Based on a novel by Satyajit Ray.
Produced by Ghosal Media & Entertainment.
Associate Producer: Shadow Films.
Oh Christ! What's going on? Please stop the car!
What's up, boy? What happened?
Oh? Let's go, guys!
Lead the way!
Pokhra. Nepal. October 2018.
The House of Death.
National Highway 16. May 2019.
Oh! What a fix I was in!
Haripada couldn't have asked for a holiday at a worse time!
It was a family crisis, so I didn't have the heart to deny him either.
If you hadn't stepped forward when you did...
our trip would've been ruined!
I wasn't sure whether you'd entrust your car to anyone else!
What do you mean, Felu?
I'd rather entrust it to you than anyone else!
I've been saying it since day one:
my car is your car too!
You've helped me out innumerable times in the past.
This is the least I can do for you in return!
You think so? - Of course!
A saying I've been hearing since childhood:
travel broadens the mind.
I only understood the true meaning of it after I met you...
and not before!
Tapesh!
How many places have we been to, thanks to your cousin?
Wait, let me think.
Delhi... Mumbai...
Varanasi... Shimla...
Rajasthan... Sikkim...
Nepal.
And this time?
Puri! - Right! Puri!
All hail Lord Jagannath!
Bhubaneswar!
We should reach Puri by 3pm.
Very good progress, I must say!
That maybe so.
I've heard Puri is very crowded at this time...
so are you sure we'll get rooms at Neelachal Hotel?
The twin-bed room is confirmed.
The single-bed room should also be free by now.
Good!
Hey! Are you hungry?
That I am!
Same here, to be honest!
It's almost 1pm.
And besides...
you need to take a break too!
I've been meaning to ask...
is there a history of authors among your ancestors?
Hmm... At least not in the last 2-3 generations.
Why this question in particular?
I was thinking about your latest novel,
which is also your first attempt at horror.
The Demon of Pithapuram? - Hmm.
You've read it already??
Yes! Before even I did!
Now, it's my turn!
Incredible!
The fact that a novel like that gave you food for thought...
is completely new to me!
Not really.
Then?
No matter how ridiculous your stories are...
I'll be reaching there soon!
they don't succeed just due to all the action and story twists!
There is something about... - I've just stopped
to grab a bite to eat.
From here, I'll be coming straight to your place.
No, no! Don't worry about that!
It's just half an hour from here! That's not much!
Excuse me? - Huh?
I think this belongs to you.
I'll just call you back.
Thanks! Thank you so much!
Actually, this ring has become slightly loose over time.
So it tends to fall off quite often!
But anyway, thanks so much, Mr....?
Pradosh Mitter.
Mahesh Hingorani.
Excuse me.
Thanks!
Cigarette holder, case, and lighter... all golden.
Even his glasses look like gold.
He also has a gold bracelet, gold necklace, and 3 gold rings.
Wow!
So what is this gold-wrapped gentleman's name?
Mahesh Hingorani.
Ah!
The sea!
Go and complete the check-in formalities.
I'll join you after parking the car. - Okay.
Good Afternoon, Sir! - Afternoon!
L. Ganguly and party, from Kolkata!
Just a minute, Sir!
All hail Lord Jagannath!
Puri welcomes you!
I hope you have rooms for us!
What do you mean, Sir? As per your instructions...
I've booked you 2 adjacent rooms on the 2nd floor!
Very good!
Give me the key for Room 23
and the duplicate key for 22. - Yes, Sir!
Duplicate? - Yes.
I hope you don't mind...
but you'll have to share your room with another guest for 2 days.
Actually, we've been having an influx of guests...
No problem at all!
I hope he's Bengali? - Purebred!
He's a garment store owner in Gariahat. - Oh!
This is Shyamlal Barik. - I'm the manager of this hotel.
He's my landlord Sudhakanto's classmate.
Pradosh Mitter.
And this is my cousin... - Tapesh Ranjan Mitter.
I see! So you're Feluda and he's Topshay, right?
Send the bags to Rooms 22 and 23. - Yes, Sir.
What about the check-in formalities?
We'll deal with that later. Come with me.
Felu, is this your first time in Puri?
No. I went to Rourkela about a year ago to help solve a case.
I came to Puri after that. - Oh!
And I was 5 the last time I visited here! - Really?
But it's his first time here! - What?? Are you serious??
I haven't even fully discovered my hometown Kolkata yet!
Puri will have to wait!
There is a Jain temple not 3 miles from my place.
I've heard about it from birth, but I still haven't seen it yet!
What is it? - Nothing!
This is your roommate.
Srinibas Shome. - Lalmohan Ganguly.
Come in, come in! - Your luggage is the on the way!
Come in, Felu!
Nice! The room looks great!
Like it?
How new is this hotel?
We started about 1.5 years ago.
Bathroom is okay!
There's a lovely balcony too, I see!
Have you delivered the luggage to Room 23? - Yes Sir!
Okay, wait here.
I'll let you gentlemen get some rest now.
Could I offer you some tea or coffee?
I wouldn't mind some tea. - Alright.
But no teabags, please!
Did you hear? - Yes Sir!
Tell them downstairs to serve the good tea here.
Can I take my leave now? - Of course!
Lord Jagannath willing, I'll try and drop by at night.
Sure!
I'm going out with Srinibas. I'll see you later.
Going out where?
If I tell you, you'll just make fun of me!
Let's hear it anyway.
He knows about an incredible astrologer living nearby.
Mr. Laxman Bhattacharya.
With a finger on the forehead, he can predict your future!
Whose forehead?
The forehead of whose future he is predicting, naturally!
You're saying he can read forehead fate lines?
That's what it sounds like!
So, where does he live?
About 10 minutes from here on foot.
Have you started reading it?
Let's go. Our appointment's at 8pm! - See you later!
Let us walk you till there.
Let's go, Topshay!
Do you know that Baikuntha Mullick wrote a poem about Puri?
Baikuntha Mullick? - Hmm!
Your Bengali teacher from the Athenaeum Institution?
Exactly!
When I was in Class 7, I recited that poem...
in an Elocution Contest and won a prize for it!
The last 2 lines are particularly lovely!
If you pay attention to them,
you'll truly appreciate their beauty.
The murmur of roaring waves I hear from the abyss...
Alone I stand, on one leg, feeling the sand's gentle kiss!
Bravo! What a rendition! Beautiful!
Here, the poet must be identifying himself with a stork...
because this wind is going to make...
standing one-legged on this sandy beach impossible for a human!
Anyway.
Tell me,
do you find anything unique about these prints on the sand?
Someone's strolling around with a walking stick for sure!
You're right!
But unique? I don't see anything unique about it...
What about you? Any ideas?
People normally hold walking sticks in their right hands.
But here, the walking stick imprints are on the left.
I wouldn't be surprised if the gentleman is left-handed.
What's that place?
That's an abandoned house. Totally uninhabited.
'Sagarika'.
And D. G. Sen owns the place.
He lives on the 1st floor.
And that door on the ground floor? That's where Laxman lives.
The gentleman's talent seems to be in good demand.
Let's go! - Of course!
I'll see you back at the hotel.
All hail Lord Jagannath!
Let's go.
Why D. G. Sen, all of a sudden?
When dropping off Lalmohan at Sagarika,
to visit Laxman Bhattacharya...
the name on the door caught my eye.
Forgive me, but even I don't know his full name.
Everyone here either calls him D. G. Sen or D. G. Sir.
