Gun Island

Something about Piya reminds Deen of Durga, his first love, and he considers going to the shrine after all. He replays the recorded conversation with Nilima and uses the information to surmise that the shrine was most likely built between 1605 and 1690. Unexpectedly, Deen gets a phone call from his friend and mentor, Professoressa Giacinta “Cinta” Schiavon, who is an expert in Venetian history. She relates a strange dream she had about the time she and Deen visited Calcutta 25 years ago and watched a jatra (folk opera performance). After the phone call, Deen refers to his journal and realizes that the jatra they saw that day was about the legend of Manasa Devi.

The narrative relates Cinta and Deen’s past history and friendship. Years ago, Cinta’s husband, an editor of an Italian newspaper, and her 12-year-old daughter, Lucia, died in a car accident suspected to be caused by the Mafia, as Cinta’s husband had published a series of exposés about them. The publicity around the event led Cinta to take a sabbatical in America, where she met and befriended Deen, who helped her organize a trip to Calcutta (Kolkata), where she came across the jatra featured in her dream. During this trip, Deen told her about his first love, Durga, who was tragically killed when they both lived in Kolkata. Her comrades tried to frame Deen, and he was forced to leave Calcutta (Kolkata) for New Delhi, from where he applied to American universities and eventually left India. Deen later got a job in New York thanks to Cinta’s recommendation, and the two kept in touch over the years. Back in the present moment, Deen realizes that Cinta has played such a huge role in his life that he cannot ignore her phone call now, so he takes it as a sign and calls Piya, asking her to arrange a visit to the shrine for the next day.

Deen is picked up Moyna, the wife of a villager who died while working for Piya. She tells him about Cyclone Aila, which devastated the Sunderbans in 2009. The resulting poverty of the region attracted human traffickers who forced women into commercial sexual exploitation and forced men to labor in different cities and countries. Moyna also tells Deen about her college-aged son, Tutul, who now goes by “Tipu,” whose problematic behavior after his father’s death led him to instigate several fights and get into a few altercations with the police. Now, he spends his time on the internet, earning money mysteriously and disappearing for days. He has told Moyna that he works at a call center.

At the riverbank, Deen and Moyna find Tipu waiting for them at Nilima’s request. Tipu escorts Deen to a boat captained by Horen, Nilima’s friend who originally accompanied her to the shrine. As they head down the river, Horen tells Deen his own recollection of the Gun Merchant’s tale. In his version, the Merchant was forced to leave his homeland following a drought, and while fleeing downriver, a huge tidal wave struck his boat. He took refuge in a village, keeping his family ensconced in a solid house, but returned from his trades to find them all dead of snake and scorpion bites. The merchant then set sail to a distant land but was attacked by bandits who enslaved him and sold him to a ship captain named Ilyas. Ilyas and the Merchant traveled together until they reached Gun Island. Horen reveals that although the caretaker who originally told them the story has passed away, his grandson, Rafi, is still around. Deen hopes to meet him.

Tipu shows Deen Bangladesh on the other side of the Raimangal River. Tipu reveals that he works in the “people-moving industry” (65), moving migrants from India to other countries. These moves happen through “dalals” or connection men; Tipu’s job is to connect people to the dalals, and to make up backstories for the migrants or refugees who are seeking asylum elsewhere. Most of this work happens in Bangladesh, hence Tipu’s frequent visits. He subtly warns Deen against telling Piya or Moyna any of this.

When they finally reach the shrine, Horen offers to take Tipu in the boat and look for Rafi while Deen explores the area on his own. The temple at the far end of a walled courtyard features friezes that depict the legend. As Deen looks over them, he makes sense of some recurring motifs: a palm of a hand sheltered by a cobra hood, representing Manasa Devi; and figures for the Merchant and Ilyas. However, he is unable to decipher two of the symbols, and he is also puzzled by the lack of guns in the story. Wandering into the interior, he suddenly hears a growling sound and turns around to see a boy in his late teens staring at him in disbelief. Deen assumes that this is Rafi and approaches him, but Rafi backs away fearfully.

Deen introduces himself, explains why he has come, and persuades Rafi to explain the story set in the panels. Rafi claims that the story is just a fairy tale, and Deen concurs, reflecting that if this were truly Manasa Devi’s shrine, there would be a snake inside. Rafi reveals there has indeed been a snake nearby for years and says it was right behind Deen with its hood raised when Rafi first saw him. Deen walks back to the entryway, and a king cobra suddenly rears out of the shadows. Tipu, who arrives at the same time, throws a fishing net onto the snake to save Deen but is bitten in the process. Rafi administers first aid, and the group rushes to the steamer to get Tipu to the hospital in Lusibari.