Chapter Three: The Sun-Lit Night
This is a part of eastern India. The sun has long set in the west. It's all evening. The village we have reached seems to be a remotest region of Bengal where there's no sign of electricity around. Most of the villagers live in mud-built houses. As we are walking further into the locality, we are coming in sight of oil lamps and candles burning in the humble human habitats. The rustic folks are busy doing their respective evening jobs: some are milking cows, some are reading holy books, some are cooking, and so on.
We are wandering along past the thatched cottages while exchanging glances with the inhabitants without showing any real interest in their daily homely matters. But, all of a sudden, we come to hear a middle-aged man coughing jerkily on a nearby veranda with another person threatening, 'This is my last warning, Ravin. If you fail to do this again, I won't let you live on earth.' We halt to see the ailing man named Ravin continue coughing and then somehow manage to say, 'Dada, you know I've long been suffering from a chronic health problem--how shall I be able to accomplish the task?'
'That's none of my business. I'm only interested in the "what", not the "how", because that's your concern. Remember you're bound by oath.'
'That was a devilish contract, dada! The then naivety of mine actually led me to the evil trap of yours. I feel badly entangled now. Are there no ways to rid myself of your diabolical design?'
'Ha-hooh! What fun! Remember, remember for ever, for ever more, Mag B knows no exits, but only entries. Once I've gained access to your life, you're mine and I'm yours for eternity. No leaving but only living--living together. Ha-ha-haa! Hu-hu-hoo!'
'But Ravin won't let you fulfill your ghastly desires. Don't think I'm helpless. I just wanted to give you another good chance of rectifying yourself, but I see you're stubborn and foolhardy. Anyway, I've got a great clairvoyant-cum-magician on my side. He will save me from your much vaunted magical power.'
'What! Do you wanna belittle me? Rest assured there's no one better or greater than me. I'm the greatest magician on earth. And that's that. Ha-hoo! I can do anything and everything. I'm literally omnipotent. See what I can do, you chinless chimp!'
'Okay! Go on, you boastful baboon!'
'My magic will smite you for such foul language. Well, can you see the glow-worm over there on the leaf of your guava tree?'
'What of it? Would you like to kill it by magic?Is that not so?'
'I'll enlarge it until it becomes a sun. That will be my most glorious feat. See what happens. Here I go. Giligili-hoos! Hiligili-foos! Lili-goos! Lili-goos! Lili-goos!'
Chanting such weird mantras, Mag B starts blowing hard on the glow-worm. Oh, how stupendous! We're feeling enthralled. How... how... how. . .. Words fail us. The glow-worm is growing bigger & bigger and brighter & brighter while rocketing up high into the sky; the darkness of the night is dispersing fast. And the villagers in their hundreds are coming out of their houses frantically screaming, the birds are flying out of their nests madly twittering, the cows are being heard mooing at full blast, and the dogs are barking at their loudest unstoppably, all of which soon leads to utter pandemonium, making the welkin ring, and followed by a fierce storm raised by evil spirits in an attempt to hastily return to their daytime hiding places.
In the meantime, the rising of the 'night sun' having been completed successfully and the sunlight having shone on all the place, the sorcerer Mag B starts dancing in unusual jubilation while exploding deadly expletives at all his known and unknown foes and critics.
Ravin looks overwhelmed at first but, on recollecting himself quickly, makes such an insulting remark as drives the proud magician crazy like anything and goads him to behave in a most destructive way:
First he smashes a few cattle pots with his magic stick. Then he kicks a goofy dog right into the adjacent pond. And finally, in an instant, without notice, calls the night sun off, thus sending the whole locality into the darkness of absolute bewilderment.
But what was, actually, Ravin's remark? Do you want to know?