Trip To India

I woke up around 8 am, Dubai time - I have adjusted my watch during the wait for the second boarding. The light in the cabin was certainly stronger and I felt stiff and groggy. I sat up, trying to straighten up my hair and not feeling very elegant in my creased up clothes.

Looking around, I saw that other passengers were more or less in the same condition as me. A couple of Italians were prowling around the narrow corridor in between the seats in their socks, probably waiting for the toilet. I decided it was better to stay sat down until the situation cleared up, it still wasn't urgent.

The doctor's traveling companion was sat nearby, sideways on his seat and was watching the two toilet doors. One of them opened and a stocky guy came out, in his shirtsleeves. Giuliano's friend clumsily got up while the man passed by him and seemed to lose his balance. To hold himself up he grabbed the stranger's arm and the sleeve of the shirt, which was unbuttoned slipped up uncovering the wrist on which was tattooed a strange symbol. The man became annoyed but you could see he was trying not to show it. He hurriedly buttoned up his cuff whilst the doctor's friend apologized profusely and moved back into his seat to let him pass along the corridor.

When the stocky man passed, Giuliano's friend got up again, perfectly stable on his legs, and seeing that I had curiously observed the scene, he smiled at me with an air of complicity.

There was without doubt some kind of mystery in that story, that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Half an hour later there was not a queue for the toilets anymore so I took advantage to powder my nose. The cubicle was little but well-equipped, there was enough water for the sink and throw-away paper protections for the loo.

When I got back to my seat, Josè asked for a breakfast tray for both of us and two cups of lattes, so I sat down cheered up. The tray contained the usual soft bread roll, small packets of butter and jam and a yogurt pot.

I grabbed another cup of latte at the trolley's second ride and relaxed on my seat quite pleased. After all those hours traveling by airplane without particular problems of claustrophobia, I felt like a worldly globe-trotter.

Actually, the plane inside was wide enough not to be overwhelming. Surely there were the support of Josè and the others, Nirva and Maximilian, the excitement for the tour of India and the surprise for meeting doctor Giuliano and his friend.

The mystery that seemed to enfold their trip was another occasion to distract my attention from the possible anxiety due to the closed space...

The screen in front of us started to transmit the Disney movie Hocus Pocus, one of my favorites, so I hurried up to find the headphones and dive into the movie to take my mind off it.

After the film, I napped a little, because I still felt tired.

My watch showed 11am when the flight assistants served lunch. Luckily there were enough vegetarian meals to satisfy everyone in the group. Even this time the plastic tray contained a tinfoil container with hot food - mashed potatoes, strange unrecognizable vegetable nuggets and a thick spicy sauce that seemed to be made out of beans. I used the soft bread roll to soak up the sauce, that wasn't that bad and I left the butter in its packet. The salad was unattractive, but Josè asked the flight attendant if there was any plain yogurt pot left from breakfast and, with that and some extra salt, the side dish became more agreeable.

The trays were collected after about twenty minutes and immediately the loudspeaker of the cabin announced that we were going to land. I learned that it already was 2:30 pm, according to Delhi's local time, in which we entered. In ten minutes time we would have started the way down to the runway of the international airport of Indira Gandhi's terminal, in the Indian capital.

My excitement went straight up to my head. ‘India, I'm coming!’

Josè noticed it and squeezed my hand, smiling. We fastened our belts and I tried to relax as much as possible in the flight's last minutes, maybe the harder ones.

The plane touched the ground with a little tremor and I felt the aircraft underneath me rolling on the runway, while it gradually decelerates. In the end it went round a corner and then aligned in the prescribed area.

We were asked to wait until the plane stopped completely to unfasten our belts and get up, but some passengers were obviously looking forward to get off because they started to move restless. As soon as the aircraft stopped many jumped up to their feet to get their hand-luggage from the over head compartment and queued towards the two exits.

