11:00 AM, 5th April, Mumbai, Kavya's Home
The revelation was much more than it could be digested by both, especially Disha who wondered to herself exhaling loudly, "I worked for almost a year in Mhatre Group, despite that I didn't have the slightest hint of how dangerous these people are", while Amna continued with her enchanting box of questions, "I still don't understand... How Anna met Keerthana? When did all of this happen and how? How do you know Anna? How do you know about Amol Despande?"
Lifting her hand slightly and gesturing her to calm down, "I will tell you everything, have patience" and she continued, "Keerthana had prepared a special report against ROYMHA in the first week of January, about some fraud they committed in stocks and prepared special video footage for that. But our boss denied her to telecast that, so out of anger she uploaded that video on her Facebook and Instagram handle."
"It didn't even take an hour for the PR(Public Relations) staff of ROYMHA to delete that video from all websites and ultimately, she was sued by ROYMHA. She even got a good set of warnings and screaming from our channel head. Ultimately the legal charges were dropped only when she apologized and returned all the original sources of the video"
Heaving a breath heavily, she muttered slowly, "This whole thing was known to Amol Despande as he was an employee of ROYMHA. He only told your sister about Keerthana, a senior journalist whose help she could take in gathering more evidence against ROYMHA. Anna had approached Amol initially in order to get evidence against HV 94 scandal in which Anant Mhatre was involved, around twenty-five years ago but he was unsuccessful in finding proof regarding such an old case"
"Anna came to meet Keerthana for the first time on 16th February and narrated the whole story about the incident that occurred twenty-five years ago. But Keerthana suggested and advised something else... The HV 94 scandal was too old and finding any evidence against that was next to impossible so the best would be to find about something that was recent. In that way, she could bring Anant Mhatre in the eyes of law and there would even be a chance that he blurts something about HV 94"
"Stock-related fraud, funds manipulation, were small range crimes for Mhatre Group... But if ROYMHA's connection with Simon Jacob was established with concrete shreds of evidence, then no one in the country could save Anant Mhatre, and thus began my and Keerthana's search. We both were already working on that story and had faint suspicion about ROYMHA's involvement"
She fisted her palm and uttered in a soft tone, "Anna knew that she was putting herself into huge trouble, especially when she was the daughter-in-law of the Mhatre family. She trusted no one from that family except her husband, but couldn't say him a single thing about this, as she was too guilt-ridden."
"She had married him against his family's say and that had already drifted the father and son... This truth and the twenty-five-year-old truth could have shattered their relationship totally. She knew that one day, she will have to tell him the truth but until then, she just wanted him to be happy and guilt-free, as he was the son of the same person who was responsible for her miseries"
"Anna's part of the story was known to both of us, but not to Amol Despande. He didn't know the whole story or the real reason why Anna was doing all this or the fact that I too was helping Anna, he knew only about Keerthana's involvement.
"He was helping her to repay her back for the monetary help she gave him in his daughter's treatment. The main reason that Anna told us the entire truth was because Keerthana and I were not at all going to believe or understand that why the daughter-in-law of the Mhatre Family wanted to see the downfall of her own kith and kin."
"We had sternly refused to help her until she told us the entire truth. Amol must be having similar questions but he never compelled her to tell anything. We both knew that she had an estranged sister but she never disclosed anything about your identity to neither of us. It was her wish that at no cost you should be dragged into this mess"
Looking in the direction of Amna, she tightened her hold onto her palm uttered in a compassionate note, "I don't want you to get involved in all this but you have all the rights to know the cause behind her death", taking a small pause she started again, "The crusade against ROYMHA was thus started and four people were behind it, Anna, Amol, Keerthana and I. We both had never met Amol or even talked to him, only Anna used to meet him personally on specified dates, and the location of their meetings kept on changing frequently. That dreadful day, 6th of March, perhaps she went to meet him, after receiving a phone call."
