Prof. Bipin Bannerjee arrived at Coimbatore railway station around evening. The long train ride had been punishing for his aging body. As he exited the train he saw a friendly face calling him, "Hello Professor, I hope you had a good trip?" Stalin Selvan is the local CPI party leader and now with the imminent dismantling of Communist Party of India, he looked forward to a return to more work intensive employment.
"Hello Comrade, how are you? The trip was grueling but comfort is not something for us revolutionaries, right?" Bipin shook hands with his younger comrade and started walking towards the exit.
"Yes Comrade. By the way you never mentioned the reason for this particular trip? All is well in Bhubaneshwar?"
"Yes, all is well. But I am here for a meeting."
"In Coimbatore?" Selvan asked surprised.
"No No. Ah, never mind. So how goes your farm nowadays?"
"Grueling work, I am left with no time to indoctrinate our younger comrades." He said as he hefted Bipin's bag into the trunk of the taxi.
"All in good time , my friend. All in good time." The professor said and was silent for the duration of the trip to his hotel.
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Despite the words of comfort in the letter, Bipin Bannerjee was troubled. What if he never returned from this trip. Shouldn't someone be made aware of the trip he was taking? But that would be betrayal of trust. As if trust had any meaning for these Royals.
Stalin Selvan arranged the professor's bags in his hotel room and was about to leave when he suddenly spotted the cream envelope sticking out of his jacket. He could distinctly see a palanquin motif on the envelope.
"Sir, where are you going tomorrow? Are you sure you are safe and alright?"
"Safe? My boy, is there something safe for us revolutionaries in this day and age? No, but this is a trip I must undertake alone."
"Do you want me to accompany you?" Selvan asked, a faint suspicion now growing in his face.
"No comrade, I would be met tomorrow and escorted to the meeting."
"Could you at least tell me what it is all about? These are dangerous times, we must trust one another, else whom can we trust?"
Yes, that was the crux. He had to tell someone where he was going. So Bipin took a deep breath and said, "Comrade, I have been summoned to meet the King. It appears we may have a chance to reach some level of truce with the Cochin government. If there is any chance that things can be settled peacefully...."
"But Professor, those capitalists massacred our fraternal comrades! Had you not stopped us from joining the revolution we may indeed have succeeded."
"No, Selvan, violence is not the means. We lost the support of the people, that is why Marxists and Maoists failed. Now you must not repeat this to a third soul, I am going tomorrow to Gudalur Palace to have a meeting with Rama Varma. I shall attempt to settle things down peacefully, if he cooperates, else I shall resign myself to death. Please Comrade, pray for my success." the Politburo chief implored his friend.
"I wish you all the best, Comrade. Now you must be tired from all the traveling. You should take some rest." Selvan said, his voice grave.
As he walked out of the hotel , he took his cell phone, dialed a number and said, " Two plates of Chicken 65, please." and cut the call.
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