An Overcast Sky And An Engrossing Adventure

This morning,  I stepped out on pavements and  roads wet with dew. The park had only one or two strollers. The sky was overcast and the wind that blew warned of winter’s stealthy approach.

I had expected it to be sunny as usual by mid-day but on the contrary it became darker and darker. The fragrance of wet earth indicated that it had rained somewhere nearby.

By the afternoon it felt quite cold. Funny! Never expected the weather to be so whimsical. But again this was the perfect day to fold oneself inside a light quilt and read an edge of the seat murder mystery or a spine chilling spooky story.

I was in luck and got one just right for the occasion. An audio story – Red Dragon by one of my now favourite authors, Deepannita Roy, on Mirchi Sunday Suspense. Somewhat like Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence series but with a difference. This is a young adult adventure, mind you.

Reno (Renesa) and Beto (Bitan) are childhood friends. Reno is a Karate Black Belt and an Electrical Engineering student while Beto is pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. It’s summer vacation and Reno is getting quite bored staying inside doing nothing as Kolkata boils and perspires in the clutches of the relentless heat and humidity of May-June though Beto has become quite a bird watcher these days clicking photos and posting on his FB timeline. He is also a member of a number of bird watchers’ group.

Reno’s mother comes to their rescue and suggests that they make a trip to Darjeeling, the Queen of Mountains, where Reno’s Neelu Dadu (grand dad) and Dida (grand mom) stay. Neelu or Neeloy Roy is Reno’s father’s distant maternal uncle. He is a retired Professor of Physics and now permanently settled in the hills of Darjeeling. But his passion is Astrophysics and he has got a telescope fitted in his  second floor study where he spends considerable time.

However, upon arrival Reno and Beto find him quite worried about a stray incident – he has spotted a man several times walking in the dead of the night in their peaceful locality towards the end of the street where the hills slope down to the village in the valley but never seen him coming back. He kind of vanishes into thin air. The man carries a big shopper bag and in the dark his face is not discernible. Neelu Dadu informally keeps the police informed about it but they don’t find any reason to take immediate action.

However, during Reno and Beto’s stay at Neelu Dadu’s they meet a young , sincere and intelligent boy named Mallar who works in the Crime Division of the Forest Department. He tells them about a deadly racket involved in the smuggling of snake venom and illegal cross breeding of birds. He further informs that he is quite sure that the pivotal operation point of the racket  is Darjeeling and their code word is Red Dragon.

Reno and Beto learn that snake venom is in high demand in the medical world. It is used not only in anti-venom medicines but also is an important element in life saving drugs and even used in medicines to treat cancer. It is also used in aphrodisiacs and is an expensive intoxicant.  However, getting the venom from a snake involves  a dangerous process and it is not always supplied or procured in strictly legal ways. Similarly, local birds are crossbred with migratory or rare species of birds and their chicks are sold at high prices. This cross breeding is unethical and not legally sanctioned.

By and by Reno and Beto also meet Radha Raman Bose, Neelu Dadu’s neighbour, an aristocrat, who is into making perfumes and essential oils in his home grown laboratory. He also has a well manicured garden of exotic flowers and a well stacked library on the second floor. But the third floor or the terrace remains locked and is out of bounds. Why?

The duo also comes to know of Param Singh, another mysterious neighbour, whom nobody has seen. He comes to stay in his house next door once in a while, throws night long boisterous parties and then again disappears. Strange boxes get delivered to his residence when he is not around.

Raghuveer Yadav is another one of Neelu Dadu’s neighbours who by his very appearance looks like a shady character. He has a beautiful resort in the midst of a sprawling  orange garden in Shitong. At the back of the garden is a unit where orange jams and gellies are made. But why does he transport boxes and boxes  of what he calls ‘dragon’  in the middle of the night when everyone has gone off to sleep?

As days pass , Reno and Beto’s tentacles rise up. They snoop around and are convinced that the kingpin of Red Dragon is someone in the neighborhood. Who is it ? Is it Param Singh ? Or Raghuveer Yadav? Is there something suspicious about the charming  Bose uncle too and his philanthropic activities are not what they seem ?  Will Reno and Beto be able to nab the actual culprit? In true adventurous spirit they both dive in to get to the bottom of the mysterious activities taking place in the posh Rose Street neighbourhood determined to bust the snake venom and bird cross breeding racket endangering their own Neelu Dadu and Dida’s lives. 

As I reached the climax there was a loud clap of thunder outside and then the sky broke down and started shedding copious tears as though it had promised itself to drown the earth in its unreasoned grief. The evening came too soon unannounced.

Now as I write my flat seems unusually quiet. A peep out of  the kitchen window gave me an uncomfortable glimpse of an ill lit deserted street. The flats across had already shut their doors tight and the night lights in the balconies glowed weakly lengthening the shadows of the ancient trees in the small park in between.

Though Kalu, with her puny strength, is curled up in the corner I am unsure she will not impulsively decide on a sudden nocturnal tour of the block  leaving me alone. I am doubtful whether I will have a restful sleep tonight.

In the meantime, it again started raining in a regular rhythm with a gradual ascension to an increased tempo. I have forwarded the link of the audio story in my WhatsApp Group. I know my buddies will soon be hooked to it. And why not ? Why should I be the only one spooked out this rainy night? Eh…?

😂😂😂😂