The episode picks up from the scene where Farooq Ali, a UAE agent, informs Himmat that he has intel about an upcoming attack in India which will be headed by Ikhlaq Khan. Himmat says that there is not enough proof for his information but he will still consider it. Later, we see Farooq hang out with a mysterious woman.

Flashback 

New Delhi, 2004
We see how Himmat met Farooq. Himmat is driving a car and stops it too close to the zebra crossing. Farooq, a college student, sees this and stands in front of his car and refuses to leave until Himmat reverses his car. Himmat initially refuses but then reverses his car a bit. Farooq still doesn’t back down and forces Himmat to reverse his car all the way. Himmat, impressed with his commitment, gets his officials to do a background search on Farooq.

Flashback ends and we see Himmat enter his office in RAW HQ, Delhi. We see him call his agents from all over the Middle East and surreptitiously inform them about the news of finding Ikhlaq Khan.

Himmat returns to the Red Fort office for the second day of his audit inquiry. Banerjee informs him that they researched his case and found that there was a spike in expenses after December, 2008. Chaddha asks him about Farooq Ali. Himmat tells them that Ali is an active agent working in the UAE for 11 years and that he had a lot of intel on Lashkar and Jaish activities.

Flashback

New Delhi, 24 November 2008

Himmat is at a police station and is interrogating a man who might have information on upcoming attacks in India. Himmat learns that some terrorists are planning to attack Mumbai and will enter India through a waterway in 2-3 weeks. Himmat immediately calls his senior and notifies him but the senior is in a club with blazing music and doesn't hear his warnings.

We later learn that the attacks being referred to are the 26/11 attacks that took place in Mumbai. We now see Himmat interrogate Kasab, one of the terrorists captured alive in the attacks, on behalf of RAW. Himmat is very calm, doesn’t even raise his voice and inquires if Kasab is being tortured by the police. Himmat asks him about his training procedures and their steroid and drug habits. When he asks him if they had encountered a special teacher named Ikhlaq Khan for their training, Kasab tells him that they weren’t given names and their main commander always wore face covering except for one particular commander named Waseem.

The flashback ends and Himmat informs the audit committee about Waseem. Waseem Karachiwala is one the prime arms suppliers in the Valley and is known for being involved in many terrorist attacks in India. Operation Ismaliye was undertaken to abduct and interrogate Waseem. Himmat starts a false rumour in the Valley that a crude oil business man from Riyadh wants to give Kasab Rs 5 Lakh as a reward for the attacks. Soon Waseem makes contact with the undercover informer and ends up talking to Himmat on the phone. Himmat gets the money transferred but in the process also gets his own people to tag Waseem. Waseem is followed for months and RAW learns about all his activities. When RAW gets an opportunity to capture Waseem, Himmat sends Farooq for the job.

Now Himmat explains to the committee how he proposed the job offer to then college student, Farooq Ali. 

Gurgaon, March 2009

We see Farooq standing on the edge of a building, contemplating suicide. Himmat enters from the shadows on the terrace and informs Farooq that he was failing him for 5 years in his Indian Army exam so that he could ultimately work under his department at RAW. Farooq now jumps down the ledge and tells him that he knew Delhi Police was tailing him. He came to the terrace and was deliberately stepping off the edge to lure the main leader of the operation out, which was of course Himmat Singh. Himmat is now even more impressed with him.

6 months later, we learn that Farooq has finished his training and is now at the Dubai Airport to abduct Waseem. He goes to the washroom where Waseem is and attacks him with a syringe. A brief scuffle takes place but in the end Farooq injects Waseem and smuggles him out of the airport.

Flashback ends and the second day of the audit inquiry is over.

That was an amazing episode. Usually the second episode doesn’t match the vigour of the first one but Special OPS keeps getting better. All interrogation scenes we have seen till now have been expertly written and acted. There is no violence or abuse. Also, there couldn’t have been better casting for Himmat Singh’s role. 

There are comic scenes but they don’t feel forced and are very subtle. Even the scenes with Himmat’s family feel so natural. 

Though I am not a fan of too many flashbacks, I definitely love the backstories of this show and they do not decrease the pace of the narrative.

Even the supporting cast gets intelligent dialogues and are not made into fools only so the protagonist can shine amongst them. The audit inquiry committee is enjoyable and the Kasab interrogation scene is flawless.

Rating 5/5