Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVII

The volume contains an assortment of sorts. It begins with Hatya Ebong Tarpor, containing a Jayanta Manik case of detection, and that too a good one, in the title content and then an equally well contrasted humourous one in Private Detective which, believe me is far less serious but equally enjoyable from what the title suggests. Then is an adventure story in Ek Diner Adventure with a touch of humour in this too. Then comes the short stories categorized under Galpo beginning with an horror episode in Shaitan, continuing the horror in Gangar Bibhishika, a Bimal Kumar adventure in Guhabaasi Bibhishan, which I personally felt a bit incomplete, an enjoyable read in Nakal Shikarir Shankat and finally a ghost story, which again felt short of expectation in Badshar Samadhi. Comparing these the best comes now beginning with the dual historical stories in Tin Samrater Trahyasparsha-Yog and Mahabharater Maharath, both depicting the downfall of two most important empires of medieval India viz. that of the Mughals and of Prithviraj the great. For the more inquisitive readers it may help to know that to enjoy the first one to the fullest please go through volume XII of Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali though without it the document is complete in itself. Finally is a pleasing deviation from the author, something not for the children, mixing romance with adventure in Panchasharer Keerti, which is completely regionalized without any trace of its original source. This could have been immensely enjoyable but for a single fact that needs elaboration. It seemed the author, mostly conversant in writing gripping adventure stories for the young minds, was hesitant to make up his mind while writing for the older generation. So though the adventure was enthralling the underlying concept seemed a bit loosely composed.