A RECORD OF MY LIFE TIME OF SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCES

Strange but true - Believe it or not

Dreams, Premonitions, Ghosts, Psychics, Astrology and the rest

For many, many years I  have been plagued by unfounded fears, nightmares, superstitions, early morning dreams, premonitions, ghosts and experience with astrologers, psychics soothe sahyers etc etc. You name it I have been there. Here I am doing my best to capture the lot.

Hope you enjoy the ride.

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1954 - Washing bodies in Hell

I think I was seven and pestered my mum for stories and kept pestering her about how people died and what happened after death. She made up a nice neat story that haunted me for years. According to her when someone died, God looked at the type of life they had lived.

If they had been kind, helpful and loving people then they were sent to heaven where there was no hunger, no diseases and no ageing. Everything in heaven was pure and beautiful and no one ever felt like sinning.

So what happened to baddies I said? 

Oh they will go to hell and have a terrible life. 

Like ?? I said.

She said in hell there is a lot of disease and pain and everyone was punished daily for their sins and crimes. All  people who went to hell got tortured, eyes gouged, branded with hot steel rods, burnt little by little in an open fire,  got picked up by the legs by giants who washed you of all the sins by bashing you against a solid rock face, similar to way Indians wash clothes.

This scared the hell out of me and I cuddled up close to my mum and fell asleep. Then I started dreaming. For whatever reason I was in hell.

The giants were looking for me to bash me against the rock and I kept running away from them and hid. Then suddenly  I got caught and they said there will be burning because I ran away.

I was trying to scream as they were trying to brand my rump. I let out a real bad scream and that woke up half the family. I sat up and mom asked me what it was. I told her I dreamt that I was in hell like she had explained. 

At that time of the night my grandma gave my mom a big sermon for putting unnecessary fear in my mind. My Grand ma said that all that your mum told you was to scare you and make sure that you were a good boy. 

After several attempts and a concession to leave the lights on I fell asleep while tightly clutching my mom's saree as she promised to make sure that no one would take me away in my sleep.

This fear haunted me in my dreams for many  many  years.

1955 - Snake on the wall 

I was perhaps nine years old. We were living at Karaneswarar Koil street, Mylapore, Madras. There was this one big hall where we all slept side by side dad, mum and me and my sisters. Though we had electricity at night we lit a small kerosene oil lamp or lantern which gave a dim light and the shadows changed when ever the flame flickered.

For some reason that night I woke up at about 3.00am. I had my mum on one side and my older sister on the other. I was quite awake and looking around the house when I saw this long narrow and black shadow on the distant wall. 

It did not bother me but then I saw it move and it looked like it was wriggling. So I rolled over in that direction and looked more carefully. The light was pretty dim and I could not see very well. Just kept my eyes focussed trying to figure out what the hell it was. Something black and moving and on the surface of the wall.

It suddenly hit me. It was a snake. Was it a Cobra ?? 

My God My aunt was sleeping closest to the wall. I was scared to move in case I was responsible for the snake biting my aunt.

I then realised that I totally froze with fear. Could not move or speak. I was trying to nudge my mum. But just could not. The more I looked at the shadow it appeared to be slowly coming down. I must have just passed out after this….

It was morning and my mother was waking me up saying it was "time to rise and shine", my mum's favourite expression. 

As I opened my eyes I remembered the snake. I was just going to tell my mum when I saw this black thing on the wall. My dad had taken his black belt and hung it on the nail on the wall that I was looking at. He had never done that before.

The belt swayed gently in the breeze from the fan and the dim flickering light made it look like a Cobra……PHEW.

1956 - Jeji' strange behaviour

We all called our grandma Jeji affectionately. 1956 it was and it was a weekend. I had dreamt that my grand mother had died. She was 75 years old. I did not share it with anyone as it was unpleasant.

I was in the dining hall and my grandma had come out of her bath and was struggling to tie her saree. I went up to her and tried to help her. And then I realised that she was wrapping it in the wrong direction. I just joked and teased her saying she wanted to be a Gujerati today.

My aunt who did not really pay much attention was telling my grandma off for being stupid. Normally grandma would have given it to my aunt nice and proper. But this time she was silent. If fact I heard some mumbling. So I started to tease her saying Ha Ha you are scared of your daughter. Then suddenly I realised that she was standing and drooling all over the floor. Her hand was limp on one side and she was trying to say some thing. I yelled and told my aunt that Jeji was ill. There was something wrong I said. 

My one and only favourite grand mother had suffered a massive stroke and died a week later as she could not be fed orally. In those days there was no real treatment for strokes and doctors virtually decided whether it was worth giving medical treatment or not depending on the age. 

1960 - Silly Superstitions

From year six to year nine after every monthly exam or quarterly and mid term exams, on the day the reports were to be given out I would start this crazy situation where I would tell myself that if I crossed a given land mark like a lamp post or a particular front gate before the car, that was way behind, I would come first. Crazy it was but I was doing this year after year.

My older sister Chottakka was worse. We had the habit of bouncing a table tennis ball off a table tennis bat. We had competition between us. When it was her turn she would convince herself that if she won or was able to bounce more than say 600 times she would pass her exams. Unfortunately she got beaten by most of us on a regular basis and would sulk for weeks after that.

1962 - Black magic at Year 10 Public Exam

This is a very strange one as well.

I was the ducks of the class in my school from std IX to std XI, four years in a row. Never got beaten in any set of exams quarterly, half yearly or third quarterly or final exam. In year 8 the head master Fr. Menzies came to the class to announce the results like he did in every class . 

Fr. Menzies Read out my Name and total marks I had scored in the 3rd quarterly exam and announced I had come first in Class as usual. Jamal Buhari was second. Then he paused and said. I do not believe this, Jamal you have scored 74 marks less than Ramchander. How is this possible as if Ramchander did one subject more that Jamal.. He said I don't see this in any other class in the whole school. Usually there is just a difference of 1 or 2 marks between the top three ranks.

My class mates and good friend Jamal Buhari belonged to the very rich family that owned the "Buhari"  chain of Restaurants in Madras. Being a distant relative of the Buhari family he actually lived at the Marina Beach Hotel that had the only public swimming pool in Madras.

Every Saturday the entire scout troop used to go to Buharis for a swim after the scout class at school. 

Jamal was a very good friend of mine in all respects but was not at all happy coming second to me by a huge margin of marks. One exam I had 74 marks more than him who came second, as mentioned earlier. He nick named me "OOSI Mandai" which means a "Sharp Brain". The pun was intended as my head was pointed & bigger than my skinny body.

Public Exam's for year XI came. We had students from three schools all in our school auditorium. The first three exams were a breeze, English, Maths and Science. I  had done extremely well in all of them. I was aiming at getting a state rank. At least in the top five in the State was my aim.

Jamal comes up to me and asks me how well prepared I was for the history exam. I said good.

