She found herself running endlessly towards the light at the end of the tunnel. It was as if she would breathe only if she reached that light. She looked around just to find pitch darkness; she felt tired at times but could not stop and kept running. She would look around again and again but it was too dark to see anything. She did not understand what made her run; she did not once look behind. The road looked endless, one look at her made her feel she was feather light. She wore a white satin gown, free flowing, weightless. She looked around again and could see her face on the wall of the tunnel, her face looked radiant, it had the glow she had never seen and she felt happy like never before and beautiful than ever. Where the light wrinkles she had seen a couple of days are gone? She thought to herself as she kept running. She turned her face to the other side of the tunnel and could see a girl in a mother’s arms; the mother delighted looking at the bundle of joy.
There were people whom she recognised and some she didn’t. She placed her fingers on her brow and tried to recollect a man standing next to the mother but just couldn’t. She looked again and saw a young girl in school listening attentively to her teacher; the image vanished in a jiffy. She could then see her young self with her best friend laughing and enjoying. When was the last time she laughed that loud, she wondered? By now the images on the walls of the tunnel had completely captivated her and she had forgotten of the tunnel, the run and the distance. She could see her beloved on his knees holding a ring proposing her, she hadn’t been so happy ever. These flashes would appear and disappear rapidly and being replaced by the next one. She wanted to think or say something but was not able to. She saw her husband and daughter sitting on a dining table praying. She wanted to run towards her daughter but couldn’t change course of her path.
She closed her eyes but could see the images, the ones she saw on the wall. Everything was clear when she heard shouts and opened her eyes startled. She was confounded and looked down; she saw her feet were above the ground as she ran towards the light. Completely mystified she tried to stop running but couldn’t stop her feet. She heard shouts again and a big thump on her chest as if a train in full velocity had hit her chest, she ran faster towards the light and another big jolt! She couldn’t contain it in herself any further. She was perplexed at the thought of her running without her feet on the ground, the light at the end of the tunnel seemed very far now.
The last one came as a thunderbolt pushing her on her chest so hard that she fell backwards as if being sucked by the vacuum towards the other side of the light. She could see being pulled and the light at the end of the tunnel vanishing in a distance. It was so quick she had no time to react. The ‘pulse is back, doctor! She is back!’ ….the words sounded like a distant echo….’it’s a miracle, doctor, the defibrillator worked!’ She opened her eyes at a hazy frame of a man in a white coat and a young woman standing next to him. She could vaguely hear a familiar voice chanting the Mahamrutyunjay Shloka….
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे
सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥
Om Triyambakam Yajaamahe
Sugandhim Pushtti-Vardhanam
Urvaarukamiva Bandhanaan
Mrtyormuksshiya Maaamrtaat ||
Meaning:
1: Om, We Worship the Three-Eyed One (Lord Shiva),
2: Who is Fragrant (Spiritual Essence) and Who Nourishes all beings.
3: May He severe our Bondage of Samsara (Worldly Life), like a Cucumber (severed from the bondage of its Creeper),
4: … and thus Liberate us from the Fear of Death, by making us realize that we are never separated from our Immortal Nature.
This post is a submission to the IndiSpire topic #DeathisBeginning
Wonderfully narrated
Thanks Rajiv
Good Take… and a lucid read.. Good one!
Thank you Aditya.
Beautifully written…
Thank you Uttpal 🙂
Amazing!!! Some nail biting moments were there. And I’m relieved that a miracle happened and her pulse came back.
Wow, thank you so much Arpita, really glad you liked it.
Hey ! that was wonderful ! loved the narrative.
Thank you Ajay, glad you liked it
I actually started feeling the sensation in body while reading it.. 🙂
It’s a great compliment that you felt the sensation of my words…..thank you very much Vartika 🙂
I noticed very vivid description of tunnel vision. I’ve read some confessions of people having this tunnel vision in their NDE (near death experience). The post generates a no. of questions in my mind such as: Have you ever admitted to ICU? Have you gone through this? Is
that real? If not, then I must salute your imagination. 🙂
I kinda like the way you showed the irony with Maha-Mrityunjaya Mantra. People chant “May HE sever our bondage with world” to stay bind with world. People chant the mantra to defeat death instead of liberating from fear of death. It is said that Sage Markandaya overcame death by chanting this mantra. As I see, this mantra is not about mrityu (physical death)
but Maha-mrityu (death of ego). It is not about victory over death once but liberation
from the cycle of birth and death forever.
thank you so much Ravish 🙂 I have not experienced NDE. yes your interpretation is correct, but who knows the reality of Moksha unless you experience it yourself and if at all you do, you don’t have a means of communicating with the mortals 🙂 But I have faith 🙂 and of course this is a fictional piece.
Compelling episode that kept me hoping … she gets whatever she pines for! Loved it Shweta. You nailed it again 🙂 Did you paint that too?
Thank you so much….happy to read your appreciation on the post 🙂 na, I haven’t painted that 🙁
A good narrative!
Thank you Rahul.
nice narration..i always enjoy ur stories
Thank you sweta, it feels so nice to have regular readers say they enjoy reading my work as I try to out up some variety 🙂 very satisfied today 🙂
Baba re … imagination ki bhi koi limit hoti hai yaara …. astounded by the experience on the wall, inside the tunnel ….. loved the way she was sucked back ….its all so real … Bless your pen..err.. keyboard… 🙂
Powerful writing … truly dynamic Dynamo 🙂
Thanks babe….you know I could actually hear every word of your comment in your voice. That’s your effect on me my bestie, super motivated my chirpy bee 🙂
loved it 🙂 we often think about our time and this is a perfect narration of that..
Thank you Roohi, glad you liked it 🙂
What an imagination. Hope is always there at the end of a tunnel. She came back to life which is again a gift of God. Very well penned and best of luck for your submission.
Thank you Fayaz, am sure there would be some karma pending for this birth that she had to come back…hope afterall 🙂
There are surreal elements in the narrative, which are mystifying to say the least! Imagination at its peak!
Thank you Uppalji, I am delighted to read your appreciation.
nice piece
Thank you Aroraji 🙂
The pace, imagination, changes in imagery…brilliant Shweta 🙂 The helplessness of the course she was on, reminiscences.. description.. mast!
Thank you buddy…you liked it toh bus..post safal kirr 🙂
Very well written Shweta. Really liked the end..
Thank you Sunaina 🙂
This is mystic. Some truths are beyond our apprehension, our intellect can’t catch the essence of it. You’ve wonderfully penned down those feelings and emotions…they seem so tangible and real. Loved it dear.. 🙂
Thanks babe, so happy to receive this feedback from you. Super positive 🙂
Okay! So, she was back from the dead! Your story is in sync with the witness-accounts about this little-known realm 🙂
Nicely expressed, Soul-sis!
Thank you Soul-sis 🙂 I didn’t want to be bashed for an unhappy ending this one time 🙂
This is too good. the graphic description of near death experience, with the use of Mahamrutyunjay Shloka. Keep it up Shweta.
Thanks Somali, happy you liked the post 🙂
Very well narrated !!
Thank you Gaurishankar 🙂
I am short of words.. Only I can say… had goosebumps followed by tears. You are an amazing writer Shweta