Josè suggested waiting for the corridors to be free and it was in fact a good idea. Doctor Giuliano and his friend rushed with the others, at a short distance from the stocky man with a tattoo on his wrist. Nirva went and picked up the wheelchair that we gave to the staff on board and they carefully helped me go down the stairs. My legs were quite stiff and painful after all those hours of travel.

As soon as the bus dropped us off in front of the arrival's hall, Josè and Nirvanananda helped me to sit down on my wheelchair and I was really grateful. I couldn't make it to walk on my own. We overcame the immigration checks without problems - the employee checked our passports and tourist visa and put the stamps on.

Afterwards Maximilian and Nirva got two trolleys and we met at our luggage conveyor belt. Our suitcases were all there and in good condition.

We looked around tired but satisfied: we arrived safe and sound in India!

Now we needed to look for a hotel to freshen up and rest properly. The travel agency in Italy suggested the Clark Surya, in Saraswati Marg, in the downtown of the touristic and commercial center Karol Bagh, at almost sixteen kilometers away from the airport. We got out looking for a cab and we found Giuliano and his friend doing the same.

The doctor nodded and came closer, leaving his friend to negotiate with the taxi-drivers. “Do you already know in which hotel you're going to stay?”

“Yes,” I answered. “It was suggested to us a three star hotel downtown, the Clark Surya. Do you know it?”

“Great choice,” he said. “For the next part of the journey shall we go together? It's better if we sleep in the same hotel, don't you think?”

“Sure”, Josè agreed.

“So let's get organized with the cabs,” Giuliano said and made a gesture to his friend, who nodded. Nirvanananda and Max came closer and the doctor explained to them that we were going to call three cabs to be comfy and the vehicles would have driven together.

With Giuliano's help, who seemed to be an expert traveler, the luggage was uploaded carefully and the three taxi-drivers confabulated for a while deciding the road to the hotel, then we all took off together in the reasonable afternoon traffic.

A SECRET MISSION

The traffic increased progressively as we got deeper into the city.

The hotel was very elegant, on an international level. We got three deluxe rooms and immediately the doctor suggested we sent our clothes to the launderette, with next-morning urgent delivery.

After a long hot shower with the hotel's perfumed shower gel, I put on a comfy long shirt and I threw myself on the bed, which was very comfortable. The room had a minibar and a large TV with many cable channels, but my priority was to have at least a couple of hours of good sleep.

It was nine o' clock in the evening and it was already getting dark when Josè called me for dinner. I was still numb from the trip and the jet-lag, but I felt better.

After a quick freshen up, I put on a nice dress and suitable shoes, touched up my make up and went to the ground floor with Josè, where the restaurant was.

In the waiting room Nirva, Maximilian and also Giuliano and his friend, who was introduced to us as Riccardo, were waiting for us. We went to sit down in the restaurant at a table for six and with the doctor's help we ordered a sumptuous meal that largely repaid us from the gastronomic austerity of the flight.

The food was served in serving dishes and the waiters that hung around started to give out individual plates, until Max and Josè stepped in explaining to them that we'd rather do it on our own.

Fifteen types of vegetables stewed in spicy sauce were gobbled up in no time at all, with the help of many different varieties of local breads, some like thin wraps of whole-wheat flour, some like slightly risen baps, and some like fried teacakes.

There also were three types of pureed pulses, various fried appetizers and pots of thick plain yogurt. To drink we choose huge yogurt shakes and we finished our meal with typical Indian tea, boiled with milk and aromatized with spices.

After dinner we went to the hotel lounge to chatter.

Everyone briefly told his story, and then Josè and Maximilian ordered a Mojito and a strawberry Caipiroska. Riccardo and Giuliano asked for two Blue Lagoons, Nirvanananda and I had a Cranberry Crush each, a soft drink with cranberry and orange juice, water, ginger, spices and sugar. We sat around a large short table, covered in black glaze, with a central basis in stainless steel and a column in wormwood.

At midnight the lounge was already desert, but because of the time change no one of us seemed to be very tired.

