Indigo Workbook Answer: ISC Prism (Evergreen)

Aniruddha Bose, a twenty-nine-year old bachelor
Introducing himself to the readers, the main character describes his own self as being a twenty-year-old bachelor. He has been working in na advertising agency. He has a flat in Sardar Shankar Road in Calcutta. He has got an Ambassador Car. Besides, he has been writing and some of his stories have been published in the magazines. For the last few months, he has not been writing but reading a lot about the 19th century indigo plantations in Bihar and Bengal. He considers himself an expert on this topic.

Aniruddha’s family background
Aniruddha gives details of his family saying that his father was a well-known physician in Monghyr, the place where he (Aniruddha) was born. His brother was five years older than him. His father died when Aniruddha was just sixteen. So he along with his mother left Monghyr and came to Calcutta. He studied at St. Xavier’s college for bachelor’s degree. As he could speak fluent English, he got a job in an advertising agency.

Aniruddha’s early life
Aniruddha developed certain childhood habits which he could not shake away. He goes on to say that he had a strong desire to get away from the noisy hectic city into the open. He had done it several times earlier’.

His plan to meet Pramode
Once his friend Pramode invited him to visit him in Monghyr. Pramode was his classmate in school. He was posted in Dumka in the Forest Department. So Aniruddha accepted his friend’s invitation and set of on twenty-seventh of April, the date which he could not forget all his life. Dumka was at a distance of two hundred miles and Pramod did not suggest him to travel by car.

Glitches from the beginning
As he was about to start after early breakfast, there was a snag. His father’s old friend Uncle Mohit and his neighbour Bhola Babu stopped him to ask many questions. Satisfying them somehow, he started his car at ten minutes past eleven. Crossing dingy towns, he reached Burdwan at half-past twelve. At Panagarh military camp, he had a flat tyre. He got out of the car to fix it. Just a few miles later, he encountered a norwester, a furious thunderstorm. A little later, another trouble was awaiting Aniruddha. Another tyre of the car burst. He was in a very difficult situation. In the pouring rain he took a wrong turn and reached a dead end.

A truck seen
Aniruddha was about to lit a cigarette when he happened to near a truck blowing its horn because his car was in the middle of the road and had blocked the road making it difficult for the truck to pass. The driver of the truck was a Sikh , his helper came out and helped in pushing the car to one side. Aniruddha then realized that he had taken a wrong turn and would have to drive back three miles to get back on the right track.

Journey continued
Aniruddha then began to realize that ti was quite difficult to reach Dumka that night. When the rain turned into a light drizzle, he continued his onward journey. Soon he saw through the branches of a tree a rectangle of orange light. He at once guessed that there must be a house with some occupants in it. He locked the car and set off. His guess was right.There was a small cottage with a tin roof. When he knocked at the door, a strong-built man with a thick moustache came out.

His stay at the cottage
The man enquired of Aniruddha what brought him there. Aniruddha described his predicament and told him to guide to the place where he could spend the night. The man pointed towards a Dak Bungalow. Soon Aniruddha turned the torch to the left and immediately found a large bungalow. The man offered Aniruddha coarse chapatis and urad-ka-dal cooked by this man’s wife.

Dak Bungalow
The Dak Bungalow was constructed during the time of the British Raj. The bedroom in it was quite large. Aniruddha learnt that the man was Sukhanram, the Chowkidar and this bungalow belonged to an indigo planter. The factory was close by. Aniruddha was satisfied that he had at least found a shelter for the night. As he lay in the bed, he was worried about his car which he had left standing on the road.

Knocking on the door
Aniruddha was suddenly awakened by the scratching on the door. He could tel that it was the howl of a hound. He was surprised that his watch was gone, and so was his suitcase. He experienced many other shocking changes around and in him. He felt his hands had become pale and his voice was like that of an Englishman and his clothes were also different. His body had ben completely transformed. Though his consciousness was still of his own, yet his body was not acting of his own accord.

Writing a letter
Finding no control over himself, he began to write a letter as if he were an Englishman. On the top of the letter eh mentioned the date 27th April 1968. Expressing his tears, he wrote in the letter that eh was about to die, and nobody would mourn his death as he had been greedy and not fair with the family and others. He wished to be buried with his wife and son. He had worries about his pet dog Rex, as he feared people would stone him to death. Suddenly he stopped writing. In a fit of moment, his hand got at the piston and fired the dog to death.

Aniruddha wakes up a normal man
The sound of the gun disturbed the whole place. This also awakened Aniruddha. tI was the 28th of April. The things seemed to be normal. His car had been repaired. The chowkidar was offering him tea. To Aniruddha it was a wild and terrifying night. He doubts that nobody will ever believe his strange story. He recalls that this unbelievable incident took place on the 100th death anniversary of an English Indigo planter in Birbhum.