CHAPTER 6- TIME FOR THE TRUTH

"Do you believe he could have completed the task?"That was Thakur Jyotiraditya, who had a disturbed expression, standing in the lamplight.

"I'm sure it's done"Since a long time, Ravish has been telling his father not to worry, he added.

"I can't stand by and see my family members suffer and die"

"Mr. Roy won't allow anything to happen to us..."Just then the door of the mansion opens with a loud sound. Mala, who was engrossed in some thought on the upper floor, gets startled by this sudden sound.Mr. Roy who was looking very tired was slowly moving his steps towards the room from where the light was coming.Seeing Thakur Jyotiraditya and Ravish in the room, a smile appears on Mr. Roy's face.

"Sorry it's been a while"Mr. Roy said with a smile.

"Have you done it?"Thakur Jyotiraditya asked to Mr. Roy.

"No"

"What!"Thakur Jyotiraditya said loudly. Ravish was also looking a bit confused by this answer.

"Ravish what is the speciality of me according to my books"Mr.Roy asked to Ravish.

"This is not a proper time for a joke, Mr. Roy"Thakur Jyotiraditya said in a firm tone.

"The shadows' past is visible to you"Ravish said in a light voice.

"What I saw and that's why that thing is right there in the woods"Mr Roy turned his eyes towards the painting in the room, in which a woman was filling water in her pot from a flowing river."Does a river flow in the woods" He continued.

"No, when did a river begin to flow through Kamalpura's forests?"Thakur Jyotiraditya said in an irritating voice.

"Then, thirty years ago, you had loudly propagated in the village the idea that a river with a strong current runs through the woodlands and the first woman who took her hope in the forest never came back because there is no water in the forest but some of your friends were waiting for her who..."Mr. Roy's face had a mixed expression of anger and sadness.

"What are you saying, Mr. Roy!" Ravish said in a confused manner.

"Coming back to you all had a single purpose for me... To tell you all.. that you have been betrayed Mr. Ravish... utterly betrayed"Mr. Roy said.

"Betrayed?but how"Thakur Jyotiraditya said with a confused face.

"Betrayal no. 1,Mr. Ravish, you were never told about the true incident of the woods... Betrayal no. 2,Mr. Ravish, have you ever taken your car on the village roads in the day time?"

"Yes"

"And do the people of the village get a little weird seeing your car even at that time?"

"Yes, they looks a little scared but that's what they always does"

"Because there is a fear inside them and that fear is not of your car but of your family which a member of your family has instilled in them.But,the shadow that was holding out for that person's death in those forests has since lost its dread...And maybe someday she'll do it herself"

"Who betrayed us?" Thakur Jyotiraditya asked him.

"Ahh....It's you Mr. Chakraborty"Mr. Roy said with a light smile, "Time for the truth, Thakur"He continued.Thakur Jyotiraditya laughed a little and said that, "You are good.. very good... so the truth is that the people living in this mansion, Mr. Roy...won't think twice before killing you.Till then there's night, there's is my son and the story you're dying to tell us.. go ahead"

"So the story goes... thirty years ago, you make a good plan to please some of your Firangi friends, so that the British will be happy with you and you will not lose your lands... "

"What a time it was, I was ruling this bloody place as a king, ohh sorry, continue"

"Nevertheless, as soon as this tragedy occurred, you became alarmed, killed Rosadhar as well, and instilled such dread in the community that no one dared to bring up the fact that it was you because of whom Bholi went to the woods"

"Then"

"You receive a curse from the god, and Bholi returns to the woods where he kills only the men who were with you—not all of them...then you come to know about me and you get a solution through me but you disapprovingly send me an invitation from your son Ravish who is a fan of my books"

"A child could figure that out... why?to what end?"

"So that I fight these plagues to end it and you and your truth will never come to the fore"

"Perfect, isn't it" Thakur Jyotiraditya said with a smile.

"Why!"Ravish said loudly.

"I didn't teach you to talk to your father like this"Thakur Jyotiraditya said with a light smile.

"This series which you thought to end with me will now end with your death.So now I must leave and if your men want to stop me then it's okay I will get an action scene for my book and your men will also know that they don't fight with a stranger"

"No one will stop you Mr. Roy,Jagadish!"Ravish said loudly.A servant came in whom Rudra had seen before,"Jagadish will drop you at the station"He continued.Mr. Roy starts leaving from there only then," Thanks Mr. Roy for the truth and close the door, I don't want everyone to hear the fight between father and son"Thakur Jyotiraditya said while picking up the tobacco's pipe from the table.

"Hmm"Mr. Roy said and left from there.The last words he heard while closing the door were Ravish's,"Why did you do that!"

He was walking behind Jagadish towards the door of the mansion.That's when,"Mr. Roy"It was a lady's voice. He turned back with a smile.

"Miss Mala"He said.Mala was standing near the stairs.

"So you are leaving" She said.

"My work is over so there is no scope for me to stay here"

"Any chance of meeting again"

"This is what I hope"

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible,have a nice journey Mr. Roy"Having said this, she ascended the steps.

"Thank you, Miss Mala"He said loudly so that Mala could hear his words.

While listening to the sound of the smoke-blowing train engine, Mr. Roy was grinning as he looked out the window and considered his voyage.But still many new adventures were waiting for him.