I found myself thinking more and more of the guy with the mysterious tattoo on the wrist from the plane and at Riccardo's weird behavior. During a moment of silence from the conversation, in which we were picking into the bowl of savories, I showed some guts and hazarded the question.

“On the plane I noticed a strange thing...”

I looked around: Josè, Nirva and Max were surprised, the doctor and his friend seemed cautious and tense, as if they expected to face a dangerous or rough subject. Riccardo stared at me with an intense look, and then he got into the heart of the matter:

“I think you noticed the tattoo on the wrist of a passenger... and asked to yourself if it had a deeper and important meaning of the single aesthetics.”

“Exactly!” I answered, relieved by the idea of not being forced to express such a vague suspect.

Giuliano and Riccardo exchanged a knowing look. I could tell they already talked between them about both me and the little tattoo incident.

“I knew you were watching, Stefania,” the doctor's friend said, “and that you're a discreet and intelligent chick.”

Giuliano smiled. “Before that Hridaya left, I had a long talk with him and, thereafter, out of curiosity and habit, we followed from a distance you and your adventures... In our job a little paranoia is always good.”

Josè, Nirvanananda and Maximilian seemed confused and I had the impression that I was on the edge of a revelation of huge importance, which would have implied serious risks. Could the doctor and Riccardo have been two secret agents that worked for the government? What about father Sandro?

And why did they seem so willing to reveal their mystery to us now? What was the real catch?

We kept silent for a while, letting the doctor's friend find the best way to tell us what he wanted to say.

“Have you ever heard of the Reptilians?” he asked at point-blank range.

I almost wanted to laugh. But no! ... What kind of story was that? Science-fiction?

Neither Riccardo nor the doctor were laughing, Nirva looked thoughtful and frowned. Josè was uncertain and Max opened his blue eyes wide.

Suddenly I remembered a joke I told Licia about one year earlier in a restaurant... the day I met Josè for the first time often came back to memory, in detail. During that period I was a fan of the TV show Visitors - transmitted in Italy in 1986 and replicated in many occasions. The plot was about a war between the human race and an alien reptile race, and to me it was just a good sci-fi show...

While we were having lunch in the naturist restaurant, Licia opened up to me about the difficulties of her recent marriage and she declared she was contemplating the idea of going back to be single again: she wanted to mutate. So, to defuse the situation, I made fun of her, “in what? A Reptilian?”

In front of Riccardo's serious expression, the best thing that came to mind was “Well, yeah... I've watched the show Visitors on TV...”

Giuliano stepped in. “It was a good sci-fi show, but in many incredible stories sometimes there's a kernel of truth.”

The idea seemed actually crazy, but those two were so serious and calm, reasonable and kind, which made me dismiss the assumption that they were crazy. And, after all, us four came to India to follow an idea that would have seemed at least strange to many people.

“Alright,” I said with a sigh. “That passenger on the plane was a Reptilian in disguise?”

Unexpectedly the doctor and his friend laughed. “No. The Reptilians on Earth are very few and they keep well hidden. There are many hybrids that exist, that have quite a human look if you look at them from a distance and generally they are in a position of great power in our society, so they don't need to mix with common people or travel in economy class.”

Giuliano got up. “I think this discussion needs some more drinks. I will go and order them at the bar. I shall leave you in the capable hands of Riccardo, who for many years and full time takes care of these things. I'll be back soon.”

He took mental note of our preferences and went quickly away. All eyes were turned to his friend. He smiled calmly and continued to talk.

“The passenger with the tattoo on his wrist was a 'familiar', that is a human enslaved to the Reptilians. The small differences in the points and lines of design identify the Reptilian or hybrid for which he works or, better still, of whom he belongs - the tattoo is a kind of tag for the livestock...”

I was horrified. “Could you better explain what a 'familiar' means?”