He then put his hands in his pocket and took out a small lemon. It had a few black spots on it. He said one of the workers had done this special prayers and he had one and I should have the other and it would bring me good luck.

So I said thank you very much and put it in my pant pockets. 

History exam was a breeze and I had done extremely well. So Jamal agreed that he had also done well. But I was intrigued by the fact that he seemed unhappy that I had done well……

I just let it pass as I had another exam in a few hours after lunch.

The afternoon exam was advanced English. It was my habit once the question papers were given to just ignore what happened around me and just write away. Suddenly I found some one standing next to me and tapping on my table. 

It was my school head master Mr. Davey and also my Advanced English master. He said stand up and I did not knowing what it was all about.

He said do you know we have been asking you to stand up for the last five minutes? 

I said 'I am sorry Sir I was not listening.'

He said what is your exam number. I said 539. He said do you know what you wrote this morning. I just looked at him as I did not know what I had written. He said  in the first page you have written 359 and not 539.

I said did I ? 

I am sorry Sir but what about all the additional papers I said ?

He said do you know that we also have another  student from another school in this very examination hall with the No.359   ? 

I said No. 

He said we had to spend 40 minutes trying to find out which paper belonged to whom. Come and meet me in my office after the exam he said. 

I said "OK Sir" and continued writing my exam.

After the exam I went to his office to get the blow. He said "I am going to deduct 15 marks from your advanced English paper". I said sir that is not fair I am trying for a state rank. He said I have nothing more to say. You can go.

Fifteen marks in a public exam? God that is not fair I thought. 

It would be impossible to even come first in my own school. Luckily the exams that followed were easy ones and I tried my best to make up in these subjects. My dreams were shattered.  

On the last day of the exams, we were all bidding each other good bye as we could be going to different colleges. Jamal comes up to me all teary eyed. I assumed he was upset that we were all about to break up. I said what is the matter we have long holidays before we go to uni and I will come every week for a swim and will see you.

His face was in agony I could tell. I said hey Jamal what is the matter. A couple of friends closed in. He said I have to talk to you alone. So we walked away from the crowd. He started to say "I just do not know how to tell you this". Tell me what ? I sad.

He said "You know the lemon with black dots ?" I said yes. "I gave that to you for bad luck as I wanted to beat you at least in the final exam". I said "You serious ?? 

It was not me but the servant at the hotel who convinced me to do it. It is OK I have done the exams well I said. 

But he said I am responsible for you losing 15 marks. You made a mistake because of black magic. He said I have done so badly in one subject that I could never have beaten you anyway. But I am so sorry and ashamed that I ruined your dreams.

Ruin he did. 

I came third in the school and was beaten by five marks by Sekhar and three marks by Rajendran. Sekhar who came first fell short of a State Rank by 7 marks. I could not have been angrier. Sekhar got 80 in advanced english and I got 65 only plus 15 that was deducted

Just imagine what another 15 marks would have done. 

Shekher beat me by 5 marks and needed 7 more for a State Rank making it 12. Had 15 marks not been deducted from my advanced English Paper , I would have got a State Rank in Madras.

I  would have had my name on two Boards for school Awards which still hang outside the head master room. Sadly my name did not make it to either board. This was in 1962 December.

In 1996 I went to Jamal's hotel where he is the General Manager and we had a long chat and enjoyed a good evening tea with special samosas. Then his face fell into sadness. 

He said I have never been able to forgive myself for what I did to a good friend. I still cannot believe that I stooped to that level he said. 

I said "forget about that man what is in a few medals and name on the notice board".

In 1998 I was in India in January and it turned out to be an old Bedean's day.

I walked down the corridor and looked at all the names on the notice board. There was A.Sekhar for first rank in year 1962. More than any thing I would have loved to show it to my son and felt good about it. Unfortunately a lemon with black spots took that pleasure away. 

1963 - Failing PreUniversity Exam nightmare that lasted three weeks. 
                                                                                             I had taken my exams in physics, chemistry, maths and logic at PUC.  Maths was not that good expected only about 70. Physics I had done extremely well (95%) an chemistry was a bummer. The entire question paper was based on periodic tables. They had about twenty Clark's tables in a hall of 80 students. I sat and wrote the exam for three hours with one hand in the air asking for Clark's tables. For a three hour exam I got hold of one only when some smart students had finished their exams and were leaving the hall. It was too late. Just could not finish the paper. Still expected around 65 marks I should say.

About four weeks before the results came I was visiting my aunt who was the Principal of Queen Mary's college. She asked me for my exam number so that her Physics Professor who was going to university would find out my results early.

Three weeks before the results were going to be made official my aunt rings and tell my mom,  chander has done very badly in his exams and has got a "third class". That was impossible unless I had failed in chemistry. But even then it was not possible as the average of physics and chemistry was what we were looking at. 

There was doom and gloom in the house. My older sister had not only got first class but also got into medicine. My mother was very angry and kept telling me that I was just fit for a clerk's job. For three weeks I went to the temple every night and walked round and round the temple saying my prayers.

The day of the results, I took my cousin Sudhakar who was supposed to be lucky to read the results on the notice board. Since we knew that I had got a third class he starts looking for my number in third class. It was not there. I tell him look again. It must be there. He looks at third class again. No chance he says shaking his head.

I am thinking of how I should end my life. We were right on the beach and all I had to do was swim out to sea and keep swimming and go so far that I would not have strength to return, a theme from James Hadley Chase that I had read recently.

I just started to walk away and say Shit what do I do now.

My cousin says let us have a look at second class. May be it could be there. Absolutely  no chance. How could there be a chance if it was not even there in third class. 

I am feeling sick, tears in my eyes and feel like throwing up. There is a lot of chirping of boys and girls who had done well and some girls crying.

My cousin was persistent. Well for what it is worth let me check out the first class as well before we go home he pleaded. He himself had failed the previous year in English and had to repeat a whole year of Pre University . 

I am not bothered any more. But he keeps looking. He suddenly turns around and gives me the biggest slap on my back I have ever felt in my life. It was a stinging one and I would have punched the hell out of him but for the news he had for me. I had got a first class after all. The fellow next to me in roll call who was also my name sake had secured a third class. So who ever looked up my marks had looked at the wrong line. Yippee. My prayers had not gone waste. But then I had no doubts in my mind that I would get a first class but for this Physics Professor who made my life a nightmare for three weeks.

1963 - Two admissions on same postal delivery

After my pre-university I had applied to the Guindy Engineering college and also had take the entrance exam for IIT. I must confess that I had not done well at all  at the PUC exams by my own standards, even though I got a 1st Class. Based on that I had no chance of getting admission in Guindy College. I did not think I had done the IIT entrance exam well either.

I was getting myself prepared for doing BSc Physics or some thing equivalent . Very very disappointed I was with myself. This performance after doing so well for six years at St.Bedes. 

The Cursed Lemon had destroyed my life.