"Neither I nor Keerthana ever contacted Anna through phone calls, she contacted us through a special app that deleted the messages sent between two people as soon as they see it. It was my idea only... Because we didn't want anyone to even have the slightest doubt about what we were planning to do.
"Amol's responsibility was to report any single uncanny event that he saw or heard in ROYMHA while Keerthana and my responsibility was to collect as to how this entire modulation of DGS was taking place in ROYMHA. Anna provided any sought of monetary help we needed, and finally, she was the one who was going to make the evidence public"
Disha interrupted her speech and blurted, "I really don't understand how ROYMHA was able to hide all this, there were raids in its every office or factory in Bangalore including regular checks by food safety authority or Drug regulatory authorities, how was it managing to do all of this without a single mistake?"
Kavya corrected her, "Checks and raids in certified factories", while she spoke they both looked at her with confusion and she began her explanation again, "It's very intricate coordination between Bangalore and Mumbai. I have already told you that those three drugs although banned in India, are not banned in some other countries... ROYMHA had purchased export rights to prepare these drugs separately in its certified laboratories."
"But those drugs are never exported in reality, it's just for mere paperwork. After these three drugs are prepared separately, they are transported to the twelve illegal factories owned and funded by Simon Jacob and ROYMHA as a partnership. These factories are the places where the unique ratio of mixing and packaging happens."
"To the outside world, these factories are either glass, wood, or paint factories but something else happens inside. Illegal migrants, teenagers, even some certified researchers, and pharmaceutical engineers work under them, some willfully out of greed and some to just provide a single meal for their family."
"These factories fakely label DGS containing containers into herbal tonic, or supplement, or health serums. Finally, these containers are loaded in trucks owned by ROYMHA and are transported from Bangalore to Mumbai via NH 48. As soon as they reach Mumbai, they are again transferred into huge cargo ships and finally to different drug dealers around the world. Some trucks directly transport the drugs to indigenous or local dealers in India. DGS has already begun spreading like poison in our young generation. It needs to be stopped before it wipes out everything"
"You can't even imagine how dangerous DGS is, teenagers get addicted to it, use it in rave parties, and the most heinous one... In a slightly higher dose, it can be used as a date rape drug, a few drops in someone's drink, and then that girl will not have even the slightest idea of what happened with her"
"From 17th February onwards Keerthana and I started collecting all sorts of information we could, but then..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.
The statements of Kavya were utterly unexpected and Disha rubbed her cheeks out of disbelief and shuttered as she spoke, "What exactly happened with Keerthana?"
Widening her eyes and inhaling deeply, "Keerthana had a lot of good connections in Bangalore... I mean, her informers, the tips they provided were ninety-nine percent of times true. Most of the time we used to travel together in order to collect the proof, photos, etc but that destructive day on the 26th of February, I got ill and she had to embark on a peerless mission and in no way she could avoid it"
Clenching her teeth a little and closing her eyes for a split second she spoke again, "A private party was being hosted in the outskirts of Bangalore and some very important people of ROYMHA were hosting it in one of their farmhouses. The main guests of the party were some foreigners, who had arrived in India via a private ship to Mangalore and then to Bangalore. Keerthana had a strange gut feeling that something very crucial was going to happen at that party and despite the fact that she was alone this time, she decided to go"
"She was fully prepared with a spy cam embedded in a pen, a digital android watch that could record voices, and both connected via Bluetooth to her phone that would store all the data. The phone had a unique password and if anyone would enter the wrong password thrice, all the data would be deleted"
A lone tear had started trickling down Kavya's cheek and she cleared her throat before she spoke again, "She messaged me via that special app, that she had reached the relevant place and that message was the last piece of communication between us. It had almost past midnight and when I didn't get any call or message from her, I was very worried. In spite of having a high fever, I still tried to contact the police about her disappearance but they didn't do anything stating that it was not forty-eight hours yet, since she had disappeared."
