This is the last chapter of this book. Thanks for supporting till today ❤️

Durga Puja has officially started from so wish you all a very happy Durga Puja. We say in Bengali "Shubho Sharodiya" (Happy Autumn).

May Lord Devi Durga blessed us with happiness and prosperity 🙏🌼❤️✨

Ps: I FREAKING DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING THIS Late... Um- I guess I messed up again 😅

Third Person's POV

Nature infuses our lives with joy, warmth and happiness and has been a source of inspiration and delight to mankind since the time immemorial.

The pristine free-flowing rivers, dancing winds, blooming flowers, setting sun, starry skies, faint silvery light of the moon in the night sky, dense forests and lofty mountains are only some of the beauties of our Mother Earth.

Bengal's divine beauty and breathtaking landscapes is a dream come true for tourists who want to savour the wonders of nature.

From the sun-kissed peaks of Kanchenjunga to the lush green tea gardens of the "Queen of the hill-stations", Darjeeling in North Bengal is simply awe inspiring.

The majestic waterfalls and the crystal clear springs flowing down to Dooars, turning into mighty rivers and sustaining generations of civilization in the Gangetic plains finally meets the dense evergreen mangrove forests in the Sunderbans and vanishes in the Bay of Bengal in the south.

The arid 'Rahr-Bhumi' with its signature red laterite soil in the west provides astounding photographic views.

One cannot help but be enamoured by these mesmerizing diverse landscapes that Bengal offers north to south, east to west...

*******

~*Last Time*~

"The fact is still people don't change themselves. They still want to be controlled by their own monsters inside that's why they suffer from their own misdeeds", he let out.

"So what now? Will I have to do something like that? I can do anything for you tell me", I raised an eyebrow as Kanai looked down at the ground.

"Will you do anything for me? Please don't take decision hurriedly. Think carefully.

"What do you mean?", I asked but I wished I never asked the question cause the next thing I heard from Kanai stopped my heartbeat.

... "Di! Can you sacrifice yourself for me?"...

... "What?!"...

~*Present Time*~

Surova's POV

"Wait what? Oh please don't prank with me I'm being serious about helping you", I raised an eyebrow as Kanai just sighed a heavy sigh.

"Look it's not like I wanna revive to end your life, it doesn't work that way", he said slowly looking up to me.

"So then?", I asked being curious and worried.

"You've to leave one thing you've loved once and love still now. It could be anything... Any piece of thing or someone or something special of yours", Kanai explained.

"Oh I see then ok!", I exclaimed as Kanai looked at me with a shoking look.

"You gotta be kidding me? Di! Giving up that thing will be lost from you forever you know?", He shouted at me.

I just only smiled, "You're too late I'm afraid this flower is already dead". I sang a song line.

"Oh please listen to me-", Kanai started but I interrupted, "Yes! Painting! I'll give up painting! Look I've my own reasons so let me explain please!" He shut up letting me speak my words.

"The fact is from the very start I love paining like it's my life and soul. Everything I've wanted to be surrounded by it. But one day I don't know why something happened so I couldn't pick up paint brush once again. I wanna draw but can't. This feeling is suffocating. I wanna give up this feeling of whenever I see anything I wanna paint it but my hand started shaking like I'm cursed of picking up paint brush. Everyday it's eating me slowly and I want freedom from this sucking feeling. Let me give up this weird suffocating feeling please I'm begging!", I sighed as I stopped.

Kanai looked at me in shock, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you that way...".

"No you're not wrong. I'm the one who wants freedom. So let's make it together", I put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he smiled softly, "Thank you for everything".

"Well this book is specially about this village I've found so I guess it could help us somehow", I took out the old book from my satchel and looked into it.

"Ghaa", it was no use cause every pages were just blank or torn apart.

"Ok fine so-", but I was cut off by something came out of the pages of the book.

"What the-", and it was a freaking map and a special place's name appeared in the title.

"Now what?", I growled in annoyance as I wasn't excited for treasure hunting.

"What is this XXXX place?!", I asked in wonder as Kanai jumped to hear about that place.

"Well once upon a time, I mean it was the place where our village Potters worked to make idols of god and godesses. It's the temple where our Devi Durga Pratima used to build up", he informed.

"Oh so I've to build Lord Durga?", I sweat dropped as Kanai face palm at my stupidity.

"No Di! Building clay idol isn't your passion right? Your passion is painting! So you've to paint something very precious for you now, yes present time wanting", Kanai said.

"Hmm so what about this place? Wait as you said it used for Pratima building so can I have some colours still left there?!?", I smiled as my brain's imaginary light bulb lit up.

Kanai looked at me giving me an odd look, "Well not actually but I can do it by magic", he grinned.

"Well let's go to that place", I followed the map along with following Kanai cause he didn't need it being familiar with this village.

"We're here", Kanai stopped at the front of a tall building made of soil.