It must have been 11.00am and the post man came. There were two letters addressed to my name. I never got any letters. So it had to be admission letters or regrets. Superstitious that I was I gave it to my mother as she always brought me good luck. She was worried too. So she placed it in front of Gods altar in the puja place and said I should wait for the good time. 

Those were perhaps the longest 30 minutes or so. I kept praying non stop saying God atleast one should be good news please….

My mother opened the first one. It was Guindy engineerig college and I had been given admission.

So I said I did not care anymore about IIT. Cannot afford to pay fees and mess bill  anyway I said. My mother read it all quietly and then said your roll number is 1.186/64. Well done you have been selected. She said I knew you would get in. I said why ? 

She said because you are my son…….

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1966 - Chenglepet Nightmare

I had finished my second year exams at IIT and summer holidays had commenced for all of us. 

My aunt Rajathamma, Dad's younger sister (he had six sister like I do) visited us one week end. She took my mother aside and told her to be careful. 'Careful about what' Amma asked her in a loud voice. I was in the next room and my ears honed in on the hush hush conversation. She said, she had seen the astrologer and that the time was very bad astrologically for my father and me and that my mother should look after me. One of us would die she told my mother'. I just shrugged my shoulders and let it pass as I did not believe in astrology

My older sister Chammakka had finished her House surgeonship or medical internship and got her first posting as a doctor to a place about 35 miles from Madras called Chinglepet. 

She along with another good friend of hers Mala Chanda were posted to the same place. They had joined duty and were temporarily sharing a room in another doctors residence.

My dad suddenly decides that we are all taking the car, my brother in laws Austin A40 in which I had self taught my self to drive with my father by my side
and me driving to Chinglepet for a holiday? . I was shit scared to be honest and my Dad did not know how to drive even though he taught me

My mother protested saying where will we stay. He said we will just stay there for the night with my sister and then look for a place to rent the next day. These things are not done in Madras. Finding a place to rent in one day. There were no such things as Motels those days and we did not have that kind of money to waste either.

I was just 19 and have taken the car out a couple of times. But did not have a license. My dad insists and the whole family leaves in the old Austin A40. The passenger load is so much that breaking was extremely difficult. I had to stand on the brakes. Only weighed 52 kgs then. I take it nice and easy until we get to a railway crossing. The gates are closed and I made the mistake of going right up to the gate which was on a slope and stopped.

The traffic pulled up right behind me pretty fast. Right behind me was a mean looking lorry. The train passed and the gate opened. Now was my turn to proceed being the first car. With the load the car would not go forward and releasing the hand brakes made it slide back onto the lorry behind me. Horns started to blare. And my dad was screaming at me asking me not to be afraid. Fortunately for me the driver of the lorry saw my plight and got his assistant to jump out with a piece of log that he placed behind my back wheel to stop the car from rolling backwards. 

That helped and we were on our merry way to another impending disaster

We reach the house unannounced and my sister Chammakka is very cross but scared to tell my dad anything. So she yells at my mum. 

There was no point as my dad was a tyrant. The owner of the house and his wife were  not too happy either with about six new guests to share the house. Well soon it became dark and there was no choice. Some dinner was prepered and we all crashed where ever we could.

Next morning bright and early my dad disappeared. We all knew he had gone house hunting. By mid day he returns and says he has found a house. We take the car and go shopping for pillows and mats and sheets for the family as well as some cooking utensils and provisions.

By about 4.30p.m  we all pack into the car and make for the new place. We had the use of the first floor of the house with an open terrace as well on the roof. My sister Ummi and I go to the terrace and found that there was a neat little garden and seats made of concrete and cement like garden chairs. This is very uncommon and we were amused.

When we came down we found a number of people from the street had dropped in to say hello to the new comers. This we found was very very uncharacteristic of Indians. Puzzled we decided may be we were city dwellers and that country town people were more friendly. But some of the questions that they kept asking was intriguing to say the least. Yet we did not understand anything that was happening.

It soon became dark and we had dinner that mom cooked played a game of cards and went to bed around 10.00pm I should say.

About 2.00am I was very restless. I sat up as I had had a bad dream. I had dreamt that my father had died. I just shivered with fright and was very very upset. My younger sister Ummi who is now doctor in UK also stirred. She also sat up looking very pale. She was very close to my dad.

We were both sitting up and she says I hate this place. Something bad about it. I said why. She says I had a bad dream but will not tell me what. I told her I had a bad dream too and then told her about my dream. She had tears in her eyes. I said what is the matter. She said she had dreamt the same too. We were both scared. 

Next we hear dad saying what are the two of you doing up and talking at this time. Turn the lights off and go to sleep. So we did. We never defied dad ever.

Would have been about 3.30am. The lights come on in the next room. My dad is up and is walking between the bedroom and the toilet many times. One by one we all wake up as everyone is talking. Dad cannot pass urine. Enlarged prostrate we found out later. As time progressed the bladder was bursting and the abdomen bloated and he was in agony.

At 4.00am I get into the car and drove to fetch my doctor sister her friend and the senior doctor. The three experts examine him and decided to take him to the hospital immediately. They use a catheter to drain the urine and attach a urine bag that he has to carry around. We are all very upset as it was so degrading.

Well there was no point staying on. We had to get back to Madras to see a specialist.

Would have been around 7.30 am and the land lord downstairs comes to know about it. Soon the word gets around and all the people who visited us the previous evening came back to tell us the most horrendous story that we have ever experienced in our lives.

They were all up in arms against the owner who had rented the place to us. They abused her for her greed and putting innocent people's lives at risk.

The story goes that the owner's daughter had committed suicide in that house and no one has ever been allowed to sleep in the first floor ever since her death. Who ever tried, never slept more than one night. The garden on the roof which we thought was unusual was for the dead daughter to enjoy.

So our family had just slept there one night.

A few months before us was a young muslim doctor Ghani who had come with his wife and sister. They stayed one night too and the sister became violently ill. She had died within a month.

When my dad was not around the good neighbours told us that we should look after him well and make sure he survives a month. After which he would be safe from the curse. He was in hospital for exactly 29 days and was going to be discharged that day when he asked me to go home and get the house ready for him. He died in the hospital of a heart attack even before I had reached home.

We checked on the Hindu almanac and felt so bad that the day we left home was  a bad day for travel for my dad and death was indicated.

My dads words on his last day:

I had gone to the hospital in the morning with some breakfast for my dad. He seemed in high spirits and was chatting up the nurses in his usual way. He still had his urine bag. They had refused to perform a surgery on his prostrate as he had very high blood pressure.

Two things come to mind. 

My dad asked me for his cheque book as he wanted me to draw some cash on my way home for expenses. He signed my name as Ramachandra….very unusual I thought for him to get my name wrong…I asked him what had happened and why he had spelt my name incorrect. It should have been RamChander. 

Well it is Gods name he said and nothing wrong about that….that was the last cheque he had signed and was to God….for what ever reason it happened.

Then he turned around and asked me how will you carry me upstairs ?? 

