A Weak Call

Every day we all receive many calls from customer support units of many companies. In fact, we also make many calls to the customer call center for resolving our queries. But no one expects any such call from anyone which could change everything in our lives.

But it does happen every day.

Hi! I'm Samar, a common man, like you all. I work in a MultiNational Company. I work from 10 am to 7 pm and enjoy my evening with my wife, Shikha and two little kids, Jhanvi and Tushar. I love my family. A simple and happy life.

Then, suddenly one day everything got changed.

I received a call, a regular call from customer care. I disconnected it. It ranged again. I disconnected it. It was constantly ringing and I was disconnecting it. I really got very irritated. Not because of that call actually, but from the situation of my life at that moment.

That day, 26 March 2020. I CAN'T EVER FORGET THAT DAY, IN FACT, THE NIGHT TOO.

I reached my office on time as usual.

I was just settling my things to start my day.)

Peon- Samar Bhai, Boss has called you immediately in his cabin.

Samar- Yeah yeah, Nattu Bhai. I know he must be eager to know about today's meeting presentation and preparations. The prestigious and important client you know.

Peon- Ji Ji.

I lifted my laptop and rushed to his cabin.

Krishiv Khanna, A well-known name in the Cosmetic and Glamour industry.

Samar- May I come in, Sir?

Krishiv- Yes Samar. Please come in.

I was about to start the presentation, when he held my hand and stopped me.

Krishiv- Samar (with a deep breath), Leave it.

Samar- What happened, Sir? Is everything ok?

Krishiv- Samar, You are no more required for this job.

I was in shock. I felt like my words were stuck in my throat. My throat get dry. Still, I managed to ask.

Samar- But Sir. Did I do anything wrong?

Krishiv- See Samar, We are unable to manage so many expenses. Situation is tough and we have to take tough decisions to manage other important expenses. So, I need to reduce the staff. Sorry. Clear your account with Mr. Srivastava before leaving.

I didn't even wait for that. I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the office. Breathless. Tired. Choked throat. I started walking. Thinking, what I've done wrong? Why me? They didn't even think about my family.

Phone rings.

Samar- Hello (Without looking at the phone)

Shikha- Where are you Samar? I've called you so many times.

Samar- Yeah, coming home.

Shikha- Ok! We are waiting for you.

I disconnected the call.

(To myself)- I'll go to the office tomorrow. I need an answer. They can't do this to me. I have given my 10 years to this company.

Phone rings.

I checked. It was flashing SPAM, so I disconnected.

Again it flashed.

I don't know what came to my mind, this time I picked that call.

Samar- Hello!

Girl- Hello Sir, My name is Nisha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics. In our specially made cosmetics, sunshine is being trapped and kept in refrigeration like hostility in a big godown. We have seven products for girls. We never abuse animals like beating. Our cosmetics are not giving food and water to the skin, but complete nourishment. We are not treating clients like animals. Even harmful chemicals used in cosmetics are tested on each of us. Currently, our Group is near danger as per the situation. I hope you'll understand, Sir. Have an Energy filled Life and peace.

I listened. But didn't realize when the call got disconnected.

I reached home. Shikha was saying something but I didn't notice.

I went to my room. Took shower. I went to sleep and closed my eyes. Everything again flashed in front of me. It continued and ended again on that last phone call.

I woke up in fright. And realized, I was at home. It was 8 am in morning.

Shikha- Samar, wake up. Samar, Samar. Are you listening to me? What happened to you? You came so late last night. Didn't even have dinner.

Samar- Nothing much.

Shikha (She came and sat near me)- Something is there. I know. I can feel that. Tell me Samar. You can tell me. Please.

Samar- Nothing dear. I'm getting late for the office.

I woke up and went to the bathroom. As I was getting ready, again my phone rang. It was the same number.

I picked up the call, really don't know why.

Girl- Hello Sir, My name is Nisha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics. In our specially made cosmetics, sunshine is being trapped and kept in refrigeration like hostility in a big godown. We have seven products for girls. We never abuse animals like beating. Our cosmetics are not giving food and water to the skin, but complete nourishment. We are not treating clients like animals. Even harmful chemicals used in cosmetics are tested on each of us. Currently, our Group is near danger as per the situation. I hope you'll understand, Sir. Have an Energy filled Life and peace.

This time, it struck my mind. It will be. Such an uncommon script for the call. There was something which I was missing in it.

I took my bag and left home for the office. I was sure that I'm going to have an excellent discussion, or you can say fight at office, with my boss. They can't do this to me.

Thinking about all this I reached the office. I was about to press the button to call the lift. Suddenly, my phone rang again. Same number flashing on my screen.

Samar- Hello.

Girl- Hello Sir, I'm….. (I interrupted)

Samar- Yes I know your name is Nisha and you are calling from Saba Cosmetics.

Girl- If you know then, do something, Sir. (Call disconnected)

I was standing near the lift door dumb stuck. The door opened and got closed back. I saw Krishiv Khanna in it. But didn't even utter a single word.

