perfectly healthy boy but he also advised them, not to stop the boy from joining the army. He further told that the boy is born with a purpose in this life; he is born to complete one of his major tasks that he left undone in his past life. their son was a soldier in his past life, he was a scared personality in his past life and he never wanted to join the army but his parents in that birth deliberately wanted him to join the army force, they wanted him to make the country proud. His name in the previous birth was Anubhav. Unwillingly he became a soldier but he never wished to do some wonders for his country. He was not feeling it from within. And one day when he was given a duty at a battle field he behaved totally insane. He tried to run away from the battlefield without fighting like a fighter and when was making an escape one bullet of the enemy troop shot him. And he was dead then and there but before he took his last breath he was spontaneously filled with grief and guilt, he felt he was a betrayer to the mother land that is why he was paying this cost. Had he been shot in the name of the country he could have done something worth for his country and the parents who wanted him to devote his life to the country.
“Oh! Mother I will come again here to save you from these beasts, please forgive me this time!”
And Anubhav uttered his last words.
Boy’s parents were frozen to hear this all. They could not believe at first, and their eyes were filled with tears. The therapist then explained everything in detail that this very last thought of grief and guilt was residing somewhere in the boy’s mind and with his growing age the thought of guilt began to re-emerge from his sub-conscious mind. He is the same soul who has now taken birth and that is why he has got a deep love and connection to the motherland but due to that bad experience he also had some fears. Pramod called up Shakti and gave him sweets and chocolates as he knew kids are always tempted for such incentives. He told the boy in a very polite way that now he need not to be scared of sleeping, and also insisted him to continue his love of collecting the pictures of army force as he used to do earlier. The boy nodded and smiled and this made his parents felt happy and relaxed too.
Both parents thanked the therapist and their friend to help them in realizing the truth and the personality of their son. They still wanted to know if that nightmare might trouble their son once again but the therapist assured that he has tried his level best to emerge that subtle thought and it has been revealed now so their son is surely not going to be troubled by that thought anymore. All of three the parents and the son left happily, relaxed and calmly. That night the boy slept peacefully.
“Shh… keep quiet, he has slept now”, murmured Gayatri to Shekhar while gazing from the half open door of their son’s room. She shut the door of the room and returned back to their room happily. That night they realized they not only shut the door of the room but they also shut the door of much turmoil they have been faced with their son.
And after 15 years.
“Time just flies by, it seems it was just yesterday and today our son is a grown up man isn’t it wonderful Gayatri?” said Shekhar with a contented voice.
“Yes, it feels so good and I miss him a lot. But I guess parent’s real joy is always hidden in their child’s happiness. I am happy that we supported our son in realizing his dream and did not stop him from serving the country with his determination and love.” Replied Gayatri.
Shakti was now twenty five years old. He achieved his ultimate goal which he had always aspired for. He got selected in Indian Army at Ladakh Scouts and appointed as a Lieutenant. Here his parents Gayatri and Shekhar were trying to engage themselves in some works like the mother utilized her time by teaching dance to children and father was as usual busy with his business. Their son used to call both of them on a regular basis and always convinced them about his well being, he used to thank his parents numerous of times for letting him fulfil his long aspired dream. And now he was entirely devoted towards serving his country India and motherland. Hi parents were really proud of him and moreover they knew that their brave boy had a purpose to take birth in this life hence they had a big pride of having such a courageous son in their life. But being a parent they were always a little more anxious and scared of the fact that they might lose their son.
And then destiny finally repeated the history for Shakti. He was called up on an emergency call for a mission he was appointed as the chief commander of the mission. He left the head quarter with his troop and in the battle field he fought and commanded his men with utmost rationality and bravery. There was constant bombarding between his troop and the enemy, bullets firing was endless. Shakti lost his half of the men but today he could not give up, he maintained his calm and organized his left over men with a rigorous planning. He along with his two other soldiers decided to move from the back side of the hill from where they began their plan. They had no option left except showing their bravery and fight the enemy by coming in the front. This might need them to lose their lives but they were determined to accomplish their mission and could not run away from there.
They also knew that the enemies were also weak by that time and they also had lost their many men. Finally he and his colleagues very cleverly attacked the enemy from the back side and crushed them till the death. Suddenly, the colleague soliders realized that shakti had gotten injured while attacking the enemy, he was hit thrice at times in the stomach with a sharp knife and he was injured badly, his scar was extremely deep and he felt down withering on the ground unconsciously. His Colleague solider quickly shot the enemy and he dragged him to a corner of the hill. He felt now this was the end of his life and the purpose of his life. But he was happy to see their triumph. He ordered his colleagues to contact the senior officer and to inform them that they have successfully accomplished their mission. And before he lost his full consciousness he uttered a few words,
Oh! Maa, today my sacrifice is DONE! I am coming into your lap to take a long sleep now. I am not a betrayer and never was. I know today you are smiling at me and you are happy that your son has corrected his mistake. I am giving you my life today, Motherland hold me in your arms your son is very tired now.”
Here his parents were informed about his condition. They were informed that their son had been wounded badly and he is in coma right now. He had been given the best treatment and had to go through a tough surgery, once he is out of the critical condition he would be brought back. Mother could not control her tears after listening to this whereas the father went into deep silence. They were mourning, and immediately called up their friends. ( Sumeet and Pramod).
Shekhar burst into tears he told his friends about the critical condition of his son, he was sounding very scared. Then Pramod calmly said to the parents, “I know being a parent you both are shattered right now, but I would advise you to pray for your son. You should be happy and proud of him that he has achieved his mission and he has fulfilled his great purpose of life. In this instance he is born once again. God is kind and can never be rude to his children, he sometimes teaches some big lessons through the toughest paths… And likewise has happened with your son. Today he has realized the value of his love for his country and I damn sure nothing will happen to him”.
And the same day at night phone ranged up, everyone was waiting for a phone call offcourse, but they were not ready to hear any bitter truth. Gayatri rushed towards the phone and without wasting a minute she picked up the call and she heard a voice.
Maa, I am Alive!
