Well, water is not hot like river water, very cold. As soon as I put the water on my body, my body got comfortable. The fatigue of the day, the worries of marriage, the complications of death - all washed away. I'm starting to feel great. Moreover, the environment is quite strange. An old kind of house. An ancient well covered with algae at the far end of the sparkling courtyard. Clear moon in the sky. A sweet smell is wafting from the Kamini flower tree. A long life bachelor old man who looks like a sage has cooked. Like a scene from a novel by Bibhutibhushan.
"Sir Sudhakanta?"
"yes."
"How much longer will it take to cook?"
"It will not be late."
"Doesn't it feel bad to be alone?"
"No, it has become a habit."
"What do you do when you return home?"
"I don't do much, I just sit quietly."
"Don't you feel scared?"
Sir Sudhakant did not answer this question.
The food arrangement is small, but I haven't eaten such a nice dish for a long time. Fry with a sour taste, the smell of Five seasoning spices. Egg curry with eggplant, in which pulses are added. I have never eaten pulses before. I did not know that such delicious food is common in the country. Mugger pulses. It smells wonderful to give ghee to the Pulses!
I said, "Sir Sudhakanta, I have never eaten such wonderful food in my life. I will remember it for a long time."
Sir SudhaKanto said, "You were hungry, that's why you like it so much. The secret of taste is hunger. Where there is no hunger, there is no taste."
I was amazed.
The man not only looks like a philosopher but also speaks like a philosopher.
Sir Sudhakanta spread the rug in the yard. After eating and drinking, I sat there with a cigarette in my hand. We can talk for a while. Sir Sudhakanta, however, does not seem to be a very talkative person. I have been with him for a long time, he did not want to know my name. He didn't even want to know what I did. I'm interested enough in this guy, but this guy doesn't seem interested in me. But I have seen in my experience, those who teach, like to talk very much. They talk for no reason.
After we sat in silence for about 15 minutes, Sir Sudhakanta surprised me and said, "You were asking me if I was afraid to stay in this house alone, wasn't I?"
I said, "Yes, that's right."
Sudhakanta said, "I am scared. I can't sleep almost at night, I stay awake. I keep the fire burning inside the house. storm-lantern keep burning. They are afraid of fire. If there is fire, it does not come near."
I said in surprise, "Who?"
He did not answer.
I said, "Are you talking about ghosts?"
"Yes"
I took a deep breath in my mind. This old man probably doesn't know where the world has gone. Man's shoes are imprinted on the back of the moon, Viking satellites have landed in the desert of Mars, Voyager 1 and 2 have flown close to the shores of Jupiter, and this math teacher is keeping the house on fire for fear of ghosts. Because ghosts are afraid of fire.
I said, "Have you ever seen them?"
"No"
"Get the sound of their feet?"
"Not even that."
"Then?"
"I can sense it."
" You can sense it?"
"Yes. When you're there, you'll understand."
"I'll see their activities, so you're saying?"
"Huh, but not theirs, only one comes."
"It's good that one comes. I thought maybe it would come with the team. They dance-sing, make noise."
continue...