Premonition

PREMONITION

Sita woke up with a start in the middle of the night. She didn’t know what woke her, was it a sound or someone had shaken her. She realized that she had fallen from the cot where she had slept at night. The floor was cold as it had been raining for the past few days. The pattering of the raindrops on the metal roof could be heard day and night.

As she became aware of her surroundings, her consciousness returned. Her first thought was what had happened, then came the remnants of her last vision. Was it a dream? She was running as fast as she could and a wall of water was following her. No matter how fast she ran the roar seemed to follow her. On looking back she saw that the wall of water had swept away all that was built on the banks of the river which flowed through her village. As a dragon, it continued on its way. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she was feeling restless.

When she saw that she was in her own house she had some solace. Sita got up slowly and walked to the waterpot, poured some in a tumbler, and drank it. Still not feeling calm she lay down on the bed again and pulled up her blanket. Slowly her eyes drooped and she fell asleep again.

 Sita lived in a small village in the Himalayas. Her family consisted of her father, mother, and two brothers. Her elder brother 14 years old and a younger one 6 years of age, she was 10 years. Next to the modest house was some land owned by her father who tilled and harvested it for a living.

When she got up in the morning she still had an uneasy feeling. She walked up to her mother and told her about the dream and the feeling that something untoward was about to happen. Her mother laughed at her, “ What was it, a nightmare?” Feeling offended she kept quiet. But the uneasiness stayed with her. The feeling of doom would not leave her. She kept on thinking about it and the fear did not recede. After having had breakfast of flatbread, and having had a bath she got out of the house with her umbrella. In the distance saw her father working in the field. Sita, wearing her favorite pink dress, walked towards her father and thought that at least he would believe her as she was his favorite and he knew that she never lied. When she told him about her dream and her premonition he picked her up in his lap and told her not to worry. He pushed her curly hair out of her face, “It is the rainy season, therefore some water flow will increase as it happens every year. But the dam constructed further upstream will hold most of it.” Kissing her on the cheek he put her down and asked her to go play and stop worrying.”

Sita was adamant as the feeling of imminent washout continued. When her brothers heard her, they started teasing her. “ Here comes the Goddess, she knows everything, past, present, and future. Now she is going to forecast the calamities.” To get away from the trolling she went to the temple and after praying to God to keep everyone safe, she confided to the priest.

 Having heard her he said “ You should believe that God will take care, so don’t be anxious. Nothing like a deluge has happened here so far and nothing ever will. Have faith.”

Every 15 minutes she would go to check on the river to see if water had risen. After having lunch she again went out of the house. Her mother wondered what has happened to her. She called her elder son to keep an eye on her. Sita walked up to the village community center where she saw all the village elders sitting and smoking hookah or local cigarettes called bidis. She wished them with folded hands and bowing down told them about her premonition. Looking at her beautiful innocent face which was looking anxious they decide to put her doubts at rest.

They said “ when the dam was constructed upstream the government had done a detailed survey and all the safety precautions were taken. There is nothing to worry about. You are still very young for such thoughts. Go and have fun with your friends. ”  

The vision of which had formed in her mind did not go away. In the evening she again went to see the river but there was no change. Her brother went to look for her and found her sitting on a rock at the bank. He said “ we are all worried about you and here you are sitting calmly. Get up and come home Maa is worried, even father is at home.” He pulled her up and dragged her home. Unmindful of pebbles on the way hurting her bare feet she allowed herself to be taken home. The crease on her forehead did not smoothen.

 Having had some dinner she was told by her mother to relax and sleep and think good thoughts forgetting the nightmare of the previous night. Sita lay down on her cot. Having been tired from roaming around the village the whole day, she slept quickly.

At midnight her nightmare seemed to be repeating itself. There was a roar and the sound of water gurgling from afar. It sounded like a loud thunder or an earthquake that shook her house. She got up with a start. There was some commotion in the house her mother was waking up her brothers shouting at them to run. In the light of a small lamp, her father was frantically tying up whatever he considered precious. The sound kept on coming near. Sita was also asked to go out and run. Her premonition seemed to be coming true. Outside she saw the wall of water coming fast at her. She ran with all her might following her subconscious mind. She didn’t know how or when the water picked her up and deposited her on a tree. She hung on to it for her life. As the day dawned it found her wet soaked to skin and shivering on the sturdy branch of a tree. The water around her had receded leaving destruction in its wake. Hardly any living thing was visible. The dam had breached releasing tons of water of death in its wake.