Is he a loner?
He moved here about 3 years ago.
He's a widower and lives alone.
Initially, he could be seen out and about.
Last year, he went to either Sikkim or Bhutan.
He returned a few months ago and has been a recluse ever since.
Do you know why?
No.
Oh.
Did he have this house built? - His father did.
I heard that he was a successful businessman.
3 houses in Kolkata, 1 in Madhupur, and 1 in Puri.
After the father died, the business died soon after.
He split his inheritance between his 2 sons through his will.
D. G. Sen, the younger son, got this house.
Neither of the 2 sons...
decided to pursue the family business? - No.
But I've heard that D. G. Sen used to work a job at one time.
Now he's obsessed with art.
Art?
Is he the one
with a collection of punthis (ancient palm leaf manuscripts)?
Unbelievable! Supernatural!
Without compare!
Whooping cough at seven and a half years.
Knee dislocation at 18, after tripping over and falling.
My first novel: stupendously successful!
He even predicted the number of editions my next novel would have!
So, there's no need
to visit Bhabesh Bhattacharya at Mecheda anymore?
You can joke all you want, dear sir...
I'm definitely going to take you to him one day!
One more thing: he said that my luck with friends was good.
And he also described one of them to me.
What about the friend's occupation?
He said that my friend is...
intelligent... skilled...
inquisitive...
with an immense power of observation...
So? Does that sound familiar?
What more proof do you need?
Lovely.
Anyway, as I was saying.
The gentleman's life revolves around his manuscript collection.
People come from far and wide just to see his collection!
Whose manuscript collection are you talking about?
D. G. Sen, whose house you just visited.
I guess you didn't manage to find out his full name?
I totally forgot about that!
I hope it's not Dolgobindo?
That's the half-mad character from your latest novel!
Correct!
Dolgobindo Dutta Ray!
I was just trying your number!
Whatever else you may be, at least you're true to your word!
Does D. G. Sen have any children?
A son, that I know of. He and his wife come to visit him sometimes.
Do you want to meet with him?
He's a very peculiar person.
And he doesn't socialise at all.
Unless, of course, you happen to be interested in ancient manuscripts?
I definitely am!
Along with that, one needs to have some background knowledge too.
No point meeting someone like this without having done my homework.
Homework? Don't you worry about homework!
Jyotish Kanungo's house is but a 5 minute walk from my hotel.
He was a professor at Ravenshaw College.
He's retired now.
There's barely a topic he doesn't know something about!
Prof. J. Kanungo.
Feluda's missing this!
The weather's perfect for a bath in the sea!
Pleasure before business?
Didn't you swim regularly during your childhood days?
Of course I did!
I was applauded for my expertise at performing the butterfly stroke!
Then why aren't you getting into the water here?
A Hedua swimming pool and the Bay of Bengal
are 2 very different things!
And I've also heard that
Puri's waves can be quite treacherous.
Maybe Mumbai's waves won't be as...
Huh?
Doesn't that feel a bit... I don't know...?
D-d-dead??
Thank you, Inspector Mahapatra!
Yes, I'll be seeing you soon.
The police are on their way.
Whew! That's a relief!
Mahapatra is very efficient.
Born in Kolkata, speaks Bengali fluently too.
Is he the one who helped you during that Rourkela case?
Did you see any weapon lying near the corpse?
But I'm certain he's not Bengali.
Why do you say so?
He had a monobrow, which Bengalis don't have.
And that jawline?
We don't have such a pronounced jawline either.
That jawline is due to habitual eating of bajra bread and mutton!
He's most certainly from the Bundelkhand region.
Let's have a cup of tea downstairs and leave.
Where to? - An appointment. With D. G. Sen.
He said to meet him at 10:30AM, but not for more than 15 minutes.
Good Morning! - Morning!
This is my cousin, Tapesh.
And this is my friend... - Lalmohan Ganguly.
Mrityunjoy Mahapatra.
Who's the victim?
Not a local, for sure. His name is Rupchand Singh.
Where'd you get his name from?
His driving license and passport.
Oh? Where are they of? - Nepal.
I've seen the man before.
He was having tea at a shop in Swargyadwar yesterday evening.
I was buying betel leaf from the adjacent shop.
How'd he die?
Bullet wound, but we haven't found a weapon yet.
But you can take a look at this. It was in his passport.
Mr. Mitter? - Yes?
Namaskar! - Namaskar!
Please come with me.
And you are? - My name is Nisith Bose.
I was the one you talked to over the phone.
Oh! - I'm Durga Sir's secretary.
Durga? That means his name is...
Durgagati Sen.
But everyone here calls him D. G. Sen.
This is my room.
That's just paper! - Huh?
I thought it was... - A snake?
Let's go upstairs. Come with me.
This way.
Sir? - Namaskar!
We are truly grateful to you for giving us time for this meeting.
When I heard that you collect ancient manuscripts...
I couldn't prevent myself from coming here to see them!
Yes, that is a long-time obsession of mine.
Please have a seat.
I have an uncle. His name is Siddheswar Bose.
He has 3 of these manuscripts too.
You've probably visited him to see them.
What are they about?
All 3 are Bengali.
2 of them are Annada Mangal, and the third is Gorokkho Bijay.
I've probably seen them.
I hunted for these manuscripts far and wide throughout my life!
Does your collection comprise only Bengali manuscripts?
No. I have other languages too.
The best, by far, are the ones in Sanskrit.
What period are they from?
12th century.
Lokenath!
Lokenath has gone out, Sir. Can I get you anything?
Open it.
There are some in that one as well. But the main ones...
Open the drawer and take it out.
Sir.
Astadasasahasrika Prajnaparamita.
The fruits of immense labour!
And the other precious one is the Kalpasutra.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get this from?
Dharamsala.
Does that mean this came from Tibet with the Dalai Lama?
Has your uncle sent you to check the legitimacy of these manuscripts?
No, he hasn't.
I don't trade in these.
If anyone wants to come and see them, I can oblige.
But that's it.
My uncle won't ever be able to afford such a thing.
Of course, I personally have no idea how much this would be worth.
Priceless.
But even these are being smuggled abroad to sell.
Scum.
Those who are smuggling them abroad are filthy scum!
I've heard you have a son.
Doesn't he have an interest in these manuscripts?
I don't know him.
Sir, this gentleman is a famous detective!
So what??
What have I to fear??
Have I murdered anyone??
A detective doesn't have the ability to find what I've lost.
He who has the ability... is still trying...
The closed doors are opening up one by one.
A detective can't do anything to help me.
Let's go.
You have our gratitude. May we take our leave...?
Come with me.
What's wrong with his foot?
He has gout.
In 3 months, it has really broken him.
But what personality! With a capital 'P'!
What say you?
The medicines I saw in his room... are they for treating gout?
Yes, except for one: a sleeping pill,
prescribed by Laxman.
Are you talking about the astrologer Laxman Bhattacharya?
Yes.
He knows both ayurveda and allopathy quite well.
Is that so?
What a multi-talented individual!
Want to go visit him once?
That plan's down the drain! His room is locked.
Wow!
Looks like the guests of the old Railway Hotel are having fun!
That they are!
Didn't you stay there the first time you came to Puri?
Mr. Mitter!
It is truly an honour!
I've heard a lot about you! Are you here on a case?
What makes you say that?
I heard there was a murder here.
So I thought you might've gotten involved with the case.