“In European folklore tradition that was created around the belief of the existence of witches, the familiars were minor demons that act as the witches' servants and they could take the shape of an animal... from this idea came superstitious fear and contempt that some people have for black cats and owls, but also for crows and magpies and ferrets. They believed that those familiars were bought or inherited, or received as a gift. In the Middle Age there was real slaughter of cats, which brought to the uncontrolled multiplication of rats and, as a consequence, to the Black Plague.”

Riccardo realized this information was both new and shocking to us and smiled before continuing. “The Christian superstition didn't take root everywhere in the same way and in some areas, especially in Germany where the Antic Religion was still respected, familiars where considered benevolent genies who protected villages, forests and listened to the requests of wiser and powerful humans, showing up when they were evoked and even accepting to live in everyday objects, like stones, rings, vases or things like them. They often answered questions, diagnosing illness, warning of dangers and enemies.”

Giuliano arrived with a waiter; we suspended the discussion until the waiter finished putting down our glasses and went away.

Nirvanananda came closer and held my hand, physically outstretched with interest toward our guests. He seemed hypnotized. Josè and Maximilian seemed skeptical, but were willing to listen.

“That man that you saw on the airplane... we've been observing for months. We were almost sure that he was the familiar of a powerful Reptilian that lived in Rome and we know that he was organizing a meeting in Nepal. In Rome we have a small team that keeps an eye on the ones we know, especially those who hang around the government.”

Giuliano stepped in. Giuliano stepped in: “As you might know, in various areas they talk about the New Moral Order, an occult force that is manipulating and controlling more and more governments and human beings in general. When Riccardo and his group knew that the familiar was leaving, we organized and found two places on the same flight, hoping that this casual closeness would allow us to finally obtain the proof we've been waiting for a long time.”

“And in fact so it was,” Riccardo said with a big smile. “It isn't easy for a stranger to come so close to a familiar to see his nude wrist, because they always dress formally and they pay attention to the social relationships. They don't have any connections out of their cluster; even sexually they choose a partner who belongs to the same Reptilian master. But I hoped that in the right circumstances we could catch him with his guard down or, in this case, his cuff unfastened...”

He allowed himself a clever smile and the doctor copied him. I was still astonished, but the story started to make sense.

“I still don't understand why you're telling us all of this,” Max commented. “I can believe you've done some research on Stefi, but what about the rest of us? We could be not worthy of all this trust... I seem to understand that your job is extremely risky and just a little indiscretion could put you in danger.”

Riccardo and Giuliano exchanged a look. It was clear that they had their answer ready.

“It's true,” the doctor said. “But if you want to obtain something in life you have to accept some risk. In our case, meeting you on the plane and finding out that you're going to Nepal to meet your friend the monk Kathmandu seemed too much of a good chance not to take advantage of it.”

“Yes,” said Riccardo. “To us it could be helpful to come to Nepal with you... It would mislead any eventual suspect that the familiar could have after our meeting on the plane.”

I looked around. Everyone nodded. “That's no problem,” Maximilian said.

Nirva seemed still anxious. I encouraged him to speak.

“See,” he said, after throwing back a sip of his drink, “I have read many things about Reptilians and aliens that could be in contact with the inhabitants of Earth.”

Giuliano and his friend looked at him carefully.

“They're very dangerous,” Nirvanananda spoke again. “They belong to another dimension, but can also perfectly live in this as long as they feed on negative vibes, suffering, fear, and despair of the living beings that they love to dominate.”

“True,” Riccardo commented. The doctor just nodded.

“Recently I read a very interesting article, which connected the various ufological current to the European folklore stories and in particular to Indian tradition...”

Everyone was really careful. Nirva drank another sip and kept talking.

“According to this last one, there are various humanoid bloodlines that are genetically more powerful than human beings, which throughout history have created outposts and settlements on our planet. The three most famous races are called Rakshasa, Naga e Yaksha. All three of them are biologically compatible with humans and can generate hybrids, which inherit the powers even if on a smaller scale.

