I have a strong sense of detective spirit within me that I would like to rekindle.
As a child, I always had a fascination with solving mysteries. Perhaps it was due to my father’s army background, as we would often travel to peaceful and tranquil cantonment areas. Considering the detective nature in me, I couldn’t abandon the peace and calmness of the place.
I always felt that there was something hidden behind these places. The haunted mansion-type government abode and flats in the old, dilapidated buildings somehow gave me an eerie feeling. The quietness of the surroundings and the grandeur of the houses always made me feel like a detective.
Since my school days, I have been fascinated with reading mystery novels, especially the Famous Five and the Hardy Boys series. The girl power in Famous Five made me feel superior, and I started to believe that I was the new mystery girl in my town. As a result, I developed a keen interest in solving mysteries. Even when I am out and about, I cannot help but look for mystery angles in the smallest of circumstances. This feeling of being a mysterious person has stayed with me ever since.
I have a childhood memory of visiting an old, abandoned house with my brother. We had backpacks filled with sandwiches, biscuits, and juice, hoping to emulate the characters of George and Joe . Although we were excited about the possibility of finding a secret note or treasure, we left empty-handed and sat down to eat our food. This didn’t dampen our spirits, and we continued our detective work by investigating a myth about a river known as the “Red River” or “Khooni Nalaa” in Hindi. We heard from the villagers that some people had died in this river due to certain stories, and we wanted to uncover the truth. So, we started inspecting the riverside and talked to the villagers to find out the truth behind the incident. However, to our dismay, we couldn’t discover any clue connected to this myth.
As teenagers, we connected with the Hardy Boys and Famous Five, but as I grew older, my interests changed. I wanted to develop a more mature detective mindset, so I decided to follow the famous Sherlock Holmes. I felt a connection to Holmes because I, too, appreciate the sophistication of English homes and enjoy a simple breakfast of bread, egg, and tea. I found his character fascinating and read almost all of his adventures. One incident that stood out to me was in “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.
During my trip to Sunderbans, which is a forest reserve in West Bengal, I stayed at a bungalow. Every night, I heard a loud roaring sound, which made me wonder if someone was trying to imitate the sound of a lion or tiger. Fueled by my newfound detective spirit, I decided to investigate the source of the noise. So, on the second and third days, I tried to stay awake by drinking tea and keeping a lookout for any suspicious activity near the guest house. Unfortunately, I discovered one night that the sound was, in fact, that of a wild tiger.
Years have passed since I last investigated like a detective, but given the chance I would be thrilled to reignite my passion. Until then, I will finish reading the updated version of Sherlock Holmes.