It's true that a murder case makes me want to solve it...
but how can I, unless someone explicitly asks for my help?
Ah! This must be your cousin, Tapesh!
And I am... - You have no need for introductions!
Everyone knows about you!
Famous adventure-thriller author Lalmohan Ganguly, AKA Jatayu!
Am I right?
I follow your exploits closely!
So, where are you staying? - At Neelachal.
Oh! Are you returning there now? - Yes we are.
Oh! I see you're looking after Mr. Hingorani's rings!
Don't get started on him!
We're both staying at the Railway Hotel.
We met yesterday.
He wanted to bathe in the sea,
but his rings have become loose and tend to fall off!
A bizarre resposibility for me!
Good Morning!
Morning! - Hey, go get me my towel.
I can say one thing with absolute certainty:
I've been to many beaches around the globe...
Goa... Miami... Nice... Waikiki... Acapulco...
but Puri has a beach like no other. Incredible!
Thank you!
Here you go. - Oh! Thank you!
Wait! Don't forget your phone.
I'll head back to the hotel now. - Sure!
Have a good day! See you later.
Uh, I was wondering...
can I tag along with you? - Of course!
Thanks! After you!
Let's go.
I still don't know your name.
Bilas Majumdar.
Are you involved with mountaineering?
Wow! The scope of your knowledge is truly enormous!
Nothing like that!
I just think I've seen your name somewhere.
Either in a newspaper or a magazine.
I remember there being a reference to mountaineering
or something along those lines.
You're not wrong.
I learnt mountaineering from the institute in Darjeeling.
But my actual profession is wildlife photography.
See if you recognise the gentleman on the left.
We visited him just a while ago.
It took a while to recognise him since he has grown a beard now.
That's what I needed to know.
I saw the name 'D. G. Sen' on the house gate...
but I couldn't be sure if it's the same 'D. G. Sen' as in this photo.
That creature is pangolin, if I'm not mistaken.
It is a pangolin.
They're quite common in Nepal.
This photo was taken outside a hotel in Kathmandu.
D. G. Sen was staying at that hotel then.
So was I.
And we had adjacent rooms.
When was this taken? - October, last year.
I was supposed to join a Japanese team
to photograph snow leopards.
But that plan never materialised. - Why so?
Fate didn't want me to!
I had a bad accident
and lay recovering in the hospital for 3 months!
Were you at Veer Hospital?
It was the news of your accident that I read in the papers.
Now I remember.
Your left foot hasn't healed completely, has it?
Why so?
I mean, my shin bone got shattered for sure...
but is it that obvious from my gait?
No, it isn't obvious at all.
I saw footprints in the sand yesterday.
They were shoe-clad prints,
accompanied by walking stick marks on the left.
Either the owner of the prints was a leftie,
or had an injured left leg.
But you don't use a walking stick, it seems.
I rolled and slid quite a distance down the side of the mountain.
But a tree arrested my fall
and reduced the severity of my injuries by a bit.
Fortunately for me, a farmer's son discovered me...
and alerted some passing foreign tourists about my plight.
They're the ones who took me to the hospital.
And then?
Shin bone aside, 7 of my ribs and my collar bone were also shattered.
My chin was flattened.
Is the beard for covering your scars?
I regained consciousness 2 days later.
Like my bones, my memory too was in pieces.
The hospital sent word to my family in Kolkata...
after finding the contact information from my passport.
One of my nephews came over...
but I couldn't recognise him then.
Some memories returned while I was in the hospital.
And further treatment helped me regain more of them.
Do you remember what happened just before the accident?
I haven't been able to recall that memory.
My notebook confirms that I met with a gentleman named D. G. Sen...
but I remembered his appearance only 2 days ago.
Okay.
Did D. G. Sen go to Kathmandu...
for any palm manuscript-related reasons? - No, thanks!
You mean he went to Kathmandu to buy books?
No, no!
What I'm referring to are palm leaf manuscripts.
They are ancient books, hand-written centuries ago.
He has quite a marvellous collection of such texts.
Tell me, what do these manuscripts look like?
Thin, long, and flat...
almost akin to the size of a cigarette carton.
It could sometimes be bigger or smaller, though.
Normally, they are wrapped with a cloth.
Listen to this.
In Kathmandu, the hotel I stayed in...
Vikram Hotel...
had a strange problem:
there were some room keys that worked on other room doors..
something that should never, ever happen in a hotel!
One day, I mistakenly used my room key on the wrong door...
walked into the room adjacent to mine, and saw...
Oh! I'm so sorry!
I'm really sorry! Please carry on.
As far as I remember, the packet was red.
But I don't remember whether the outer layer was paper or cloth.
And then?
Completely blank.
I tried hard, but I couldn't recall anything else.
The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital.
My dear sir, there is an amazing astrologer right here in Puri!
Why don't you go and visit him once?
He'll make you remember everything you've forgotten!
Who is this?
Laxman Bhattacharya! The Great!
He's a tenant on the ground floor of D. G. Sen's house.
If you'd like, I can make an appointment for you
and take you with me.
Give it a shot.
You won't regret it, I promise you!
You think so? - I do!
He'll place a finger on that wart on your forehead...
and fill in all the missing blanks in your memory!
Does he allow visitors?
Have fun exploring.
I'll pick you up from here in half an hour.
Of course!
Let us proceed then!
We managed to trace that phone number.
The name of the owner is Animesh Kumar Sarkar.
His address is at 14 Meher Ali Road, Kolkata.
Did you try and get in touch?
Number 14 is an apartment building.
There are 8 apartments in total.
Sarkar stays in Apartment 3.
But his room has been padlocked for a week now.
Apparently, he goes out of town quite frequently.
Did you find out where he went this time?
Puri.
Is that so?
Who told you this? - The occupant of Apartment 4.
Before leaving, he told them that he needed a change of scenery.
Did you get a description of him?
Tall, medium skin tone, clean-shaven...
aged between 35 and 40.
But as you can see, this description is as good as useless!
What about the murder victim?
Rupchand Singh arrived here yesterday, in the morning.
He put up at a hotel near the busstand.
The hotel security said that
he left the hotel at 8pm and never returned.
We searched his room with a fine-toothed comb,
but found nothing of value.
Feluda, I had a thought.
Can I say it? - Sure.
Don't you think Nepal has been coming up a lot
in conversation lately?
The person who got murdered was from Nepal...
Bilas was in Kathmandu...
and Durgagati was in Kathmandu at the same time!
Did you find anything of significance
between these scenarios?
Uh, no, but...
Do you know what happenstance means?
Happenstance...?
Coincidence.
Correct.
Until we find further evidence to prove a connection,
we have to assume Kathmandu to be a coincidence.
Good Evening! - Good Evening!
Come on! Let's see what fate has in store for me!
Welcome! A very warm welcome to you!
Come in, come in!
Please, have a seat. You 3 can sit here.
And you! Yes, you! Sit there. - Oh!
This is the friend of mine you were talking about...
and this is Bilas Majumdar, famous wildlife photog...!
I hope you won't mind the intrusion of my cousin and I?
Absolutely not!
What irritates me is being asked
to give on-stage demonstrations of my abilities.
And many have made such requests of me.
Many don't believe that I'm not a magician or hypnotist!
For instance, I...
How astonishing!
There's a flesh growth on your forehead,
just below your Third Eye!
Do you know what occupies the empty space just behind the skin?
Are you talking about the pineal gland?
