On the way back to the capital city, they stopped in a place called Nirabpur. There was an ongoing festival. The three stayed low key and found a two-story Inn, but the rooms were occupied, aside from a room recently vacated. They decided that Asha would stay there while the two confined their long legs in the car.
"No, I refuse. Let's look for another Inn." Asha prote
After the introduction and light dinner chat, Asha and Monojit were ushered to their rooms. Ronjon spent a whole night with his Uncle. They discussed issues regarding their country's fight for independence, his job, and his future. The next day, Ronjon announced he's staying for a week since his Uncle asked him to become his part-time chef, with good pay, of course."H
The man stood silently near the sink. "There's no need for you to prove yourself. I know it but …""But what?" The lady waited for a second and finished it for him. "You don't want me to work."
At dawn, Asha was fully awake. She couldn't sleep well the whole night. Gabina planned to make the dessert. Meanwhile, Asha was still trying to formulate her very own recipe."Ahh, that madman, inconsiderate, conceited Ronjon is the root cause of my problem." She recalled their conversation yesterday.
Ashirbader Phul Inn had a good crowd for the competition. This was what Taajwar asked Ronjon for, a good advertisement. Nirabpur was famous for its ancient Buddha Temple, so tourists were expected daily. His Inn had existed for years in this village but the revenue dwindled when other Inns started opening.After analyzing their financial crisis, they found the problem;
Night came. Malabika called Asha to her room. "Come, my dear. Sit here." She tapped the space beside her on the bed. Asha obliged. The middle-aged lady cupped the younger girl's face, observing her every feature. "You're pretty, sweet, and headstrong. I think that's the reason.""What do you mean, Mashi?" Her eyes widened, curious about what the elder lady would say.
The three of them weren't sure what to say or do. Only one thing came to the minds of the two men. Leave this place. Asha was not affected much since her ignorance of the actual state of affairs didn't muddle her mind."What do you want us to do?" Asha said.
Early morning the next day, when the sunlight cleared the heavy fog, Ronjon, Asha, and Monojit dashed straight to the car which was parked near the camp. Ronjon started the engine with one aim in mind, to go back to Nirabpur. Ten men followed them, riding in a van.Ronjon’s car's speedometer went to 90. If there were speed limits, he was breaking it. Dust covered
Ronjon sent another letter to his employer in Royal Bengal Hotel, explaining the situation with his Uncle but didn't mention the Independence camp.Their delay lasted for another week until the Inn went back to business. Asha spent more time with Malabika, and Monojit used the opportunity to talk about business matters with Taajwar. On the day of their departure, the e