The Deadly Diamond (final part):byomkesh bakshi stories

 Byomkesh sat in front of the table when everyone was seated. He began, "I

will tell you a story today. It is not an imaginary story like the ones that Ajit

writes, but a true story. I will relate it as truthfully and correctly as possible. If I

make a mistake Ramanath will correct me. Another person knew this story

besides Ramanath — but he is dead."

After this introduction, Byomkesh began his story. Ramanath's face was expressionless. He neither looked up or spoke. He kept on scribbling on the table with his fingers.

"I will begin my story after Ramanath was sent to the jail. Though he was sent

to the jail, he did not part with the Maharaja's diamond. How he did this is

unknown to me and is not important to my story. Ramanath can disclose it, if he wishes." Ramanath glanced for a second at Byomkesh and continued moving his fingers on the table, with an inscrutable expression. Byomkesh said, "Ramanath had stolen many other precious stones — which were retrieved by the police, with the exception of the blue diamond. He always kept it with him. In all possibility, the stone has a magnetic power, besides it was beautiful to look at — a blue diamond with a red streak in the center. He couldn't resist keeping the stone with him. He also thought that the stone was lucky. But he did not know that it could prove unlucky for some. When misfortune follows a man — he is often misguided by it.

"Anyway, Ramanath was kept in the Alipur jail. After some time the police

got to know that the diamond was with him. His cell was searched. He had

another companion in the same cell — that man was also searched — but

nothing was found. Where was it?

"The second prisoner in the cell was Haripada Rakshit. Haripada was an old

criminal. He had spent years in jail right from his childhood. He knew many

tricks. Those who deal with jailbirds, know that many criminals can make a kind

of pocket inside their throats. It sounds strange but it is a fact. The prisoners

cannot take money into the jail. But most of them are addicts of some sort, they need to bribe the wardens to bring drugs from outside. So they keep the money in these bags inside their throats. Those who have served jail terms from an early age, are experts in this. Senior police officers are aware of this.

"Haripada had made a pocket inside his throat. When Ramanath began sharing

his cell — the two became quite friendly. He got to know about Haripada's

special trick. "Then the police raided the jail one day. There was no place to hide the diamond. Ramanath, you gave the diamond to Haripada and asked him to hide it in his throat. Haripada was very attracted by the stone — so he swallowed it quickly.

 The diamond remained inside his throat. No wonder, the police found

nothing.

"The very next day, Haripada was transferred to another jail, according to the

prison records. Haripada thought himself to be fortunate. He betrayed his friend — he did not return the diamond to Ramanath. Ramanath could not complain to anyone. A thief cannot cry for goods stolen from him. It was from then that Ramanath planned his revenge on Haripada."I noticed at this point that although there was no change of expression in Ramanath's face, nerves in his forehead were throbbing and his eyes were red.

Byomkesh continued, "Then ten years passed by. Haripada was released from

jail. He came straight away to the Maharaja after his release. His intention was to

get acquainted with the Maharaja and return the diamond for a reward. He knew

that if he tried to sell the diamond outside, he might get caught.

"But the Maharaja was so kind to him right from the beginning that he was in

a dilemma. Even then he brought up the subject of the diamond with the

Maharaja. But later he felt ashamed to produce the diamond and take the reward

from a person who had been so good to him. It is remarkable how the Maharaja's

kindness infused a sense of gratitude in the mind of a hardened criminal.

"But Haripada's days were numbered. A few days earlier Ramanath was

released from jail. He did not know where Haripada was but as fate would have

it, within four days of his release he saw him in the Maharaja's house. It was

after seeing Ramanath that Haripada became ill, there was no other reason why

he should suddenly become so sick."

"The spark of revenge which was burning in Ramanath's heart for the last ten

years burst into flames. It was easy for him to find out where Haripada lived.

Then that fateful night, he went there ....."

Till now Byomkesh was facing all of us — now suddenly he turned on

Ramanath. Ramanath was staring at Byomkesh with unblinking eyes, like that of

a snake. Byomkesh pointed at him with his finger and said in an intense, low,

magnetic voice, "Ramanath, that night you tore apart Haripada's throat in search

of the diamond, where is it now?"

Ramanath could not look away from Byomkesh's hypnotic gaze. He

moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, tried to stand up and then with great

effort tried to break away from Byomkesh's magnetic control. He said in a

cracked voice, "I don't know, I don't know. I don't know Haripada. I have not

murdered him. I don't know anything about a diamond. It is not with me." He

looked at Byomkesh with red, rebellious eyes and held his arms tight across his

chest.

Byomkesh's finger was still pointing at him. I felt that we were witnessing the

climax of an intense and exciting drama. Two tremendous will powers were

fighting a dual. We were waiting in stunned silence to see who would win the

last round.

Byomkesh's voice took on a terrible, foreboding note. He bent close to

Ramanath and spoke in the same low, intense voice, "Ramanath, you don't

realize the curse of this diamond, that is why you are not able to give it up. Just

think, till the time you had not stolen this diamond, no one was able to catchyou. As soon as you stole it, you were caught and sent to the jail. Then think of

what happened to Haripada. He had hidden the diamond in his throat. Look what

happened to his throat — no one knows it better than you. If you want to live,

give back that terrible diamond. It is not a diamond but poison from cobra. If

you wear the diamond in your hand then your hand will be chained. If you wear

it in your neck, you will be hanged. That diamond will make you hang in the

gallows."

Ramanath stood up with an indistinct sound. We did not realize the terrible

storm that was brewing in his heart. He looked around like a madman then tore a

button from his coat and threw it away. He screamed with terror, "I don't want it,

I don't want it! Take away your cursed diamond — let me live." Saying this he

heaved a great sigh and fell into a swoon.

Byomkesh wiped the sweat from his brow. I saw that his hands were

trembling. He had won in the fight of wills — but it had taken a toll on him, too.

He picked up the button thrown away by Ramanath — tore away the leather

covering and said in a trembling voice, "Maharaja, here is your diamond."