The colonel lit a cigarette again and let out a puff of smoke and said, "Actually, if someone had asked me that, I would have said no. But many people believe in ghosts. And it is not to say that they do such terrible things because of their belief."
Mr. Haldar got excited and said, "Who did what?"
"No, he did. Think of Mr. Haldar, killing 108 people!"
What do you say? Did the police catch him?
"The police couldn't catch him. The one who could have written this book. I like the name 'Life and pursuits of magician Adinath'. The author's name is Harnath. It was written and printed 90 years ago. Adinath was Harnath's elder uncle."
I said, "That witch killed 108 people?"
"Thus wrote Harnath. The magician believed that the 108 ghosts would be his disciple. But the end was not saved. One day at dawn the magician was found lying inside the temple in a state of headlessness. The body was covered in blood and blood was all around. The magician was also killed."
Mr. Haldar's hands and feet were trembling. Shaking, he said, "Where did his head go?"
The colonel leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes and said, "The head was not found. The body had to be taken to the crematorium. Harnath writes, even with one and a half maunds of ghee and eight maunds of wood, his body could not be burnt even a little. In the end, the public and the fear of the police cut off the head and the body was stoned. They were tied and thrown into the river. Strangely enough, the next day the head floated in the water. There was a current in the river. But the head floated perfectly still."
I said, "Harnath saw these events?"
"He was only 15 years old then. So these were written from memories. Then what he wrote was more than 20 years later. Harnath used to see his uncle in a dream. The magician told his nephew, if someone joins my head with my body, I will be returned again. I will come back to earth."
"So far both are skeletons. One bone and the other skull," said Mr. Haldar.
The colonel opened his eyes and sat straight. Then he said, "But Harnath didn't know where the skull was. No one knew. He just brought the body and left it in the chest. Then he was looking for the skull. Suddenly one day Adinath appeared in a dream and told a funny riddle. Not only that, but the secret of the skull is hidden. The riddle is:-Eight base tied, Twelve fifteen subscriptions; Old Shiva's thorn, Touched my head; O Ring Pring Fot, Who will spread the tangle?"
I said in surprise, "You have memorised the riddle."
The colonel laughed. Then he said, "Earlier people used to rhyme because it was easy to memorize. Teachers used to teach students many formulas in the form of rhymes."
Mr.Haldar nodded enthusiastically, "Hmmm, I heard many such rhymes from teachers before."
Mr. Haldar wanted to say something more. Pointing to him, he stopped and said, "What is the reason for fiddling with this strange book, Colonel?"
The colonel shook the ash from his beard in a serious manner. Then he said, "Harnath could not figure out the mystery of the riddle. Neither could his descendants. But from what has happened or is happening recently, the people of the area believe that the sorcerer Adinath has appeared in his own body. First, who or who stole the skeleton from the chest? Second, in front of the temple two people were killed one after the other. Thirdly, Ramu the washerman was returning home from lake with a bundle of cloth on his donkey's back in the evening. Only the moonlight came out. Suddenly a skeleton stood in front and shouted, I am that Adinath. Ramu fainted."
Mr. Haldar said, "Then?"
"Ramu has gone mad now. What a strange thing he is saying. Sometimes he behaves like a sane man for a while."
The colonel put the book in a bag and said, "The donkey is also going crazy in the forest. Can't be caught."
Mr. Haldar said, "But where is that place, Colonel?"
"Kankagarh. Do you want to go there?"
No. I just asked this.
Mr. Haldar smiled a little. Then he said, "The name Kankagarh sounds familiar. Kankagarh..... ."
"Kankagarh is on the border of Burdwan Bihar. Also accessible from Durgapur."
Mr. Haldar busily took a cigarette. Then he said, "What rhyme did the colonel say?"
The colonel looked at me and wrote the rhyme on a piece of paper and gave it to Mr. Haldar.
A mischievous smile on Mr. Haldar's face. He got busy memorizing the rhyme. He did not notice the joke in our eyes. The colonel's servant brought tea once more. Picking up the cup of tea, I said, "Mr. Haldar, it is understood that the colonel has taken it upon himself to solve this mystery. You'd better be his assistant."
Mr. Haldar sipped his special tea with extra milk and chuckled. His smile is childish. Who will say that he was once a police inspector? Criminals used to be afraid of him. Retired from the job and opened a detective agency. Sometimes he comes to chat with the colonel and sometimes he comes to consult with the colonel if he gets a case.
I said, "Why are you smiling, Mr. Haldar?"
"The Colonel said that the donkey had gone mad. The donkey was mad again."
At that time the sound of footsteps was heard.
The colonel smiled and said, "Perhaps Shastinath came."
I thought he was a priest. But I was surprised to see who Shastinath brought. A young man of my age, smart and bright looking. Wearing jeans and shirt. Hanging a bag on the shoulder. The colonel also looked a little surprised. He said, "Come Dipu. Your father didn't come?"
The young man sat and looked at the watch in his hand and said, "Dad got a prank call this morning. And he went to see a dead body. He asked me to meet you."
The colonel was surprised and said, "Dead body!!!!"
The boy said, "We had a servant named Bajua. His body was found today in front of the temple. In the same condition."
Mr. Haldar sat down a little shaken. And said in a loud voice, "Murder?"