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Chapter 61 - Episode 61: "Ashes and Fire"

Black Squad – Episode 61: "Ashes and Fire"

(Post-Qazi Storyline Begins)

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[Opening Scene – Mumbai, Crime Branch HQ – 5 Days Later]

The Black Squad office is shrouded in silence. Qazi's chair remains untouched. His badge is encased in a glass box on the wall.

A slow montage rolls:

Arjun staring at Qazi's last note.

Imran rewinding footage from the final mission again and again.

Zoya lighting a candle near Qazi's photo.

Cut to:

A black car pulls into the compound. Out steps DGP Murshad — sharp suit, emotionless eyes, years of command in every step.

He enters the room, glances at the silent team.

DGP Murshad (firmly):

"Enough mourning. The city still breathes — and it's counting on you."

Silence.

Murshad (slightly softer):

"But I won't lie. Without Qazi, this unit is fractured. My job is to keep it alive."

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[Scene 2 – The First Briefing Without Qazi]

Murshad holds a new file: CASE 231 — The Copycat.

A body was found — same murder method as the one from Episode 6: The Ransom Chase.

Imran (confused):

"That's… impossible. That killer died in a shootout."

Murshad:

"Or someone is replicating him. Studying your old cases. Testing you."

The team realizes: someone is watching them… learning.

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[Scene 3 – Arjun's Inner Conflict]

Late night. Arjun sits alone in Qazi's office, unsure whether to take the chair.

Flashbacks roll in his head — Qazi guiding him, yelling at him, saving him.

He finally sits, hesitantly.

Arjun (quietly):

"I'm not you, sir… but I'll try."

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[Scene 4 – A Message from the Shadows]

The copycat killer is caught on CCTV — wearing a mask, walking past an old crime scene. He leaves a note:

"Every fire you doused… I will relight."

— The Architect

Murshad stares at it.

Murshad:

"This isn't just murder. It's a war on Qazi's memory. He's daring us to protect it."

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[Scene 5 – The Squad in Action Again]

Chasing leads, interrogations, a raid on a small gang linked to black-market intel trading.

Gunfight in a textile mill — gritty, claustrophobic. Arjun leads it. Imran covers the back.

Zoya almost gets caught — flashback of Qazi saving her once.

Zoya (whispers):

"Not this time…"

She shoots the attacker. The squad escapes with evidence — the Architect's map: all previous case locations marked in red.

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[Ending Scene – Murshad and Arjun]

Night. Rooftop of Crime Branch.

Murshad:

"Do you know why Qazi kept pushing you, Arjun?"

Arjun:

"To prepare me for this day…"

Murshad:

"You're not him. Don't try to be. But lead like he believed you would."

They look out over Mumbai's skyline — quiet, waiting.

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[Final Shot]

Zoom out on the map from the killer's den.

A single line scribbled below all the case marks:

"One hero down. Five more to go."

End of Episode 61

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