Once on the train, Byomkesh clammed up and stared out of the window absent-mindedly. But Ramenbabu became increasingly cheerful as Calcutta drew closer. The two of us continued having a pleasant chat. Once Sunayana’s name came up, he said, ‘If I had to swear under oath in a court of law, I’d say Sunayana was not on the farm. Yet, I can’t get rid of a niggling doubt …’

‘But how is it possible for Sunayana to live there in disguise? I asked. ‘Could someone go on wearing make-up all day long and day after day?’

Ramenbabu said, ‘I’m not alleging either that she is living there in disguise. She is in her natural state over there. But it could well be possible, couldn’t it, that she had disguised her real self when she went into films and that was the guise in which I had seen her?’

At this point, Byomkesh remarked, ‘A storm is brewing.’

I glanced out of the window curiously. But where was the storm? There wasn’t the trace of a cloud in the sky. Amazed, I turned to Byomkesh and saw that he was sitting there with his eyes shut. ‘Are you dreaming of storms?’ I asked.

He opened his eyes and said, ‘That is not the kind of storm I’m referring to—there is one brewing in Golap Colony. A lot of pressure has built up and something is about to happen.’

‘What will happen?’

‘If I knew that, I would be able to prevent it.’ He shut his eyes once more.

When we arrived at Sealdah station, the street lights had come on. Before we took leave of Ramenbabu, Byomkesh said, ‘I shall trouble you a little further. Could you get hold of two photographs of Sunayana—one as Kamalmoni, the other as Shyama, the maid?’

Ramenbabu said, ‘You shall have them tomorrow.’

The following morning, after reading the newspapers, Byomkesh carefully folded his section of it and observed, ‘Yesterday, we saw four women. Of the four, who would you say is the most beautiful?’

It was not like Byomkesh to discuss the beauty of women. But perhaps he had a reason for it. So I replied, ‘Damayanti Devi would qualify as the most beautiful …’

‘But …’

Startled, I asked, ‘But what?’

‘A doubt lingers in your mind.’ Suddenly, Byomkesh pointed a finger at me and said, ‘Who did you see in your dreams last night?’

Now I was truly uncomfortable. ‘Dreams!’ I exclaimed. ‘Well, no …’

‘Don’t lie to me. Who was it?’

I had no choice but to confess. Although dreams were beyond the control exercised by the human mind, I replied shamefacedly, ‘Bonolokhhi.’

‘What was the dream about?’

‘I saw her beckoning to me and smiling. But there was something odd about her—it was as if her teeth were not her own. As far as I remember, her teeth are regular and well set. But in my dream, her teeth were sort of crooked …’

Byomkesh stared at me in amazement