Important discussion with Monai.

 The colonel said the riddle,"-Eight base tied, Twelve  fifteen subscriptions; Old Shiva's thorn, Touched my head;  O Ring Pring Fot, Who will spread the tangle?"

 Then his snoring started.  Called several times and got no response.  So I was trying to sleep. Can you sleep after such a terrible experience?  Again and again that scene floated in the eyes. A skeleton by the broken wall by torchlight.  The glittering sword in both hands and his strange voice come closer.

 Umm....Aah....

 Someone was pushing.  So I sat up quickly. I saw the colonel.  Leaves, cobwebs are stuck in the head cap.  Butterfly net-stick in hand. Camera and binoculars are hanging around the neck.

 The colonel said, "It's almost 10 o'clock. Breakfast is ready. I told Raghu to let you sleep well."

 The colonel got busy changing his clothes.  I understand, as usual, he went to see nature in the early morning.  But he returned very late today.

 After a while I sat at the breakfast table and said, "I don't quite understand the skeleton thing. Is it really the skeleton of the magician  Adinath?"

 The colonel flicked a bug from his beard.  He said, "An understanding would have been reached last night itself. But for your shouting everything was ruined. If you had obeyed me and remained silent, I would not have had to work so hard."

 What is difficult?  The skeleton was going to kill Mr. Haldar.

 The colonel said calmly, "Whatever is done. Let's eat and get out."

 In that haunted forest?

 No. In the crematorium.

 Going to the crematorium  after saw skeleton. Although it is noon, it is quite uncomfortable.  Walking with the colonel, I crossed the forest and reached a river. It is nominally a river.  A shallow place filled with sand and rocks. The black water is flowing like a crooked snake. A dilapidated hut under a huge banyan tree.  Three children are playing by digging holes in the sand of the river. The colonel approached the hut. By now I saw a bamboo loft on the other side.  A 15-16 year old boy is sitting there. The look is like carving on hard stone. Wearing half pants and torn red shirt. When he saw us, he looked confused.

 The colonel said in a sweet voice, "Hi Monai, do you recognize me? Last time you plucked me many orchids from the forest trees. Remember?"

 A smile appeared on the boy's face.

 Coming down from the loft, he saluted and said, "I saw a tree on the other side of the river, sir. Red red leaves."

 I am saddened to hear about your father, Monai.

 Monai's happiness seemed to be gone.  He kept his eyes down. I understood that this Monai is the son of that Jagai.  His eyes are rolling in water.

 The colonel said, "Where is your mother?"

 Went to my parents office.  Dad's salary is still due. The officer is visiting the mother every day.

 The colonel sat carefully on the bamboo head.

 Kro.....kro..n.ch..ngh...

 Old bamboo loft.  He seems unable to bear the weight.  He motioned me to sit. I sat aside in fear.

 The colonel said, "This was Jagai's hangout. Many people used to come to him in the evenings to hang out. Isn't that right Monai?"

 Monai shook her head.

 "I heard that sometimes saints used to come and sit here to light cigarettes. Jagai said that. Even before your father was killed, a saint must have come and sat here. I can see the ashes of those cigarettes."

 Monai hesitated a little and said, "A saint used to come with Ram Babu, sir. Very scary to see. Big hair on his head, red eyes. Mother said that saint first killed Ram Babu. Then father. Mother was saying, isn't that saint an idiot. Killed my father. On the night my father was killed, it was raining heavily. I was awake. Mother repeatedly opened the door of the house and called my father. Father did not come. Finally, when the rain and storm stopped, mother came here with a torch in her hand. She took me with her.  She brought it. She said, Two of us will hold the legs and pull them into the house."

 Say, what  Then?

 "Then I came and saw that my father was not there.  The saint is sitting. Mother called the saint. The saint closes his eyes and mumbles what he knows.  Didn't look. Then the mother abused the saint. After a long time, the saint widened his eyes and said, I have sent Jagai on an errand.  You go to sleep."

 And you go to sleep?

 "Hmm. Then there was no trace of father. In the morning a body came. And some people came with wood on their heads. Seeing that father was not there, a man quarreled with mother. At that time Ramu came panting and informed us about the place where he was killed."

 Monai swallowed hard and stopped.

 The colonel said, "Didn't the police come?"

 Came sir.  Mother told the police everything.

 Well Monai, have you ever seen that saint before?  Think carefully.

 I didn't see it, but it felt familiar.

 Do you know Bajua for sure?  I heard that he was also killed.

 Yes sir.  Mother said, this is also the work of that saint.  He came in the form of a human being, not a saint or a human being.

 Monai, I heard that the saint is a skeleton.

 Monai was startled. 

 He said with a scared face, "Yes sir. Mother was saying that there was a skeleton standing next to the saint. I did not see it. Mother saw it."

 That stormy rainy night?

 Monai shook her head loudly.  The colonel handed him a 100 rupee.  He took that money and put it in his pocket and said, "Let's go, sir. I will pluck red leaves from the tree."

 Well. Bajua did not come to hang out with your father?

 Come sir.

 Hmm. Did Bajua come while the saint was staying?

 Hmm.

 The colonel got up and said, "I'll come again. I'll see your mother then. Let's go now."

 Reaching a footpath from the crematorium, I said, "The boy is very smart and very simple."

 Those who live in nature are usually simple.  And called him smart? That's right too. Now Monai has to fight to survive.  Perhaps at this age the crematorium will employ him. But burning dead will not be difficult for him.  Because I saw Monai working with his father.