Correct.
The pineal gland.
Still considered to be the most mysterious portion
of the human brain.
At least, that's what Western scientists say.
There is a reptile in New Guinea called the Taratua...
Tara-tua...
in which we can still see the presence of a Third Eye.
Is trying to form a connection with the pineal gland...
the reason why you place your finger on someone's forehead?
You could say that.
But when I first started,
I hadn't even heard of the pineal gland.
I was a student in Class 7 at the Jagabandhu Institution.
On a Sunday, my uncle called me and said...
'Laxman, will you massage my forehead?'
'I'll give you ice-cream money if you do.'
His forehead was pulsing with pain...
so, in the middle of his forehead...
I placed my thumb and index finger, and started massaging.
I kept massaging for a while...
until something bizarre happened!
I started seeing visions in front of my eyes, playing like a movie!
Uncle's childhood...
his sacred thread ceremony... his wedding...
his wife's passing...
and even his own!
How he died...
the bed he died on...
who all were around his bed when died...
I saw it all!
Of course, I didn't tell anyone about this back then.
But when his death occurred exactly as I had foreseen it...
I've heard that you practice medicine as well...
and I see hints of that throughout the room.
So, what do you call yourself?
Doctor? Or astrologer?
I didn't really study astrology.
But I have studied ayurveda.
And I have a sufficient grasp over allopathy as well.
So, if you ask me what my profession is,
I'll say I'm a doctor.
No, no! It's okay!
You don't have to take your shoes off!
Please be comfortable! - Oh!
Sit! Relax!
Let's see if this black spot on my forehead yields anything useful!
83...
1983...
Libra ascendant...
Born under Leo...
First son to his father and mother.
Tonsil/adenoid infection at 8 and a half years...
scholarship examinations...
won a gold medal...
wanted to learn science...
science... Physics! Studied physics...
graduated at 19...
started earning at 23 at an office...
No! Not an office job!
Freelance...
photographer...
skilled at mountain-climbing...
has a love for wild animals and birds...
always on the move...
unmarried...
struggle...
I see struggle!
Enthusiasm... focus...
diligence...
18...
18... 2018...
Trees... I see a forest...
the Himalayas...
the accident! Oh...!
a-a... accident? No!
Not an accident!
Not... an... accident...
You shouldn't be alive!
But who can kill you, if God protects you?
What are you saying? It wasn't an accident??
From what I saw...
you were pushed off the edge of the mountain.
In other words...
a deliberate attempt at murder!
You were lucky to have lived.
But... who... pushed him then?
I'm sorry.
I can't comment on things outside what I see.
Doing so would be lying.
And that would make God angry.
Give me your hand.
Has visiting Laxman been beneficial to you in anyway?
To be honest, Mr. Mitter, yes it has.
In what way?
As I was telling you earlier today...
the incident in the room with Mr. D. G. Sen...
didn't really strike me as anything out of the ordinary.
He was travelling to Pokhra the next day.
He invited me to go along with him.
The team from Japan was still 3 days out,
so I agreed to tag along.
Pokhra is about 200 kilometres from Kathmandu.
Stop here, driver.
What's up?
Do you want to get down?
There are lovely orchids to be found here.
Why not? If nothing else,
maybe I can spot some interesting birds here!
Let's go.
Wait for half an hour. - Yes sir.
I don't remember when it happened.
I had my eyes on the treeline as I moved ahead...
when suddenly...
Did you see who hit you? - No way I could.
But one thing I can say for sure:
I don't remember seeing any other humans anywhere in that forest.
So the theory that Mr. Sen is the one
who attempted to murder you...
has no hard evidence to back it up in a court of law?
No. That it doesn't.
Why don't you do something?
Go straight to his house and present yourself to Mr. Sen.
If he is the real culprit...
then it'll almost be like seeing a ghost for him!
Doesn't sound too bad as an idea, right?
The thought had crossed my mind, but...
there's a problem.
What problem?
There's a chance he won't recognise me...
since I didn't have a beard back then.
You're forgetting that you have a distinguishing feature...
that isn't so easily forgotten:
the Third Eye on your forehead!
After you! - Thank you!
That was a lovely dinner! - Yes indeed!
Brilliant stuff! - Please don't mention it!
It's the least I could do, after how much you've helped me!
May we take our leave? - Of course!
Good night! - Good night!
Namaskar!
Please!
Now tell me: what did you think of Laxman Bhattacharya?
Isn't he incredible?
Maybe he is...
but even after seeing all,
he won't be stealing a detective's job any time soon!
To find out whether Durgagati Sen tried to kill Bilas Majumdar...
you'll get nowhere without Felu Mitter's help!
Does that mean you're taking the case...?
Good Evening!
Very stubborn!
You Bengalis are very stubborn!
What happened? Why the sudden anger?
Do you know how much I offered him?
2.5 crores!
He still didn't sell!
In fact, he refused to sell!
So there are people in this world
who can resist the temptation of 2.5 crores!
It seems so!
I did my research before coming here:
I knew he's a collector of ancient, palm leaf manuscripts.
So I went to him and asked:
what's the jewel of your collection? The best of the best?
And he showed me a marvel of 12th century artistry!
It was a Sanskrit manuscript: Prajnaparamita!
Exquisite piece!
Now, I don't know if it's a smuggled piece.
There were 3 such manuscripts stolen from the Bhatgaon Palace Museum.
While 2 of them were recovered,
the third is still out there somewhere.
Uh, excuse me? Where is Bhatgaon?
It's an ancient city, about 10 kilometres from Kathmandu.
It was previously known as Bhaktpur.
But I don't think
anyone would be willing to show off smuggled goods so easily.
And as far as I know,
there are many manuscripts relating to the Prajnaparamita.
I know. I know this.
But do you know what he's saying?
He's saying that
this manuscript apparently came here with the Dalai Lama.
And do you know how much he bought it for?
A meager 500 rupees!
In place of that, I was offering him 2.5 crore rupees!
Are you saying then that your Puri trip was a waste of time?
I don't give up so easily!
When Mahesh Hingorani wants something...
he doesn't stop until he gets it.
And besides, he has another manuscript:
the Kalpasutra.
Let's see how long he can resist temptation!
I still have 3 days left here.
Anyway! Good Night!
Don't you find this a bit suspicious?
Without knowing who or what you're talking about...
that's impossible to answer.
I mean, not willing to sell for 2.5 crores
what he bought for 500 rupees!
Why? Do you think it's impossible for someone to not be greedy?
Uncle Sidhu refused to sell his manuscripts to Mr. Sen.
Did you know that?
But Mr. Sen didn't mention that at all!
That is what I find most suspicious...
considering this happened just a year ago.
Come on! After dinner, walk a mile!
Walk a...? - Mile. To aid in digestion.
Say what you will, I don't just find Durgagati peculiar...
I find him quite suspicious too.
And if what Bilas says is true...
Suspicion isn't lying on just a single individual, Topshay.
Like nuclear fallout, it's spreading all over the place.
Who will you exclude?
The Third Eye-bearing reptile your astrologer was talking about?
It's not called Taratua; the correct name is Tuatara.
And it's not from New Guinea; it's a native of New Zealand.
This kind of mistake is not impossible for Jatayu to make...
but if Laxman Bhattacharya wants to impress people with his knowledge...
he needs to be much more accurate with his facts.
And? Who else?
Nisith. He has a habit of eavesdropping.
That is not a good habit to have.
