Amit woke up abruptly, his chest heaving and his face drenched in sweat. The remnants of his nightmare still clung to him. He had been walking along a deserted road when a group of boys began chasing a small child in a white cap. The boys, invoking the name of a divine entity, mercilessly attacked the child. Amit had rushed to intervene, only to be overpowered and beaten himself. It was the sharp sting of a blow in the dream that startled him awake.

Sitting up, Amit shook his head as if to dispel the haunting images. He glanced at his phone. He was expecting calls from his wife and son, who were currently in Bangladesh—the land of his forefathers, who had migrated to Kolkata nearly a century ago. The trip was meant to be a nostalgic journey for them, but it had brought back a complicated mix of emotions for Amit. His recent visit to Bangladesh, just six months earlier, had been an eye-opener. The hospitality of the locals, the joyous Durga Puja celebrations in Barisal, and the surreal contrast of observing his culture flourish in a predominantly Muslim country had left him pondering the fragility and strength of identity.

But not all his memories of Bangladesh were joyous. His trip had ended with a jarring experience at the airport in Dhaka. While sipping orange juice and waiting for his flight back to New Delhi, he had witnessed a chilling scene. A man had been shot dead just a few feet away, the assassin disappearing into the chaos. Later, he learned the victim was a popular YouTuber known for criticizing religious fundamentalism—a rising issue in Bangladesh. Though Amit had cooperated with authorities, his memory of the assailant’s face had blurred over time.

Now, six months later, Amit’s concern was more immediate. Political unrest had erupted in Bangladesh, and reports of violence against Hindus added to his worry for his wife and son. All flights had been cancelled, and communication lines severed. He spent a sleepless day and night, anxiously awaiting news. Relief came the following evening when he learned from Bangladeshi officials that his family was safe, sheltering in a hotel in Dhaka. A few days later, the authorities arranged for their safe passage back to India. Amit’s heart soared when he finally embraced them at the airport.

Just as life was returning to normal, Amit received an unexpected call from the Bangladeshi police. They had apprehended two suspects in the YouTuber’s murder case and needed Amit to confirm their identities. They assured him of his safety—the suspects would be blindfolded, and he would observe them from behind a partition. The urgency of the request wasn’t just about solving a single case; it was emblematic of a larger fight against fundamentalism, a critical need to restore faith in justice during the ongoing unrest. Amit initially wondered if his confirmation could be handled through photos or a virtual meeting, but the authorities emphasized that such methods lacked the precision and emotional clarity that in-person identification could offer. The human memory, they explained, often worked best when all sensory cues—sight, sound, and even the atmosphere of the moment—were aligned. Moreover, his physical presence would lend greater credibility to the case in a society deeply mistrusting of remote evidence, where justice often teetered on perception.

Amit discussed the matter with his family. His wife and son, still shaken from their recent ordeal, were adamant that he should not go. But Amit found himself torn. The nightmare he had woken from the other day seemed to echo the rising intolerance he had witnessed both in his homeland and abroad. Could he, as an individual, make a difference?

The decision weighed heavily on him. He recalled the vibrant Durga Puja in Barisal, the warmth of the people, and the ideals of coexistence he had glimpsed in his ancestral land. He thought of the YouTuber, a lone voice silenced by violence, and the principles he had stood for. Amit’s liberal convictions nudged him toward action.

After a restless night, Amit made his decision. He would return to Bangladesh, not just to help solve a murder but to take a stand against the tide of intolerance threatening to engulf societies on both sides of the border. As he booked his ticket, a sense of resolve filled him. This wasn’t just about justice for the YouTuber; it was about preserving the delicate fabric of humanity itself.

The journey ahead would not be easy, but Amit felt ready. Somewhere in his heart, he believed that small acts of courage could ripple outwards, creating waves of change. And in this belief, he found solace.