The Last Show

Many people have visited the Birla Planetarium, and for those who haven’t, let me encourage you! The planetarium features shows and galleries, including “Cosmic Collision,” “Zodiac Signs and Stars,” “Journey to Antarctica,” and many others. You can find more information about the shows on their official website. As you enter the planetarium, you’ll see beautiful flower gardens on either side. Amidst Kolkata’s honking cars and pollution, this place offers a serene and refreshing experience.

My friends—Arup, Suman, Soumyodip—and I went to watch the ‘Cosmic Collision‘ show. After purchasing our tickets, we went inside. It was surprisingly quiet, with very few people. However, the “Cosmic Collision” show explained the reasons behind and the process of the dinosaurs’ extinction. I have a deep interest in discussions about celestial bodies, so I couldn’t resist watching the show.

As soon as I entered, I settled into the corner seat in the last row on the right. Behind me sat a little boy with his grandfather. Children often enjoy these kinds of shows. The chairs were designed for comfort, allowing you to recline and view the projection screen above, which is shaped like a football, and used for displaying celestial bodies.

The show began with a voice requesting everyone to silence their phones, first in Bengali, then in English, and finally in Hindi. Just to let you know, we had opted for the English show, though it was also available in Bengali and Hindi. Another announcement followed, informing everyone to avoid using their phone’s flash.

The child sitting behind me started crying loudly, as he couldn’t find his grandfather. Everyone turned to look, and many began comforting the child, assuring him that his grandfather would return soon. I joined them in trying to calm him down. Meanwhile, someone else remarked about the situation, gesturing toward the child: “Why bring them here if you can’t handle them? They end up disturbing everyone.”

While comments like these floated around, I noticed something amusing—a lady in the left row was reclining and sleeping soundly despite all the noise. It was fascinating; I couldn’t help but admire her remarkable ability to sleep through such chaos—what a talent!

Just as I was pondering this, the grandfather arrived. He calmed the child, and we all resumed watching the show.

As I watched the show, I saw how, 65 million years ago, that led to the extinction of 75% of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. Some mammals managed to survive, and from there, over the next 65 million years, the Earth evolved into what we know today.

The show ended, and we got up one by one. Since there was only one exit, there was a bit of a crowd. To avoid the rush, we decided to leave toward the end. While exiting, I noticed the same lady still sleeping and, feeling slightly irritated, I remarked, “She paid to enter, enjoyed the AC, and just slept through it. Someone should wake her up.” The guard glanced at her and seemed about to approach her.

We exited and decided to explore the gallery. As we were browsing, we saw one guard calling another, who quickly ran over. The first guard mentioned that the woman inside was unresponsive and had no detectable pulse. Could it be that the woman…? A doctor was called, and soon people started gathering around, whispering and discussing the situation.

The doctor confirmed that the woman had passed away about 30 minutes earlier, and shockingly, it was declared a murder. The body was ordered to be sent for post-mortem examination.

By then, the police had arrived, sealing off the area and barring anyone from leaving. Everyone present had to stay for further investigation. However, two people were reported missing. Amid the confusion, I noticed something odd—the little boy and his grandfather, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly reappeared near us. Even though their sudden presence seemed suspicious to me, I chose not to dwell on it and moved on.

The crowd began to disperse, and the body was being taken away. I saw the woman’s face clearly for the first time—a healthy, well-groomed appearance that made her seem like a person of means. A police officer approached an elderly man and asked, “You weren’t in the crowd earlier. Where did you come from suddenly?” The man replied, “Sir, that’s my grandson. He had to use the toilet, so I took him to the washroom. When I heard the police had arrived, I came over.”

The officer replied, “Alright, you can come over, but you can’t leave the area.” The man nodded and quietly moved away.

Arup, noticing my confused expression, spoke up, “She’s a well-known businesswoman, Mrs. Nikita Agarwal. She has multiple businesses, and she was very attractive. I didn’t even recognize her at first, especially with the tattoo on her hand.” I looked at her hand and saw a tattoo, with the words “Nikita” written in delicate script near her wrist.

Just as we were still processing the scene, a police officer came running up to us. He spoke to the officer in front of us, “Sir, we’ve found a piece of leather from the spot. It appears to be a prosthetic material. The killer must have hidden their true identity and used this to alter their appearance.“

It became clear that there was much more to this situation than met the eye.

Suddenly, the image of the elderly man’s face clicked in my mind. I glanced at the officer, and he looked back at me. Meanwhile, outside, officers were searching around, looking left and right. Then, from a distance, I spotted a person wearing a black overcoat standing by the side of the road, who whistled loudly and made a quick getaway. The officer immediately ordered the force to apprehend the individual.

I was taken aback. How had this person managed to challenge the situation so openly and then slip away so effortlessly? It felt like a game of cat and mouse, and I was left in disbelief at how swiftly the scene unfolded.

[Blackout]