Subinoy and Badal are very good friends from college.
Both studied Botany Honors. They gave and took notes from college. They used to go to the field and chat during their free time in college. They used to go to the college canteen and eat egg toast. They did everything together.
Of course, no one knew each other in the first year. After that, they talked. After that, such an unbreakable friendship developed between the two.
In the second year, they watched many movies together after college. They even went out for pujas together. However, neither of them went to anyone's house.
Badal often told Subinoy that he would take her to his house one day. However, he invited her to some function. Subinoy also told him that he would take her to their house, but not very strongly.
Badal noticed what Subinoy said. However, he did not act on that.
Just before the final exams of the second year, Subinoy suddenly stopped coming to college.
Why? No one can say for sure. Everyone is a boy or a girl from a different place, so no one keeps track of anyone.
Badal has asked Subinoy many times to give him his phone number. He said they don't have a phone.
Badal doesn't think there can be people who don't have a phone these days. So he didn't believe Subinoy. But he didn't force it either.
If he had his phone number today, he could have at least called and asked for news. He can't do that. His mind is very restless, missing his friend.
Time passed like this. Badal forgot about Subinoy little by little.
After graduating from college, Badal got a job as a teacher, on the other side of the river, in the district.
He heard that there is a big forest there, some distance from his school. There are big trees there that are very old. Many people go to see it.
He has also decided to go and see it one day if he gets time. Every day he crosses the river to do his duty and returns home.
Today he was suddenly late for a meeting. The time for crossing the last river had passed. He would not be able to return home today.
A fellow master invited him to stay at his house that day. He had heard that his house was very close to the forest. This was an opportunity for him to see the forest. So he went to his house.
He had a habit of sleeping late on cloudy nights. He had a penchant for writing a little. His colleague had arranged for him to stay in a room alone.
It was eleven o'clock at night. After having dinner with his colleague, he came to his room and sat down to study as usual.
There was a huge window in front of him. A sliver of light from the room was shining out into the empty path.
He could not write anymore today. He took out the Jim Corbett Omnibus book kept in his colleague's cupboard and read it. As he was reading, it was midnight.
He removed his eyes from the pages of the book and looked outside in the light that fell through the window. Someone seemed to be walking along that path towards the forest! He could see it clearly in the light. Seeing him from behind, he felt very familiar.
He thought for a moment. He must have seen the man somewhere! Then he remembered. He immediately burst out laughing!
"Subinoy? This is Subinoy?"
The man who was walking behind then looked at him. He saw that it was indeed Subinoy; he had not changed at all.
He ran out of the house and went to him. When he got closer, his friend Subinoy asked,
-"Are you here?"
-"I am now the master of this school. I return home every day. I could not return today. So what about you? I met you after a long time. Why did you leave college? What are you doing now?"
-"I am with the trees now."
-"You mean? Where did you do college?"
-"That is a lot of talk. I will tell you when I get time. I am a little busy today. I am coming now. If you ever remember, come to this forest and call me and I will come and talk."
Saying this, he disappeared into the forest in a moment.
Badal thought to himself that he had disappeared on the way to that forest. So he did not think about it anymore.
The next morning, Badal told his colleague everything. The friend was surprised to hear it. He said that no one lives in that forest. Far from it, a researcher.
Then Badal got worried! But last night he spoke to Subinoy! Who is he!
He ran into the forest and started calling out, "Friend Subinoy?" Subinoy?
Although his call went around the forest, no one came running there. Only a little wind blew past him. He felt the smell of his friend's body. He did not see anyone.
The next day, Badal, who was still alive, told his colleague about his friend Subinoy.
He knew Subinoy. He told him that Subinoy had died in a car accident during his college life!