The Leopard's Prey: A Raj Biswas Investigation

Encounter with the man-eater

Raj's heart pounded with relief as he led the cows back towards the safety of Jalapuranagar. With each step, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders, grateful to have escaped the wolf's clutches.

After returning the cows to their rightful owner, Raj hurried back to Anil's house, where both Anil and Naresh awaited him anxiously. They were sitting in Anil's small living room, and Raj was recounting the harrowing tale of his encounter with Vickey Saha's gang in vivid detail. "But we're not out of danger yet. Vickey and his gang won't stop until they silence me for good." Raj explained, his voice tinged with urgency. Naresh nodded grimly, his brow furrowed with concern. "We need to do something before it's too late."

With a determined nod, Raj picked up the phone and dialed Inspector Sharma's number. As he relayed the details of the gang's plan to the inspector, a sense of relief washed over him knowing that help was on the way. Within moments, Inspector Sharma sprang into action, dispatching four policemen in civilian clothing armed with guns to patrol the area around Anil's house. As they settled in for the night, Raj, Naresh, and Anil's family breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the added protection.

It was around 09:00 PM of the same evening when the policemen were patrolling outside and just as Raj, Naresh as well as Mr & Mrs Das sat down on the floor to enjoy a hearty dinner cooked by Mrs Das, the tranquility of the evening was shattered by frantic chattering of monkeys outside, and then a sudden gunshot that echoed through the night air. Raj's heart skipped a beat as panic gripped the household, the sound sending shockwaves through the community. The monkeys' warning cries, combined with the gunshot moments later, sent a shiver down their spine. "We need to be careful," Raj said, his voice tight with apprehension. "Something isn't right."

Like the other villagers of the locality did, Raj also rushed to the window, peered outside to see one of the policemen standing in the yard, his gun raised towards the sky. "What happened?" Raj called out, his voice tinged with alarm. The policeman turned towards them, his face pale with fear. "I saw the leopard approaching towards me, so I fired a warning shot to scare it away, It's hidden inside those bushes." pointing his revolver towards the bushes where around 5 meteres away from him, he explained, his words rushed and breathless. Before Raj could respond, another policeman joined in, his voice loud and urgent. "Everyone, be alert! The leopard is still out there!". The commotion sent the villagers into a frenzy, panic spreading like wildfire as they stood on their balconies and some of them peered out from their windows. Raj's heart sank as he still hears the monkeys shouting and realized the danger they were all in, the leopard still lurking in the darkness.

With no time towaste, Raj dialed the forest department, urgently requesting their assistancein capturing the beast. As they waited anxiously, the distant roar of theleopard echoed through the night, a chilling reminder of the danger that lurkedjust beyond their doorstep. Minutes felt like hours as they waited for help toarrive, every second filled with tension and uncertainty. But finally, thesound of approaching footsteps signaled the arrival of the forest department,their expertise offering a glimmer of hope in the face of danger.