I looked at the temple or better say it looked like a temple but wasn't. Beside it a ruined place still opened there.

I awed in wonder as even though it was ruined but still managed to stood up tall with it's dignity. "So what we gonna do now?", I asked.

"We're gonna stay here for now", he deadpanned. "We WHAT?!? Hey I've been searching for a way to free you and look at you just doing time pass", I groaned complaining.

"We're staying here because I've something to do", then a brush, well not actual paint brush but it's those used by Potters of Kumortuli appeared out of nowhere in his hands as he magically started painting on the broken wall.

The original color of the wall has faded after all these years and a white layer of lime remained as a candid canvas.

I noticed that the white part was completely blank as if it was waiting to be dyed with eye-catching colors.

I gasped as Kanai finished painting something in a blink.

I caught him smiling as he looked at me, "That's my elder sister".

He said as I furrowed my eyebrows, "Wait! She was married?!?"

Kanai nodded in response, "At that time girls were married off at a very young age, when I was 5 years old my elder sister got married to a village landlord... and you know what happened next...".

I looked down remembering those horrible incidents he'd told me before, "Ya I know".

I looked at that painting it was a young beautiful woman well I should say Girl (?) I don't know but it was a picture of Vijaya Dashami "Sindur Khela" that's all I can see.

"Dang I swear if I could present there I could've murdered the landlord", I cursed in English as Kanai won't understand what I was saying.

"So my wish is before I leave this place or disappear I wanna show you a time lapse of this area's Durga Puja. Focus on this picture and you'll get to see", his voice slowly started fading away in far as I focus on the painting.

When my vision was clear I could hear the sound of Dhaks (the instrument use to play for Puja), the calling of slokes (holy verses) and many chit chat with liveliness in the air.

The air was fresh and pure smell of the mother earth's soil.

Then I saw a view of Durga Pratima (the idol) build up by porters, dazzling colourful colours were everywhere scattered among bamboo, sticks and straw which is used to make those idols.

The starting from Mahalaya then 'Shasti Bodhon', 'Astami Puspanjali', 'Vijaya Dashami Sindur Khela, Dhunochi Naach' and finally immersion of the sculpture-idol.

Everything just passed in front of my eyes making me speechless.

Then I recognised the woman who was front of the Pratima but as I unintentionally reached for her she just vanished and I was returned back in the ruined place.

I blinked regaining the consciousness about my present surroundings, where I was actually.

"So how was it?", Kanai asked. "Absolutely beautiful!", I exclaimed.

Well it was different from city, as it was village. "Hey I've just seen your elder sister", I informed as he smiled sadly.

"So she really wanted to let herself show you", he sighed heavily.

"I hope I could meet up with her again", a single tear drop fell from his left eye meaning he was in pain, absolutely.

I softly wiped off his tear smiling warmly, "Don't worry you'll meet her soon, the thing I know if she'd really loved someone that's one and only you, I've seen it in her eyes and I can feel it. This painting is still alive, she's right here with you".

I glanced back at the painting as I felt it smiled in agreement with me.

I smiled back, "So let's start my work I guess, I didn't have much time before Cornell filled me up with his boring lectures".

"Heh", he just grinned and asked, "So Di! What's Bengal actually meant for you?"

"For me? Well to me Bengal is a 'Piece of Art' the picture of the bengal village is forever in my heart as the greatest artist's creation", I took a deep breath remembering what I wanted to be before where I am today.

"Nice", he seemed moved by my speech. "So it's my time for creating something creative so let's start it!", I picked up the brush and paint and closed my eyes visualising Kanai with the village like I saw him at first time.

I didn't know why but I felt a warm feeling started surrounding by me it felt like the first time I feel in love with painting.

My passion, my first love, which I've abandoned no which is taken away from me.

I was sad and frustrated when I couldn't hold the paint brush and my mind was blank like a canvas, totally blank.

I felt like the time stopped and my life colours were taking away and me forever.

But now I feel so relaxing and enjoying it, the smell of fresh paints, the overwhelming feeling of something new, creative and innovative making me hypnotize.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak but my paint brush was moving and finally I did it.

I opened my eyes to see my creativity just as I imagined no I wanted it to be.

I was happy, happy to help even though it was my last time but I was grateful for everything I've got till then.

"Thank you", I smiled. "Wow it's incredible just like you", Kanai looked so surprised.

"No you're the one who's incredible, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to meet you and your company gave me the happiness I've once realised years ago", I complimented.

"Always", he smiled as something unexpected happened, he started glowing in faint golden.

"Kanai! Is it really happening?! You-", I whispered kinda sadly that I won't see him ever again.

I ran to him for the last time patting his head as I locked him in a warm embrace, "If I ever had a little brother, I wish it was you".

"You're the first ever person who could see me, heard me and understood me I guess I'm blessed having your short time company Surova Di!", He called me by my name.