And he said that Durgagati is suffering from gout.
But the medicines on his table didn't look like they were for gout.
Then what were they for?
One of the medicines came out just last year.
I remember reading about it in the Time magazine.
I don't remember exactly what it was for...
but it definitely wasn't for gout, I'm sure of it.
Let's see if I find anything about it online.
If not, we have Uncle Sidhu to save the day!
Why does the gentleman seem so distracted all the time?
And besides that, he also said that he doesn't know his own son!
I couldn't understand the reason for...
Yes, Nisith?
What a morning we've had, Mr. Mitter!
People just randomly show up without an appointment!
And then they try desperately to meet him!
Who showed up now?
Tail, fair-skinned, and with a stubbly beard.
Can I help you?
Tell your boss that I have news of some great old manuscripts.
Your name?
He won't recognise my name.
Just go and tell him what I told you.
I went and told the boss about it. He told me to go fetch him.
Sir! - Hmm?
Namaskar. - Namaskar...
My name is...
Who is this??
Who brought him here??
Away!! Take him away!!
Go!! Go away!! Go now!!
Go... away...!! Away... with you...!!
'The incident terrified me!'
'The boss' face was deathly pale!'
I feared he might die!
How is he now?
He's much better now.
Laxman came and gave him a sedative.
He's resting now.
I see.
I'll come visit later in the day.
I'll see you then.
Alright.
In other words, what you had forecasted...
came true, word for word.
What a mess!
Why didn't Srinibas join us?
He's supposed to leave today, so maybe he's packing.
Why don't you go visit some place nearby?
And what about you?
I have a feeling...
that I should stay here.
While I don't think anything untoward will happen...
the air here is thick with intrigue.
And besides, I have some work to do.
What work?
I have to make some calls to Kathmandu.
Before all the information gets muddled...
I need to organise them a bit.
So, Tapesh, off to Bhubaneswar we go!
Sounds like a plan!
Good!
Take Jatayu's car with you.
I'll talk to Shyamlal and get a driver for you.
But what if you need the car...? - No, that won't be necessary.
All relevant locations are within walking distance from here.
I'll manage.
It happened exactly as you said it might!
It was like he'd seen a ghost!
I was completely taken aback by that!
But the strangest thing was that...
seeing him in that condition made me feel bad for him.
It's almost like he aged 10 years in the past 7-8 months.
But meeting him was a good idea.
Now I can more easily forget this whole incident and move on.
This is good news indeed.
You wouldn't have been able to proceed very far based on a hunch.
That's true.
So what are you plans for now?
These 2 are going on a trip to Bhubaneswar.
They'll return at night.
I'll remain here.
I think I'll head out tomorrow.
I haven't visited the forests in these parts yet.
If I can,
I'll come and wish you all farewell before I leave.
Namaskar!
Unknown hundreds like Michaelangelo...
Did once upon a time in India wallow...
Silently, they announced their wondrous marvels...
In Bhubaneswar! The city of temples!
Baikuntha Mullick?
Yes!
He wrote this about Bhubaneswar.
These 4 lines have haunted me throughout my life, you know?
I understand that...
but using 'wallow' to rhyme with 'angelo' is too much!
Since when have you started critiquing a poet's verse...
without first knowing about his background?
Baikuntha Mullick is from Chuchura...
The rhyme makes perfect sense there.
So there's no mistake!
What's up?
What??
Alright.
Okay.
What is it?
That priceless manuscript of Mr. Sen's was stolen!
Huh! The Prajna-thing... stolen??
Feluda got a call from the police station.
He's headed to Sagarika now.
He told us to return to the hotel and stay there.
What's up?
It keeps getting better. Nisith has vanished!
What?? Since when??
We'll talk when I return.
I'll be back in 15 minutes or so.
How was your trip to Bhubaneswar?
It was great! Hey, listen...!
Nisith has vanished! - Huh??
That means Nisith is the culprit.
That's what it looks like.
But how can we discount Hingorani?
He really seemed to want that manuscript!
Yes. And what about Bilas Majumdar?
He could've done it too, for money and revenge.
That he could have.
So, that leaves us with...
Laxm...! - No! No!
Don't tarnish that man's name! Please!
What a miraculously talented being he is!
Then who do you think it is?
I think you've glossed over the actual culprit.
Meaning?
Mr. Sen himself!
What??
Why would he want to steal what is already his?
No! Not steal! Smuggle!
He finally smuggled off his stolen goods to someone else!
Hingorani offered more money, he secretly sold it to him...
and claimed publicly that it was stolen!
The nerve of him!
We've been waiting for almost an hour.
What is your cousin doing?
Did he go off somewhere else?
Come on. Let's go.
If he's returning from Sagarika,
Feluda will take the shortcut by the sea.
Grab your torch.
Darn it!
Hey! What happened??
I feel another pair of legs under mine!
Huh?? Felu??
Feluda?
Felu! - Feluda!
Feluda! - Felu!
Feluda!
Felu!
Take it easy.
Easy there!
Give me your hand!
Gently there!
B-b-blood...?
Open wound?
What does this mean?
What does what mean?
You'll need stitches for this...! - No, no...
It's just concussion. The skin didn't break.
Then what about the blood?
Let's go.
Do you know how long you were lying there?
At least half an hour for sure.
Will you be able to go downstairs for dinner?
Or I could call room service...? - No, it's fine.
I'll go downstairs.
The pain has lessened a lot...
I'll go downstairs...
Namaskar! Mahim Sen.
Does that mean...?
Durgagati Sen is my father.
Come in. Please.
Come in.
He came by earlier today. - Thank you!
You weren't here then.
Please have a seat.
You all sit and relax while I go downstairs...
and send up some tea for you? - Sure!
May I take my leave? - Of course! Thank you so much!
Please have a seat. - Sure.
Let's sit.
I've heard about you.
In fact, having read about your many exploits...
I recognise these 2 gentlemen as well!
I arrived here this morning for some business relating to my company.
It was only a day's work, and it's already done.
After that,
I thought I'd spend some days with my father before leaving...
but...
I called him as soon as arrived.
Not being able to reach his mobile, I tried his landline too.
His secretary picked up.
He's a new guy. Said his name was Nisith Bose.
He joined last September.
He took my request, talked to Father and told me that...
Father didn't want to talk!
Any reason for that?
I have no idea.
We met your father for the first time yesterday.
And after talking to him, I got the impression that...
he isn't very happy with you.
Do you have any idea why that is?
Look, Mr. Mitter...
I was never very attached to Father.
But there was never any enmity either.
I've never really shown any interest in Father's hobby.
I don't really have an eye for art.
I stay in Kolkata... but company work has me...
But company work has me travel abroad at least twice a year.
But haven't you come and stayed at Sagarika with your family?
Yes, twice now. For about 2 weeks each.
I have an 8 year old son, whom Father loves dearly.
But what happened today was...
That was... Oh! Thanks!
That is a complete mystery to me.
Senility doesn't befit a tough man like Father.
It's truly hard to believe!
And besides, Mr. Mitter...
we don't even know whether a third party is responsible for this!
So when I heard that you're in Puri right now...
I thought it wise to pay you a visit once.
In that case, allow me to update you:
the most valuable manuscript
in your father's collection was stolen today...
and along with that, the secretary has vanished too.
What??
Did you go to him?
Yes, I did.
How did Father look?
Quite broken up, naturally.
He takes sleeping pills in the afternoon and takes a nap nowadays.
