Chapter 10 – The Forgotten Marker

Treasure Hunter: The Seventh Tide of Andaman

Chapter 10 – The Forgotten Marker

N ot all directions are written.
Some—
are shown.

🌴 Havelock Island

Afternoon slipped by quietly.

After scuba—
everything felt slower.

Not physically.

Mentally.

As if part of us—
was still underwater.

🏨 Back to Reality

We reached the hotel around 4 PM.

Salt still on skin.
Hair messy.
Mind… elsewhere.

“Fresh hoye nao,” Subho Kaku said.
“Na hole thanda lege jabe.”

“Scuba theke eshe thanda?” I replied.

“Experience bolche,” he nodded.

Fair enough.

Quick shower.
Fresh clothes.

By 4:45 PM—
Binod was ready again.

“Sir, Radhanagar Beach jabo?”

“Yes,” Arindam Da replied.

No hesitation.

🚗 The Ride

The road cut through dense greenery.

Tall trees.
Filtered sunlight.

Occasional glimpses of the sea.

“Sunset best time,” Binod said.

“Crowd thakbe… but worth it.”

I looked at Ishani Di.

She wasn’t holding the camera.

Just watching.

Absorbing.

She does that—
before something important.

🌅 Arrival

Radhanagar Beach

And then—
we saw it.

Wide.
Endless.

White sand.
Perfect shoreline.

Water—
calm.
Layered shades of blue.

For a moment—
everything stopped.

“Wow…” I whispered.

Even Arindam Da didn’t respond.

That’s how you know—
it’s real.

👣 The Walk

We walked slowly.

Feet sinking into soft sand.

Waves brushing gently.

People around—
but still…
peaceful.

“Ekhane shobai chupi hoye jay,” Subho Kaku said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Karor kichu bolar thake na.”

I nodded.

True.

👁️ The Pattern Begins

“Rit…” Ishani Di called softly.

I turned.

She was looking at something.

Not the sea.

The sand.

Near the tree line.

“Dekho,” she said.

I walked closer.

At first—
nothing unusual.

Then—
I saw it.

A rock.

Half buried.

Flat surface.

And on it—

A faint carving.

My heartbeat picked up.

“Dada…” I called.

Arindam Da came closer.

Knelt.

Examined.

Didn’t touch.

Just observed.

🔍 The Forgotten Marker

Same symbol.

But different.

This one had—
lines extending.

Directional.

Not just a mark.

A guide.

“Eta coincidence na,” I said.

“No,” Arindam Da replied.

“Eta system.”

Ishani Di whispered—

“Then what is it showing?”

🌅 The Alignment

Arindam Da stood.

Looked at the sun.

Lower now.

Golden light spreading.

Then—
he turned back to the rock.

Followed the direction of the lines.

And stopped.

“Wait till sunset,” he said.

We didn’t question.

❤️ The Pause Between Them

We stood there—
watching the light change.

Wind softer now.

Sky turning orange.

Ishani Di stood beside him.

Close.

Not touching.

But not distant either.

“Do you think… someone planned all this?” she asked.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Then quietly—

“Yes.”

A pause.

“And they wanted it to be found.”

She looked at him.

“And we are the ones finding it.”

Another pause.

“Or the ones being led to it,” he said.

That stayed.

😄 Rit Breaks It

“Okay… just confirming,” I said.

“We are following clues across islands…”

“From jail to beach to underwater…”

“And now sunset alignment.”

“Full treasure hunt.”

Subho Kaku smiled.

“Boro golpo hote cholche.”

“Yes,” I said.

“Already Netflix-level.”

🌇 The Moment

The sun touched the horizon.

Light shifted.

Shadows stretched.

And then—

It happened.

The shadow of the rock—
aligned.

Perfectly.

Pointing toward—
a specific spot.

Further ahead.

Near a cluster of stones.

We moved quickly.

Sand softer there.

Less crowd.

More silence.

⚡ The Reveal

Another stone.

Partially covered.

I brushed the sand away.

And there—

Numbers.

Carved.

Clear.

Deliberate.

“Rit…” Ishani Di whispered.

I didn’t respond.

Because I was already reading.

Coordinates.

Again.

🧠 The Connection

Arindam Da took a step back.

Thinking.

Fast.

“First—Cellular Jail,” he said.

“Then—Corbyn’s Cove.”

“Then—underwater.”

“And now—this.”

I completed—

“A chain.”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

👁️ The Feeling Returns

And then—
that feeling again.

I turned.

Crowd normal.

Nothing obvious.

But still—

Someone watching.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

🔚 End Hook

As the sun disappeared—
darkness didn’t come immediately.

Just a softer light.

And in that light—
we stood—

holding another piece of the puzzle.

But now—
it was clear.

This wasn’t random.

This wasn’t coincidence.

This was a path.

And we were already too far in—

to turn back.

❄️ To Be Continued…