This upset me very much. I said Acha what is the matter with you. You are walking all over the hospital and you will be climbing up the stairs.

He shook his head and said 'No you will have to carry me upstairs.' 

I just left it at that.

His subconscious mind was at work and he knew what lay ahead. 

I left the hospital and he died with just mum next to him, within 20 minutes of my departure. I did not know for one full hour as I took the bus home. There were no Moble phones and for that matter we could not even afford a land line. I was shocked out of my wits when I got home and got the news. He was right after all. We had to carry him upstairs for he would never walk again.

My dad was a very angry man and we used to be at loggerheads especially as I used to defend mom all the time which angered him more. But my dad was very special. He worked all his life so hard to provide for his huge family as well as his mother and sister. He did it all single handed. He was definitely my unsung hero. He loved cars and property but never had them.

Every time I have purchased a new car in Sydney. I sit in it and dedicate it to my Dad and imagine how much he would have loved to drive around in these beautiful cars. Physically he may not have been there but was always there in spirit with me.

Damn the rotten Ghost. Why did it have to be my Dad ?

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1969 - Rajendrachha  predicts his own death 

Rajendracha was my dad's father's brother's son making him my grand uncle. He was also my mothers favourite. He dabbled in astrology and palmistry for a pass time

We did not see him often as he had his own shop and virtually worked six days a week.  He visited us may be once a month especially after my dads passed away, just to see how we were all coping.

He came home one night and after dinner he told my mother, Vadinae, meaning sister in law, as an astrologer I know I am not going to live for long, in fact I think I am going to die soon but then I am fit and healthy and have no sickness. Do you think some one is going to kill me ? he asked my mother. 

My mother asked him why would any one want to kill you unless you have done something bad to them ? He said I don't remember doing anything bad but have this bad feeling in me. My Mother told him to forget about his astrology and get over this meaningless fear and get on with living.

We lost track of him for a couple of months and he came home again and told my sister who was a medical student at MMC then, Chamma I am not feeling well ra...she examined him and asked him to come to the hospital so he could see some specialist. It was his stomach. He had stomach cancer and well advanced and it was a matter of time before he'd pass away.

I came home for the week end from my IIT hostel & got the news, jumped on a Bus and went straight to the hospital and visited him. He still looked OK and not sickly at all. We chatted and I remember him telling me a few things. See Chander "I told you all I was going to die soon and all of you thought I was crazy. I may not be here at the same time tomorrow you know". I said Come On Rajendracha, you are going to be OK. He said "No way." I changed the topic and he said "I know you don't want to talk about it so are trying to change the topic."

I want to tell you a few things he said. You know Ambakka, (referring to my mother) is the most amazing lady I have met in this world and no one I know in this world has such amazing children and brought you all up so well and you are all gifted children and very very clever too. The Best family  I have seen he said. Look at me I am lying in this bed dying and where is every one ? They have all abandoned me knowing I am dying but you are here and that means more to me than anything. You are Ambakka's son and I know she cannot come.." 

I was in a state of shock and at that stage I had seen my grand mothers death and my own dads and the devastated feeling when some one close to you passes away

He passed away a few days later in hospital...as was expected

I always remember him as the man who predicted his own Death.

Is Astrology a Science I ask ?

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 I started this blog in 2014 and then forgot all about it. It is now the 4th of August 2019 and I am back at it trying to complete my blog

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1972 - Paper Ghost & Muni Attack---in Rameswaram 

(This is an extract from another blog of mine)

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT IS COMING NEXT. 

Believe it or Not, I definitely had this experience in my rented house in Rameswaram.

The one year I was there in Rameswaram was a nightmare and some one up there was watching over me all the time and despatched many Godsends to keep an eye on me.

Most of the old houses in Rameswaram in the seventies were terrace houses about 25 feet wide with a long passage or corridor from front all the way to the back, with room after room with doors opening inwards into the rooms from the corridor. In the front was an open verandah with a one metre high platform about 8 feet deep 12 feet wide. Often used for relaxing in the evenings watching the goings on on the street and getting some cool air on summer nights.

On hot nights this was the preferred place to sleep. The back door opened into a back yard which always had a water well and right at the back were located the open toilets. 

The house we rented had an attic room in front and you had to go up a ladder and the door to the attic room was on the floor slab. I had to push the door up into the room and climb into the room. My colleague, his wife and child and mother lived downstairs which had two bedrooms and a kitchen one after the other.

The Engineers who were living there before we moved in cautioned us that there was a "Muni" or a Ghost living on the Palm Tree in the Back yard. That he was generally a Good Ghost and did not harm any one but he did not like any body lying in the corridor with the feet pointed towards the entrance to the house.

Just a representative Image

One Could not see the Muni or smell the Muni as he had no form they told me but you can feel his presence and he can even pick you up and throw you to the ground I was told. 

I thought to my self what Cock and Bull story in this modern age. But then, when I went to bed upstairs to my room with one window that had steel bars and just one door on the floor to exit and turned the lights off, my thoughts invariably drifted to the Muni living in the Palm tree at the back of the house. I made sure I slept in a perpendicular direction so I did not point my feet to the front or to the back of the house..

Six seven months went by and we had settled comfortably in the house, me the bachelor boy going upstairs only to sleep. One common past time was to go see a movie at the local Cinema Tent. I'd go with some co workers for the 9.30pm show after dinner. Come back around 1.30 or 2.00am. Knock on the door and my friend would let me in or leave the main door unbolted so I just had to push the heavy wooden door in to find my way up the ladder into my bed room, where the bed was a mattress and pillows thrown on the floor.

One night I returned from the movie with Narayanan who was the cleaner for all our Tipper Trucks. The main door was locked and we knocked gently so we did not wake up my colleagues baby but he was in deep sleep and just would not open the door for us.

It was already 2.40am and Narayan said "Sir, lets not disturb him, I'll borrow a bed sheet and pillow from neighbours and we just lie down for a few hours in the Thinnai ( raised Platform)  and leave at 5.00am to catch the first train out of Rameswaram to get to the work site" and I agreed, after all he was also there and it will be two of us. We lay down, on either side of the passageway, with out feet pointing to the road in the front open verandah on the raised platform.

DEATH RIDES MY THROAT / NECK

I fell asleep and went into deep sleep immediately and started dreaming. My younger sister Manju (now a General Surgeon) was in my dream. All of a sudden she sat on my chest and started to choke me. I thought she was being silly and play full and kept telling her to get off my chest and stop choking me. It got worse and worse and she would not stop and I was sweating from head to foot. I started screaming loud in my sleep.

Next thing I know was that Narayan who was sleeping on the other side of the passageway heard me, got up and came and shook me and said "Sir Wake up you are having a bad dream". I woke up and he switched the torch light on and said Sir you have been sweating badly as the bed sheet is wet with sweat.. I remember telling him I don't know what happened but my younger sister was sitting on my chest and choking me by the neck and would not stop.

