অলীক পাতার অন্যান্য সংখ্যা- পড়তে হলে ক্লিক করুন Library ট্যাব টি
Monday, April 17, 2017
Bedatrayee Roy (Class X)
The Mysterious Affair in Eton
15th February was yet another day in the lives of
the people living the small town of Eton. Everything was just as normal as ever,
from the early-morning-hue-and-cry that arose from the roosters’ coop to the
people scurrying to reach their destinations in order to keep up with their
busy schedules. It is a peaceful place—Eton. Cut off from the rest of the world
which has become more or less like a concrete cauldron.
To think that something so gruesome and horrifying would
happen within a few hours in this unwary and unsuspecting place…
***
But on the morning of
15th February, a car parked itself outside the gates of the mansion
and a man of about 30, dressed in a casual outfit, got out. He went through the
gates and knocked the door three times and was soon welcomed in by the butler.
Almost after 20 minutes he left the building, got in his car and drove off.
And then it was heard, 10 minutes later. The clear and sharp
sound of a gunshot, piercing through the uncanny silence of The Rosewood Street
of Eton.
***
“Eton?” clearly I had never heard of that place and from
what Inspector Rudd’s face told me, he hadn’t either.
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Must be somewhere in the world.”
“Who’s the victim?”
“Some girl named Jane. Quite young, really. The daughter of
some retired General Barton. Shot herself with a gun sometime around 12 noon,
from what it seems.” replied the Inspector.
I just happened to be with my buddy—Inspector Stephan Rudd, when the call came and made us aware of the grim fate of Miss Jane who had lived in Eton, wherever that place is.
“So, what do you have to do?” I asked.
“I will have to go to that god forbidden place and find out
why did that girl decided to shoot herself one fine morning.” Stephan replied
gloomily.
“Can I come too?” maybe I asked that a bit too soon. It was his project after all and I was no oneto
meddle in his business. But Stephan knew very well that I can’t stay put,
especially when such a situation had arisen.
“Sure why not? Besides I can really do with a companion!” he
grinned.
And that was precisely how I ended up in Eton to solve
something way more complicated than I thought it to be at that time…
***
“Whoa!” Yep that was the first thing that came to my mind when
I entered the mansion General Barton and his family called ‘Home’. Eton had
turned out to be a pleasant place and Rosewood Street was one of a kind, but it
was hard to believe someone would kill themselves off here…
After the pleasantries were passed, we were finally shown
into the room of Jane Barton. And there lay the body of a young girl with a gun
in her hand, and who looked quite innocent and naïve to have killed herself.
Something was not right here…
“She was just 19. My dear Jane…” Barton began and then his
voice trailed off.
General Paul Barton was an old man of 60, who must have been
tough in his years but had grown weaker and frail with age.
“Do you have any idea why she would want to kill herself,
Sir?”Stephan asked.
“I don’t know. She was a merry and charming child, always
happy and content. And I loved her so much. Why would she do such a thing…? Oh
God this is hard…” he was clearly breaking up.
I was examining the wound on her body and just got more
clear and certain of the thing that was bothering me.
“She didn’t need to have a reason to kill herself.
Because
she did not. Jane Barton was murdered.”
I announced.
***
The Inspector was the first one to speak. “How can you be so
sure Daniel?”
I had my reasons. I began “Because (1) I am experienced
enough to tell from the wound that it was made by a blade or something, not a
gun and (2) Jane Barton was stabbed with such force that she could not have
done it herself and then (3) If she had shot herself, her clothes would have
singed from the bullet being fired from a close range, but they are not. It is
clearly a murder” I finished.
“Oh Lord!” Lady Barton exclaimed and fell to the floor. “Who
would want to kill my sweet daughter?!” she cried hysterically before finally
fainting.
The General himself seemed quite dazed.So was everyone else.
“But we clearly heard a shot…” Nestor
the butler started.
“We will have to look into this matter gravely.” Inspector
Rudd concluded.
***
“That escalated quickly! How can you tell so easily that it
was not a suicide?”Stephan exclaimed.
“I just told you. I observe
things” I replied. And that was quite true.
We were in the living room where we just had finished
questioning all the members of the house. Everyone had a perfect alibi, with
General Barton being in the music room, at the end of the hall, playing a piece
of Mozart, which was vouched for by Lady Barton since she was with him. The
butler was washing the dishes and the manservant was dusting up the hall. We
had everyone’s word for it. Anyway Jane Barton was in her room as usual when
the shot was heard at 12 noon and then everyone had rushed to her room to
discover her body.
“This doesn’t make any sense” Stephan was visibly frustrated.
“All of them swear that they heard a shot and then there was a gun in her hand, but you keep on insisting she was stabbed!?”