I don't know if this is a recent habit or not.
An American gentleman came to visit him at 9:30pm tonight.
Nisith had set up the appointment.
But since he wasn't there at the time,
Lokenath took him upstairs.
Your father normally wakes up by 6:30pm...
but tonight he woke up a bit after 9pm.
The American wanted to see the manuscripts.
In the end, it was he who called the police.
Does that mean Nisith is the one who...?
That's what I think.
And funnily enough, he had a talk with Felu in the morning today!
The police searched his room and found none of his belongings there.
Meanwhile, they have informed the airports, railways stations,
and bus terminuses about this.
There is still no information as of now.
Are you aware that your father travelled to Nepal last year?
If he went there after August, I wouldn't have known...
since I was out of the country for around 7 months after that.
But I'm aware Father travelled a lot in his hunt for ancient manuscripts.
But why are you telling me this? What happened in Nepal?
Is it news to you that your father suffers from gout?
Gout?
Father is suffering from gout?
Why?
Is it difficult to believe? - Very!
When I previously saw him in May, last year...
he was effortlessly walking across the beach, day and night!
He moderated his diet strictly.
He didn't drink at all.
He had no other bad habits.
He has always been proud of his physical fitness.
So if Father is actually suffering from gout,
I'll be very surprised indeed!
This will be a very tragic thing to happen to him, Mr. Mitter.
Tell me, can this be the reason for his depression?
It can very well be.
To consider himself crippled...
will be very difficult for Father.
I'm here for a few more days...
so I'll see if I can help in anyway.
There are many things that continue to...
confound me.
I'll take my leave now. - Of course.
I thought I'd come and discuss some details
of our old business with Father.
But that doesn't seem very likely now...
I'll stay here until we can discuss it.
Where are you staying?
At our company guesthouse here in Puri. - I see.
Good Night! - Good Night!
By the by, did you make any calls to Kathmandu?
I did.
And?
I had a talk with Dr. Bhargav at Veer Hospital.
I asked him whether a Bilas Majumdar was admitted there last October...
suffering from severe injuries.
What did he say?
He said yes.
Shin bone, collar bone, ribs, chin...
he mentioned all of it.
Oh! So you didn't believe Bilas Majumdar's story at first?
Doubt is an essential aspect of detective work, Lalmohan.
Why?
Is your own literary creation, the detective Prakhar Rudra...
free from that burden?
No, no! Why would you think that?
Of course he's not free from it!
Doubts...
Dyabid...
Snake...
What will return?
Why doesn't he know his son?
Blackmail...
but who?
And why?
Which of them uses a walking stick?
Doubts...
Unending doubts...
This one.
This one too.
Good Morning!
Morning! - Good Morning!
Are you going out somewhere?
Yes, we're just going to pay Sagarika a visit.
Any updates on the robbery?
No, not yet.
Are there any good allopathy doctors around here?
Why? Are any of you un... - No, no! We're all okay!
But old-timey practitioners won't do!
I'm looking for someone young and into more modern treatments.
Of course! There's Dr. Senapati.
He has a chamber at Utkal Chemists, on Grand Road.
You can find him there anytime after 10AM.
Hey! Yes you! Come over here!
What's your name? - Ramai, Sir.
Ramai?
Here. Go have fun!
Wow! You know this language too?
Such an open and beautiful atmosphere...
tarnished by bloodshed!
It's hard to imagine.
Hmm... Blunt instrument...
Feluda!
Shoe and walking stick prints!
I've seen. They look like fresh prints.
But didn't Bilas say that...?
Do you think it's Bilas?
Have a good look.
Isn't that...? - Durgagati Sen!
But what about the gout?
There's the trickery.
Maybe it's thanks to the medicines prescribed
by Laxman Bhattacharya the Great?
It is now time to clear up my thoughts.
It's a good practice
when you're going up against something massive.
Staring into the early morning
sea is like a soothing tonic for the mind.
You're spot on!
Blessings of the Lord!
May the Lord bless all of you!
Where were you last night? I was looking for you.
I went to a devotional recital.
There is a group who performs at Mangala Ghat Road.
I go there from time to time.
When did you go?
I'm technically on the clock till 9PM.
So I went there after that.
Since you're a tenant in that house,
I was wondering if you could...
shed any light on the recent robbery that happened there.
Nisith's room is adjacent to yours, isn't it?
I saw him leave, with his baggage in tow.
His return to Kolkata was pre-planned.
Is that so?
His mother's on the verge of dying.
He received a call in the morning yesterday.
I see.
Everyone knew he'd be going.
Strange.
Mr. Sen didn't mention that to us.
You know what kind of person he is.
He has suffering in his future.
If it's his fate, no one can prevent it.
You've seen Mr. Sen's future as well??
There are few here whose future I haven't seen.
But even if I have...
I can't tell everyone everything!
You will murder someone!
You will go to jail!
You'll die in an accident!
Do you think I can say all that?
No one's ever going to come to me again!
At most, I tell them about any impending diseases or conditions.
People always want to hear the good parts...
so I have to cover up the bad parts before telling them.
I have to go now.
I don't want to keep my clients waiting.
See you around.
[Laxman sings a devotional song]
House of Death!
What?
There haven't even been any deaths in that house!
At most, you can call it House of Robbery!
I'm not talking about Sagarika!
That one.
Bhujanga Nibas
Doesn't look completely abandoned.
Footprints.
Betel juice?
Or is it b... bl...
blood...?
Looks like we need to proceed inside the House of Death.
You want to... enter...?
It's almost breakfast time...!
Where are you, Lalmohan?
Come on in!
All clear inside?
Clear enough for now.
But it'll all be much clearer...
soon enough.
These were in Nisith's room!
Very good, Topshay.
The police wasted their efforts...
because Nisith never left.
Then where did he...?
Interesting!
Tell me, what do you make of this?
They look like the wood covers of those manuscripts!
And what are those? Cut pieces of pap...
It looks like Nisith had set up shop here to make dummy manuscripts!
If you cut the paper accordingly, sandwich them between...
wood planks, wrap them in cloth and...
They'll look exactly like palm manuscripts from the outside!
Exactly!
And I believe...
that if you go through Mr. Sen's collection and open them up...
you'll find that most of them just have blank, white paper...
while the real ones have been sold to people like Hingorani.
Oh!! The snake!
I saw a narrow strip of paper that day in Sagarika.
So this is the same paper as that one?
Without a doubt.
Take care of him.
Looks like a blunt instrument did this too.
Thank you so much for coming, Doctor!
You're most welcome!
Mr. Mitter! Good Morning!
Looks like there's good news!
That there is!
Father called me at midnight last night and said...
that I should pack everything and come to Sagarika immediately!
That is very good news indeed!
Let me introduce you: this is Dr. Senapati.
Father called him last night too!
Coincidence!
Pradosh Mitter. - Namaskar!
Dyabid seems to have come through then!
Indeed it has!
But... how did you...?
I started having doubts
as soon as I saw that medicine in Mr. Sen's room.
After some research, I found out that...
to heal the mind and restore lost memories...
it was the newest and most effective medicine.
You're right.
After diagnosing Mr. Sen, I ordered that medicine for him from America.
He even forgot that I was his doctor!
Mr. Sen, I have some bad news:
Nisith has been murdered.
What??
What are you saying??
The dead... is in the House of Death...
I've informed the police. They'll be here soon.