While Naga and Yaksha have limited powers and can be quite benevolent with humans, Rakshasa have terrifying faculties with which they're capable of modifying matter only with their thought and they gladly use it to dominate humans. One of the most common examples is the fact that they're able to change their body's aspect. They're called Shapeshifters.”

“Yes! I heard about those Shapeshifters a few weeks ago on the show X-Files!” Josè said. And he nodded to Nirvanananda to continue.

“The ploy comes better when there's less light, so all these groups prefer to take action at night, even though the most powerful ones are perfectly capable of doing this in full daylight. The look that adapts best to their nature and can be considered their true form is terrifying - because what the Rakshasa like the most, more than the physical taste of human or animal flesh, is the emotional energy their preys' emit. Fear, horror, despair, helplessness, humiliation and degradation of their victims are delicious tastes to those creatures, which sometimes are described as ogres or vampires. They're also compared to snakes because they have a hypnotic power on human beings and they love to take these forms that can be defined as reptilians, even though it's known that according to their victims' mind they can take the form of other creepy beasts or composite aspects that remind us of different kinds of animals.”

Total silence came over our group.

Max was deep in his thoughts, probably he was making mental and cultural connections, but didn't show any sign of skepticism anymore.

Now it was Josè turn to hold my hand and he had a worried look.

The doctor and Riccardo were nodding, very seriously.

Nirva kept talking. “Historically our planet had alien outposts almost everywhere, although the principal settlements seem how have been in Sri Lanka for Rakshasa, China for Naga and the Caucasian region just in the north of mount Himalaya for Yaksha.”

Giuliano's friend raised a hand to interrupt him. “Let's not forget about the colonies in Mexico, Mesopotamia, upper Egypt, Cambodia, Israel, Rome, New Orleans and New York.”

“Of course,” Nirvanananda said, “but I'm talking about what Vedic books say, written over five-thousand years ago. Since then, there have been several movements. According to my research, in 1,000 BC a small group of Rakshasa allied with a 'rebel' group of Yaksha, giving birth to a migration from the Caucasian region to Middle East which changed radically the life of the human populations in the entire region, profoundly transforming social relationships and creating new mythologies, which spoke of cruelties and demons, giants of enormous physical power and monsters - that required rituals and blood sacrifices. To those superhuman beings were given different names - both collective like Elohim, Annunaki and Titans, and individual such as Marduk, Aryaman and so on.

The new religion overthrew the matriarchal cultures and introduced rape as a weapon of control, punishment and intimidation over women and the whole social group. Slavery and body modifications as a mark of recognition and belonging: circumcision, extension of the skull, tattooing, teeth reduction, deformation of various body parts such as lips, earlobes and so on, through the insertion of foreign objects. Domestic animals became private property, closed in fences or cages or fastened up and butchered as it pleased. The Sumerian tradition affirms that genetic experiments were made, to create animals and humans for the dominators' purposes. Both human and animal sacrifice rituals were introduced, providing a caste of privileged priests that served as intermediaries between ordinary human beings and their dominators.

The ancient tradition of the alpha-male, chosen every year as tribal leader after a demonstration of physical and mental strength was transformed into absolutist hereditary monarchy, in which the hybrid descendants of the dominators, raised to the rank of demigods, were crossbred between them to maintain as much as possible the superhuman genetic heritage.

To protect them a caste of sired warriors was created, denied of any kind of independence and organized hierarchically in an identical form to that of the armies that we know today. They developed more efficient and cruel weapons; they organized military expeditions to conquer a larger territory to gather fresh resources, slaves, animals and tributes of various natures.”

Riccardo and Giuliano nodded. “Yes, fundamentally this coincides with our information.”

Maximilian went pale. “So these familiars are also trained to use weapons!”

The doctor's friend smiled. “Not all of them are experts as you fear... And we train too!”

Josè intervened. “What is the link with extraterrestrials? From what you have said so far these races are terrestrials even if not human.”