📜 Story Summary: Arthamanartham
The story begins when Byomkesh and the narrator (Ajit) are summoned by Bidhubabu to investigate a murder.
The Crime and Initial Investigation The victim is Karalibabu, the elderly, wealthy, and ill-tempered head of the house. He was murdered in his sleep by a novel method: a needle inserted into his neck, precisely between the medulla and the first vertebra.
Karalibabu was known for constantly changing his will. His household consists of five relatives he supported: his three nephews (Motilal, Maakhanlal, and Phanibhushan) and his wife's relations, Sukumar and Satyabati.
The police, led by Bidhubabu, immediately suspect the nephew Motilal. Motilal had a furious argument with Karalibabu about the will the day before and was seen by the servants sneaking out of the house late at night. However, Motilal is quickly found at a brothel , and Byomkesh is certain he is not the killer.
Byomkesh's Clues Byomkesh's investigation reveals several key clues:
The victim was first subdued with chloroform, as evidenced by small marks around his nose.
The murder needle still had thread in it and was likely taken from Satyabati's sewing box. Her thimble is also missing.
The most recent will, made two days before the murder, names Sukumar, a medical student, as the sole heir.
In Sukumar's room, Byomkesh finds a copy of Gray's Anatomy with a passage detailing the exact murder method marked with a red pencil. The red pencil itself is missing.
The Second Suspect A police search of Sukumar's room uncovers a bottle of chloroform and a new, hidden will, dated the day of the murder. This latest will disinherits Sukumar and names the lame nephew, Phanibhushan, as the heir. Believing Sukumar killed his uncle to prevent this new will from being finalized, the police arrest him.
Satyabati's Confession A distraught Satyabati visits Byomkesh, insisting her brother Sukumar is innocent. She confesses what she saw on the night of the murder:
She heard a noise from her brother's room, who she thought had returned from the cinema.
About 15 minutes later, she saw Sukumar, shoeless, walking stealthily in the corridor. Just then, the clock struck twelve.
Fearing something was wrong, she went to Karalibabu's room. It was dark, but she smelled a sweetish scent (chloroform).
She turned on the light and found her uncle dead, discovering the needle in his neck when she touched his pillow.
Terrified that her brother was the murderer, she kept silent.
The Resolution Byomkesh proves Sukumar's innocence by recreating his timeline: he went to the "Chitra" cinema and could not have physically made it back to the house by the time Satyabati saw the figure at midnight.
Byomkesh confronts the real killer: Phanibhushan.
He points out that the newest will (naming Phani) is legally worthless, as it has no witness signatures.
The "figure" Satyabati saw was Phani, who had just planted the will and chloroform in Sukumar's room to frame him.
The noise Satyabati heard earlier was not Sukumar's return, but Phani dragging a box.
The red pencil used to mark the anatomy book is found in Phanibhushan's room.
The final proof: Phani had used Satyabati's thimble to push the needle in and, in his haste, forgot to remove it from the victim's finger.
Cornered, Phanibhushan commits suicide by drinking poison. He leaves a confession note, admitting he killed Karalibabu for the money and because his uncle mocked his disability. He admits to stealing the needle and thimble and getting Maakhanlal to buy him chloroform under false pretenses.
Epilogue Sukumar is released and inherits the estate based on the last valid will. The story ends with Byomkesh preparing to go out, dressed in his finest. He admits to Ajit that he has been "investigating" Satyabati, implying a romantic courtship has begun.