Biraj and Chaitali sat on an empty desk and looked at each other, watching Vaibhav deeply observe the elderly man sitting with Soumen inside the interrogation room.

"You ready!?", Bimal joined Vaibhav in the viewing room. Chaitali immediately stood up.

Vaibhav looked around the room and back and Bimal. The man was not joking.

"Okay!", murmured Vaibhav.

"Inspector!", Chaitali interrupted, "Soumen is in there! You think it is wise! After you know.... Vaibhav can still screw this up!"

"Let us see", Bimal trudged along.

"I thought we bonded", Vaibhav mouthed to Chaitali. She raised her brows, put on a fake smile, and nodded in response.

Vaibhav followed the Inspector into the interrogation room. Soumen Maitra was sitting beside the elderly man.

"Laal salaam, Master da!", Bimal red saluted the general switching into his mockery mode of interrogation, "or Jai hind, whichever you prefer...", he took his chair with a thump.

"You realise they're the same thing...", the elder man answered in a crisp baritone voice, still burdened with the rebellion, even under police interrogation.

Vaibhav loudly drew out his chair, scratching the floor in the process. The general, Master da, turned his attention towards him, a smile wider and similar to Naitik plastered to his face. Then he spoke again, "Is this anxious young man, Dr. Roy?"

Vaibhav pursed his lips and took his seat looking down.

"Okay what is it with you people, it's like he is becoming more famous than me!?", Bimal was not jealous.

"Perhaps he can explain red salute to us!", Master da answered Bimal, "You can, can't you?", Master da asked Vaibhav with the same smile.

"Laal Salaam....", Vaibhav hesitated to speak directly looking at Bimal, "the laal, red is a saffron shade used to refer to hindustan. Salaam is salute in Arabic....."

"Essentially same as Jai Hind", Master da took up the pace, "both salutations looking forward to a more prosperous India! He is more in talk nowadays...", Master da nodded at Bimal.

"Mr. Maitra is there a reason you are sitting beside the general!?", Bimal asked Soumen, who was keenly examining his file.

"I'm... representing him!", Soumen made gestures with his pen.

"You filed a writ for the arrest of this man!", Bimal pointed out the conflict of interest, "this interrogation is supposed to clear your clients!"

"Yes, it would!", Soumen triumphantly smiled again, "and Master da here has confessed that he was in a management position. As my clients are charged with the execution of these crimes, this triggers a conspiracy charge...!", Soumen handed over some papers to Bimal. Vaibhav peeked over the desk to read it. Bimal turned around to the one-way mirror momentarily before looking up to Master da.

"...therefore my clients Naitik Bose, Saikat Sanyal, Dr. Aishik Routh and of course Master da here, all are to be brought before a judge and executed as a faction!"

The door creaked open, Biraj slowly walked in to collect the papers from Bimal. It seemed Chaitali was sitting this one out. Vaibhav squinted his eyes and put his hand under the chin. He coaxed his lips with his fingers, breathing loudly, thinking deeply about what just happened. Biraj left with the papers.

"I'll be answering any questions you might have!", said Master da.

Bimal took a moment to readjust, subjugating his anger of being deceived, "tell me about the silver!", he looked up at Master da.

"Yes, Dr. Routh gave this idea of colluding..."

"Colloidal solution!", Vaibhav corrected him, "finer than dust silver mixed in water."

"...Yes, that", Master da agreed, "the doctor said we could avoid detection that way and he could build his machine!"

"Then Saikat got injured...and you saw the light!", Vaibhav leaned back.

"Is that how he got silver in his blood!?", Bimal interjected.

"My comrades have been dying for months! The bullet wound in Saikat's leg was septic, and the doctor used the silver to heal that....!"

"Is that why she defied you? Naitik told us, your soldier wanted to use it for Aishik's machines......and you as medical supplies...?"

"She wanted a reckoning not a revolution... told me that these machines would harbour the destruction rather than causing it but I did not....she used to come with us on every expedition through the jungles. I just wanted....."

Vaibhav stood up and started to walk towards the door.

"...I don't think I could satisfy your curiosity", said Master da to Vaibhav, "of course you know things more fundamental than the Inspector. Maybe you should accept the fact that you will never understand. Why people who should be ready to compromise with this world at every level, would give their life for something as ridiculous as a revolution...!"

Vaibhav furiously walked back to the desk, "you have brought down people richer than God!", he beat down on the metal, making Bimal and Soumen flinch, "money doesn't make anyone whole, you know that...."

"I've yet to be proven right...!"

"I think that you know that you've lost your way. An entire revolution built around common people, has no way to reach them anymore....!"

"Talk carefully, boy!", warned Master da, "you think you earned your fame, here? You've stood tall staring down divinity, maybe it's time you consider that the almighty stared back at you...!"

A fresh stream of blood ran into Vaibhav's heart.