Part - 5

  .....................

  The house was very small, single-storied. There was a small space in front, where perhaps there was a garden at some point, but now there was nothing but bushes and weeds. It was evident at a glance that the house was quite old. Swastik unlocked the front door with the key and went inside. Outside, there was daylight, yet the inside was almost dark. With what little light entered, Swastik found the switchboard. Piles of dust had accumulated all around. It was clear from the condition of the house that it had been neglected for a long time. In the middle of the dining hall, there was a large, half-broken table with four chairs around it. Turning on the light provided a little illumination. Swastik felt nauseous looking at the state of the house. He couldn't figure out which way to go or what to do. Suddenly, his gaze fell to the floor. Among the dust piles, he saw bare footprints. Swastik understood whose footprints they were. The footprints emerged from a closed room and went haphazardly in different directions. Swastik walked towards that closed room. He knocked on the door, but received no response. He knocked again, the situation was the same. As he was about to knock on the door once more, it opened. Swastik saw someone standing in front of him. It didn't take him long to realize that the person standing before him was his half-sister. Her hair was cut like a boy's, her eyes were quite large but slightly red. She was wearing a full-sleeved shirt and full pants that were quite large for her size. She looked at Swastik with some surprise. She knew Srijon, but this was the first time she had seen Swastik.

  "Who?"

  The fear in her voice was clear.

  "I am Swastik. Dr. Srijon Majumdar's son. Is your name Ava?"

  Swastik's tone was calm.

  Ava, who had kept the door half-open, opened it fully. Her behavior was normal. Srijon had probably told Ava about Swastik. Ava stepped aside from the door, gesturing for Swastik to enter the room. There was hardly any furniture in the room. A bed, a wardrobe, a clothes rack, and a refrigerator. Swastik had a rather large packet in his hand, containing food. He was wondering where to keep it.

  Ava took it from his hand.

  "Where is Father?" she asked.

  Swastik lowered his head. He couldn't figure out how to break the news of his father's death. With great difficulty, he gathered his strength and said,

  "From now on, I will come."

  Most people become irritable after living alone for a long time and suffering from illness. Swastik didn't know if such behavior had increased in Ava. He knew about Ava's anger. After saying this, he looked at Ava with apprehension. Ava's eyes widened. She threw the packet in her hand to the ground.

  "No! I won't take food from anyone but Father. Who are you to come and give me food? Get out, get out of here!" Ava shouted.

  Swastik was taken aback. But he composed himself in an instant. Ava's body was trembling with excitement. Her breath was coming in rapid gasps. Swastik also felt anger, towards himself and towards his father. Why did Srijon pass the atonement for his sins onto his son's shoulders? And why did Swastik accept that responsibility? Someone he hadn't known or recognized for so many years had suddenly become his responsibility. His thoughts changed in a flash. Standing before him was a helpless girl. She certainly hadn't come into this world by her own will. The blood that flowed in Swastik's veins also flowed in this girl's veins. Even if she was his half-sister, Ava was his sister. He was bound to accept this truth.

  Another thing Swastik remembered. He had promised his father. Whatever mistakes his father had made in his life, he had never made a mistake, and he wouldn't make one now either.

  "Don't be angry, Ava. What is true has to be accepted. And the truth is that your... I mean our father will not come here anymore. He has passed away."

  Swastik spoke the last words in a low voice. His voice had become slightly heavy.

  Ava stared at Swastik for a moment without blinking. Then she leaned against the wall and sat down on the floor.

  Part - 6

  ..........................

  With great difficulty, Swastik opened his eyes. It took a moment for his senses to return. A slight pain at the back of his head. He remembered the reason. Slowly, he turned his neck and looked around. He was lying on a trolley in a small room. A few small lights kept the room from being completely dark. Swastik noticed a green sheet covering him. Suddenly, there was a sound to his left. The sound of a door opening. Swastik tried to look in that direction. Pragya was approaching him. She stood beside him. Her face was grave.

  "How are you feeling now?"

  Pragya asked in a serious tone.

  Swastik tried to sit up, but Pragya stopped him.

  "You don't have to get up. Take rest."

  Swastik felt a throbbing pain near his waist. Unconsciously, his hand went there. He slightly lifted his shirt and saw a bandage tied around his left waist. It didn't take him long to understand. They had done their work while he was unconscious. He looked at Pragya with a mixture of annoyance and frustration.

  "Were you able to do this? It doesn't befit established people like you to get things done by deceit."

  "There was no other way, Swastik. With what you had started, there was no other option." Pragya said in a calm voice.

  Swastik sat up this time. Pragya tried to stop him again, but Swastik didn't listen.

