He walked to the bus stand. His mind was fixed on the Mission he was to accomplish. He was content with the thought that Leela’s life was now settled. The entire travel to Bhama, he revised the details of his action plan over and over again. He reached Bhama and entered the railway station. He looked at the chart and proceeded to the compartment he was booked in. It was a similar compartment which he had travelled to Dheemapur and met Leela – almost a mini hotel room – all to himself. He put his duck bag on the seat and chained the suitcase containing the money to the safety bar inside.
“Welcome Sir…” the ticket checker said in an earnest voice, “You must be some VIP. Rajasaab has asked me to personally take care of your needs during the travel.”
“Oh! That’s so kind of him.” Sajjan replied with a smile, “I guess I’m now settled in here and I don’t think I will need anything. My wife has packed meal for me so that is taken care of. I really need to take rest before I start the work entrusted by Rajasaab. Any delay would make him angry. So I request you not to allow anyone to disturb me during the travel. I’ll need your help with the railway accommodation when we reach Sambhalmati junction. I’m going to lock the doors to the compartment and go off to sleep. I desperately need it…”
“Okay. Sir, I’ll ensure that you are not disturbed. Please make sure that the doors are not only locked but also bolted. The train passes through a dangerous patch in the jungle, right after we leave Dheemapur.”
“I’ll remember that, Thank you.”
The ticket checker left and Sajjan immediately closed the door and bolted it behind him. He pulled all the ventilating shutters down. He fished out a blackboard chalk and held it under running water. With the wet chalk, he drew a sizable cross on the outside of the door on the other side of the railway platform. He knew that all the platforms for all the halts would be on the right side of the train when it halts and none on the left side. The hills & the jungle were close to the left side of the track… He didn’t waste any time. He pulled out a dark shirt and a similar trouser. He quickly changed into these and pulled a simple jacket over him. He put on a dark coloured empty sack over his back.
He looked into the mirror in the cloak room of the compartment. He touched the pendant with reverence and kissed it, his eyes were grim with determination. He sat on the berth waiting for the train to start moving.
The train gave a little jerk as it started to move out of Bhama junction. He opened the door on the left side where he had marked a huge cross. The mark was now prominent, dried up by the heat of the Sun. He stood near the door, hiding behind the compartment wall so that nobody could see him. He watched the train pick up some speed as it pulled out of Bhama junction and make its way to the bridge on the river located on the outskirts of Bhama. He stepped out of the door and pulled it shut, dangerously clinging on to it. Now that he had shut the door, nobody will notice that the compartment was empty. The train considerably slowed down as it approached the curve at the Bhama hill. The tracks had an upward incline and a couple of curves further slowed its motion. On his various trips to Bhama, he had studied the route minutely. He had marked a huge curve before the train entered a tunnel. He had marked a huge rock near the track just before the tunnel. As the train approached the rock, he jumped out of the train from the footboard and hid behind the rock to avoid any possible detection. He ran downhill toward the Bhama bus stand even as the train passed him into the tunnel. He boarded the bus going to Dheemapur and patiently counted the time, he smiled at few who recognized him but didn’t say anything. They all thought that he was on his normal trip to Bhama and going back to Amar’s house.
The sun had almost set when he alighted at Rajapuri halt near the ghostland. He looked around and saw nobody. He quickly slipped into the wild bushes and trees leading toward the Rajapuri halt for the railway. He made his way toward the spot where he had hidden his equipment. He opened the bag pack of his equipment and had a look of satisfaction on him – it was untouched. He carefully put the equipment and the accessories in the sack he carried over his back.
He patiently waited as the dusk grew darker and crossed the railway track toward the hill. He took the advantage of the darkness and started climbing up the hill. It was a full moon night and he had no trouble in finding his path to the spot he had marked on the top of the hill. He unpacked the equipment and started to assemble the accessories he had designed.
Once done, he satisfactorily looked at his finished product. He pulled out the batteries required for the equipment and fitted them. He also had designed an additional battery pack which he connected and taped it over the equipment. He tested the equipment rig for its functionality and was satisfied that it was working as per his design. He sat there, his back resting against a rock, his eyes glued to the proceedings at Rajasaab’s farmhouse. The lawn was fully illuminated now and the preparation of the party for his ‘Eminent Investors’ was on… They were laying the tables for dinner. All he could do was to wait…
There wasn’t much of movement at Rajasaab’s farmhouse lawn at the moment. He looked at the equipment modified by him and his mind wandered off to a distant memory…
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- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/
- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/
- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/
- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/