"The whole night I spent trying to do whatever I could but then on 27th early morning some sewage cleaners spotted a dead body lying in dumping yard in the outskirts of Bangalore. It didn't take a long time for the cops to comprehend that it was Keerthana's body. The incident was so terrible and unfortunate... And it all happened because of me. I shouldn't have let her go alone." Kavya had started weeping loudly as thick tears dropped from her pale face to her neck.
Disha held her palm tightly and consoled her, "It's not your fault, the person who killed her so mercilessly is at fault."
"The death of such a reputed senior journalist was a huge shock to the entire journalist fraternity and the case got a lot of attention just within few hours in almost every news channel of the country. Anna too got the information and messaged me that she was coming to Bangalore in a few hours and we decided to meet each other at Cubbon Park"
"She was also equally guilt-ridden as me to have put Keerthana in such a huge danger and she decided not to involve me further. She advised me to resign from the job and get another job in Mumbai. She promised me that she would help me in doing that."
Kavya rolled her eyes around her house, "This place was also searched by her and she advised me to stay away from the mess at least for the time being. Helping Keerthana's family was her first priority and the idea of the foundation was her idea originally although her mother thinks that it was my idea. I handed all the proofs and evidence that we both had collected during the whole time in a digital format and she stored it in her own Pendrive. The pen drive was also password protected with the same programming... If you enter the wrong password thrice, all the data is gone."
"She met Keerthana's mother just the day after she met me in the morning on 28th of February to ask or inquire about the case or any small detail she knew and even promised her that she would try her best to catch the culprit. My safety was equally important for your sister Anna and in no way she wanted anyone to know that we both knew each other from before."
"I was still unsure about my resignation while Anna had already kept everything ready for me in Mumbai... A rented flat... A job... Everything that was possible within her reach. Then on 6th March, something devastating happened. I got the news about her suicide on the 7th morning and I knew that she was intentionally murdered... She had absolutely no reason for committing suicide. The next day on 8th March at noon I came to know about Amol Despande's death from the newspaper's obituary column."
Heaving a deep breath of dissatisfaction she spoke feebly, " Keerthana, Anna, and Amol were already dead, and next was my turn. I immediately handed my resignation letter on the 8th of March and finally came here to Mumbai. I met Keerthana's mother one last time before going. My parents were already dead and I had no other place better than this to keep myself safe. Only her mother knew this address. I was horrified to the point that I hung a fake nameplate outside my door and tried all sought of things to keep a low profile"
Looking at them with sorry eyes she said pleadingly, "I shouldn't have behaved like that with you both, but I am living in fear... I still can't sleep at nights and the guilt that I can't do anything for my friend despite having all the proof against ROYMHA is killing me every second"
She turned her eyes towards Disha and asked, "She is Anna's sister... Who are you? And why are you helping her? How did Amna find that she is the estranged sister of Anna? Who else is with you people?"
"If Anna had told the entire story, of what happened 25 years back, then she must have mentioned Dr. Ratan Agarwal, right?", Kavya nodded in affirmation while Disha spoke again, "I am his only daughter, I am a victim of Anant Mhatre's greed just like all these people. I, Amna and Shreekant Mhatre, husband of Anna are in this together..." and she continued narrating Kavya all the incidents that brought them together.
Amna fisted her palm tightly around Kavya's hand and gritted her teeth, "You don't have to be scared anymore... No more innocent lives will go and the culprit will be behind the bars very soon. If destiny has brought us this close to all the truth, then it's my firm belief that our misery is going to end very soon." Glaring into her eyes she asked, "You still have all the proof against ROYMHA with you, right?"
She nodded her head slowly while Disha blurted in a loud voice, "Give us a copy of that proof and keep the original one with you carefully, you are an ace of the hook for us and in no way we will let any sought of danger befall on you, I promise you. Make sure that you are all the time connected to me or Amna and at any cost, you shouldn't open the door for anyone apart from me, Amna, or Shreekant. We will always inform you if we are coming here... We both will make a proper plan to help you very soon and at the same time put the culprit in the right place." She slammed her palms against the soft cushion of the sofa.
