Episode 21: Reza's Last Gambit
The city was waking up to a storm it didn't understand.
Across Dhaka, digital billboards lit up with breaking news. **Leaked footage of Ayaan Ahsan** — seemingly accepting bribes, orchestrating attacks, and speaking of control and manipulation. Voice clips. Blurred security footage. Even forged documents.
**It was all fake. But it didn't matter.**
The headline across social media:
"AHSAN HEIR EXPOSED — THE REAL FACE OF THE REBELLION?"
People were confused. Distrust spread like wildfire.
Inside the safe house, Ayaan stared at the footage in disbelief. "That video… that voice… that's not me."
Imtiaz zoomed in, running analysis. "Voice modulated. Faces deepfaked. Backgrounds AI-generated. This is next-level fabrication."
Shahana looked grim. "It's working. People are scared. They think you're just another wolf in a different suit."
---
Meanwhile — Reza Murad's hidden compound, offshore
Reza stood before a massive display, watching the chaos unfold on social feeds and news channels. His most loyal aide approached.
"It's working. Public sentiment's shifting. They'll turn on him soon."
Reza lit a cigar. "The trick is not to silence the hero — it's to make people *question* whether he was ever one."
He turned to a secure vault at the back of the chamber. Inside: old diplomatic records, weapons manifests, payoffs to politicians — all tied to a single, long-buried project:
**Red Water.**
And if Ayaan ever made it here, Reza had one final card — a self-erasing protocol that would destroy everything… including the truth.
---
Back in Dhaka — The Counterstrike Begins
Farhan Ahsan, who had remained quiet throughout Ayaan's campaign, finally stepped forward.
He appeared on national television beside Ziaul, who stood frail but clear-eyed. They both spoke directly to the people.
Ziaul's voice trembled, but carried weight:
> "I may not live much longer, but I know my grandson. He fights for justice, not for power. If you doubt him, then you doubt me. And I built this city with my bare hands."
The broadcast went viral — people started asking questions. Fact-checkers tore into Reza's media machine. And then—
Shahana dropped her ace:
Raw footage from the Shadow Vulture's interrogation. Proof of Reza's manipulation. Voice transcripts. Plans for Red Water. Locations. And the most damning image of all: Reza shaking hands with known foreign arms traffickers.
The tide shifted.
Ayaan, standing on a rooftop with Elina and Imtiaz, watched the chaos of lies begin to unravel.
Imtiaz turned. "This is our window. You want to end this?"
Ayaan nodded. "Then we take the truth to its heart."
---
Next stop: Red Water.
**To be continued…**