After the meeting, Patnaik sat for a long time alone in his office, thinking. He had to find out more. And he had to catch this top leader when the fellow came to Deogan. That would not only end the court case, it would also make him famous. Promotions, rewards. Many things. He told his junior officers to ask their informers to keep their ears open. Patnaik went to bed a very happy man.

14

JANUARY

It began like that: a short phone call from the jail superintendent. But over the next few days, Patnaik and his men got to hear it again and again, until it seemed every police informer in Balangir, and in the Gond villages, was saying the same thing. A very senior Maoist leader, a man wanted in several states, was going to visit Deogan. The Gonds were going to start fighting the government. Other informers got tidbits of more information. A huge number of guns and ammunition would be brought to the Gond villages very soon, and the villagers would be trained in them. Patnaik laughed when he heard this. He would like to see Gonds with guns against his policemen. Yes, he would like to see that. So, those potato farmers and fishermen were going to fight the government, were they?

But there was very little actual news. Who was this fearsome Maoist leader? Patnaik’s informers did not know. What did they know about him? Nothing much, except he was somebody very big. When was he coming to Deogan? Again, nobody knew.

Patnaik sat in his office, listened to the reports and waited.

Winter began to leave Balangir, and the sun grew stronger. There was a small storm in the Bay of Bengal, but nothing came this far up into western Odisha. In Balangir, life continued as always.

Patnaik waited.

Ghosh had called him back. On being told about the news, Ghosh said, ‘That is exactly what I expected. The Gonds have given up. This is the end. Now the judges will never listen to them. But Patnaik, you have to catch this man. You have to catch him alive, and take a lot of pictures, and videos. Image is everything. You must catch him, and be seen doing this. You, personally.’

Patnaik, who had decided to do just that, was happy Ghosh agreed with him.

He waited. More reports came in, again saying the same thing. It was definitely going to happen.

But when? Patnaik got his men ready to go to Deogan in minutes if needed. There was no point in camping at the Gond village. It would scare the Maoists away.

And then, one morning, Patnaik got a call. It was from an informer.

‘Yes?’

‘He is here,’ whispered the informer.

‘In Deogan?’

‘Yes. He arrived just a while ago. He is at the mahji’s house, talking to him and that Jadob.’

Yes! Thought Patnaik.

‘His name is Mishra.’

‘Just Mishra?’

‘That is all I heard.’