Akhil Chakravarty began talking to us in the car. ‘I did go off in a different direction,’ he said, ‘but I didn’t go far. In fact, I could hear every word from where I stood near the rock with my initials on it. I used to ask Mahesh why he grew preoccupied at times and sank into silence. He used to laugh and tell me to look at his horoscope to find out. It is amazing, isn’t it, that such an important event in his life remained a secret, even from me? Perhaps it’s my own fault, I failed to study his stars properly.’ As our car drew up outside our gate, I realized who Feluda had called from Kailash. Shankarlal Misra was waiting for us. ‘Mission successful?’ Feluda asked him, getting out of the car. ‘Yes,’ Mr Misra replied. ‘Biren has come to meet you.’ We walked into the living room to find the same sadhu from Rajrappa sitting on a sofa. He rose as he saw us and said, ‘Namaskar.’ Clad in long saffron robes, he was tall and well built, his thick matted hair almost reaching his waist. An equally thick beard covered most of his face. ‘He agreed to come only when I told him about his father’s last wish,’ Mr Misra said. ‘He has got nothing against his father.’ ‘No,’ agreed Biren, ‘but then, I don’t feel any love or attachment for him, either. Shankar tried very hard to bring me back. He thought if I saw my father and other members of my family, even from a distance, I might wish to come back. That is the reason why I was in Rajrappa that day. But I realized after seeing my family that that was not going to make any difference at all. I had ceased to care for them. My father was a complex man, but he was the only one who seemed to have understood me. So, in the beginning, I used to write to him. But later . . .’ ‘But those letters were not sent from abroad, were they? I don’t think you ever left the country!’ Feluda said coolly. We gasped, but Biren Chowdhury simply stared at Feluda with an expressionless face. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. ‘Shankar had told me how clever you were. I was only testing you,’ he laughed. ‘Very well. Now you may take off your disguise,’ Feluda suggested. ‘It may be enough to fool the whole town of Hazaribagh, but you don’t fool me.’ Biren Chowdhury continued to laugh as he took off his wig and his false beard. I gave another gasp as his face was revealed. Lalmohan Babu clutched at my sleeve and whispered, ‘Kan-kan-kan—’ He had got the name wrong again, but I was too astounded to correct him. Mr Karandikar looked at us and nodded. Akhil Chakravarty broke the silence. ‘What do you mean, Mr Mitter? Biren never went abroad? Well then, his letters—?’ ‘It is possible to send letters from