his fingers at a waiter. Feluda had already offered to pay, but Mahabir would not let him. Well, I thought to myself, a film actor was supposed to make a lot of money. So paying for a cup of tea and a cold drink couldn’t hurt him much.
After paying the bill, he took out a packet of cigarettes and offered it to Feluda. I noticed they were Charminars.
‘How long are you here for?’ he asked.
‘Tomorrow we’re going to Haridwar for a couple of days, but after that we’re here until next month.’
‘Are you all going to Haridwar?’
‘No, Dhiru Kaka cannot get away. So we three are going, and possibly Bonobihari Babu. He’s going to look for a python in Laxmanjhoola.’
We went out of the restaurant.
‘I have a car,’ Mahabir offered, ‘I could give you a lift.’
‘No, thanks,’ said Feluda. ‘We can ride in a motor car any time in Calcutta. A tonga is a new experience, and an enjoyable one!’
Mahabir took Feluda’s hand and clasped it warmly. ‘It really was a pleasure to meet you,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you just one thing—if I get evidence that my father did not die a natural death and that someone was responsible for it, I will not rest until I have tracked down the criminal and settled scores with him. I may be young, but Idid spend four years in the Military Academy. I have a licensed revolver, and I am a crack shot . . . good-bye!’
He crossed the road, got into his black Standard and drove off. Feluda simply said, ‘Bravo!’
Yes, the plot had certainly thickened. There appeared to be a puzzle within a puzzle, a maze within a maze.
We began walking in search of a tonga. Feluda didn’t really need blades, I realized.
Seven
We had to take the Doon Express to get to Haridwar. It left Lucknow in the evening and reached Haridwar at 4.30 a.m.
When Baba had mentioned a possible visit to Haridwar before we left Calcutta, I had been pleased. Puri was the only holy place I had seen. So the thought of seeing another was quite exciting. But now, after all this hullabaloo over the stolen ring, I did not feel like leaving Lucknow.
Feluda, however, had not lost his enthusiasm. ‘You’ll see how interesting it is to go from Haridwar to Hrishikesh and then to Laxmanjhoola. The river is different in each place. The further north you go, the stronger it gets. In Laxmanjhoola, it gushes with such powerful turbulence that it’s practically impossible to have a conversation by its side.’
‘Have you been to all these places?’
‘Yes, I went to all three after my last visit to Lucknow.’
Dhiru Kaka himself drove us to the station. Almost as soon as we had moved into our coach with our baggage, Dr Srivastava turned up. Nice of him to have come to see us off. But no, a coolie was carrying his suitcase! We stared at him. ‘I had asked Dhiru Babu not to tell,’ Dr Srivastava laughed, as the coolie put the suitcase down. ‘He knew I wanted to go with you. Gave you a surprise, didn’t I?’
Baba seemed very pleased.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think you’d be able to come away, or I’d have asked you myself.’
Srivastava dusted one corner of a seat and sat down. ‘To tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘I’ve tried not to show it, but I have been upset by the loss of Pyarelal’s gift. So I thought, getting away from it all might do me some good.’
Bonobihari Babu arrived within five minutes, with rather a lotof luggage. He greeted everyone with a smile and said, ‘Stand by now for a spectacular event. Pavitrananda Swami is travelling in this train. His followers are coming to bid him farewell. Witness their devotion!’
A plump, saffron-clad figure arrived a little later, long hair flowing down his shoulders. He was accompanied by dozens of people with garlands in their hands. He got into the first-class coach next to ours. A few others crowded round the doorway. Presumably, all these were his devotees.
There were just five minutes left before the train’s departure. We had
After paying the bill, he took out a packet of cigarettes and offered it to Feluda. I noticed they were Charminars.
‘How long are you here for?’ he asked.
‘Tomorrow we’re going to Haridwar for a couple of days, but after that we’re here until next month.’
‘Are you all going to Haridwar?’
‘No, Dhiru Kaka cannot get away. So we three are going, and possibly Bonobihari Babu. He’s going to look for a python in Laxmanjhoola.’
We went out of the restaurant.
‘I have a car,’ Mahabir offered, ‘I could give you a lift.’
‘No, thanks,’ said Feluda. ‘We can ride in a motor car any time in Calcutta. A tonga is a new experience, and an enjoyable one!’
Mahabir took Feluda’s hand and clasped it warmly. ‘It really was a pleasure to meet you,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you just one thing—if I get evidence that my father did not die a natural death and that someone was responsible for it, I will not rest until I have tracked down the criminal and settled scores with him. I may be young, but Idid spend four years in the Military Academy. I have a licensed revolver, and I am a crack shot . . . good-bye!’
He crossed the road, got into his black Standard and drove off. Feluda simply said, ‘Bravo!’
Yes, the plot had certainly thickened. There appeared to be a puzzle within a puzzle, a maze within a maze.
We began walking in search of a tonga. Feluda didn’t really need blades, I realized.
Seven
We had to take the Doon Express to get to Haridwar. It left Lucknow in the evening and reached Haridwar at 4.30 a.m.
When Baba had mentioned a possible visit to Haridwar before we left Calcutta, I had been pleased. Puri was the only holy place I had seen. So the thought of seeing another was quite exciting. But now, after all this hullabaloo over the stolen ring, I did not feel like leaving Lucknow.
Feluda, however, had not lost his enthusiasm. ‘You’ll see how interesting it is to go from Haridwar to Hrishikesh and then to Laxmanjhoola. The river is different in each place. The further north you go, the stronger it gets. In Laxmanjhoola, it gushes with such powerful turbulence that it’s practically impossible to have a conversation by its side.’
‘Have you been to all these places?’
‘Yes, I went to all three after my last visit to Lucknow.’
Dhiru Kaka himself drove us to the station. Almost as soon as we had moved into our coach with our baggage, Dr Srivastava turned up. Nice of him to have come to see us off. But no, a coolie was carrying his suitcase! We stared at him. ‘I had asked Dhiru Babu not to tell,’ Dr Srivastava laughed, as the coolie put the suitcase down. ‘He knew I wanted to go with you. Gave you a surprise, didn’t I?’
Baba seemed very pleased.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think you’d be able to come away, or I’d have asked you myself.’
Srivastava dusted one corner of a seat and sat down. ‘To tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘I’ve tried not to show it, but I have been upset by the loss of Pyarelal’s gift. So I thought, getting away from it all might do me some good.’
Bonobihari Babu arrived within five minutes, with rather a lotof luggage. He greeted everyone with a smile and said, ‘Stand by now for a spectacular event. Pavitrananda Swami is travelling in this train. His followers are coming to bid him farewell. Witness their devotion!’
A plump, saffron-clad figure arrived a little later, long hair flowing down his shoulders. He was accompanied by dozens of people with garlands in their hands. He got into the first-class coach next to ours. A few others crowded round the doorway. Presumably, all these were his devotees.
There were just five minutes left before the train’s departure. We had
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