Soon after we got up and walked to the railway station to catch our train. Narayan observed that my neck was red as if I had been strangled but I did not think about this any more. 

To me it was just a bad dream IMHO, then. 
On hind sight "No"

That evening on my return my colleague told me his mother found it too warm in her bed room so came and slept in the passage way and he said do you know what happened 

"The Muni Choked her last night around 3.00am and she is terrified and has been crying all day and wants to pack up and go back home to Madras". 

I was not at all surprised as I was choked around the same time, the only difference was that his mother was awake in bed and I was asleep. I related my experience and we all agreed that we had offended the muni and he was not a happy little Vegemite. 

We had also been warned that if the muni ever attacks us we'd die within a month. 

My colleagues mother died after 3 weeks but I survived

Believe it or Not.

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1973 - Kerala Astrologer

My best buddy at school was Kariat Subramaniya Narayan aka Muthu. After school our ways parted as he went on to do a degree in Chemistry at Vivekananda College and I ended up at IIT doing Civil Engineering which I hated but was forced on me by Acha who wanted me to build his house one day not that we had land or the money to build a house. But that was his Dream as a Retired Govt Servant who refused to take bribes.

On Completing my B.Tech I joined my friend Narayanan and set up an Electro Plating unit at his fathers watch shop in Mount Road, Carat Watch Company where Carat stood for Kariat. He was incharge of the operation being a chemistry graduate and I did the sales and marketing. It was at this time he told me one day that an elderly relative of theirs was coming to Madras from Kerala and that he was a great astrologer and his dad had asked him to come and give his astrological predictions as the watch business was in dire straits. Narayan told me come to my place to night and lets put this man to test.

I asked my mother to give me the book containing astrological charts of family members that were 

A Typical South Indian Horoscope looks like this

written down by various priests at the time of birth and cradling ceremony. My mother hesitated but gave in.

This relative was elderly in his late seventies. A frail man soft spoken and spoke only Malayalam. So my friends Mom and Small Mom meaning his aunt sat down at the table with us as interpreters. They explained to this uncle (Let me call him Kerala Uncle or K-Uncle for short) who I was and that I had brought the family Jatagam (horoscope) Book for him to see and give his predictions.

K-Uncle had with him seven sea shells we call Sozhi or Soli or Cowri, which we used for many Indian Checkers games as kids. K-Uncle had no clue who I was until that minute when we met. 

On the first page was my eldest sister Pedda Akka Pramila's horoscope chart. K-Uncle threw the seven shells on the table and said must be the eldest child in the family and now married and skipped to next page without telling me anything about her. I found it strange and we chaps were skeptical any way as we were brought up to believe astrology was bunkum.

On to second page was my sister ChottaAkka Nirmala's chart. K-Uncle tossed the sea shells on the table and kept looking at it without saying anything. My friend interjected and his mother sushed him and said K-Uncle is thinking so no talking until he says so.

K-Uncle just kept looking at the sea shells without saying much.. he then mumbled and said I see this person has some disability. He was not sure of the gender. This made me sit up and listen as he had no way of knowing this

Small Mom explained to K-Uncle that my sister Nirmala had polio at age 13. He kept looking at the sea shells and said "She Has to be a teacher"...at that time she was a lecturer at Queen Marys College. She will not get married     K-Uncle stated  before moving on to the next page.

Next was my Sister Chammakka - Sharmila.. He went through the same process again looked at her astrological chart and then shuffled and threw the sea shells on the table and started to talk.

He said Maruttuvam meaning medicines. Yes Small Mom told him she was a doctor and heart specialist MD Cardiology from MMC. 

K-Uncle said in malayalam not  married now but can get married soon. At that time an engineer had proposed marriage and the families were in discussion about the wedding.

For some reason he stayed on the page and kept looking at the sea shells and said right now she is at cross roads of her life and has to choose between career and marriage. it has to be one or the other  K-Uncle said.

We did not pay heed to what he was saying as at that point of time marriage was definite.

The next Page in the book was me RamChander Krishnaswamy of course. K-Uncle had no hesitation in saying he is a Numbers person and small mom told him he was right and that I was an engineer and a clever one too pinching me and having a giggle. I loved Big and small Moms. they were both adorable and could not call me RamChander but called me Raamendran. Both have passed away. The last I heard of Small mon is that when Big Moms Grandson Karthik told her he was migrating to Sydney she said Dont worry You will be safe since Ramendran is there to look after you.

By 1973 I was a Junior Engineer in Tamilnadu Highways dept but I was desperate to go to USA to do my masters and also join so many of my classmates who had migrated to US but my mother was against the idea. I still kept applying to many Universities and I had secured admission for Masters at Purdue, Ohio and Kansas Universities but had no assistantship and was hoping I'd get one. Not easy as I was competing with my juniors who had just graduated

K-Uncle spends extra time on my chart, since I was there physically with him. He says let me look at your palm and I stretched out my right hand. he looks at my hand and then looks at the shells and closes his eyes and says. You are leaving the country and crossing the seas but not until after your birthday in 1975 and you are going South he stated.

Smart Alec me said No way I am going South to Sri Lanka. He said Young man you may want to go West but you will end up going South.

K-Uncle said I can only tell you what I can see and not what you want. You are definitely crossing the oceans going South, will study further, meet your future wife there marry and settle down and have a very good and comfortable life and you will not come back to India.

Man to be honest I did not like what he was telling me  about my future and as such did not believe him either. Astrology is bullshit I told Narayan before I left to go home.

K-Uncle flicked to the next page. It was my Younger sister Urmila. K-Uncle had no hesitation in saying also a medical person, very smart and must be married by now. She was married in 71. Her husband must also be in the same Profession he said. Small Mom Confirmed yes the husband is a doctor too.. K-Uncle shook his head and said bad marriage they will always be fighting. He was spot on as there was problem in the marriage already

K-Uncle then looked at the last two horoscopes and said too young. He pointed at Manjula's and said Medicine and Sheela's and said Numbers and got up abruptly and said he had to go to bed

Today is 5th August 2019
46 Years later

I can now sit back and review all of K-Uncle's predictions in 1973 based on what has transpired in the last 46 years of my life. 

My eldest sister Pramila stayed married with three wonderful kids who have turned out to be wonderful human beings.This sister is no more she passed away in 1986

My second sister Nirmala Continued as Professor of Zoology at Queen Mary's college until retirement. In 1983 she underwent an orthopaedic surgery in Sydney to correct her posture and scoliosis of the lumbar spine so she could walk with crutches. We lost her too to heart attack in June 2011 from pulmonary embolism.

What happened to my 3rd elder sister  Chammakka - Dr Sharmila, the Cardiologist since I saw the astrologer K-Uncle is just not believable. Even today I just sit here and shake my head.