  "I don't feel good lying down. Why so much concern for me? Everyone who gets this device fitted is walking back on their heels. I am not special."

  There was a slight agitation in Swastik's voice.

  Pragya placed her left hand on Swastik's right shoulder, trying to calm him down.

  "I told you..."

  "Enough, Pragya. No need to prolong the conversation. I just want to say one thing. Then you will understand, where is freedom? Now we are puppets in the hands of those whom we ourselves voted into power."

  Finishing his sentence, Swastik stood up. He moved towards the door.

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  "Just answer one question before you go, Swastik."

  Pragya said to Swastik, standing near the trolley.

  "What do you want to know?"

  Swastik said in a rough tone.

  "What is such a mystery in your life that I don't know about?"

  Swastik closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

  "I told you before, I cannot say." He said.

  Swastik left the room.

  Why couldn't he tell Pragya about Ava? He hadn't done anything wrong. Rather, he had done a good deed. He had taken the complete responsibility of a helpless girl upon himself. This should have increased Swastik's respect. "Respect," the word stung Swastik. His own respect was dear to everyone. It was dear to Srijon too. That's why he had kept Ava's identity a secret forever. What was Swastik's identity? Just a small businessman. The flat he lived in wasn't even his own. He had received it as ancestral property in donation. Even now, people knew Swastik as Dr. Srijon Majumdar's son. He was insignificant in front of his father. He had no right to publicly attribute meanness to his father's character. No, he would not let his father's honor be tarnished. He had to do something. He couldn't go to Behala this time. There was a high probability of the secret address being revealed. Let the mystery remain a mystery, it was better for everyone. At least it was for Srijon Majumdar. But what to do, Swastik couldn't think. Swastik returned to his flat from the hospital. It had started raining. It was two in the afternoon, but it felt like dusk. He couldn't find a way to protect his father's honor. Even after returning home, he couldn't sit still. The restlessness of his mind was evident all over him. Sometimes he sat on the chair, sometimes on the sofa, sometimes he walked around the entire flat. Pragya had already called several times. Swastik didn't talk. He switched off his phone. While drowning in the ocean of thoughts, an idea suddenly struck his mind. His heart skipped a beat. Could he do what he had thought? He couldn't see any other way. Swastik made up his mind. He would do what he had thought.

  Part - 7

  .........................

  "Father, whatever I am doing is for your sake. If I make a mistake, please forgive me." Swastik said to himself.

  He turned on his mobile and called Ava. He had given Ava a mobile phone. Handing it to her, he had said,

  "Keep this. I wish I could come every day, but it won't be possible. If you have a phone, we can at least talk every day."

  After their first meeting, Swastik's relationship with Ava had become quite sweet. Upon receiving the news of her father's death, Ava had sunk into a deep sea of sorrow. She had leaned against the wall and buried her face between her knees. Swastik had sat beside her, stroked her head, and said,

  "We have to accept this, Ava. This is the truth. From now on, your elder brother will come to you instead of your father. Do you have any objections?"

  Ava had lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at Swastik. Swastik had wiped away her tears. Ava was much better than before. One day, she had said to Swastik,

  "What do you think? Am I crazy? Yes, I do get angry suddenly sometimes. But is it such a deep problem that I shouldn't be allowed to leave this house? With Father's treatment, I am much better now. Still, why didn't Father let me go out, Brother?"

  Swastik couldn't answer. He had just said,

  "You want to go outside? Okay, I will take you."

  Swastik had taken her. Ava seemed to have found a new life. She had occupied a deep place in Swastik's heart. The single word "sister" seemed to have filled Swastik's entire life.

  Swastik said to Ava on the phone,

  "Come out to the crossroads. I will reach there within an hour."

  Ava was startled.

  "Now! It's raining so heavily."

  "Yes, now. There is no time. I won't be able to go to that house anymore any day."

  "Why?" Ava asked in surprise.

  "I'll tell you when we meet. You stand at the crossroads bus stop. I'm coming with the car."

