Byomkesh Bakshi Episode 10: Upsanhaar (Post-lude, उपसंहार, Uposonghar, উপসংহার)

The dangerous case of Professor Dev Kumar’s deadly matchsticks had finally ended, and the poisonous matches were locked safely in police custody as court evidence. But one morning, Inspector Biren arrives at detective Byomkesh Bakshi’s house with shocking news — the deadly matchbox has mysteriously disappeared from the police evidence room. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

At almost the same time, Byomkesh notices something strange. While returning home by tram, a muffler-covered stranger had borrowed his matchbox to light a cigarette and quietly exchanged it with another box before returning it.

Upon closer inspection, Byomkesh realizes the terrifying truth — the exchanged box contains the same poisonous matchsticks capable of killing anyone who lights them.

Now it becomes clear that someone is carefully planning to murder him.

Soon another mystery appears in the form of a strange letter written by a man named Kokanand Gupta. The writer claims he has returned to Calcutta to repay an old “debt” owed to Byomkesh. Though the letter sounds polite, Byomkesh senses hidden hatred behind every line.

To trap the unknown enemy, Byomkesh creates a risky plan. Newspapers publish fake reports claiming that “Byomkesh Bakshi” has died mysteriously and that his body is lying in Serampore Hospital for identification. In reality, Byomkesh disguises himself as the corpse and secretly waits to see who arrives to confirm his death.

Hours pass, and only a few ordinary visitors appear. But suddenly one nervous man enters the room, glances at the “dead body,” and quickly escapes in panic. Byomkesh immediately realizes that this frightened visitor is the real hunter.

The investigation soon leads back to an old Calcutta boarding house connected to a criminal from Byomkesh’s past — Anukul Babu, a former drug dealer whom Byomkesh had exposed years earlier. After serving a long prison sentence, Anukul had changed his identity and returned under the new name “Kokanand Gupta.”

Burning with revenge, Anukul secretly stole the poisonous matchbox from court evidence and planned to kill Byomkesh using the deadly matchsticks.

But the biggest mystery still remained unsolved — where had Anukul hidden the dangerous matches?

Late at night, police surround Anukul’s room while Byomkesh carefully searches through his belongings. Suddenly his attention falls upon an ordinary-looking water pot kept in the corner.

Was the deadly weapon hidden inside that simple water container?
How far had Anukul gone to take revenge after all these years?
And if Byomkesh had unknowingly lit that poisonous matchstick on the tram… would the famous detective still be alive?