Later in 1973 Chammakka came home from hospital one day very excited. She told the family that another doctor Dr.Mani at the hospital had attended a Medical Conference in Sydney and he met an Australian Professor of Nephrology ( I forget his name Dr. Edward I think) was looking for an assistant to join his research team at Sydney Hospital. Chammakka  wrote to him and next thing we knew she said no to marriage and flew off to Sydney Australia. We were a bit skeptical as Australia still had the white Australia Policy and very few Indians thought to migrating to Australia.

She pursued her career as predicted by the astrologer, moved to Sydney Australia and then to New Castle; in 1976 she packed up and left for USA, did not like it there so moved to UK to become a Nephrologist but decided to become a General Practitioner of Medicine and settle in Lowestoft in Suffolk. Has retired now and settled in London. Never got married. (Mind you she did not know anything about the astrologers predictions)

In 1973 I continued in my Job as Junior Engineer in Tamilnadu Highways. My Colleagues nick named me the Bag Man as I always carried a leather bag, that contained nothing but application forms to Universities in USA. I was still focussing on admissions from Ohio, Purdue and Kansas Universities but no assistantship was guaranteed. they all said come join and we will help you find something. I was not game as I did not even have the money required for my airfare. Time just flew. 1974 came and went and we were into 1975 already. 

Around June 1975 Chammaka calls me and tells me Rai Bab, why don't you come and study in Sydney. You will love this place and we can meet at least once a month (as by that time she had moved to New Castle). I was not happy as I had to start the application process all over again. 

I applied to do Masters in Building sciences at Sydney University and Masters in Acoustics at University of New South Wales. BY end November I had been guaranteed admission in both Universities and it was upto me to decide where I was going. But I had to apply to the Australian High commission first for  Student Visa. Everything was done through snail mail and I relied on my dads old portable Remington Type writer to type my letters with one finger.

10th December 1975, yes it was my Birthday and I was still in India as K-Uncle had predicted. My courses at both Universities were starting end February and no Visa was in sight.

I decided to take up the fight with the Australian High Commission. I took photo copies of admission letters from OHIO, Purdue and Kansas Universities and told the High Commission here is proof of admission to Unis in USA but I prefer to go to Australia as my Sister is already there. "Just say Yes or No, so I can decide. I am not going to cry over your shoulders" I wrote. The following week I received a telegram (much faster than snail mail) saying my Student Visa had been approved asking me to send my Indian passport for Visa to be stamped.

I thought to myself "You fool you were only thinking of Sri Lanka but never thought of Australia or New Zealand". 

On 16th July I was on my Air India Flight to Singapore, my first flight ever, with 50 Australian Dollars the only foreign exchange I could get from the Reserve Bank of India plus another $50 from a good friend.

It was a late night flight and the entire family and extended family were there to see me off with garlands galore. Once on the plane all I could think of was K-Uncles predictions about me crossing the ocean and going south. 

Sydney here I come

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1975 - Stones at Edward Elliots Rd - 

I Had finished my stint at Rameswaram as a Junior Engineer Highways and was back as Junior Engineer in the Designs Division at Adayar; this meant I was staying at home riding my Royal Enfield Bullet Motor bike that cost Rs 5000 and my sister Chammakka sent money for. Atlast I was away from the nightmares of Rameswaram to some peaceful sleep at home.

I was sooo wrong.

All of a sudden for no reason, broken and wet brick pieces were landing in the quadrangle in the house above the Water well and washing stone.

It would be nice and quiet and then bang the bricks landed scaring every one and I was the only male member at home and expected to solve it.

We all discussed this at home and agreed that someone who does not like the family was doing this to us to scare us. Our suspicion fell on our Neighbours Male Cook who did not like our Dog chasing his bicycle every day and him having to ride with his feet up in the air.

As an engineer I studied the trajectory of the stone and it was coming from the east. The neighbours house was in the North. On the east we had a large piece of land that was not built up and no one ever lived there. Yet I had to make sure. so one day I climbed over the fence and surveyed the land and there were no bricks to be seen and the place was bone dry meaning no wet bricks. So I ruled this out even though the trajectory said so.

Not knowing what to do I spoke to my friend Ramanjuam and we decided to cover the opening with a steel mesh so the bricks will be stopped by the mesh. Once the mesh was up I told the family it wont happen anymore. and I was wrong.
The brick pieces became bigger and landed with a louder bang.

One day I told three of my colleagues Nelson, Loganathan, Chokalingam to come home in the after noon and we played cards and hid in the room upstairs from where we could see if any one was throwing the bricks. As the sun set each one of us took positions watching the north south east and west directions. We all sat there is the dark until 8.00pm and there were no stones that night. So my friends decided to pack up and go Home. They left and I closed the security door first and then was in the process of closing the wooden door and Bang Came the Brick piece and landed on the steel grill.

Another time my eldest Brother in Law and our Family Friend Mr Basheer Ahmed were visiting us and we told them what was going on and they were convinced some one was trying to scare us and may be drive us out of the house. Any way they were there until 9.00pm and no stones. But the minute they left the stone came and I ran after them to come and take a look at the stone. They were just as Puzzled as we were and suggested I report it to the Police.

The Family was at its wits end.

During this period the Old lady who had been our cook assisting my mother in the kitchen said she was too old and wanted to stop working and quit. The news went around that we were looking for a lady stay at home cook and as always my Cousin Sudhakar found this lady who was a widow and struggling to make ends meet and had no place to stay. This lady was strong and tall and perhaps in mid 50s she came started work and settled in nicely. but she hardly spoke and made no impression on any member of the family. I have a crystal clear memory but do not remember her name now.

My Cousin Sudhakar talked to the lady and she confessed that the same thing had happened in the place she worled previously.

It turned out that someone had cast a bad spell on this woman and the stones followed her where ever she went.

As a family we decided enough was enough and sent her packing.

Believe it or not no Bricks ever landed inside our home.

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1976 - Another incredible dream that came true

In the period I had my admission and the time I left for Sydney in July 1976 I had this incredible dream.

There was a raging storm and there was a ship wreck and I was at the port going up and down in rescue boats in a very turbulent ocean. I have vivid memory of an English Town like Yarmouth with its dingy Pubs and tudor style buildings and mostly anglo saxon people. One man stood out and he became my good friend and he was a black man, an African. Had no idea what this dream was about.

Landed in Sydney on 22nd July. It was a thursday and my friend who picked me up Dr Terry Linsell told me take another day off and go to University on Monday. I phoned on Monday and was asked to join the Registrar for afternoon tea and attend my classes at 6.00pm I was told all classes were to be held from 6.00 to 9.30pm as majority of PG students were full time engineers and architects.

The registrar made me a cuppa of tea the way I wanted it made. To me Tea was made and every one drank it in India. Not so in OZ. You had many choices of tea with milk without milk, with or without sugar... There was also a plate of biscuits and can never forget my first TimTam Loved it and asked him what it was and he said that is Australias Favourite Chocolate Biscuit. Became my favourite too.

