Six Suspects Read Online Free

amazing spectacle in the history of
mankind. I am now going to invite on stage Baba Aghori Prasad
Mishra.'
    A machine sprays dry ice across the stage, adding to the
eeriness of the atmosphere. Through the mist appears a shadowy
figure, clad in a white dhoti and saffron kurta . Baba Aghori Prasad
Mishra turns out to be slim and of average height. He seems to be
in his late forties, with dark knotted hair piled high on top of his
head, a dense black beard and piercing brown eyes. He looks like
a man who has seen the world, who has conquered his fears.
    The baba walks up to the edge of the stage and bows before
the audience, holding his hands together in a gesture of salutation.
' Namaste ,' he says. His voice is soft and soothing. 'My name is
Aghori Prasad Mishra. I am going to take you on a journey. A
journey of spiritual discovery. Let us begin with what our holiest
book, the Gita , says. There are two entities in this world: the
perishable and the imperishable. The physical bodies of all beings
are perishable, but the atma , the soul, is imperishable. Weapons do
not cut this soul, fire does not burn it, water does not make it wet,
and the wind does not make it dry. The soul is eternal, all-pervading,
unchanging, immovable and immortal.
    'But the most important thing about the soul, and I am
quoting the Bhagavad Gita again, is that just as the air takes the
aroma from the flower, the soul takes the six sensory faculties The Bureaucrat 19
from the physical body it casts off during death. In other words, it
continues to have the faculties of hearing, touch, sight, taste, smell
and mind. That is what makes it possible to communicate with a
soul.
    'By the grace of the Almighty, I have had the privilege of interacting
with several spirits over the years. But none touched me as
deeply as the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. The term "Mahatma"
itself means "Great Soul". Bapu has been guiding my personal
spiritual evolution for the last five years. I feel his presence every
waking minute. So far this has remained a private dialogue
between the Mahatma and me. Today I will share his blessings
with the entire world. So it is a vital journey that we will undertake
today. The journey of the soul. But also a journey of hope.
Because at the end of the journey you will know that death is not
the end of life, but the beginning of another life. That we are
eternal and immortal.
    'I will now commence my meditation. Soon the spirit of Bapu
will enter me and speak through me. I request all of you to listen
attentively to the message Bapu gives us today. But remember, if
the communication is broken midway, immense harm will be
done, both to the spirit and to me. So as Veer Bedi sahib has
advised you, please, please maintain pin-drop silence.'
    The dry-ice machine goes into action once again, and a thick
cloud of vapour obscures the Baba momentarily.
    When the mist dissipates, the Baba is sitting cross-legged on
the mat, chanting incantations in a language which resembles, but
is not, Sanskrit. The spotlight changes from white to red. The
Baba's chanting subsides gradually and he closes his eyes. A serene
calmness descends on his face. He becomes perfectly still, as
though in a trance.
    All of a sudden there is a burst of light on the stage and a sliver
of white smoke sallies forth into the hall. There is a collective
intake of breath from the audience.
    'Firecracker powder!' Mohan Kumar snorts.
    Equally suddenly the spinning wheel whirrs into action. It
appears to do so without any external agency, with the Baba
sitting a good six feet away from it. The audience watches transfixed
as the spinning wheel revolves faster and faster.
    'Must be radio controlled, with the remote in Veer Bedi's
hands,' mutters Mohan Kumar, but Rita takes no notice. She is
bending forward in rapt attention, her fingers gripping the arm
rest.
    As the spinning wheel continues to rotate, the walking stick
and pair of spectacles stir into motion and rise from the floor. They
ascend