THE YAKSHA’S TREASURE by Hemendra Kumar Roy (6)

Chapter 5

A Consultation

I said, ‘How did the skull get stolen, Bimal?’

Bimal said, ‘Don’t know. I woke up in the morning to find my study door open, someone had broken into the room last night! My heart immediately missed a beat. I had kept the skull in my table drawer and locked it. I ran in to see that the drawer was pulled wide and that the skull was not in it!’

I exclaimed, ‘This must be Karali Mukherjee’s handiwork. It is he who’s sent goons to steal the skull. But what surprises me is how Karali Mukherjee knew the skull was at your place?’

Bimal said, ‘Karali must have stationed spies everywhere. He knows all about what we’re planning, what we’re doing.’

I said, ‘But what will he achieve with just the skull? He doesn’t know the coded message after all.’

Bimal said, ‘Kumar, never underestimate the enemy. If we could understand the message, then why can’t Karali understand it as well with just a bit of effort?’

I said, ‘But even all of the message is not on the skull anymore! Do you remember, it fell from my hand yesterday and got nicked?’

Bimal absently said, ‘Still, one can’t be complacent,’ while thinking of something.

All of a sudden I remembered something else. I hurriedly asked him, ‘Is Thakurda’s pocket-book stolen as well?’

Bimal said, ‘No, that is one saving grace. I had taken the pocket-book to bed with me last night to read it once again, properly. Before I went to sleep, I put it under my pillow – the thief couldn’t take it.’

Somewhat relieved, I said, ‘Well – we’re still saved, my friend. The actual address to the treasure is in that pocket-book. Without the address, Karali can’t do anything even if he can work out the message! But be very careful Bimal! The pocket-book shouldn’t get stolen now.’

Bimal said, ‘I’ll arrange for that today itself. Wherever the pocket-book mentions the route and the address, I shall obliterate with ink in such a way that no one can read it.’

I said, ‘But then, we’ll be in trouble as well!’

Bimal laughed and said, ‘Never fear. I’ll copy down the route and the address on a fresh sheet of paper in code – no one has the key to that code other than me.’

After a pause, I asked, ‘What shall we do now?’

Bimal said, ‘First we have to retrieve the skull.’

Surprised, I asked, ‘How to do that?’

Bimal said, ‘Just how he took the skull from us!’

I said, ‘Burgle the thief?’

Bimal said, ‘What other way is there? I’ll break into Karali’s house somehow this very night. You’ll come along as well.’

A bit nervous, I said, ‘But if Karali gets to know, he’ll get us arrested as thieves! There is no proof that he has stolen the skull from us, after all.’

Bimal said, sounding desperate, ‘We have to do what destiny has in store for us. But it is true that Karali cannot catch either of us while I’m alive.’

Unable to convince myself, I said, ‘No Bimal, let’s avoid this. Shall we finally have a scandal in the neighborhood?’

Bimal flew into a rage at this and said, ‘Damn it, you coward, you’re planning to go to Roopnath caves with this brand of courage? Why don’t you just be the mollycoddled little boy and sit on your mother’s lap at home – I’ll return your pocket-book right away,’ saying this he briskly strode towards the door.

I quickly brought him back and said, ‘Bimal, you’ve misunderstood, I am not scared at all. I was just saying -‘

Bimal interrupted me and said, ‘I don’t want to listen to what you’re saying. Tell me clearly, are you ready to come with me to Karali’s place tonight or not?’

I replied, ‘I’m ready.’

Gladdened, Bimal shook both my hands in a mighty handshake and said, ‘Hmm, there speaks a good boy. If you want to be man, be a daredevil first.’

I laughed and said, ‘Daredevils get strung up, though.’

Bimal said, ‘No one who lies in bed cheats death either. If we have to die anyway, it’s much better to die like a warrior than die lying in bed! All these good boys you all approve of, I can’t stand those whimpering lumps of lard. They are the ones terrified of the British, they are the ones who can’t survive danger, they die – but like cowards. These are the bane of the Bengalis. The races who are living with their head held high in today’s world have all disregarded Death and aimed to be the best. Do you understand, Kumar? Danger makes me happy.’