CHAPTER 2- THE SOUL'S STORY

He receives his ticket back from the ticket collector, who then exits the compartment.Looking out the window, Mr. Roy returns to the lake of his thoughts.That's when,another man comes inside the compartment, this one a lean man wearing black framed glasses, white dhoti and yellow colored kurta showing a pure dressing sense of bengal.Mr. Roy was giving him a perplexed look.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, actually I don't have ticket and ticket collector is looking for me, I just saw him exiting your compartment means he's not coming back....If you don't mind, can I stay here for a while, my station 'Buxar' is near, please let me stay here for a while"He said insistently.Mr. Roy took pity on him and gave his consent by nodding his head in yes.He sat on the berth in front of Mr Roy with a beaming smile.

"My name is Anil Banerjee, I am a student of Delhi University.I received an urgent contact from family members, thus I was unable to quickly purchase the ticket" He said.Mr. Roy just gave a small smile in response.

"And you?" Anil asked him.

"Rudra roy" Mr. Roy said in a firm tone.

"Are you the fantasy novelist Rudra Roy?"Anil said in an excited voice.

Mr. Roy just nodded lightly.

" '𝘜𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘰' (Oh mother),really!"

"What" Mr. Roy said.

"I'm sorry but I..I have read each of your novels. Your writing is magical,your fiction works are so real as if it really happened to you... "But Mr. Roy interrupted him and said that,"Every word written in my stories reflects the truth, I have written this clearly in my books as well"

"You crack good jokes, sir;this is your marketing strategy to attract readers"Anil said and laughed.

"I hate jokes, Mr. Banerjee"Saying this Mr Roy started looking back at the scenery outside the window.There was nothing Mr. Anil could say to that.After a quiet, he said,"Sir, I respect you a lot and everyone knows that you are a wonderful writer but"Rubbing his hand on the frame of his spectacles, he further said,"But ghosts and spirits are one of those things that cannot be believed"Mr. Roy was hurt by these words.he didn't want to hear that from their readers.

"Can I ask you something, Anil"

"Absolutely sir"

"Can you tell me how far is kamalpura from buxar?" Mr. Roy asked him.

"Kamalpura"Anil said this term with a terrified expression on his face.

"Yes, Kamalpura"

"Not far, around one hour's drive from my village"

"I asked the question how far is it from Buxar"Mr. Roy said with a smile.

"Ohh... sorry, not much, just one and a half hour's journey"

"Thank you"

"But why do you want to go there, sir?"

"That's where I'm going to get my character in my next story, a woman in a red sari"Mr Roy said adjusting the collar of his shirt.Anil's face turned pale on hearing this, seeing which Mr. Roy said that,"What happened Mr Anil, it's one of those things you don't trust"

"Hmr... "Anil yanked back his voice and said that,"If you go there, sir, you will perish in a perilous place.She is a fearsome hunter who likes to hunt men"

"Then you are going to find my next book quite exciting"

"Sir even if your stories are true then this is much more creepy than all of them believe me sir don't go there"

"Can you tell me anything about her, whatever you know"

"Hmm... as far as I have heard, about 30 years ago some British hunters had come to the forests of Kamalpura for hunting and there they saw a woman 'Bholi' who was very beautiful, they coerced her, she screamed and begged for help but people ignored her screams as if they did not hear her voice.Those English hunters left her badly injured in the forest so that she became a morsel of wild animals, people say that before dying she cursed Kamalpura that she will kill any guy who enters Kamalpura's woods at night.Since then this bloody game has started, she first seduces the man and then kills him"Anil replied as he wiped his forehead of sweat.

Then came the sound of train siren.The big yellow board of Buxar station could be clearly seen outside the window.They both emerged from their compartments and disembarked the train; there was hardly anybody else there.They came outside the station where no other means of transportation was visible except horse carts.

"You can accompany me if you merely want to travel to Kamalpura because I have to take the same route, if you don't mind"Anil said.

"I would be happy to do so" Mr. Roy said gently.

"𝘋𝘢𝘥𝘢 (brother), we have to go to Kamalpura"Anil said to the charioteer.

"50 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘢 (rupees)"The charioteer said.

"This is too much"Arguing, Anil said.

"No one is going to take you there from now on; if you don't believe me, ask around and see"The charioteer said.

"I'm okay with it, Anil" Mr. Roy said to stop this debate.Both of them sat on the horse cart which shook a little when they sat down.For a while in the journey, Anil told Mr Roy the praises of his books and got off as soon as a small occupation arrived.Then Mr Roy faced this journey alone,the journey of the horse cart was passing through the unpaved road and the roads were slowly becoming deserted.In front of Mr. Roy, there was now a tranquil village with no one in sight and no sound to be heard.

"𝘚𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘣 you get off here, I won't go any further" The charioteer said to Mr. Roy.

"Hmm... "Mr Roy got down from the horse carriage with his black handbag in his hand and started waiting for someone.Then he heard the sound of someone's footsteps from behind which was moving towards him.