Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior by Shobha Nihalani Read Free Book Online Page A

again. The Three will face the entity. You will be their backbone, their guide. You will assist them in times of need. Do not forget your duties in the real world. You work as ordinary men, amongst other common men, but your consciousness will remain in the domain of the spirit, constantly alert, constantly monitoring the earth and mankind.’
    After the images merged, the united entity began to speak.
    ‘We are the power of Six. Our fates veered from the Three when they faced the Kalingan warrior spirit. It was their true courage, their discipline and their ability to sync with the powers bestowed upon them that they were able to achieve their goal.
    ‘We had to amalgamate into a single consciousness to protect the legacy of Ashoka. The physical exists as it does for any human on the earthly plane, but in the higher spirit of our existence, we have formed a union to assist the Three.
    ‘With each new era we have evolved into superior beings. We have evolved in such a way as to adjust with the times. Like water, we can seep into the tiniest places, and like powerful gods, we can manifest ourselves with purpose. Our goal is to protect humanity from destroying itself.
    ‘There have been times when we worked individually as Nine separate entities. There were times when we worked united as Three, and now we act as Six to form the intelligence, the superior consciousness of the Nine. We can become one with the Nine in times of extreme strife. Let’s hope that time has not come yet.
    ‘The councillors have warned us of yet another attack. We will have to battle with the Kalingan again. We will be the strength of the Three, we will protect them when it is necessary. But for now, we must protect ourselves from the Kalingan.’



4
Tara
    Mumbai, 4 p.m.
    ‘You think you are possessed by a spirit?’ Tara asked calmly.
    ‘Yes, and I’ve been to everyone to help me get rid of this ghost. I cannot sleep at night. My whole life is going down the toilet.’
    ‘Why are you convinced you are possessed?’
    ‘Because someone told me that if you light candles at midnight in front of a mirror, you will see the face of the ghost.’
    ‘And you did?’
    Jerry nodded fearfully. ‘If you don’t help me, my life is over. The spirit doesn’t want to leave.’
    He gave her his background details. While he communicated with her, Tara tuned in to his thought waves. Immediately, she could sense the presence of the spirit he spoke of.
    Tara decided to talk to this entity. Hopefully, she could convince it to go away of its own accord. ‘I can help you through hypnotic therapy. Okay?’
    He agreed.
    ‘Has your life changed since the incident?’ Tara asked.
    ‘Yes, a disturbed spirit came back with me from that ancient site,’ the young man murmured softly. He was lying down on a settee, eyes closed. Tara sat next to him, watching her patient’s expression shift from confusion to fear. Sweat glistened on his forehead. ‘He wants me to kill …’
    Tara shifted uneasily. ‘And how did this happen?’ Tara asked, maintaining a gentle tone. Jerry was in a hypnotic state. He was not her first patient who claimed to have been possessed by evil spirits. In fact, worryingly, he was her sixth in the past week. Oddly enough, the patients were not connected in any way with respect to background, age, sex or occupation. She didn’t quite understand the reasoning, but it seemed like there was a wave of people who had suddenly become targets of ghosts and evil spirits. Jerry was an investment banker, a bachelor who worked long hours and lived on his own in the big city. He had a girlfriend, socialized with coworkers and had enough money to maintain a happening lifestyle. He was neither an atheist nor superstitious. He didn’t spend too much time thinking about God or his counterparts. Until this happened. And then his life fell apart, he claimed. He went to temples and the priests sprinkled holy water on him, pressed red vermilion powder on his