“I know how you feel, but the wound on her body is
unmistakably that of a dagger or something”
“Even if someone did stab her, and it could only be someone
from this house, why make it look like a suicide?”
“That is what we have to find out Stephan.” was all I could
say.
***
“So, you are telling me there was nothing bizarre that
happened all throughout the morning… except the fact that Miss Jane’s uncle had
come to visit her with a present from Amsterdam.” We were now questioning
everybody on what had happened all throughout the morning till 12 noon.
“Yeah, exactly” the butler who was the last one to get
interrogated replied.
“Did her uncle used to visit her often?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. He is always travelling around the world. And
he used to bring back presents for Miss Jane.”
“Where is her uncle now?” Inspector Rudd asked.
When we asked her she said, “Well, my brother you see is a
restless guy. I’m not really up to date with all his travelling destinations
and all that. He may or may not be in his house right now. He lives in the main
town of Eton, just to let you know.”
“Great. So he is not here.” I thought.
When we decided at last that it was enough for one day, and
finally reached the apartment we had rented, we saw a note fastened to the door
with a dagger, waiting for us. I pulled it down and read it. This is what it
said:-
“If you really value
your lives, then quit meddling in other’s affairs. Otherwise… let’s just say
the next warning will not be so friendly. And it might be game over for you… ”
It was written in blood.
***
“We got a death threat and all you are interested in is that
damn knife!?”
I was fondling the dagger that had fastened the note on our
door.
“Well, I have never seen something like this… I bet it came
from some antique shop. It seems to me to be like a collector’s most prized
possession…” I presumed. “I am going for a walk.” I finally announced.
“A walk?! Where to?”
“I’ll tell you when I come back”
“Sure. That helps a lot.” grumbled the Inspector.
***
“I’ve got something important to tell you abou-” both me and
Stephan literally ran into each other and stumbled back by the effect.
“Okay you go on first” I said reluctantly.
“You will not believe this! The man servant, Herbert was
found dead a few minutes ago on the floor of his room!”the Inspector said
breathlessly. “I got a call. We have to go there right now.”
“Sure lets go.” I was quite surprised by the turn of events.
Who knew what laid in store for us?
***
“So, basically he was poisoned?” I asked.
“Yep. We found traces of cyanide in the glass from which he
had his last drink of water.” Stephan confirmed.
“I wonder…” turning to the General I asked, “Can I go and
look into Miss Jane’s room?”
“Sure, you have every right to do so.” he replied.
I went into her room and started looking around, even though
I wasn’t sure what I was searching for. Anything that is out of place, anything
that is not supposed to be here… And then I found it. Laying behind one of the
legs of the bed was a piece of stretched rubber.
***
“What is that guy Daniel up to?” was precisely what was in
the minds all of those who had assembled in the living room, which included the
General, his wife Natasha, the butler, Inspector Rudd and a few other policemen
who had tagged along.
“Well you all must be wondering what’s going on, so allow me
to inform you all that I think I have managed to work things out.” There was a
short silence followed by an outburst of mumbling among the audience.
“Let me confess though, that I still don’t know who was
behind this all, but I think we all will know by the time I am done taking. So…
here it goes:-
On the morning of 15th February at 11:30 a.m. a
gentleman arrives here, who calls himself the uncle of Jane Barton, in order to
give her a present and was shown in by Nestor. Then he leaves the house at
11:45 and drives off to who knows where. And then at 12 noon everyone in this house hears a shot and rushes to Miss
Jane’s room to find her dead.”
“I discovered after observing her body carefully, that she
was murdered. Even though I figured out that it was something sharp, I still
could not point out what the murder weapon exactly was. Then after the day’s
work when I and Inspector Rudd reached our apartment, we found a death threat
at our door fastened by a dagger. It turns out that that dagger was exactly what had killed Jane Barton.”
“What!?” exclaimed Inspector Rudd.
“Yes. That evening I went out for a walk to tour all the
antique shops over the place and sure enough my speculation was correct. That
repulsive weapon was brought from one of the shops and was paid for by someone from this house.”
“That must have made the murderer desperate and thus they
sent someone to do me in. That someone turned out to be Herbert, the manservant, but I won over him and when threatened by
me, he blurted out that he was innocent and was acting on someone else bidding
though he refused to reveal that person’s name (a hard nut he was).”
“Imagine my disbelief when I heard Herbert was killed by
poison a few minutes after our encounter!”
“I would now like to call someone to join us in the party.
Will you please come in Mr Coulson?”
All heads turned to see the man who had just
entered—well-built, around 30, with a thick beard and moustache.
“This man here is Miss Jane’s uncle.Now watch closely
everyone.”