He then said "I have a piece of advice for you". You are new to the country and you might take some time to settle in and you will realise some Australian men can be pretty abrasive and rude and call you names etc. They are quick to give everyone a Nickname Robert was Robo, David was Davo. Your name can be a problem. Ram Chander will be broken up  and made Ram Chander. I suggest you skip the Chander and call yourself just Ram. I asked any reason ? Since you ask I have to tell you, in an Australian Pub CHUNDER means chuck under or Vomit and Chander will become Chunder in your case. I thanked him and from that day I became Ram Just Plain Ram pronounced by most Aussies as RAM like the goat.

I was in my three piece suit and went to my classroom early by 5.30 for a 6.00pm start.

The Classroom was empty, except right in the first row was the man in my dream Architect Chris Acheampong from Ghana who already had a masters and was doing a second masters in Sydney. We became best buddies and studies worked and partied together from 1976 to 2006 and then the friendship broke.

In April 1977 I ran into this lovely Bengali girl Arundhuti Gupta whom I would marry in 1980 and have a Son Anand.

Yes 2019 and I am still in Sydney lock Stock barrel having enjoyed a fabulous career as a Noise Control Engineer from 1980 to 2000. 20 long years.

Year 2000 to 2020 my life turned topsy turvy something K-Uncle never told me. This is in an entirely Different blog.

My Younger sister Dr.Urmila became a Gold medallist at MMC, did MD Gastroenterologist at MMC and then went to UK and became an Anaesthetist meaning she was a Double MD.

Manjula went on and became a surgeon although all she wanted to be was a Journalist and my Youngest sister Sheela became an Architect and she too topped her class at School of Architecture Madras. Moved to Bahrain for 17 years and designed the Gulf Air Building in Bahrain. In 1998 she migrated with her family to Sydney


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- Amma's illness - 1976

I landed in Sydney on 22nd July 1976. In September I started to dream of my mother virtually every night. I knew something was wrong but my sisters kept telling me Amma was fine and could not come to the phone as she had gone out.

Early one morning I had this awesome dream. Lord Vishnu appeared in the skies and I could see him and he said only you can see me no one else. This is my Visvaroopam. I am going to give you some super power and you will be able to fly in the air. On one Condition: You will not tell any body. The Visvaroop disappeared and I swear the next couple of days I saw myself flying all over the place excited as a kid. I could lep from the ground and land on the sixth floor of a building. I  was bursting with excitement and had to share this with someone. Two days later I phoned Madras and spoke to my mother and told her thinking logically it was Ok to tell my mother. 

I was WRONG. Never Flew again even in my Dreams.

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1977 - Peter & Sandra car accident

Landed in Sydney on 22nd July 1976, got picked up at the airport by my friend Dr Terry Linsell who told me he was sharing a flat in Cremorne overlooking the Harbour with two other buddies Michael and Bob and that I could stay with them until I found other student accommodation closer to Sydney University. In the Following three months most of Michaels close group of friends became my friends too. Derwents - John and Margaret Derwents, Barbara Mill house and the Luis - Peter and Sandra. All of us were in the same age bracket and we spent oodles of time together on weekends playing cards and having lunches and dinnersmand watching movies at the cinemas. I also learnt a new Card game called Canasta and another called 500.

Come November 1976, Syd Uni Closed for Christmas and I was fortunate enough to get a vacation job as a bus conductor thanks to my classmate Chris Acheampong from Ghana. We were virtually inseparable at the Uni. He lived closer to the Uni with his wife daughter and son. 

Chris told me there were five positions as a bus conductor and will be on a first come first serve basis subject to medical examination. Chris and I arrived at 4.30am and believe it or not there were four students in the queue already. So Chris was No5 and me No6 in the queue. I did not want to build my hopes up. We were all picked up think the first ten and driven to a bus depot for medicals. As luck would have it one girl dropped out and the chap before me was rejected as he was colour blind. Poor chap he was extremely disappointed. 

Each one of us got posted to a depot close to where we lived so that we could get to work early in the mornings. I got posted to the Brookvale depot as the early morning staff bus went past Cremorne. It was a good three kilometer hike  uphill for me to Military Road where the Bus Company picked up staff.

The bus came at 5.00am sharp which meant I had to wake up at 3.30 shower and get ready and either jog or take a brisk walk to the bus stop saying hello to all the doggies who got to know me as I always had some treats for them just in case they chased me (Dogs hate men in Uniforms for some reason Postmen, Police etc) and bit my calf muscles.

I settled well in the job and was having good fun. Early morning starts meant having to hit the sack early latest by 9.00pm. 

One morning about 2.00am I had a bad dream. In my dream I saw a white Car Collide with a small brown car The Brown Car was a Honda Civic that Peter Lui and Sandra Drove. Peter was driving and he was OK. Sandra who was in the passenger seat was badly injured on the crash....

I snapped out of this bad dream with a cold sweat. Turned the Lights on and realised it was around 2.00am. Got myself some cold water to drink and convinced myself it was just a bad dream, but I could not go back to sleep as I may not wake up on time for work. Stayed in bed pondering what to do. You dont phone a friend at 2.00am and tell them not to drive. So I decided Id go to work and phone Peter and Sandra from the depot before they left for work. There was no such thing as a Mobile Phone or SMS or email or Whatsapp those days. Just the landline at home and workplaces.

I started work and by the time my first shift finished it was past 9.30 so I decided to forget about my silly dream. Finished my work by 3.30pm and went home and had a snooze.

Around 6.00pm I was up and Michael was busy cooking a meal in the kitchen and asked me to shower and get ready and set the table for dinner. I ducked into the shower and got dressed and walked into the kitchen. The stove was switched off and the dish was half cooked and Michael was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he must have gone downstairs to the laundry.  not there he was gone and his VW was not in the parking lot. I was very confused and sat there dumbfounded trying to guess what was happening.

About 7.15Pm the Phone rang and it was Michael. He said sorry Ram I forgot to tell you that Michael and Sandra were the dinner guests and unfortunately they had a bad accident at the Sprofforth Rd Cremorne Rd intersection. I said Oh My God Were they in the Brown Honda Civic and were they hit by a White sedan ? Was Peter Driving ? Is Sandra OK ? 

Michael said shut up Ram. Let me tell you . I am here at the Master Hospital. Rushed here as soon as I got a call and did not tell you as you were in the shower. How do you know all the details. I said Mike I had this dream in the Morning. and sandra was hurt and hospitalised.

He said your Bullshit dream was off the mark. Peter is bleeding from a Damaged nose  which hit the steering wheel and they are treating him and Sandra is fine. I said Ok I will jump into my car and be there is a jiffy. 

By the Time I reached Mater Hospital They had been moved to a regular ward from Emergency. Peter was sitting outside with a Bandaged nose Talking to Mike and Sandra was missing. Mike said Your dream was right ram Sandra has internal injuries caused by the seat belt and has been admitted.