"I wish I could meet you in my next life as my elder sister, thank you for everything you've done for me. In return I wanna give you this. It'll always remind you of me", he handed me a big beautiful Peacock feather, I took it from him.

"Aww I really love peacock feathers thanks alot", I held the feather closely.

"And take care of this also, maybe you'll find lord Krishna to teach you flute one day", Kanai joked handing over his flute to me.

"Well I guess I'm gonna find a teacher for learning it", I said.

"Good. Now only one thing left, the moment you'll leave this place these things will be changed and that book will be vanished so don't forget to check out the last page before leaving", he reminded me.

"Sure!", I smiled forcefully. "Farewell we'll meet again for sure!", He waved and smiled just like I'd seen him for the first time as my painting. A piece of Art!

"Then Farewell I guess", I waved back then he vanished leaving me alone.

I sighed heavily, "I guess... We can meet again...".

"Let's see what's left in this book", I opened the last page as I saw the message in Bengali.

If I translated into English it would be like this-

"Stay strong through your pain, grow flowers from it. You have helped me grow flowers out of mine, so bloom beautifully, dangerously, loudly. Bloom softly however you need. Just bloom!" - to the Reader.

(This speech kinda reminds me of my sweet bro SanjaySanju555 God we both love roses which connects with blooming flower mostly 🌹💙 and my sweet sis --PhotographyGurl--  Stay blessed you two ♥️💝 always 😇)

I was spellbound by those words then I was backed to sense when the writing disappeared along with every letters and finally the whole book just like Kanai said.

"Well those words will be forever in my heart", I admitted and looked back at the blank wall, white like earlier.

I could still imagine the painting a moment ago, I was glad.

Then I finally remembered the existence of my phone as I checked the time running again.

"Time to return home. Farewell Murshidabad... Farewell Baharampur, specially farewell Isanpur", I raised the peacock feather as it shone in the bright sunlight.

"Before returning I've something important to do", I left that place as soon as possible.

In the way those horrible messages also disappeared along with stone walls, the path was clear.

The sunlight filled up the forest as I could meet the glimpse of blue sky which wasn't available earlier.

"Great!", I took some pictures of nature with my phone. I returned back to the HQ as Cornel proceed to checkout something.

"Oh hey Su! I hope you've already packed up we're leaving tomorrow morning!", He reminded me as he saw me.

"Yes I did!", I replied then asked, "Hey Gramps! Can I ask you something?"

"Sure whyn't! Lunch time still 15 min left though", he smiled.

"You remembered the last report of problem facing about farming of the local village here? Well I found a perfect place to solve their problems", then I talked about that place cutting off Kanai and my meeting incidents.

"I examined the place and it's soil, it's still good for ploughing and to establish village life again", I informed to Cornel saying about the blank places and nature sources still available there.

"Well let's see... We've sometimes left so wanna lead the way young Miss?", He asked as I smiled.

"At ease!", I exclaimed as we two called Nile to accompany us.

After we reached Sonarpur as I'd planned we talked with the Village head and he accepted our proposal of visiting and observing those areas together along with his villagers.

I recalled back Kanai's word, "I'm just an unsatisfied soul who's crying silently to be free to get freedom and reborn again as I used to be...".

Now he was free, free to be himself again.

"Bloom beautifully dangerously and loudly. Bloom softly however you need. Just bloom!", I exclaimed looking at the sky hoping he could hear me.

"So will we return back again seeing their growth?", I asked Cornel.

"Um- probably next year! Now let's return back to Kolkata cause Durga Puja is coming!", He cheered as I joined also, "Yes Maa is coming!!!"

The next day we all started leaving this place, the time we were passing river Ganga by train I whispered a little Goodbye to the village secretly.

Looking from the train window it was fading far away from our view.

"We'll meet again", I felt like Kanai's voice echoed lightly in my head and I smiled to myself, "Definitely!"

The soothing light breeze made me doze off.

I closed my eyes as sleep and dream:

All Kolkata is lit up with light. Various processions of people are marching through the streets with peace flags.

Flocks of white pigeons are flying overhead. As they move forward, new buildings rise up on either side.

The face of the city has changed. People's faces have changed.

Their health is overflowing in the eyes. Little children are smiling with flowers in their hands.

I wake up and say to Kolkata:

Let's bring forward that beautiful day of dreams...

Our beautiful Bengal and it's legacy! We're together in this Journey.

~*End*~

So that's all ❤️✨ finally Finished ✅

Hope you like 👍 if you enjoyed please leave a comment 💬 on this chapter and vote ⭐ please 😋

[Word Count: 3010] ✍️

Hope you've enjoyed the journey 💙

Stay blessed and happy 💓 Thanks for reading "The Village Of Mystery".

~🌹 Rose Out ✨ take care ❤️💓🌟