  Swastik hung up the phone. He looked out the window. Indeed, it was raining quite heavily. The roads must be flooded. Nature seemed to be trying to create obstacles in Swastik's path. But Swastik's decision was firm. This hidden transmitter would reveal the secrecy of his life. People would find out about the secret address in Behala. Questions would arise about Ava's identity. No, Swastik couldn't bear it anymore. His head was throbbing. He quickly walked towards the kitchen. He picked up a sharp knife. Carefully, he removed the bandage from the wound on his waist and touched it with the knife. Terrible pain along with heavy bleeding. He endured it by clenching his teeth. After a while, a small, flat, circular transmitter came into his hand. He crushed it under his foot, somehow tied a thick cloth around the wound, and rushed out. Swastik knew he had little time left. The Internal Security people would hunt for him like ferocious dogs now. He had taken the first step of the decision he had made. There was no turning back now. He had to reach Ava as soon as possible, surviving the hands of some violent people. Swastik took out his car. The rain was so heavy that some roads in the city had turned into rivers. It would take time to cross these rivers and reach Ava. Swastik's car was moving very slowly. His sharp eyes were wandering everywhere. Internal Security could attack his flat at any moment. They wouldn't find Swastik there. The news would spread around the city in a flash. Their address was at every street corner. A question mark could arise on Swastik's reaching Behala. Swastik's heart was pounding. Two or four Internal Security cars sped past him. His heart skipped a beat. His hands and feet seemed to go numb with fear. Somehow, he kept moving forward.

  Part - 8

  ..........................

  Eventually, Swastik reached the Behala crossroads. It had taken him quite a while. He saw Ava standing inside the glass-enclosed bus stop. The water on the street was almost knee-deep. Swastik stopped the car in front of the bus stop. Ava recognized the car. She had gone out with Swastik many times in this car. She walked towards the car, opened the door, and sat beside Swastik.

  "What's the matter, brother?"

  Ava asked in an excited voice.

  "I'm telling you."

  Swastik said, and drove on.

  He didn't know where to go. He couldn't understand which direction he should take at this moment. For some unknown reason, he suddenly felt hesitant to do what he had decided. But there was no other way. It would be better to discuss this with Ava once. Ava asked him again,

  "Brother, what's the matter? Where are we going?"

  "Before I tell you where we are going, I want to tell you something, Ava."

  Swastik finished speaking and looked at Ava.

  "What is it?"

  Ava asked with a worried tone.

  Swastik began to speak in a low voice. He told her about his father's actions, the details of the hidden transmitter, and the matter of protecting his father's honor. Finally, he spoke about the only way to protect his father's honor. Ava listened to his words with her eyes closed. After Swastik finished speaking, she said,

  "When there is no other way, then this is right. Whatever you have done is right, brother. For the sake of Father's honor, whatever you do, I will be with you."

  Swastik pressed Ava's right hand with his left hand.

  Their car moved forward along Diamond Harbour Road. Darkness had deepened considerably. It was six in the evening, but it felt like night had fallen. The rain seemed to be increasing. Suddenly, they saw many cars, buses, and trucks lined up together. What was the matter? Swastik's heart pounded again. He lowered the car window and asked someone,

  "Why is there such a jam?"

  He received the reply,

  "It's the Internal Security's show, sir. Checking is going on. Only God knows what they are checking."

  Swastik's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Ava with a fearful gaze.

  "What will happen now?"

  There was a clear sign of apprehension in Ava's voice too.

  Swastik carefully looked around from inside the car. Something caught his eye. A long bridge went to the left of the road. Swastik realized that it was the metro rail line. Suddenly, another idea came to his mind. He gestured with his eyes for Ava to get out of the car. Getting out of the car, they cautiously moved towards the metro station. Eventually, they reached the metro station. It took them almost half an hour to cover a five-minute distance. The metro station was behind, so the chances of being noticed by security were reduced. They were completely wet. But they didn't care. They bought two tickets, crossed the security barrier, and reached the platform. Thank God there was no Internal Security anywhere here. The platform was enclosed with glass on all sides. There were several glass doors along the line. When the metro arrived, the metro doors and the glass doors opened together. Due to the excessive rain, the number of passengers was not very high. After a while, an announcement was made on the loudspeaker that the metro going from Dharmatala to Kakdwip was about to arrive at platform number one. The time had come for Swastik and Ava to take another step towards their destination. They both exchanged glances. Ava's mind was weak, yet she had agreed with her elder brother for the sake of protecting her father's honor. Swastik placed his hand on Ava's cheek. Ava's eyes welled up.

  Boarding the metro, they both looked down and saw the long line of cars on the road. The Internal Security people were searching each car one by one.

  The vast reservoir of Kakdwip had taken a terrifying form today. Darkness was all around. Rain was pouring incessantly. Swastik and Ava stood facing the sea. Suddenly, they seemed to see the reflection of their father on the other side of the sea. They embraced each other for the last time. The sea was advancing towards them, and they were moving towards the sea. For the last time, Swastik opened his eyes and saw his sister's two hands floating in the void.

  Pragya kept calling Swastik's mobile phone continuously. She kept hearing the same message over and over again -

  "The number you have dialed is switched off right now. Please try after some time."

  The End.