THE BANGALI FOODYY RESTURANT

Saikat is fully fed up. Life in 2021 is a disaster. After the wave of 2021 corona vaccinations is on the swing. But all restaurants are closed. Saikat works in an airline company as an MIS executive doing an admin operations job. He gets 2 weekly off which are not fixed. His one and only hobby is food. Being a proper Bengali food lover he literally has information on the restaurants across Kolkata. But thanks to lockdown all restaurants are closed for nearly 2 months. Things are tough to bear for him. Saikat has to report to the airport as his job needs him to travel to work at least 3 days a week and the remaining days he works from home preparing excel reports which can be done from a remote location.

3 days while being outside the only thing he searches for is a good restaurant but every attempt failed. But finally today on a Saturday he saw this restaurant, “THE BANGALI FOODYY RESTAURANT " Saikat CANNOT BELIEVE HIS EYES, I mean in this stringent lockdown how can this be possible. Anyways let's see. Saikat entered the restaurant. In the reception area, he sees a strange sign engraved on the wall. He is least bothered as he can only smell mutton biriyani, mixed rice, chilly fish every food item he can have. Anyways due to lockdown expenses have been limited and savings are on high. Saikat entered the dining area. The manager welcomed him and told, “Hello Sir welcome." Saikat asked, “May I have your menu card please?" ”Sure Sir " the manager replied and instructed the waiter to attend to him. Within a minute the waiter dressed in formal attire came and handed over the menu card.

The waiter told, " Sir today we have a special event. The entire food is on the house. Whatever you order will be served and you will not have to pay any amount. However, the rule is you have to finish every food item you order. There is unlimited food you can have without paying. " Saikat laughed out loud and replied,” Sir you choose the wrong customer for this challenge. For 3 months I am without my favorite appetite. Hunger for 3 months will be unleashed in one day. " " Sure sir let's see, so a plate of Fixed fried rice and chilly fish for you. You have 1 hour to complete it. " Saikat replied, “I take a maximum of 20 mins to finish this." The competition started. Within a second the food arrived, " OMG what a treat I am giving myself." Saikat literally plunged into the food and actually within 20 mins the plates are empty and he shouted, “Hi waiter brother please bring me a bowl of biriyani and a glass of Coke.” Within a second the biriyani came and Saikat started off.

Saikat did not notice one thing the strange sign which he saw outside the restaurant is also inside in the dining room. The waiter who is serving Saikat is wearing a band in his hand which has the same symbol. Saikat is so busy with his food he never realized when people have gathered around him. He finished his biriyani and took a sip of coke and shouted, “My food is complete, and I have finished within time." Saikat is shocked as he looked up. 5-6 street beggars are standing in front of him. “Do not waste food, do not throw food, we are hungry, we cannot survive.” The waiter came within a blink of an eye and told, “Sir you have not yet finished your Biriyani please check. You need to complete the biriyani or else the task is incomplete " Saikat looked down and got surprised in shock. How is this possible the bowl of biriyani is full? He just finished his part and the bowl is empty for a few minutes.

A fit of anger sparkled in him. Saikat started eating again and within the next 10 mins, the bowl is clean. Saikat looked and got a shock again. 40-50 street kids, beggars are standing in front of him. The waiter came and replied and told him, “Sir like I told you the bowl of Biriyani needs to be completed. Unless the bowl of biriyani is empty you cannot leave this place, sir. “The light inside the dining room is dim and started flickering. The beggars who are surrounding Saikat started crying, “Sir we do not get food. We stay hungry and no one bothers. You should not waste the food you are having. We are working-class people who work at a daily wage rate. We have no roof above our head but we are the ones who create, construct the buildings. But when the work is done we are the ones who are thrown out and left to die.

When rich celebrities do drunk driving we are the ones who die sleeping on the pavement. Our children die of hunger, undernutrition. “The voice of these beggars started echoing in the room. The light kept flickering. Saikat is now scared, he can understand that he ate 2 bowls of biriyani, and still the bowl is full, the strange sign he saw outside has some meaning, it is pointing towards something. Saikat started eating again but now his energy is drained out, he is trying his best to finish the food but he has no space left in his stomach. “What happened Sir; you said you are hungry for like 3 months. These people around you are hungry for decades.

They will not let you escape without completing the bowl. " Saikat cannot eat more. The lights are too dim inside the dining room but he can understand that the eyes of the beggars surrounding him are like burning charcoal every one looking at him with hatred in their eyes. Saikat cannot take this stress, he tried to rise and run but his feet did not move. It seemed like they are glued to the floor. Saikat looked down in the bowl and screamed out of fear and shock; he saw blood in the biriyani bowl. Saikat lost consciousness and become senseless. In his last moment of being in the sense, he recollected an article on the internet. It is written by a paranormal investigator. There are certain places where rituals are performed via which a path to hell can be created. That path is a direct connection between hell and earth. Once the path is created creatures from hell crawl into the earth and look for people whom they can trap. Once a trap is set a victim is somehow attracted and taken to hell. In the end, the paranormal investigator has shared 6 different symbols which actually represent DEVIL. Saikat now remembers the sign he can see outside is nothing but SIGN OF THE DEVIL. Before Saikat lost his senses he shouted with all his might, " O MY LORD JESUS PLEASE TAKE THIS MONSTERS BACK TO HELL." Saikat can see the beggars disappeared like smoke.

Saikat opened his eyes only to find himself lying in an under-construction building. He stood up and started walking out of that place. A 10-year-old boy saw Saikat and told him, " Sir what are you doing in this abandoned place. No one comes here; this restaurant was once opened by an NGO that distributed free meals to beggars once. But 1 year back a sudden fire destroyed everything. People say this place is cursed since that accident as many hungry street beggars died in this fire and their spirits have turned revengeful. Please leave this place immediately. " Saikat walked out of that abandoned building and asked the boy,” You seemed to know pretty well about this place. Have you heard it from someone? “The boy replied, no sir I used to beg, this restaurant gave me food. Every working-class labor who worked in construction sites, daily wage earners used to get free food from this restaurant. That evil fire incident changed everything. People spread rumors that some rich restaurant owners are facing losses as when a food outlet is giving free food to poor people who will think of spending money in expensive restaurants. Those who faced the loss turned vengeful and planned a fire accident to shut down the place. But I did not turn into evil Sir, you please take care and one request please try not to waste food. Also, respect those working-class laborers who work day and night to create high-rise buildings where you live peacefully. " The boy who is speaking to Saikat turned into white smoke and disappeared leaving Saikat aback.