text: I have never believed in time travel or traveling into the future or the past, but I do believe it is possible. I have read so many fiction books on the subject, HG Wells’ classic, ’ The time machine’ is my favourite. But I could never imagine that such a thing could happen in real life; well, here is a tale, my friends and I wonder if you’d like to believe it or not but all I will say is that it is true. I will concede it could have been a hallucination but that is something induced by ancient Hindu tomes. the Puranas. I remember driving to the city of Mumbai through the Western Ghats, a mountain range. It was the monsoon season, and it was likely to rain anytime, and I was expecting it. My expectations were confirmed when the dark clouds in the sky darkened further, and raindrops began to beat on the earth, as rain fell it created a dull pattern, and very soon the visibility was reduced to zero. I wanted to stop but decided to drive a little more distance to a small temple of Lord Krishna by the side of the hill which I had visited so many times in my earlier drives. I have now entered the Ghats Mountain range and I’m slowly making my way forward with my fog lights on. By instinct, I knew that the temple was close by, but I could not immediately see it as it was shrouded in mist and fog but very soon it became visible. I will witness the beautiful small temple of Lord Krishna. it was normally looked after by an old priest who I have got to know and would spend time talking to him over a cup of tea that he would prepare. As the temple loomed before me, I hoped he would prepare a hot cup of tea for me. I stopped before the temple and looked inside but due to the thick fog, I could not make out anything. The rain continues falling and the distant mountains are not visible as the thick fog has enveloped the entire area. I decide to make a dash for the temple instead of sitting in my SUV. I get out of my car and head towards the temple which is a few feet away. I made it to the temple in about 10 seconds, remove my shoes, and go inside. I am now relatively safe from the rain and outside I can hear the thunder crashing as it reverberates in the mountains. I looked around but could not see the priest and I called out his name. There was no response and I wondered where the priest had gone. I pay my obeisance to the deity and simultaneously close my eyes. I do not know how long I kept my eyes closed but it must be at least a minute or maybe even more when a slight cough caught my attention and I open my eyes. In the semi-darkness, I was taken aback to see a lovely young woman emerge from behind the statue of the Lord. She smiled at me and said,” I know you are looking for Ramprasad the priest, but he has gone for some job, and I will prepare you a cup of tea. I have a feeling you desperately need one.” I did not reply but I just sat down cross-legged on the stone floor signalling my assent. She returned from the small room behind the deity with a cup of tea and give it to me the weather has now turned cold, and the rain continued to fall outside. I looked out of the temple and could not see anything as the entire area was shrouded in fog. She held the cup in her hand, and I gratefully took the cup from her. As I took the car from her my hand touched her finger. I like felt a strange sensation and I could now see the girl more clearly. I was taken aback by her ethereal beauty but what struck me was that she was not wearing a blouse and her bust was covered only by the Pallu (wrap of her sari). She almost looked like an enchantress who has come from heaven and my mind could imagine the beauty of her body. She was fair; I will say ultra-fair with a slim waist and firm bust which I could see in the low light. The girl was a thrilling sight and as I took the cup from her, I took it to my lips. I close my eyes and take a sip of the tea which was a little sweet. Now, something unique happened and I heard a crash Thunder I open my eyes instantly and see outside the temple a chariot with four horses and in the chariot, I could see the girl who had given me the cup of tea. As the horses neighed, I realized that I was wearing armour with a sword strapped to my belt. The girl was beckoning me to come to the chariot and I was wondering what to do. I come out of the temple and walk to the chariot and mount it. The girl stood by my side and now I could see her clearly; she was almost like a princess bedecked with jewelry. She was beautiful and radiant, and her beauty glowed. If I were to use modern terminology, I would say she would be extremely sexy. The girl, whom I will call a princess whispered to me, “climb in, my warrior and just save me from the evil Bhagel who is following with his troops.” I climb into the chariot and put my arm around her and find that she’s soft and pliable. I involuntarily say, “yes I will save you.” I hold the reins of the horses in my hand and the beasts neigh with froth emanating from their mouths and they surge forward. The chariot now begins to move, and I can hear horses' hooves some distance behind. I hold the waist of the girl with my left arm, encircle her and hold the reins of the horses. She is close to me, her body joined to me as with my right hand I lash the horses, and the chariot speeds forward. As my Chariot moves forward, I can hear a bunch of riders coming behind me and I lash the horses and they pick up speed, and soon the chariot thunders across the hills and dales’. The chariot is now moving at full speed and I’m getting away from the riders and the sound of the hooves recedes. I look at the princess and say, “we are pulling away from the evil Bhagel, and now princess where do you want me to take you?” She looks at me quizzically and says,” you know where to take me, my warrior, take me to your abode and make