Part – I

Survival

Section 3: Volcano goddess on rampage

Technology trounces possession

Goodbye Bombay

February 28 ’98 was my last day in the office as Head Exploration, ONGC, at Mumbai. I had lifted the laurels due to me in the service career. The two contracts worth 7 billion of rupees were complete and concluded.  Reputation of being a good exploration manager was to my credit.

There were offers from my organization to work as a consultant. Also an insipient offer from Reliance Industries for their Hydrocarbon Department was before me for negotiations. I refused everything in the name of career. I had lived in a different world altogether at Mumbai. It was a world of Swati and Kamakhya. Psychic domain has no lure for status, post or pay packets – valuable in mundane transactions. It is world of survival versus death, peace versus agitation, and living through ever continuing game of hide and  seek, snarl and attack of spirits and gods under the law of jungle.  I had survived in   the battle against the Tantra of Swati at Mumbai, but her attacks were not yet over, and end of our war was far still.

It was impossible to succeed against Swati in the environment of Mumbai while transacting in the psychic world. Absence of females and talking with males around me were essential requirements on top priority for me. On the early morning of March 1, ’98, a group of my senior officers was at the Bombay airport to bid me goodbye when I departed.