The Meeting

She woke up with an unknown fear gripping her. She tried to ignore it, but to no avail. It has been there ever since her friend called her to say - “Dear, tomorrow is the day. 6.30 pm sharp. No postponing.”
Yes she had been postponing this for quite some days now. She was to meet a world renowned person, someone who had gained the trust, belief and loyalty of lakhs of people across the world...then why does she feel so different in her views she thought. She looked at the clock beside her bed. It showed 5 O clock.

Going into the kitchen she made herself a cup of coffee. She found herself tensed. She tried to bring herself to relax by doing pranayanama and chanting OHM. But her mind just refused to listen to her. She switched on the VCD player and played some soft soothing music. She tried to divert her mind by reading newspaper, story book. All in vain, her mind had total control of her and it took her back to this renowned person and she found an uneasy feeling build up from deep insider her.

Her tension was surmounting...she realised she was literally shouting at herself and others around her for no reason at all. Each step she took she sensed herself dragging herself about. Everything that she did seemed to be a herculean task for her today. Her concentration was dripping down to zero. And to add to her agony was the stabbing pain she felt in her head as knots got twisted in her stomach. She felt hungry, but could not get herself to eat her breakfast.....and she had another 12 hours to kill before she reached the time to meet him. She went about doing her regular chores, very slow she was today.

Why this fear, she tried to assess. She had heard that this renowned person used hypnotism to bring people to his feet. She tried to argue this point with her mind. How is it possible to have lakhs of people adhere to hypnotism?...but she could not win over her mind. More so since she heard of Mr. A having succumbed to the hypnotism. - even then only one she said to herself, but her mind was bent on thinking otherwise...one might be known...but how many unknown...it said.
Mr. A had come to meet this renowned person, but due to time constraint was returning back home...but just at the entrance his eyes caught sight of this person. Looking straightly into Mr. A's eyes, he whispered...not so fast...you are supposed to be mine....never think otherwise. From then on Mr.A followed and did everything told by this renowned person. It could be rumour for all one knows. But this is what kept ringing in her ears. He had done many a good deed to the downtrodden people. But she just could not give that a priority.

The calling bell rang shaking her from her thoughts. The clock showed 5.30 pm. It was her friend who had come to pick her up to keep the 6.30 pm appointment with the renowned person. Swallowing her fear, she went along. She knew there was no escape today. Enroute to the hall, she prayed to God - let there be some traffic jam. She pleaded with rain gods to appease her with rains...but today everyone were bent on ensuring she kept up the appointment. She had to meet him today. She felt like she was a scapegoat led to the sacrificial stone.

She entered the hall and her friend led her to the front row, so that she would not miss the big appointment. The big clock on the wall struck the half hour, and still no sign of him. Just like them, she thought, no botheration about the time of other people. She could have just walked out, but her friend ensured she did not. And another painful waiting session began. After 2 hours of waiting, noise from the entrance announced his arrival. She turned towards the entrance and saw him enter the hall. She tightened her fist and waited. Tall and in robes of white...he looked around and his eyes met hers and she was dumbstruck. She found herself being locked in his gaze. She tried to move and turn her line of vision, but felt as though she was stuck up in that place. Was she already being hypnotised, she wondered. Not even for a second letting her escape his gaze, he moved forwards and towards her ignoring the people around him. She was spellbound. Just a few feet more, he would be beside her and they would be facing each other...... and suddenly the hall was plunged into darkness.
An hour later she found herself returning home – minus her friend who felt the need to stay back to attend to volunteer work.
The next morning she woke up to a beautiful day...she knew things were not going to be the same ever.