I turned and rushed towards home.

Shikha- Hey! You are back so early. What happened.

I didn't tell her anything. I rushed into my room and closed it.

What should I tell her? Will she understand, when I myself am not sure that there is something wrong.

But why did that girl say that if I know then why I'm not doing anything?

I was scared and confused.

I took out my laptop and wrote whatever she said……

Hello Sir, My name is Nisha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics. In our specially made cosmetics, sunshine is being trapped and kept in refrigeration like hostility in a big godown. We have seven products for girls. We never abuse animals like beating. Our cosmetics are not giving food and water to the skin, but complete nourishment. We are not treating clients like animals. Even harmful chemicals used in cosmetics are tested on each of us. Currently, our Group is near danger as per the situation. I hope you'll understand, Sir. Have an Energy filled Life and peace.

The calling is not simple. There is something that is missing. Or maybe I'm not able to understand. But what is that?

I read it many times but was unable to find any clue.

While thinking, I just closed my eyes and was reading the message again and again in my mind.

Hello Sir, My name is Nisha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics. In our specially made cosmetics, sunshine is being trapped and kept in refrigeration like hostility in a big godown. We have seven products for girls. We never abuse animals like beating. Our cosmetics are not giving food and water to the skin, but complete nourishment. We are not treating clients like animals. Even harmful chemicals used in cosmetics are tested on each of us. Currently, our Group is near danger as per the situation. I hope you'll understand, Sir. Have an Energy filled Life and peace.

Oh God. (I spoke to myself)

I got up and wrote the flashing words on a paper.

The result was shocking.

My name is Nisha. Saba Cosmetics. Being trapped and kept hostile in a big godown. We are seven girls. We've been abused and beaten like animals. They are giving us food and water. We've been treated like animals. They test harmful chemicals on us. We are in danger. HELP.

I was still in shock and confused. What should I do? And how?

But I was very much confused but I was sure about one thing, that there is something wrong. Those girls were in danger and they needed my help.

But what should I do?

I tried to call on that number but the call was not going through. Maybe that number was blocked for incoming calls.

I searched about Saba Cosmetics on the internet. Tried to find out any contact number. Luckily I got one. But not so lucky. As they said the customer care department doesn't have any incoming call facility. As it is used only for promotional purposes and to resolve any query. If I have any query then I need to contact their Manager itself.

I was very much sure by this time that this company is a big mess. They are doing something which is unethical and illegal.

Now I was standing at the same place where I had started. Point ZERO. No way out.

Shikha- (Knocking on the door)- Samar, are you ok? Please open the door. You are making me scared. Please open… (I opened the door)

Samar- Hey! (I hugged her), I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. For hiding from you, for screaming at you, everything.

Shikha- What are you saying? What happened to you?

I explained everything to her.

She was shocked when she read the message.

Shikha- What will you do now? See I can feel it's a big trap. Some big and dangerous people are involved in it. Think about your kids and me, Samar. Please don't take any stupid steps. If you want to help then, (She wrote the message on a paper and handed it over to me) just pass this message to the police. They'll handle it.

I hugged her tightly to make her calm.

Samar- Shikha, please calm down. Listen, if you are saying that I should give this information to the police, I'll do that. But what will I say? I don't even know exactly what the truth is. Who called me? From where? What if the police are also involved in it.

Shikha- If that is so then please, forget about it. (She was crying like anything)

Samar- Ok Shikha, I will not discuss it with anyone. Relax, ok.

I consoled her but was sure that I needed to help that girl. And that also without involving anyone in it. Because it's going to be very dangerous and I never wanted to bring any trouble to them.

Now I was waiting for her next call.

Two weeks passed, but there was no call from her.

I thought it all ended so I started searching for a new job. Luckily I got one. Thank god, else it would be very tough for me to manage all expenses.

I dropped kids to school and reached my new office.

I was about to call the lift. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the same number. I picked up the call.

Girl- Hello Sir! My name is Nisha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics.

Samar- Listen I don't know from where are you calling. But I have realized that you seek my help. And for that you need to continue the call. So that I can hear you clearly and please try to give some more hints about the place.

Girl- I'm sorry Sir, we are unable to resolve your query. But I can tell you more about our products if you are interested.

As I said Yes, she started talking about their different products, to keep the call on for some more time than the regular call.

I was trying to listen to the background noises to collect some information. When she was talking I could hear the noise of a train passing from the very near place to her. After some time I heard the bells ringing from a temple and also the voice of Azan at the same time. I was also able to hear the noise of strong hammering, maybe of hammering to mold hot iron.

These noises made me restless. Because keeping a call center at such a place was very strange.

I asked her.

Samar- Are you, seven girls, there? Just answer yes or no.

Girl- No, Sir. Now we have only six products available. One of our products caused damage to a client's eye so that product is destroyed and dumped.

