The Third Dimension (2023) #Wattys2024

26- POST WAR RECESSION-1971

It was the time, right after the Bangladesh-Pakistan Liberation War 1971, the time where the recession had increased. It was the rise of the Retro Era of Bangladesh, where the Cultural Revolution had been spread over the years. On the other hand, it was right before the assassination of the Army Chief and one of the first leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It was even right before The Father of the Nation too. The war itself led to the recession of those who have only finished with their High School Diploma. In that time, Gonnobahini, a Marxist party have fought against the governance of the Father of the Nation too. Hence, the reality of the recession strikes within.

Over the world, especially in the Britain, Rolls-Royce went bankrupted and in the United States, Apollo 15 has been launched. Even a movie like Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and A Clockwork Orange had been released, within its different breed of success. It might be the worst but also the Golden Era.

However, the life of Kashem Bhai, the roadside goon and rebel was more of his fullest. Jawad was reminded of the timeline that he lived with Rahat, even reference given by Chikku Bhai did click a bit. According to the paper clippings, kept by his mother, there were articles of him that kept the dots connected chronologically. Not much of Kashem was known to the public, except for Jawad's knowledge, he was hanged to death due to a murder of a journalist, where he claimed to be innocent.

Educated in a foreign university in the journalism department, unemployed due to war and the injustice in his life turned him into a goon who was actually a rebellion against the corrupt system of the country. That recession led those youth to become those fighters in their own ways. Certain people may die at the moment but they do it for the loss of whatever they had in the past. Fruition might come into the future but, it would be too late for the rebels like Kashem, whose anger have exploited to those who harmed him in the past.

Jawad, as Kashem woke up in the forest, full of the tribal people staring at him. Their clothes were made with long leaves, silk wool and bamboos. The ladies worn a long silk cloth, which were used by the Ancient China, whilst the men's forehead were painted red, bare top and the bottom were covered with loin clothes and leaves. Their skin color might look Asian or maybe tribal but their warm and welcomed stare calmed the scared Kashem down. The ladies were laughing as the kids were spreading bubbles from the waterfall. The confused Kashem, as Jawad, was not much familiar with the tribal areas in the rainforest. It was distinguished from the city areas, where only the ethnics used to stay in the tents, where the highest ones lived in the wooden houses, decorated with flowers. It was more of the mountainous areas, full of trees flowing around the winds, some of the oak trees talked as if the ghost stories lied there or maybe a variant we ever couldn't have known. The tents were made of silk clothes, leaves and the pot had been circling around their corner.

His muddled smile, just applauded their 'miraculous healing', as Jawad got into consciousness. But for his understanding, the 'real Kashem', would be in the Other Universe, who might die by hanging inside the prison. Or maybe, something would've about to be created. Who knows?

A short man and two teenagers were looking at him, sitting on the wooden table, covered by the mummified bandage. He was smiling at the children that sparked the joy upon these three with genuine tears of joy. The successful 'healing' of the tribal shamans' shines into the celebration, rolled their drums amidst the half-healing. The dwarf jogged near him with the utmost curiosity, while the two teenagers smiled. One of them was reading a book on time travel, while the other massaged Kashem's hand.

"Bhai! Glad you are alive!" exclaimed the dwarf man.

"Selim? How did you know that I was in the woods?" asked Kashem as Jawad.

"Gyankosh and Chayan Das (Chikku), explain the moment!" commanded Selim, the dwarf man.

Gyankosh began speaking while simultaneously playing with his glasses "Let's begin. So, uh, the thing is, you were supposed to be-"

"Hanged. Just die. The end. Go to the other siiiiiiiiiiiideeeeeee" Continued Chikku

"Ok Chikku that is considered rude. So would you be a good boy and SHUT UP! STOP INTERRUPTING ME!"

"Well that was pretty rude too..."

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Eep! I'll have you know I peed in your drink last night"

"YOU DID WHAT NOW?"

"God have mercy for what I'm about to do"

Chikku kicked Gyankosh in the balls.

"AAAAH! Factory reset completed. Requirements met. I apologize for my preposterous behavior...must've acted like a...a cunt you might say." Said the now newly personalized Gyankosh

"Umm..sure?" answered Kashem

"Madam Ruby had you framed...with all the murder. Dunno how she found out about us...but well...that's just how it is. Anyways the whole trading prostitutes thing is still going...which is worrying, and all in all, just, sick."

You could hear the seriousness in Gyankosh's voice which meant that the situation was bad enough for a natural clown to become...worried.

Kashem irked about certain burns on his injuries. His constant huffing and a spit of blood on the ground provoked the healers to drink their herbal medicine made of mint leaves and bitter gourd sauce. When he was about to step up from the wooden bed, his legs had extreme pain under the injury. Selim pumped his chest and pour his mouth with the jar of water.

Kashem chugged.

Eventually, he burped and felt peaceful after few burns.

"You alright?" asked Chikku and Gyankosh.

"I...am...okay...I think" said the weary Kashem. "Where's Rahat?"

The mention of Rahat shocked the dwarf. Since Kashem had gone rogue, the former reminded him of the latter's childhood in the orphanage. It may sound more of the 80s Bollywood or a Desi film but if you consider the situation of its time, it would have been shown how angry the people were after the war. It. Was. Mortifying.

Kashem, since an infant, he had grown into the orphanage for twelve years. Rahat was that rich kid, a little younger than the orphan used to walk around the children's home. While most of the orphans were adopted, only Kashem became the one who remained. He was bullied by the others, because of his introverted behavior. Until then, Rahat's family adopted him due to their unique sense of friendship.

Hence, they grew together, while Kashem went to the United States to study journalism, while Rahat, a little younger than him was about to have board examinations. The war played on its way that Kashem arrived to save certain hostages. After the surrender by the opposition, the recession begun, only the government jobs begun to rise over. Whenever he tried to apply journalism, a lot of people asked for the bribe or a reference to the certain extent because according to one of his principles: one's hard work cannot be done by the bribe of others, but the support and the reference have been known as the subornation. He saw that, everyone was belittling him. Only Rahat was supporting him, as to the contrary, his father insulted him every day for not getting a government job. The Commonwealth Era of the country started to rise where literature and art had been lacked. As H.G. Wells said in the 'War of the Worlds', a man without books is a body without soul.

When robberies increased, Kashem was frequently by them. Till then, he tracked down other friends from the orphanage, who surpassed the age of adoption, also total of them are two: were Selim and Badiul that led him to become a goon and a rebel, by forming a squad. His confidence increased when he used to bully the corrupted people, who seem serious but acts caricature-ish.

On the other hand, four women, posing themselves as rich people. The house was sold by one of the richest of the neighborhood, Dobir Saheb, who used to be a miser and most arrogant in the neighborhood. Selim and Badiul secretly saw the behavior of the old lady to have been strange. Her name was Madam Ruby, who previously enlisted for human trafficking. While Kasheem came to know and rebelled against it, enraged Madame Ruby. Whereas, the murder happened, as explained by Chikku and Gyankosh, Rahat was manipulated by someone unknown or closest, the relation between Rahat and Kashem turned sour.

"Rahat is going to join the university soon" said Selim, the dwarf.

The vague information arouse him painfully, as the wound started to burn with sweat. Slowly, the wound was fading till the evening. Something is coming this way.