Indigo

Bonku Babu is exceptionally mild-mannered and never lets his anger get the best of him. Still, he is teased relentlessly, both by the primary school students he teaches and his own peers. He regularly attends gatherings at esteemed lawyer Sripati Majumdar’s house, where he serves as the group’s target of ridicule, a role he accepts in hopes of earning Sripati’s favor. At one evening meeting, during a group discussion about satellites, Bonku Babu wonders aloud what it would be like if aliens visited their small town of Kankurgachhi. His companions mock him immediately, insisting no alien life would bother with such an insignificant place. Bonku leaves soon after, embarrassed and misunderstood.

On his walk home, Bonku Babu cuts through a familiar bamboo grove and notices a strange glow coming from the center, near a pond. As he approaches, he sees that the light source, a large dome-like object, sits over the water. Suddenly, Bonku finds himself paralyzed, his body frozen still, as a creature emerges from inside the dome. After some initial miscommunication, the four-foot-tall, thin, hairless being introduces themself as Ang, from the planet Craneus. They explain they were headed to Pluto when their ship mistakenly rerouted them to Earth.

Ang reveals that they are 833 years old, speak 14,000 languages, and have visited 25 planets beyond Bonku Babu’s solar system. Producing a small glass tube, Ang asks if there is a place Bonku has always wanted to see. Bonku answers the North Pole, and looking through the tube, he suddenly finds himself surrounded by snow and ice. Next, Ang transports him to Brazil. Ang explains that their race is “superior” to humans, but he admits Bonku is “a good man.” He warns Bonku to stop being so “meek and mild,” as it only causes more harm. Then, just as suddenly as they arrived, Ang and the ship vanish.

At Sripati Babu’s next gathering, the regular group suddenly realizes that Bonku Babu isn’t present. Just as they begin to wonder why he’s so late, Bonku Babu walks in and begins laughing wildly. He then launches into a tirade, calling out each guest for their cruel and immature behavior. He declares that he will no longer be seeking Sripati’s approval and storms out of the room altogether, leaving the men utterly stunned.