The Third Dimension (2023) #Wattys2024

30- POST-WAR RECESSION 1971

Past dawn, Rahat secretly got out of the mansion.

He crept past the guards to Dr. Nitra's doctor chamber. Rahat's thought emerged with the situation that the lock was opened and forgot to close it up. Usually, the doctors' office weren't supposed to open till 9 o clock in the morning and it was dawn past 5 am. Was it a trap or a setup done by Dr. Nitra?

He sneaked inside the chamber where it was quite dark. He took out the small torch from his pocket and slowly ascended near the table. It was hollow and dark, which Rahat never experienced as a teenager, unlike his adult arrogant self who just whined about everything by jumping into conclusion. The bunch of files were on its side, but one of the file was quite odd: written as 'MISSING PEOPLE'.

Why was it in Nitra's room? It was quite understandable to say that, both Rahat and Nitra were investigating about the same but what's more to the missing person? The actual connection of the murder of Madame Ruby's guard? Something doesn't add up? How is Madame Ruby connected to all these people? It was done even before she arrived in the scene.

He opened up and unfolded the files. The pages of the newspapers and its clips were more scattered than ever. Most of those missing people were connected to most of the people either Kashem helped or familiarized with. Until an article showed up at the end on the file:

March 29, 1971

KASHEM: MURDERER OR VICTIM?

Crime Desk

JAHANGIRNAGAR, DHAKA: A hooligan and a former US Student have murdered a guard as a need of money and fame.

Kashem, 27 have murdered Jamshed Miah, 51 guarding a house with the respected magistrate, Madame Ruby. She has claimed that Kashem is involved in several missing people.

"What! It doesn't add up!" mumbled the shocked Rahat.

Rahat continued....

According to the source, Rahat was at the orphanage on a meeting with the matron. He ran away from the police after he got informed about the murder.

"This is the reason why sister Nitra wept, by holding the article in the breast! Where were Selim, Chikku and Gyankosh?" whispered Rahat.

Therefore, he looked at the pregnancy charts, as well as the posters of the campaign against female child killings and abortion. Rahat quickly got out and had gone through the abandoned orphanage. It was more of a Victorian era than what the 70s would have been. Hence, it was opened and haunted, he crept into upstairs, reminiscing the memories of Rahat's visit to Kashem.

Suddenly, someone just patted his shoulder. He looked back with anxiety, but felt safe when he saw a familiar face: Nitra.

"Rahat, I've been following you, since you've got out of my chamber. What is it that you're looking for?" asked Nitra.

"Ever since I've a dream last night, that Kashem Bhai is about to get hanged on the gallows, despite being a fugitive, something strikes me: even you to investigate the whereabouts of him"

The dwarf entered.

"I know where Kashem is..."

Meanwhile, hours passed, Kashem sat, cooking on the campfire as the kids were looking at him. Chikku and Gyankosh were looking at the ladies who were dancing the traditional Bengali-tribal dance by the name of Bizhu by tapping their feet with the pearls. They wore colorful saris and a dot at their forehead plus black blouse inside. Their hairs were covered with the Chinese chopsticks. The music was used with drums made of lion's skin and covered with the silver crystal rocks. Drumsticks were made out of the woods.