me your woman. this is the vision of the Lord.” “But princess I do not know you.” “When the Lord gives a gift, it has to be accepted and he has told me that I am your gift, but you have to win me”. “Win you?” “There is a rider coming head-on, you will have to fight him because he is Bhagel, the evil one.” I look ahead and I can see that a rider is coming, and he holds a lance in his hand. The princess says, “do something, this man is a master with a lance, and can shoot it from 150 paces.” I also lift my lance which is attached to the chariot, and I let it go. I remember the time when I was in the Academy and practiced throwing the javelin. I lift and throw, the aim is unnerving and strikes the rider in the chest. He falls from the horse, his leg stuck in the stirrup, and the horse panics, and he’s pulled away to the mountains. The princess turns to me and says, “you have saved me from the man now you can have me if you want.” “If I want?” “Yes” “But I am bewildered”. “You should never be bewildered by god’s gift”. I pull the horses back and bring the chariot to a halt and ask the princess, “What next?” “There is a beautiful lake with a small hut by the side, take me there”. “Where is the lake?” “Just behind the clump of trees.” I get down from the chariot and cradle the princess in my arms and walk towards the clump. I cross it and low and behold is a beautiful lake and a lovely hut by the side. I wonder, ‘is all this real? and I’m telling myself what the hell is going on man.’ I walk into the hut with the princess and what follows is something that cannot be described. It is ecstatic and hedonistic, more like a sophomoric delight. Outside the horses are neighing as I accept God’s gift. I close my eyes and I am conscious that I am sitting cross-legged on the bare floor of the temple now I can see the priest coming slowly towards me and he says, “I have been watching you for quite some time. You have been meditating in the Lotus pose to the Lord doubtless you have received a great gift.” I look at the priest and say, “I don’t know what you are talking about because there was a beautiful girl here who came from behind the deity, and she gave me a cup of tea.” The priest only smiled, “it is not possible there is no girl here and I had just gone to the market to bring some ingredients which I have brought and now I shall prepare you my customary cup of tea.” “But I already had a cup of tea which was given to me by the girl”. The priest looked at me and he had a radiant smile on his face,” I think sir, you have been transported to another world when you were meditating to the Lord. I don’t think anybody gave you a cup of tea, it was just the Lord decided to reward you with what you desire the most.” “But the cup of tea” “There is no cup of tea”. I looked around and could not see any cup of tea and I scratched my head and looked at the priest and said priest,” I have had a strange experience.” The priest just smiled at me and said,” the Lord gives fulfilment. All that happened is real for you. but it shows that you are in the eye of the Lord, and you have accepted his gift.” He soon returned with a cup of tea which I drank. As I sipped the tea, I was wondering about what had happened, or maybe I just dreamed it, but it was very real. I left the cup of tea after I drank it and came out. The rain had stopped. The weather was clear, and I sit in my SUV and start the ignition and move forward. I desire to come again to the temple wondering if I could have that delicious dream again. The story does not end here. Two years later I had entered the polo ground at Bhopal for a polo match. I was moving towards my horse when I saw the maharaja of Dewas. He saw me and without pretence walks to me with a lovely girl by his side. The maharaja smiled and said, “Colonel, this is my daughter, and she also is adept at horses and was keen to meet you as you are a well-known polo player.” I looked at the girl. I was wondering what to say as I was tongue-tied for the simple reason that the girl standing before me was a carbon copy of the princess on the chariot. it’s something like Ripley’s believe it or not. I stood tongue tied as my heart beats quickened. The princess held out her hand and I kissed it. I didn’t know what to say and heard the princess say,” I will enjoy the game of polo with you.” It was a robust game, and after it ends, we move over to the Shamiana where we had a sumptuous lunch spread with unlimited beer. The Princess remains mostly with me, and after the luncheon suggests an afternoon ride in the hills. I readily agree and, in my heart, I know that what is happening is something which is not ordinary. We rode the horses across the hills and dales, crossing a small wood shrouded in greenery. We crossed the wood with me following her on my horse. As the wood cleared, I was surprised when before my eyes opened a view of a small pond with a hut. The adrenal rushed to my brain, and I realized that I had seen this beautiful scene earlier. I could not correlate how this had become reality. I dismount from my horse and in a moment step towards the adjacent horse with the princess astride and lift her from the saddle and cradle her in my arms as I carry her to the hut. She makes a small protest, but I am overwhelmed with the dream which I had experienced and press forward. At the same time, I realized that what I’ve seen was a reality, as I was transported into the past. As I push open the door of the hut and softly lay the princess on the mat and kiss her, it dawns on me that time travel is a possibility. I open her blouse and suckle her nipples whispering, “princess, you are god’s gift, this was inevitable...” What happened next is another story for another day but I know the incident did take place in another world in another life but it is all linked.