Chapter 9: The Canvas Shoes and the River’s End

What finally pinned Shyam as the qatil was his canvas shoes.

Sab log jaante the—phate purane, ungliyan dikh rahi, but kabhi pair se nahi utarte. Some said he even wore them while nahaning in the river.

A simple pair of old Bata canvas shoes, the kind sold in mandi for do sau rupaye.

Most wore chappals in the khet, sandals at home—canvas shoes were rare.

Shyam wore them saal bhar. His pehchaan.

We traced a trail of khooni nishaan to those shoes.

The bloody prints led out the gate, into the bargad grove, then along the khet to the bada river, where the shoes were left on the bank.

The nishaan ended there.

Everyone thought Shyam had jumped into the river, swum across, and vanished.

Across the river was the main road, full of gaadiyaan and bheed. Hazaaron nishaan the—trail lost.

At that time, we thought it was enough.

Only later we realised how wrong we were.

People started weaving stories, saying the bargad grove hid more than just bhoots; kuch toh kehte Shyam ki aatma abhi bhi wahin bhatak rahi hai.