He went up to that man and swiftly pulled out his beard and
moustache. The room was filled with stunned gasps because the person staring at
them was none other Herbert!
“No, this person is not Herbert but his twin brother Henry.”
What happened next was total chaos. Suddenly Lady Barton
sprang up from where she was sitting and ran at full speed towards the door.
But the Inspector and the policemen reacted quickly and caught her as she
struggled like a wild cat.
“Please allow me to finish Lady Barton.
On 15th February Henry, who is no way related to
this family, visited Miss Jane at 11:30 and stabbed that poor girl and made it
look like suicide. He left the house at 11:45 content with his work. The shot
that was heard at 12 noon again was this man’s craftsmanship. He set up a huge
rubber balloon that would burst exactly at 12 thus making it sound like a gun
shot.”
Now Daniel turned towards General Barton.
“General, you never said that Lady Barton was your second
wife and thus a step mother to Miss Jane?” Daniel smiled at him.
There was a dead silence.
“Yes it was me!” Natasha burst out screaming, “I am the one
who set this all up! I wiped that little mouse of a girl off my path and got Henry
to do it! And this guy is not related to me in the least! I don’t even have a
brother; I fed that piece of information in all of your dumb heads! I was the
one who sent that death threat and also Herbert after you to finish you off! I
am the one who poisoned that coward of a person!” she pointed at General Barton
and began, “All because this fool here
would give away all his wealth and property to that little runt of his I had to
call my daughter!”
The General grew pale and looked a 10
years older. “Natasha… Natasha…” he was mumbling as he shook his head. “Why
Natasha…why…”
“I think our job is done here Stephan. Let’s go.” I said to
him.
“Yeah sure. The police will take care of Lady Barton and
Henry. They will face justice.” Stephan sounded as he was trying to console the
old General.
Once we were on our way out of Eton and back to home,
Stephan couldn’t hold himself any longer. “How did you… know?” he managed to
blurt out.
“I just stumbled towards the answer that’s all” I answered
with a shrug.
Brishti Ganguly (Class X)
CELLPHONES!!!
Are you an alien or a magic?
Often you save us from the tragic,
Great he must be, invented you,
Smart he must be, uses you,
Simple, smart, long or short whichever type you are,
Message you deliver without fail,
Very helpful you are,
To remind the special point of time and wake up early in the bright,
Found all my dear long lost friends by camera, gallery in the sight,
Add, subtract and divide,
All math functions you can do,
Mistakes I made in my sums,
Help you render, I need you,
Some special days you remind as planner I will need,
And all favourite games I will play,
But exceed in my greed,
You have the music, I will rock,
You have the skype I will talk,
You have the recorder you can mock,
And if I lose you, I am in dock,
But I remember good old days,
Memories I cherish of the past,
Letters of grandma long and nice,