I just recalled that police recovered a girl's body last week from a pond. Her face was burnt. But after the autopsy, they found her family and handed over the body to them.

After finishing my office that day, I reached home and took last week's newspapers to my room. I found that news. I cut and collected whole information from it. I realized that the family never filed an FIR for the missing girl. And in fact, they were shocked to see their daughter's dead body.

According to an autopsy report, the girl was brutally raped and tortured many times before her death. Her face was burnt after her death. Maybe to hide some clues.

I tried to find out any trace of their hideout but failed.

I decided to start the search from a new angle. The next day, early in the morning I reached that girl's house with the help of one of my school friends, who was in the police, luckily posted in the same area. I already explained to him before going to the girl's house.

When we reached there, we saw a lot of people gathered in front of their house. As I approached their house, I asked a man about what had happened.

He said, "What will a poor father of 3 daughters do after knowing that his daughter was raped and murdered? He was a very good man Sir Ji. He never asked for any help from anyone. His daughter did a lot of drama before leaving their house. She was saying that she has got a good job in Mumbai but her father was not allowing her to go alone. So, she created a big scene just to get approval. She humiliated him so much in front of all. It's good that she died. But poor Ramdin lost his faith in humanity."

We went inside the house and tried to talk to her mother. But all in vain.

Somehow I managed to get a copy of her appointment letter of Saba Cosmetics before leaving.

I was worried about the other girls now.

In the evening I was lying on my bed and was trying to recollect all things, but no use.

In the middle of the night, I woke up. I took the city map and marked all temples with thumb pins. I got almost 30 temples. But, only ten with a mosque nearby.

Then I tried to find railway tracks near those temples and found three temples with a mosque nearby and a railway track also passing from there.

So now I had my targets. As a regular passerby, I started strolling in those streets but didn't find a single trace of any godown.

Like this 5 days passed but I failed in getting any clue about those girls.

One day while I was passing from one of those streets, I heard the noise of a hammer. The beating of a hammer by a blacksmith. I realized what I missed.

How can I miss this clue?

As I reached that blacksmith's shop, I looked for a godown nearby and finally, I got that.

I immediately called my friend and asked for help.

Soon police reached the spot. We barged into the godown but found no one there.

We searched for them everywhere but no trace.

At the same time, my phone rang. It was her number again. Without wasting a single minute I picked her call.

Samar- Hello! Nisha? Nisha is that you? We have found that warehouse but unable to find you. Hello, Hello Nisha, Nisha are you there?

My friend took the phone from me and we realized that it was disconnected.

We were very disappointed. As we were returning, my phone rang again. I picked up the call without wasting a single minute.

Girl- Hello Sir! My name is Megha. I'm calling from Saba Cosmetics. We have five products available.

I had realized that they had killed Nisha too. I was unable to save her.

I collected all my courage and said to that girl, "Do you have any door around?"

She replied, "Yes Sir."

Samar- We are very close to you. Run and bang the door altogether with force.

Soon we heard a hard bang on a wall-shaped door. We all immediately rushed towards the sound and opened it.

The inside view made all of us cry.

Four girls, lean, messed, swollen, and beaten bodies, torn clothes, dirt, and shit spread all over.

Police immediately took the girls into their custody and grabbed all men from there.

When we stepped towards that room where they all were staying, I got scared. The dead body of a girl was lying in the corner of the room. It was clearly visible that she was beaten up by them very brutally. 

A girl shouted from back, "She's Nisha. They killed her. She was crying, pleading for mercy but these cruel basterds raped her, and beaten her till she became lifeless." 

That girl broke down in tears while telling this. Shameless and cruel. How can they do so. Oh God! 

The room was very small where on one side there were beds in dormitory form, but all were so dirty. Walls were stained in blood. A tray full of injections and some drugs were lying on a table. A chair with an electric shock treatment machine was lying. An open commode was fixed in one corner and it was also stained with blood and dirt.

The girls were safely kept with an NGO now.

The next day, I and my friend visited the NGO to meet the remaining girls, and we came to know that these girls were brought from different cities by giving them fake offer letters. They were using them for making sex calls to rich people and later were sent as sex workers. They also told us that they've been drugged before sending them to people so that they didn't run from there or shout if they felt the pain. During their stay there, after they were raped almost 40- 50 times, they were even forced to drink their urine and eat their own shit if they feel hungry or thirsty so that they die as their natural death due to infection and they could easily throw them.

Like this, they have murdered seventy girls in the last 7 years. We didn't even know how to come out of it. Then one day Nisha collected some courage and started making calls in between the sex calls to random people with the name of saba cosmetics to seek help. She has been trying for the last 4 years. Lastly, I was the one who responded to her call and she got some ray of hope. But these people came to know about this and they beat her up till she died.

The girl Megha stood up and came to me, "Thank you" She said so and started crying.

We all are busy in our world and never even realize that there are many people who are forced to work as a sex worker and even get killed if they don't do so until someone raises their voice and someone listens to them.