Six Suspects Read Free Page B

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    A familiar baritone booms from the large black speakers on
either side of the stage. 'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am
your host for the evening, Veer Bedi. Yes, the same Veer Bedi who
meets you on the silver screen. You cannot see me in front of you,
but you know that I am very much here, behind the scenes. Spirits
are similar. You cannot see them, but they are all around us.
    'In a few minutes from now, we are going to make contact
with the most famous spirit of them all, the man who singlehandedly
changed the course of the twentieth century. The man
of whom Einstein said "Generations to come will scarce believe
that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood." Yes, I
am talking about none other than Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi, our beloved Bapu, who was born on this very day in the
year 1869.
    'Bapu attained martyrdom nearly six decades ago, no more
than a few kilometres from here, but today he will come alive
again. With your own ears you will hear Mahatma Gandhi speak
through the medium of Baba Aghori Prasad Mishra, an
internationally renowned psychic. Aghori Baba possesses the siddhi , the divine energy acquired through yoga which enables one
to pierce the veil between this world and the next, and talk to
spirits.
    'I know there are some sceptics in the audience who think this
encounter with Bapu is a hoax. I used to be a non-believer too. But
no longer. Let me share something personal with all of you.' Veer
Bedi's voice modulates to a conspirational tone. 'Five years ago, I
lost my sister in a car accident. We were very close and I missed
her terribly. Two months ago, Baba Aghori Prasad Mishra made
contact with her. Through him, I spoke to my sister, learnt about
her journey to the afterlife. It was the most amazing, transformative
experience of my life. And that is why I am here to vouch
personally for Aghori Baba. I can guarantee that what you are
going to witness today is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something
that will change you for ever.'
    There are murmurs of agreement from the audience.
    'As you all know, we very much wanted Mahatma Gandhi's
family to join us today, but they have chosen to distance themselves
from this momentous event. Nevertheless, we have been
helped by powerful benefactors who knew the Mahatma
intimately. They have lent us items belonging to him which you
can see arranged in the centre of the stage. There is the wooden charkha , the spinning wheel with which he spun the khadi cotton
cloth which he always wore. Next to it lies his favourite walking
stick. There is his pair of trademark round spectacles, and that
bundle contains some letters written personally by the Great
Mahatma.
    'Before I invite Baba Aghori Prasad Mishra to come on to the
stage, let me remind you of the etiquette for the séance. When
the spirit enters the medium it is a critical and delicate moment.
There should be no noise, no disturbance of any kind. That is why
your mobile phones have not been allowed inside. Please maintain
absolute silence throughout the show. On behalf of United
Entertainment I would also like to thank our sponsors this evening
– Solid Toothpaste, for solid white teeth, and Yamachi
Motorcycles, way to go! I also thank our media partners, City
Television, who are beaming this event live to millions of viewers
in India and across the globe. We'll take a very short commercial
break here, but don't go anywhere, because when we return, Baba
Aghori Prasad Mishra will be on stage.'
    A babble rises in the hall. Someone says loudly, 'I see dead
people,' which leads to considerable tittering. The mirth lingers
for a while before fading under the weight of nervous
anticipation.
    Veer Bedi's voice returns after exactly five minutes. 'Welcome
back to United Entertainment's An Encounter with Bapu . The time
has now come, ladies and gentlemen, for which you have been
waiting breathlessly. Hold on to your hearts, because you are
about to witness the most