Oh! Cellphone you stole at last.
Friday, April 14, 2017
স্বরূপ চক্রবর্তী
হারানো(বৈশাখী)সুখ
চৈত্রের শেষে চাঁদি পোড়া গরম
সুজ্জ্যি মামার হাতে ছড়ি,
ছট-ফট প্রান ঘামে হাঁসফাঁস
ঋতু রাজের সাথে আড়ি;
পয়লা বোশেখ, হাল খাতা পুজো
নেমন্তন্নের ছড়া ছড়ি,
হাঁফ ছাড়ে প্রান আকুল নয়ান
ভরসা শুধু কমলা ভোগ , মিঠে দই আর দরবেশের হাঁড়ি,
আরও আছে ভাই, শিশু আম আর
চিংড়ি , ইলিশ নিয়ে মারামারি
ডিজাইনার বর্ষবরণ
ভাপা ইলিশ আর চিংড়ির মালাইকারি।
হা হতোস্মি, অভাগা আমি পেটের দায়ে
বিদেশে দিয়েছি পাড়ি-
তোমরা সবাই লেখ কবিতা
আর আমি শুধু গুগল এ দর্শনে অর্ধ ভোজন করি।
বিধি সম্মত সতর্কীকরণ ঃমধুমেহ রোগাক্রান্তরা সাবধান
১৪/০৪/২০১৭
চিত্র ঋণঃ dgreetings.com
কোলাজ ঃ লেখক
দেবশ্রী চক্রবর্তী
নমামি বৈশাখ
এসো বৈশাখ বরণ তোমায় করি
মন খানি মোর চঞ্চল,
আজ তোমায় আপন করি;
দীর্ঘ সময় পেরিয়ে
আজ ফের তুমি আছো দাঁড়ায়ে,
নিকিয়ে রেখেছি মনের দুয়ার,
দিয়েছি হাত বাড়ায়ে;
তোমার চোখে আকাশের নীল
আমি ভেসে যাই শঙ্খচিল,
তোমার পরনের নবীন সাজে
চঞ্চল মনে দুন্দুভি বাজে,
রক্তিম ফুল হলুদের তেজে-
চারিদিক দিলে ভরায়ে।
বৈশাখী হাওয়ার সতেজতায়
চৈত্র গিয়েছে হারায়ে;
ফুলে ফলে পল্লবে আজ
মন দিয়েছ বিছায়ে,
রবির হাতে হাত রেখে,
ছুটিয়ে দিয়েছি মন,
বৈশাখ তুমি এসে গেছ
আজ বাংলায় আলোড়ন;
গহন গভীর অন্তরে
চঞ্চল দুটি নয়নে
আজ সলামি আমদ তোমারে………
১৩/০৪/২০১৭
চিত্র ঋণ ঃ meme4u.com
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
শিবু
হাতুড়ী ঘা দিয়ে যায় বারে বারে শরীরে
এ যেন এক অভিশাপ- কার কোপ কার ঘাড়ে পড়ে ।
যান্ত্রিক ছলনাময় পৃথিবীর বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা
আমার ভাইয়ের মনে ছড়িয়ে দেয় নাশকতা ।
সে যে দস্তানায় ঢেকে রাখে হৃদয়ের ক্ষত
ঘৃণা চোখে পাশ কেটে চলে যায় পড়শি যত ।
চলকে ওঠে রক্তের চোরা-স্রোত গোপন মন্থনে
ঝলকে ওঠে শিরা-উপশিরা তুষ-আগুনে ।
আগুনেই পোড়া নয়, দহনেই শেষ হয় না ক্ষত
হলে তো বেশ হত, কাঁচা সোনা পাকা হত ।
পোড়া-কালো-গন্ধ ধোঁয়া আজ আকাশ ছুতে চায়
দিনের আলো রাতের অন্ধকার দিকে ছুটে যায় ।
দেখ, পৃথিবী কেমন ছুটে চলে অভ্যাসে ।
দেখো, কক্ষপথের কেন্দ্রে একটি সুর্যও ভাসে !
চিত্রঋণ ঃ Christi Iynn Schwartzkopf.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
রীনা রায়
হে বসন্ত
ঋতুরাজ হে বসন্ত
তুমি প্রকৃতিকে
করে তোল
অপরূপ,
সাজিয়ে তোল
পলাশ শিমুল
কৃষ্ণচূড়ার
লাল রঙে।
মৃদু মন্থর
দখিনা হাওয়ায়
দোলা লাগে উচাটন
মনে
পাতাঝরা গাছতলা
দিয়ে
কোন এক আদিবাসী
তরুণী
নূপুরের ঝংকার
তুলে
চলে যায় দূরে, নিরুদ্দেশে।
ঠিক তখন ইচ্ছে হয়
তোমাকে ভালবাসতে
সুপ্ত বাসনায় মন
ভিজিয়ে
তোমায় কাছে পেতে
ইচ্ছে হয়।
সেই অদম্য
ইচ্ছেকে
বুকে নিয়ে
তোমায় ভালবাসি
হে বসন্ত।
আবীরের লাল রঙে
নিজেকে মিশিয়ে
রেঙে উঠি নতুন
কোন রঙে।
সে রঙে মিলে যায়
পাখির কলতান,
আমার সঙ্গীত,
আর সব একাকার
হয়ে যায়।
হে বসন্ত,
এই রঙ, এই সঙ্গীত
সব মিশে যাক,
আমি অপেক্ষায়
থাকি
পথ চেয়ে।
চিত্রঋণঃ ধনঞ্জয় মুখার্জি
শীতল মিশ্র
দোল
অসময়ের বৃষ্টি
বসন্তের আগুনে
দিল জল
তবু ও রোদ উঠেছে
দোলের দিন।
তোমার বাড়ির
ছাদখানায়
জমে আছে জল
এখনো।
শুকনো পাতা
সরানোর নেই কেউ
বাগান খানায়
আগাছা দিচ্ছে উঁকি
এলোমেলো এখান
সেখান।
তবু আজ দোল।
চুপিসারে দরজা
ঠেলে
তোমার চিলে
কোঠার ঘরে,
পৌঁছে যাই তোমায়
রাঙাবো বলে।
যেখানে নেই কেউ।
আছি শুধু আমি
একা।
আমার হৃদয় নিংড়ে
ছড়িয়ে দিই আবির
নিঃশব্দে চোখের
জলে,
তোমার দোহার আর
আলখাল্লার ওপর,,,,।
উৎসর্গ:প্রয়াত
লোকশিল্পী কালীকাপ্রসাদ চরণে
চিত্র ঋণঃ independent.co.uk
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