Scratching his head, Suman muttered, “The exam is tomorrow morning. I’ve only got one worry. Will those calculus questions really work out properly?”
From inside the room his mother called out, “Son, drink some milk and go to sleep, dear. Otherwise you’ll get a headache. If you sleep well, the exam will go well too.” But Suman’s mind was restless. For the past two days, something strange had been happening to him.
The Mystery Begins
On the first day, while going to school in the morning, just as he was about to cross the road, a black cat suddenly ran across in front of him. Suman stopped short. He remembered his grandfather’s words,
“A black cat means an ill omen. The next day something bad is bound to happen.”
That very day at school, the math teacher suddenly fell ill and moved the class test forward. Suman was not prepared at all. Still, somehow he managed to write everything after looking at the question paper. But after returning home, he kept thinking. Was all this the curse of that black cat?
The next morning, the same thing happened again. At the mouth of the lane, a similar black cat crossed the road once more. This time it felt as if it was looking at him and smiling. Its eyes seemed to glow. Suman shuddered. He tried to reason with himself. This was surely just a coincidence.
But his mind simply refused to accept it.
When he reached school, he told his friend Jayanti, “You know, Jayanti, that black cat crossed in front of me again. Doesn’t it feel strange?”
Jayanti laughed and said, “You really are something. Hey, silly, these are just old tales. Even after studying science, you still believe in superstitions?”
Suman fell silent, but his heart felt strangely weighed down.
The Mystery Inside the Lane
In the afternoon, after school, when they were returning home, at that very moment the same black cat appeared again and stood in front of them beside the school wall. This time, a small red ribbon was tied around the cat’s neck, something that had never been seen before.
Suman said in surprise, “Has someone adopted it?”
The cat slowly took a few steps forward, then suddenly darted into the side lane. Jayanti, now curious, said,
“Come on, let’s go and take a look. I feel like this could turn out to be quite interesting.”
They both moved forward along the narrow lane. The place was very old, broken houses, moss-covered walls, and a damp smell in the air. The cat stopped in front of an abandoned house. Its eyes still glowed like fire.
Suman whispered, “This house has been locked up for years.”
Jayanti said, “Let’s go inside and see. Maybe someone is taking care of the cat.”
The door was half open. As they pushed it, dust rose into the air. In the corners of the room lay old books, torn papers, and spider webs. On the floor were some strange marks like animal footprints, yet not quite so.
Suddenly the cat let out a “meow,” then leapt up the stairs in a single bound. Filled with curiosity, Suman and Jayanti followed carefully behind it.
Professor Chakraborty
Upstairs, in a small room, they saw an elderly man sitting there, with a gleaming white beard and worn-out clothes. Books were piled all around him.
Surprised, he asked, “Who are you? How did you come here?”
Jayanti gathered his courage and said, “We followed the cat and came here. It has a red ribbon around its neck. Is it your pet?”
The old man smiled gently and said, “Yes, it is my dear companion. Its name is Kali. It harms no one. In fact, it protects.”
Then he introduced himself—Professor Aniruddha Chakraborty, once a famous mathematician. Now he lived alone in this old house.
“I used to teach at a university,” he said. “But in an accident, I lost my wife and child. Since then, I have lived here, devoted to my research.”
Fear and wonder filled Suman’s face. The professor smiled and said, “I can see that superstition has taken hold of your mind, hasn’t it?”
Suman nodded.
The professor continued, “Many years ago, one of my students suffered from the same superstition. On the day of his exam, a black cat crossed his path, and out of fear he did not even sit for the exam. But I explained to him that success or failure does not depend on a cat. It depends on the strength of one’s own mind.”
Suman listened intently. The professor smiled softly and placed a small red stone in his hand, saying, “This is not a lucky charm. It is a reminder. Your success lies in your own hands.”
A Strange Night
That night, Suman could not sleep. The clock had already struck one.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared outside the window. He got up and saw the black cat sitting by the window. Its eyes still burned like fire, but this time it seemed to be smiling.
Suman opened the door and stepped outside, but in a moment the cat vanished.
On the ground, only one thing was visible—the red stone given by the professor, glowing faintly. Suman understood then. This was not a sign to be afraid, but a sign of inspiration. He went back inside, opened his books, and focused on last-minute preparation.
The Day of the Exam
In the morning, while going to school, the same black cat crossed the road again.
Suman did not stop. He said to himself, “Today I will not believe in any superstition. Today I will trust myself.”
Sitting in the examination hall, he remembered the professor’s words. The question paper was difficult, but his hand did not pause. He answered every question with confidence. Two hours later, he realized that today he had truly conquered his fear.
The Truth Revealed
The next day, Suman and Jayanti went back to the old house to meet the professor again. But when they arrived, they found the house completely empty. A lock hung on the door, and the windows were shut.
A little distance away, an elderly man at a small grocery shop said,
“No one lives in that house, dear. Many years ago a professor used to live there, but he died almost ten years ago.”
Suman was stunned. Whispering, he said, “Then who did we see?”
Jayanti said softly, “Maybe a shadow of his spirit, one that wanted you to overcome your fear.”
From beneath the soil, they found the small red stone. It was still shining. Suman picked it up, smiled gently, and said,
“Maybe this is his blessing. And from today, I will never believe in superstitions again.”
The Key to Success
On the day the results were announced, the school was filled with celebration. Suman stood first in mathematics.
Hearing the news, Jayanti ran up to him and said, “Did you see that? The black cat couldn’t do anything to you. Your hard work brought you victory.”
Suman smiled and looked out the window. In the distance, a black cat was walking across a rooftop. Sunlight glinted in its eyes.
Suman said to himself, “Not fear, but reason and preparation are the keys to success.”
And somewhere far away, as if carried by the wind, came Professor Chakraborty’s voice,
“Remember, blind belief stops people, but knowledge moves them forward.”