How am I to tell Father about this?
Don't worry. I'll tell him.
Thank you once again.
I'll be back after completing a small task.
I need to know a lot of things from your father.
You 2 head back to the hotel.
Where are you...?
See that? He didn't even respond!
The police doctor's report states that...
Nisith's time of death was between 8PM and 10PM last night...
and the murder weapon was a blunt instrument of some sort.
The weapon hasn't been found yet.
He was probably killed in the verandah of Bhujanga Nibas.
After that, his body was dragged to that room and dumped there.
Under the sand in the verandah, there were...
Those blood stains!
Correct.
You unknowingly gave that house a very befitting name!
I didn't even refer to the physical house
that was there!
I was talking about the city in general.
In the last 3 days, we've already had 2 murders.
Puri literally became a House of Death!
Is it possible that...
the person who murdered Nisith...
also hit you last night?
And with the same weapon?
Maybe that's why you had blood on the side of your head?
Say what you want, a ghost can never compare to an actual corpse!
I'm still shivering at the mere thought of it!
Don't exhaust your shivering just yet;
save some of it for tonight.
Tonight?
Even if not on one leg, we'll have to wait out tonight outside.
Where? - You'll soon see.
And what's the reason...? - You'll soon know.
But I'll say this:
no kurtas, pajamas, or dhotis.
No white or light-coloured clothes.
Hopefully I don't need to tell you what to wear...
if you want to hide in the dark?
Oh, okay, I get it now.
You're talking about our graveyard stake-out uniform, right?
Can I ask why we're here at this particular place...
and at this time of night?
No.
What're you doing??
I won't switch it on!
It's a blunt instrument. Might come in handy!
Feluda!
You get him!
Felu?!
Did it hit??
Bring him here!
You didn't always have a scar on your chin...
but now you will, from today onwards.
What does your Third Eye see now, Laxman?
Is this what fate had in store for you?
Welcome, Inspector Mahapatra.
I'm handing these 2 over to you.
But there's still much left to do.
We'll sit and have a chat in the living room of Bhujanga Nibas.
These 2 will also be there.
Mahim, are you there?
Yes I am!
Oh! So it was your silhouette I saw in the adjacent shade?
That's right.
You go and settle down. I'll go and get Father.
Here is your Kalpasutra.
And the other one? - I'm coming to that.
Be patient a while longer.
I hope you didn't take your sleeping pills today?
Are you mad?
Those pills almost ruined my life!
With a great allopath like Senapati around...
why did you let this fraudulent fellow play you like a fiddle?
What was I to do?
I was in no state to judge character at that point in time.
So many people recommended him to me.
He came to me...
and said that he'll fix me right up.
And he also said that...
he has information about some great, old manuscripts.
Manuscripts about astrology.
I got excited and showed him my collection after that.
Then he started his treatments on me.
That's the problem, you see?
As soon as someone mentions old manuscripts, your heart just melts.
Anyway, the fact that Dyabid seems to be working its magic...
is good news indeed!
What a miraculous drug, Mr. Mitter!
The first thing I remembered was that
I was a collector of these manuscripts!
Then, doors to different memories started opening up as well.
Since they're opening...
tell me something:
do you recognise this gentleman?
I recognised him yesterday itself...
from his voice and his eyes.
Do you remember his name?
Now I do.
Is it Sarkar?
Sarkar.
Animesh Kumar Sarkar.
Liar!
Do you want to see my passport? Do you?
No, I don't.
What value does the passport of a deceptive fellow like you hold?
What's written on your passport? Name: Bilas Majumdar?
Starting with his physical appearance...
you studied Bilas Majumdar in quite a lot of detail.
Falling off a mountain while attempting
to photograph a snow leopard.
Which hospital he was admitted to.
Which of his bones were broken.
That he was still in the hospital till last month.
You knew it all.
I remember noticing the article about his accident in the papers.
But I didn't pay much attention to it then.
But what I did end up remembering...
was the name of the hospital, 2 days ago.
Veer Hospital.
I visited their website, got a phone number,
and made a call.
I had a talk with Dr. Bhargav.
Bilas Majumdar was treated by him.
The news that Dr. Bhargav gave me...
has probably not reached your ears yet.
Bilas Majumdar suffered his most critical injuries to the brain.
2 weeks ago, he died.
This man's actual profession is smuggling.
While he usually doesn't do the stealing himself...
he's an expert at trafficking stolen goods.
One of the manuscripts stolen from the Bhatgaon Palace Museum...
made its way to him in Kathmandu.
And what happened after that?
Let's hear it from Mr. Sen himself.
What Mr. Sarkar told us...
was the exact opposite of what actually happened.
Sarkar and I were staying at the same hotel in Kathmandu.
We even had adjacent rooms.
One day...
by mistake...
I used my room key on his door, went in, and saw...
I recognised it as a manuscript right away.
I found it suspicious.
I apologised for intruding and left the room.
The next incident happened later on at night.
I went out for a walk after dinner, as I usually do.
As I was walking through a deserted stretch...
suddenly, someone hit me on the back of my neck!
All black after that.
I woke up in the hospital...
with absolutely no memory of anything.
All my memories prior to that were just wiped out of my mind.
I'll tell you about the parts you don't know.
I hope Mr. Sarkar corrects me if I'm wrong.
After knocking you out that night...
And to help him in this heinous deed,
he had his trusted associate:
a Lumbini Travels and Treks' car driver, Rupchand Singh.
Since you've regained your lost memories...
do you remember what happened after that?
When I regained consciousness...
it was already dawn by then.
And I found myself stuck in a tree.
Looking back, if that tree hadn't been there...
I would've certainly been...
Anyway.
I looked up and estimated that...
if I can somehow climb up a hundred feet or so...
I'll definitely reach flat ground.
I was injured and bleeding.
The pain was such that I wanted to give in.
Yet, I willed myself to go on.
But soon after...
I woke up in the hospital.
Fortunately...
in my pocket...
I had a business card of the hotel I stayed at.
So, the hospital staff...
called up the hotel, took my relevant information...
and sent it here.
Nisith is the one who brought me back here.
I didn't recognise him, of course.
After that...
I was in a hospital in Bhubaneswar for almost 3 and a half months.
On the other hand, Mr. Sarkar was certain that you had died.
8 months later, to fence some stolen goods, he decided...
to come to Puri,
where seeing the name D. G. Sen sparked a bit of doubt in him.
And I believe that your ground floor tenant...
astrologer Laxman Bhattacharya, gave all the information about...
your present condition to Mr. Sarkar.
Isn't that so?
You're speaking nonsense!
The first time he came to my house was with you all!
Really? - Yes!
Then tell me, Mr. Astrologer...
why did you seat us separately even before introductions were made?
How did you know Bilas Majumdar was him and not I?
I believe that once you found out Durgagati had lost his memories...
and with the promise of Laxman Bhattacharya's help...
Mr. Sarkar had the idea of stealing those manuscripts.
There's a client ready to pay big money too
Mr. Mahesh Hingorani.
But there were 3 problems with this plan.
The first was the arrival of an unwanted individual,
who had been tracking Mr. Sarkar:
his trusted associate-in-crime from Nepal, Rupchand Singh.
That must've been quite a headache, right Mr. Sarkar?
You'd probably given him enough money back then
to keep his mouth shut...
But what if he becomes greedier and...
blackmails and threatens you to give him more money?
Quite problematic, eh?
