THE HARBINGER OF NOR'WESTER

The Domestic Terrorist

Vaibhav went back to his files. He grabbed one of them and walked up the stairs, turning the pages of the file furiously not noticing where he was going. Then he felt a hand on his chest as he reached the reception desk. Biraj stopped him on the way to the interrogation. Biraj smiled at his replacement on the desk and dragged Vaibhav to the end of the hall.

"I am fine!"

"You have a funny way of getting angry! Your friends at Calcutta University ever tell you that. She was just overwhelmed, you know that right!"

"Well she seems pretty driven, and why are you so interested in my college days? I was a very unfriendly person, okay!" Vaibhav tried to mock, "maybe we shouldn't go forward. We should know who to blame for a crime and then work our way back as to why they could commit such atrocity!?" saying out loud, Vaibhav realised how ridiculous he sounded.

"Make a case on both fronts, okay!" Biraj said slowly, "get back to those prints. It doesn't pay to make enemies out of lawyers!"

"Why didn't she ask us for an after-action report of what happened at Kurseong?" Vaibhav enquired.

"As you said, she is not interested in finding anything more in this case. She just wants to get that guy!" Biraj pointed to the silhouette in the interrogation room and said again, "Also a rebellion is around. I understand you are here to do things the proper way. But Bimal doesn't put a lot of things on file. Makes it easier to not be accountable."

"Yeah probably do not want to tell them of five feet three Kalbaisakhi storm anyway!"

"What happened down there anyway? Anything new you learnt about the machines?"

"They were geomagnetic storm detectors," Vaibhav said slowly, "a technology built by early weather scientist, when engineering bordered on cult beliefs and pseudoscience. They got abandoned after it was proved that these storms cause little or no effect to the atmosphere."

"What are the Naxals doing with it?"

"The machine has been altered, it is build to hold something in place by magnetic force. It must use some metal in ionised form as a core..."

Biraj kept nodding as Vaibhav trailed off to more scientific words. "Better question who would build something like that?"

Vaibhav was about to answer when he looked past Biraj, the inspector was coming this way. Vaibhav was supposed to meet Saikat Sanyal today. To be over with his line of questioning.

"So ready Dr. Roy," Bimal held the door to the interrogation room open for Vaibhav. Vaibhav smiled at Biraj and walked past him grabbing his bag on the reception desk on the way.

Vaibhav walked into a dimly lit room with no window openings. There was a desk with three chairs. Two and one on the opposite sides. One was occupied by a rather lean-looking man. He looked underfed but it felt like he could pant out of breath till the end of days. His hands were chained to the desk.

"Mr. Saikat Sanyal here, is a poet," Bimal slipped into a typecast of cold humour usually made by police officers, "he doesn't talk much. He just looks deeply and act tired," Biraj went to the other chair and sat spreading his entire body. A way of telling the prisoners that he doesn't mind re-adjusting the depths of human apathy to do his job.

Vaibhav sort of had views against this. One of the reasons he readily accepted this assignment. But he was warned repeatedly not to express his views here unless asked for.

"Doctor you may begin," Bimal said in a sleepy voice.

"Shouldn't she be here?" Vaibhav whispered to Bimal, "Chaitali should see this!"

"I thought undressing will be involved," Bimal burped as he spoke, "a woman is legally not supposed to be present here!"

"No," Vaibhav replied sternly.

"Anyway, I spoke to her. She said if his counsel does not come, she doesn't need to be here!"

Bimal was getting bored, "will I make him tell where his buddies are!?"

"No, I can figure it out!", Vaibhav suddenly hated himself for liking violent movies. He went back and took the seat beside the Inspector, "Mr. Sanyal, tell me about the night of the arrest!"

"The officer was there!", Saikat looked up for the first time, not taking any time to study Vaibhav, "he knows what happened!"

"I don't, so let's inform me!"

"Why are you, who are you?"

"Just answer the damn question!" Bimal shouted in a low tone, even he did not want Saikat to tell about that night.

"See, that's how you base your interrogation. Intimidation and fear. Do not make me trust you.....!"

"Damn you!" Bimal got up from his seat and furiously walked to the other side. He raised his hands and in one swift blow threw the man's head into the table. The force seemed to move the furniture itself, then Bimal spoke angrily, "tell me where Master da is?"

"Is that what this is about!?", Saikat looked back at Vaibhav. He wobbled for a minute, "Bad person and terribly naive person!?"

"You can mock me on my ways", Vaibhav said calmly, "or you can mock them by telling me your version of events that night. I have a certain authority, you know that!" Vaibhav turned to Bimal and said coldly, "come back and sit down here, Inspector!"