Born Again

Tania's Dada ji explained to her that the princess she met in her dreams was none other but herself. He further explained that when a person falls asleep, his/her subconscious level is still awake. The thoughts stored deep in the subconscious mind are the past memories of previous lives, which do awaken in some people. When these memories are awakened, it means there is impending danger ahead.

Her subconscious level had been giving her glimpses of a past life but today it had pulled out this memory and presented it in a dream like sequence. This only happens when there is immense danger and it is definitely linked to a past life. One became aware of one's past life especially when the danger of a past life has been passed on into other lives and to the present one.

Her Dada ji further advised her not to go to Ukraine under any circumstances. At least not now when a warning had come from her past. She needs to visit India first and especially locate the place where Sanya had lived.

Since it was almost tea time, they decided to carry on this conversation later on. Her Dadi ji led her to the kitchen saying that she would make the tea and Tania call down her Nani ji and her Mama ji.

Dadi ji seemed to like her Nani ji.

(As explained earlier, Dada ji is paternal grandfather and Dadi ji is paternal grandmother, Nana ji is maternal grandfather and Nani ji is maternal grandmother. Mamu ji or Mama ji is maternal uncle i.e. Mom's brother. Mama ji is supposed to be more filial towards his niece as in his address 'Ma' comes twice. But in the case of Tania, this is not the case.)

Tania proceeded upstairs and knocked on the doors of the bedrooms of her Nani ji and her Mama ji asking them to come down for tea.

Everyone assembled in the library as if they found the library the best place to sit and chat. It was decided that tomorrow they would take a tour of Moscow and visit important places.

Her Mamu ji found a pack of cards and a chessboard with pieces in one of the cupboards. He requested Dada ji to play.

"I would prefer to play Chess," he replied. Dada ji had a feeling that Mamu ji was interested in playing cards.

Most men would play cards with money and this chap seemed to want to make money off him.

Dada ji was an expert at chess and he would make this guy get confused for the next two hours. He looked forward to enjoying the game.

Her Dadi ji looked at her Nani ji and said, "Shall we proceed to the kitchen and prepare dinner?"

"Tania, You want to sit here and watch the men enjoy their boring game of chess or do you want to accompany us to the kitchen and chat with us there?" Her Nani ji inquired.

"Hey, I can cook na, why do you both want to bully me out of my kitchen," smiled Tania.

"We just want to cook for our granddaughter. Now come along and tell us where you keep the ingredients, stop dilly dallying?"Her Nani ji spoke sternly but her eyes were smiling.

Soon all the females in the house were in the kitchen discussing recipes and what to cook today as well as what to cook for breakfast tomorrow. Within two hours of pealing chopping and frying pressure cooking, the dinner was ready. By 8 P.M. dinner was ready and Tania went to check if the chess game was finished. It seems that her Dada ji had won, after all, he was an expert in playing chess, just like her father had been. So many things they had in common. If her father had lived, he would have definitely looked like her Dada ji when he would have aged.

They decided to call it a day and saying Goodnight they all went into their respective bedrooms. They were still tired due to the jet lag except for Tania.

Soon the whole house was quiet and all were dreaming away to glory.

Soon Tania started tossing and turning in her sleep. She was again in her dream but this time she was in a fort following Sanya. Sanya was walking in front of her. She led Tania through numerous meandering staircases and passageways. Ultimately, they arrived outside a room.Before entering the room, Sanya gestured to her to follow but not to say anything by placing a finger on her mouth.

The room was huge, well decorated and there was a huge bed on one side with carvings and motifs. There were chairs with wood carvings and a carpet or rug on the floor. The rug seemed to be very expensive. There were huge windows too with proper curtains.

Tania just stood inside and looked around in awe. Then she noticed that there was someone on the bed. Sanya was gesturing to her to come closer. She saw a frail man lying on the bed. Next to the bed was a side table on which rested a huge crown studded with precious stones. The man seemed to be ill. He seemed to resemble someone but from this distance she could not figure out who he was.

Just then Sanya gestured to her to hide behind the curtains. They both hid and the door opened. Who would walk in but her Mamu ji. But this could not be her Mamu ji. He looked like her Mamu ji and was wearing a strange get up.

He was wearing two pieces of cloth. One was a flowing cloth covering his legs and tied to the waist with a golden belt. The other was hung over one shoulder and spread across the stomach and chest area and tucked into the belt. He was wearing a lot of jewelry and moved menacingly towards the bed.

He was shouting at the person lying down. The conversation went like this-

"You old fool !"

"You will die soon!"

"Your illness is the same as that which killed your son and wife."

"You can keep calling, all the guards outside are mine. No one will come to help you."

"After your death, I will hold a coronation ceremony for your daughter, as she is the heir to this province. Thereafter, I will marry her off to a friend of mine who is a prince of our neighboring state."

"Then I will become King. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Saying this, he left hurriedly and banged the door behind him.

Tania came closer to the bed and was horrified by what she saw.

The Man's face, the king's face resembled her father.

She was so much in terror and did not understand what was going on. She screamed and screamed.

The vision vanished, and the whorls of time passed over her. She was out of her dream and in familiar surroundings.

Her screams had woken someone as someone was knocking at her door.