Wouldn't that leave you with no option but to finish him off?
False! False! Lies!
All bloody lies!
But if it's proven that the bullet which killed him...
came from this gun of yours, what then?
So, Rupchand Singh was murder number 1.
Now, let's come to the 2nd problem:
arrival of the detective at Sree Kshetra.
Without tricking Felu Mitter,
it was impossible for Mr. Sarkar to complete his mission.
I have to say that...
establishing himself in the role of Bilas Majumdar
and placing the blame of his own crimes
onto an amnesiac, old man...
made him quite successful in that endeavour.
But this success made him a bit wreckless too.
The plan was simple:
if he could get the manuscripts, Hingorani would buy them.
When the owner isn't willing to sell them for any amount...
the only other option is to steal them.
And that has to be done fast...
since Hingorani's stay at Puri is coming to an end.
But now, we need to talk about a certain person:
the secretary, Nisith Bose.
Didn't you mention a devotional recital at Mangala Road?
Did I lie??
The recital does happen between 7PM and 10PM every Monday, that is true.
But you said that you go there as well?
That is not true.
You've never been there. I've done my research.
But a person from that house did go: Nisith Bose.
Durgagati woke up from his nap at 6:30PM.
And Nisith left at that time,
every Monday, to go listen to the recitals.
When will the robbery happen then?
So now, Mr. Sarkar decides to take a big gamble:
he goes to Sagarika in the morning and presents himself to Durgagati.
Thanks to the effects of Dyabid,
bits of his memory have started returning to him...
but not whole memories.
The extreme reaction Durgagati has upon seeing him...
makes Mr. Sarkar's plan much easier to implement.
And Laxman too manages to take full advantage of the situation.
Upon hearing the commotion from upstairs,
you went up there yourself.
And then, after examining Durgagati,
you bump up his sleeping pill dosage.
What? Am I wrong?
Once you saw Nisith leave in the evening...
you waited a while, before going upstairs.
In your hands, there was a package wrapped in red cloth.
The servant Lokenath is good-for-nothing.
Bribing him was easy.
And after that...
This manuscript has to be delivered to Mr. Sarkar.
The meeting location was the verandah of Bhujanga Nibas.
You were waiting there for him.
Your footprints, beedi stubs,
matchsticks, and betel juice bear witness to that.
The amount of wood and paper I saw in this room...
makes me believe that
you were planning to start a business with stolen manuscripts.
And you might've been successful too...
if an unprecedented event didn't occur at that time.
An American gentleman will come at 9:30PM to see Mr. Sen's manuscripts.
So, by 9PM...
Sir?!
Lokenath?
Lokenath!
You then removed Nisith's corpse from the verandah...
and dumped it in that room.
I can guess of the time of the incident, Laxman...
and that guess tells me...
when you returned to Sagarika to remove Nisith's belongings...
Durgagati had woken up a while before that...
the foreigner had arrived,
the fake manuscript had been discovered...
and, finally, the police had been informed too.
But even that didn't faze you in the slightest.
You snuck into Nisith's room,
stuffed his belongings into his luggage...
brought everything here and dumped it in this very room.
But in your hurry, you forgot to take one vital thing
which I later found:
Hence, the story you made up about his mother's ailing health...
went completely to waste!
Coming back to yesterday's events:
after dumping Nisith's belongings here,
you suddenly realised that...
a sizeable portion of your murder weapon is covered in blood.
And you thought 'No worries.
The sea is right there. I can just toss it in the water!'
And after that,
you finally tossed the blood-stained weapon into the sea.
Isn't that so?
But did that help complete your task, Mr. Astrologer?!
No. It did not.
The manuscript you stole didn't get to Mr. Hingorani, or Mr. Sarkar...
I've solved many mysteries in my time.
But the present mystery is so strange and profound...
that it fooled me completely.
I was talking about a blunt instrument...
but how was I to know that the blunt instrument in question...
was the Prajnaparamita manuscript itself?
Even after being hit on the head with it,
I didn't realise that!
Now, how are you going to hand that
blood-drenched manuscript over to Sarkar?
And how would Sarkar give it to Hingorani in that state?
So the other precious manuscript,
the Kalpasutra, needed to be removed tonight.
Oh! Oh no!
My beloved, precious manuscripts...!
In the end, they...!
Let me tell you something, Mr. Sen.
Do you know that the sea doesn't always take away...
it returns them too? Sometimes, almost immediatey?
Here is your Astadasasahasrika Prajnaparamita.
You can consider this your good luck charm!
The cloth is intact, as it was before.
The wood has faded a little...
but the text within is more or less undamaged.
Not much water could get in through the cloth and wood covers.
But... where did you find this??
You too saw the red cloth in the morning today.
The Nuliya child Ramai had it
wrapped around his head while playing.
I had a suspicion as soon as I saw it,
so I went straight to the Nuliya Bustee after that.
And I met Ramai there too.
Upon finding the manuscript, he handed it to his mother...
but kept the red cloth for himself.
So, Mr. Sarkar...
Did you get a good sampling of the Puri wildlife?
Arrest them!
What's this? Why are you...?
What a mess!
Since last night, Lokenath has vanished!
No problem!
Give me a day. I'll talk to Shyamlal...
and arrange for a trustworthy domestic help for you.
Wow! That'd be great! Here you go!
Do you know, Mr. Sen...
that the biggest mystery to me was your gout?
What's there to be confused about?
Can't an old man be afflcted by gout?
But even with the gout, you're quite effortlessly walking...
around the beach, in the morning and the night.
I noticed the footprints when I first arrived here...
and, like an idiot, thought they belonged to Bilas Majumdar.
But I saw you in the flesh yesterday, in the morning.
What does that prove?
Gout pains aren't prevalent all the time.
But your footprints tell a different story, Mr. Sen.
And what story is that?
I didn't mention the story last night...
because I believe it's something you want to keep a secret.
But the problem is, you can't keep anything hidden from a detective.
The walking stick in your left hand isn't the only unique thing here;
each of your shoes leave a dissimilar print too.
When I had a talk with Dr. Bhargav of Veer Hospital,
Kathmandu a couple of days ago...
I got to know about the injuries of the real Bilas Majumdar.
I rang him up yesterday as well...
and asked him whether he knew of any other person...
who had suffered similar injuries
after falling down the side of a mountain.
Thankfully,
Dr. Bhargav is associated with quite a few hospitals.
He made some enquiries and informed me that...
in the city of Patan, near Kathmandu,
the Shanta Bhavan hospital had...
a patient by the name of D. G. Sen from October to early January.
And I also received a description of your injuries from him.
Nisith knew...
that I didn't want to make this public.
I didn't want anyone to know about this.
He bandaged my foot beforehand, if I was expecting guests.
If anyone asked, he told them it was gout.
Today, of course, Mahim tied the bandages.
You see, Mr. Mitter...
like losing a priceless manuscript...
this is also a very tragic part of my life.
But since you already know everything...
there's no point hiding this from you any longer.
Here you go.
What's going on?
This is a manuscript showcasing Odisha's ancient art forms.
We insist!
I can't possibly accept something this precious!
That I was able to solve this mystery is my biggest reward.
I can't ask for... - Just take it, for God's sake!
In these situations,
I find your childish hesitation absolutely disgusting!
At least take it as a gift for your uncle?
Thank you!
Thank the Lord!
If you didn't accept it,
this blunt instrument would once again impact your head!
And I'd be the one swinging it!