Then Shams turned to Professor Anisur and asked quietly, "Sir… do you know Miraz?"
Professor Anisur nodded. "Yes, I know him. He's Kazim's brother's grandson."
Shams smiled faintly. "Yes, yes, whatever… that's him."
He muttered to himself, So I was right… the breaking news this morning about someone mysteriously disappearing—It was about Miraz's grandfather.
The professor raised an eyebrow. "But how do you know him, Shams?"
"Oh… sir, he's my friend. But I couldn't find him anywhere. And I don't even know where his grandfather's room is in this hospital."
Professor Anisur stood up. "Ah, come on then. I'll take you."
As they walked through the corridor, Professor Anisur became so involved in the moment that he completely forgot about what Shams had said earlier about representing Bangladesh in the Battle for Growth.
Soon, they reached a quiet hospital room.
Inside, Miraz was sitting on the bed, motionless. His face was pale, and his eyes were empty, staring at the floor. A detective stood beside him, asking questions—but Miraz didn't seem to be responding.
Professor Anisur stepped in. "Mr. Detective, please. Give us some privacy. Miraz is not in a condition to answer questions right now."
The detective hesitated, but then gave a respectful nod and stepped out.
Shams walked over and sat beside Miraz. As soon as he got close, Miraz blinked, as if waking from a trance. He began speaking rapidly—his voice trembling and tone broken.
But he spoke so fast, so chaotically, that Shams could barely understand a word.
Meanwhile, Johir and Shahin stood near the doorway, watching the scene unfold with blank expressions.
Who even is this guy? Shahin whispered to Johir.
Shams didn't respond to the rambling. Instead, he hugged Miraz gently.
"It's okay," he said. "You're safe now."
That simple gesture seemed to calm Miraz a little. His breathing steadied, and his eyes began to focus.
Shams spoke again, this time more seriously, "I think… this disappearance… your grandfather vanishing—it's somehow related to the Battle for Growth. But if we want to uncover the truth… we'll have to dig deeper."
Miraz didn't fully understand what Shams meant. But something about Shams' voice, his eyes, his presence—made him trust him.
So he nodded. "Okay."
Professor Anisur, understanding that the boys needed privacy, quietly stepped out of the room without another word.
Now alone, Shams gestured to Johir and Shahin. "Meet Miraz. And Miraz, meet them. They're my people."
Shahin leaned closer to Shams and whispered, "Shams… isn't this the guy that aunty said was a Rajakar's grandson?"
Shams nodded. "Yeah. But you don't know the full story."
He explained everything—the truth behind the 'Rajakar' title, the lies, the betrayal, the pain Miraz had to carry for something he never did. Shahin listened, eyes narrowed, slowly beginning to understand.
Then Shams turned back to Miraz. "Do you remember… what we promised that day?"
Miraz looked up. A small smile formed on his lips.
"Yes," he said.
And together, in perfect unison, the two said the words that had once bound their dream:
"We will change the fate of our nation."
Then Shams looked at Miraz and said seriously, "But Miraz… we have a problem."
Miraz's brows furrowed. "What problem?"
He had been so caught up in his grandfather's disappearance that he didn't know what had happened outside the hospital walls.
Shams sighed. "The Bangladesh government… they rejected the offer to participate in the Battle for Growth."
Miraz's eyes widened. "What? When? Why would they do that?!"
Shams explained the entire tragedy—how the mysterious chip formula had appeared, how chaos erupted across the nation, and how, in fear and confusion, the government decided to back out.
Miraz clenched his fists. "Then what are we supposed to do now?"
Shams gave a small but confident smile. "Don't worry. I have my own way."
Just then, Johir, who had been listening quietly until now, suddenly leaned forward with wide eyes. "Wait, wait! So you weren't joking? You're really going to represent Bangladesh in the Battle for Growth?"
Shams nodded. "Absolutely."
He looked around at the three of them. "And I want all of you with me. Will you join my team?"
Johir and Shahin didn't even hesitate. They grinned and said in unison, "Of course!"
Shams turned to Miraz. "What about you?"
Miraz didn't say anything at first. He just stared into Shams' determined eyes—then nodded slowly. "I'm in."
"Good," Shams said, standing up. "Then let's go. We don't have much time. We need to prepare."
They left the hospital and returned to the apartment Shams and his friends shared. The room was small but filled with maps, notes, and a whiteboard covered in strategies.
"We don't even know what kind of game we'll be playing," Shams said. "It could be anything—cricket, football… or something else entirely."
He pointed to the board. "If it's cricket, that's great. We're one of the best cricketing nations. We'll have a shot at climbing to the top. But…"
He paused, eyes narrowing. "If it's football, we're doomed. We don't have the infrastructure. We don't have time to build a full team."
Everyone fell silent.
"In that case," Shams said, half-joking but half-serious, "we can just pray to Allah."
A short laugh echoed, but it faded quickly as reality sank back in.
"But we won't just pray," Shams continued. "We prepare. First thing's first—we need skills. Not just strength. Skills that can help us survive… in case we end up in something brutal. Like a deadly MMA fight."
He looked at each of them.
"I've learned some boxing from Shahin. But Miraz, Johir—you guys don't have formal training."
He turned to Miraz. "You've got a solid physique. Honestly, you're compatible with almost any combat style. I think… Muay Thai would be perfect for you."
Then he looked at Johir. "You fight like a wild animal. Fierce and fearless. It's not always clean—but it's effective. I think Kyokushin Karate suits you best. It's raw, powerful, and perfect for someone like you."
Johir grinned. "Kyokushin? Sounds cool already."
Miraz, still a bit overwhelmed, nodded silently. But deep inside, something had awakened—a fire he hadn't felt in years.
Shams looked at all of them, eyes blazing. "This is just the beginning. We're not just building a team—we're building something that can change the future of our nation."