Kavya agreed and said in a gentle yet broken voice, "I really don't have any other option... I will give you all the data, does anyone of you have a Pendrive?" Disha fished out a Pendrive from her bag and Kavya transferred all the evidence from her laptop into that.
As she handed the Pendrive to them, she muttered slowly looking at it, "This has already been the reason for so many deaths... I am giving this as the last hope of setting things right. I will help you in whichever way I can, but I need a promise from you both... Don't leave this fight till the last minute of your life. I was a scaredy-cat but hearing how diligently you people are trying, my confidence is back. Taking this to the end is the least we can do for the people whom we have lost forever from our lives"
Although Kavya's words were not followed by any sound, the eyes of the three made a silent promise to one another. Moments later they left Kavya's place, Amna went back to the Outhouse while Disha went back to her work.
6:00 PM, 5th April, Outhouse
Shreekant, Amna, and Disha gathered themselves in the closed doors of the Outhouse and went through the details of the Pendrive. Amna initiated the conversation and briefed him, "The six dates on which Anna went to Bangalore... 17th Jan, she went to the orphanage mentioned in her adoption papers. After knowing the entire truth from Sarita aunty on 8th Feb, she again decided to go on 12th Feb... Where she met Amol Despande."
Disha continued the next, "16th of Feb, Amol informed her about his inability to get any proof against Study 94 but told her to meet Keerthana who could be a help to her and she met both Keerthana and Kavya, narrating them her truth. 23rd of Feb, she met Amol, Keerthana, and Kavya again and stored the evidence in her Pendrive."
"Then on 27th, she went to Bangalore after hearing about Keerthana's death on the news channel, 28th morning she came back with remaining evidence, and finally, on 6th of March, Amol called her again, perhaps to share something important but ultimately..." As Amna and Disha told him the entire story that Kavya had narrated to them he was tongue-tied for a few minutes while his mind went completely blank.
He rubbed his face, massaging his forehead stressfully, and finally uttered in a gruff voice, "This situation has gone out of our hands... There is no possible way left for us other than to involve government authorities now. I can't believe ROYMHA has been doing all this"
Looking at his tensed face Amna uttered in a sturdy voice, "Common laws cannot deter even the slightest hair of the person or company who has business relations with an international drug dealer. Lots of rules, formalities, and a dump of utter sense and in the end the case..."
"Exactly we need the help of a very powerful yet honest person to help us... Sir, the case is beyond our control right now. We need the help of a high-ranking official. Neither of us can handle the situation or its repercussions now. It's a high profile matter" Disha said confidently as she leaned herself against the table.
With serious lines forming around his forehead he muttered meekly, "I don't know whom I should trust regarding this... ", while Disha pondered about something and a pleasant smile played on her lips, "Sir, I think I know whom we can trust..."
"Whom are you talking about?", Amna asked squeezing her forearm slightly while Shreekant looked at her with a confusing stare.
She glanced her eyes up and uttered in a heavy voice, "Manoj Deshmukh... He is currently the Joint Director of Violent Crimes Unit and the one who is heading the Ambodi case too. He was the ex-Additional Director General of Maharashtra Police. His brother is currently the Director of CBI headquarters in Delhi while his daughter is the Deputy Superindent of Mumbai Police. His son is a three-star officer at Central Narcotics Control Bureau. Very powerful police family... And the track record of every person I mentioned is totally clean. I had tipped Officer Manoj Deshmukh earlier, after doing detailed research on him. If we can't trust him, we can't trust anyone..."
Shreekant was still not convinced, "Are you sure? I really can't think..."
Amna glared at him and spoke, "The evidence we have needs to go in the right hands otherwise the sacrifice of many will go in vain... At this point, I think we should entrust him because none of us has any option or any other suggestion apart from this"
He nodded and turned his head towards Disha, "Okay then... Let's arrange a meeting with him tomorrow morning itself but we have to make sure that it happens in utmost secrecy"
A/N :