ood news?’ Feluda asked Lalmohan Babu the minute he came into the room. I didn’t notice anything special, but Feluda went on, ‘I knew from the way you rang the bell twice that you were eager to share some important news with us, though I couldn’t tell whether the news was good or bad. Now it’s obvious it’s good news.’ ‘How did you guess?’ Lalmohan Babu asked. ‘I didn’t even smile.’ ‘No, but there were a few things that gave you away. Number one, your appearance. You have taken extra care today. That yellow kurta you’re wearing is new, you used a new blade to shave and the whole room is already reeking with your aftershave. Besides, you don’t usually come here before nine. It is now seventeen minutes to nine o’clock.’ Lalmohan Babu laughed. ‘Yes, you’re absolutely right. I couldn’t rest in peace until I came and told you what had happened. Do you remember Pulak Ghoshal?’ ‘The film director? The one who made a Hindi film based on your story, The Buccaneer of Bombay?’ ‘It wasn’t just a film, Felu Babu, but a super-hit film. He had told me he wanted to make another film from one of my stories. We” he’s going to do it now.’ ‘Which story is this?’ ‘The one with all the action in Karakoram. But Karakoram has been dropped. The action’s now in Darjeeling.’ ‘Darjeeling? How could Darjeeling ever compare with Karakoram?’ ‘I know, I know. But something’s better than nothing, isn’t it? Apart from that, they’re going to pay me a lot more than last time. Forty thousand, no less.’ ‘What! It takes me two years to earn that much!’ ‘Well, their total budget is 5.6 million rupees. Forty thousand for the writer is nothing. Do you know how much their top stars get paid?’ ‘Yes, I have some idea.’ ‘Then why are you surprised? Rajen Raina will play the hero in this film. He will get more than a million. And the villain’s role has gone to Mahadev Verma. His rates are even higher. He’s done only five films so far, but all five have had silver jubilees.’ ‘Really? Well then, if Pulak Ghoshal is a pal of yours, how come he hasn’t invited you up to Darjeeling?’ ‘But he has! That’s what I came to tell you. He’s asked not just me, but all three of us. I did say to him there was no need for a formal invitation, we’d go on our own. What do you say, Felu Babu?’ I couldn’t remember when we were last in Darjeeling. All I could remember was that it was there that Feluda began his career as an investigator. I was only a young boy then, and he had to tick me off

pretty frequently for my naivete and ignorance. Now he had started to introduce me as his assistant. If he had done that before, people would simply have laughed at him. Over the last few years, I had thought many times of going back to Darjeeling for a holiday, but Feluda had become so busy that there never seemed to be any time. He was also earning much more. Of the five cases he had handled in the last six months, he had solved all except the case of a double murder in Chandannagore. His work had been highly appreciated everywhere, and he had been paid well. Only three months ago, he had bought a colour television, and a large number of old books, in which he seemed greatly interested. I had realized by now that Feluda was not really bothered about saving money. He liked spending what he earned, but not necessarily always on himself. He often bought little gifts for Lalmohan Babu, simply to show him how much he appreciated all the help he gave us, whenever we needed it. The aftershave he was wearing now had been given by Feluda. Lalmohan Babu had declared he would use it only on special occasions. Today was obviously such an occasion for him. Our Puja holidays were about to start. Feluda had already decided not to accept any more cases for a few months. So I didn’t think he would object to a visit to Darjeeling. He loved the place, anyway. I had often heard him commenting on the variety Bengal could offer. ‘It may only be an accident of geography,’ he told me once, ‘but can you think of any other state that has lush green farmland, dry and arid areas, a forest like the Sunderbans, huge rivers like the Ganga, Padma and Meghna, an ocean at its bottom and the Himalayas at its top?’ ‘Well?’ Lalmohan Babu asked a little impatiently, sipping the tea Srinath had just brought in. ‘Do you want to go or not?’ ‘Wait, I’d like one more detail before I make up my mind.’ ‘Yes?’ ‘When would you like us to go?’ ‘A part of the film unit has already reached Darjeeling. But they’re not going to start shooting before next Friday. Today is Sunday.’ ‘I am not really interested in watching the actual shooting. Are they going to work outdoors, or have they—?’ ‘Have you heard of Birupaksha Majumdar?’ ‘The managing director of the Bengal Bank?’ ‘He was the MD, but is now retired. A mild cerebral stroke made him retire at the age of fifty-two.’ ‘I see. But isn’t he a rather talented man? He used to be a sportsman, I think?’ ‘Yes. He was once the national billiards champion. And I think he was a shikari, too.’ ‘Yes, I have read one of his articles on shikar and hunting.’ ‘He comes from a very well-known family. His ancestors used to be the zamindars in a place called Nayanpur in East Bengal. They have a huge house in Darjeeling. It’s built like a bungalow, and has sixteen rooms. That is where Mr Majumdar stays. Pulak has got his permission to use a couple of rooms to take a few shots in. The