The Mystery Man
A haunting, ruined palace stands at the center of an island called Mihirpur, a threatening reminder of its dark past. The story begins when a mysterious black tar-like substance poisons the waters of the River Sreemayee that surrounds Mihirpur. It burns people to death, and it burns the boats, trapping the islanders without food or water. Panic spreads as no one knows what the substance is or how to get rid of it. Their distress calls go unheeded. The survivors pray to God for a savior, not knowing that the only one who can save them lives secretly inside the ruined palace—100-year-old Siddhant.
Siddhant is a giant of a man who might be 100 years old but looks like he is 35-40. His arms glow like the sun. He is so intimidating that even the birds fly away in fear upon seeing him. He is so strong that if he touches a massive iron door, even lightly, it crumbles to dust. His screams of frustration, when he dreams of a strange, glowing metal, sound like rolls of thunder from outside.
One day, the palace door opens suddenly, and a small child enters, desperately seeking sustenance. When the child spots Siddhant, he trembles in fear. It takes a lot of cajoling to calm the child down. He tells Siddhant about the devastation that has struck Mihirpur. The news triggers a painful memory. His wife lies dying in front of him, severely burned, and blames him for destroying Mihirpur. The child goes on to curiously touch Siddhant’s glowing arm, and instantly, he bursts into flames. Horrified and frantic, Siddhant searches for something to stop the fire, but no matter what he touches, it bursts into flames. Frustrated and helpless, Siddhant cries and apologizes to the burning child, but the child dies in front of him, leaving a sobbing Siddhant lonelier than ever.
Unable to stay inside anymore, Siddhant steps outside the palace and walks around Mihirpur. The sight of him sends people into a frenzy, and they scramble in fear. Siddhant can only watch sadly. Eventually, he arrives at the crumbling temple where the idol of Biseshwar, who was once Siddhant’s guru, stands. Tears stream down Siddhant’s face as he remembers a burned, dying Biseshwar blaming him as well. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows in, and Siddhant freezes as the wind swirls in front of him and solidifies into a smoky human form. It is the spirit of his guru, who has come to guide him. Mihirpur is being destroyed. Siddhant is the only one who can swim across the river unharmed and reach the modern city of Kolkata. The solution to save Mihirpur is there. He will know it when he sees it. Siddhant is puzzled—why him? It’s because the “sun metal,” which he was obsessed with, that turned him into a monster and destroyed Mihirpur, has returned to poison the island again. If he wants redemption, he must destroy the sun metal and save Mihirpur. Siddhant is scared. What if he destroys more than he saves? He is not a hero after all; he is a villain whose mere touch burns everything. The spirit reminds him that the choice is his: he can either try or accept defeat. Struck by the words, Siddhant rises to the challenge. He reaches the river and jumps in, his glowing arms lighting up the black tar like phosphorescence.