Sandra was in Pain but could talk. I said I was sorry and she asked why and I said I should have called you this morning and asked you not to drive as I had a dream of your car accident.

I can never forget what Sandra said to me: 

You silly Bugger stop dreaming about me .....:-)

Sandra who was a Kindy Teacher married Peter who topped electrical Engineering at NSW Uni and moved to Amsterdam to work for Honeywell. Then they moved to Hong Kong where Peter was part of the new Hong Kong Airport design Team and Sandra Joined LEGO and is today a Director Lego Asia Pacific. Unfortunately we lost Peter five years ago.

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1978 - Mathus engagement ceremony

One night I was at the uni attending lectures that finished at 9.00pm and managed to catch the last 10.00pm ferry homefrom Circular quay. By the time I reached home in Cremorne grabbed a bite from leftovers in the fridge and went to bed it was around 11.00pm. I was tired, was tossing and turning but could not fall asleep. I was not sure what was bothering me.

Just around 2.00am  I got out of bed and phoned home. Just wanted to find out if everything was OK in Madras.

I was not at all expecting what followed.

The phone was answered by my uncle Babji Naidu whom we affectionately Gennacha father with glasses as he was paternal uncle so Acha and not Mama. He kept saying Chander it is Gods will and has to be ESP as we were thinking of phoning you but hesitating as it would be very late and you will be fast asleep.

He sounded sooo Happy and said Chander you will not believe this, all of us have just come home after performing Manju's engagement ceremony and we were all talking about you and how much we missed you.

My first reaction was a strong one which was to hang up. My younger sisters wedding had been finalised and her engagement ceremony had also been performed and me the ONLY brother was not told about it. This was not like my family any more. They did not tell me my mother was ill soon after I left because they did not want me stressing out. To some extent I can understand that, but not to tell me about my younger sisters engagement was definitely not acceptable.

But then Thank God Common Sense Prevailed. I contained my anger and told myself whatever the reason you must now be happy for Manju. She is engaged to be married to start her life.

So I spoke to Manju and wished her the very best and spoke to my mother and my sister Chottakka at length and from the conversations I felt I had attended the engagement myself as I was given all the details and also told to be prepared to attend the wedding in January 1978.

I then spoke to all the Juniors younger sisters, nephews and nieces and by the time I finished I was feeling great and realised I had just one hour left to get ready for work as a bus conductor.

The Human Mind is a Mystic River for sure.


1984 - Phoning the Psychic for Jeevan

1984 was a big year for us as Devo was born to Jeevan and Gita in January and Anand was born on 7th February 1984.  We were very good friends and these kids grew up like brothers.

My Mother and elder sister Chottakka were also with us in Sydney for 18 months at that time.

Jeevan and Gita were family friends and Jeevans Parents had come down to Sydney to see their Grandson stayed on for about six months in Sydney and then decided to go in June to Perth to stay with their other son and daughterinlaw.

On the 8th of July at about 4.30am the Phone Rang. I was in no mood to get up and walk to the lounge totake the call on the land line. No mobile Phones then emember. The phone Rang out and a few seconds later starte to ring again. By this time Mithu, my mother and sisterw ere all awake and telling me to go take the call.

Asa rule I hated early morning calls as they were always about some one in India Passing away an uncle or an aunt or a cousin.

I dragged my self to the Phone and said Helloooo. The voice at the other end said is that you Ram? I said Yes who is Calling. He said I am Dr Suresh calling you from Perth and I said do you realise it is about 5.00am.

He said I am sorry Ram but I had no Choice. I have some extremely bad news to Convey. We have been trying to contact Jeevan and Gita but are unable to as the phone is off the hook.

I said MG what is wrong. He said Jeevans Brother wife Parents and baby daughter went and celebrated their fathers B Day at a Restaurant and on their way back home their Honda Accord was hit head on by a Holden Sedan full of teen agers.The impact was so bad that the Honda engine ended up in the back seat. Father and son sitting in front died on Impact at the scene.So did the baby. Jeevans Mother died on the way to hospital and the wife is in ICU hanging on to life.

I was so shocked that I could not utter a word. The voice on the phone kept saying are you there Ram Are you there Ram and the three ladies at home were asking what is going on who is it what is it about.. I had never faced anything like this in my 38 years of living.

I mustered strength and said Yes Suresh I am still here but in a state of shock. He said I understand. We have also contacted Jeevans friend Sahul Hameed and he is on the way but also worried about how he is going to deliver the bad news. I quickly told my family what had happened and slipped into my jeans and was in my car heading for Jeevans apartment in Neutral Bay not far from lane Cove where we were living.

When I pulled up I could see Sahul hameed waiting for me. We both shook our heads and we could hardly get our hands to ring the doorbell. We did and eventually Jeevan opened the door with an angry look and when he saw Sahul and me He knew it had to be some bad news.

We made him and Gita sit down and gave him the sad news. I allowed Sahul to say it as I was too close to jeevan and could not get myself to even say a word as tears welled up in my eyes...

What to do. In Life "a Man has got to do what a Man has Got to do" words spoken by John Wayne

Imagine Losing your Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law and a baby niece in just one bad accident. and the kids in the Holden Kingswood did not even have a scratch for injury.

Just had to accept it as Gods will. and only time could Heal those who were left behind. I offered to fly to Perth with Jeevan and he said No I have to deal with this Ram and yor family need you here and you and Mithu look after Gita.

A few months passed the final rites had been performed in Perth with the support of the Brothers friends.

One afternoon as I was having my lunch reading the Daily telegraph at Work at Birkenhead Point the secretary put a call through and said t was my friend Jeevan. Jeevan was highly distressed and wanted me to help. It was a very strange request I must say.

Jeevan Said "Ram I want to talk to my Parents" " I want you to find a Psychic who can help me talk to my parents"

We had talked about using Planchet etc to talk to loved ones who had left this world. I could not say No to Jeevan so I told him leave it with me and I will see what I can do. My colleague Bob Blackhall was having his lunch in my office and he asked whatsup mate ? I explained and he took the Daily Telegraph from me and looked at he Clairvoyants and Psychics advert page and picked one and said Try this number as it is a man, the only man on the advert column pls he was based in sydney at Centennial Park which was not far.

I had to muster some courage before I made the Call and when the phone rang I said herro is this Peter and the response terrified me and I almost fell of the chair. The response was " Yes Ram this is Peter alright and I know your Friend Jeevan has asked you to find someone to help him contact his parents who died in a car accident" I said "Peter how do you know my name and how do you know all this about Jeevans situation" He said mate I can read your Mind.
Unfortunately Ram I am extremely busy and cannot see Jeevan for a few weeks. So Please ask him to Contact me and book an appointment himself.

Can you believe that some one can read your mind from a Phone Call ? Believe it or not that was exactly what happened and I told Bob first and phioned jeevan and told him what had happened.

It is now 34 years since this happened and to this day i do not have any logical explanation for what transpired on that day in 1984

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