The Day The State Split Asunder - 48

Dhyaneshwar was seated comfortably in his spacious air-conditioned cabin, located on the sixth floor, inside of the Godavac Pharma formulation plant located on the outskirts of Hyderabad city. Two years short of sixty-five, he doesn't look his age. His eyes were red not because he drank a lot but he rarely slept. Hard work was essential even if you have crores of rupees in your bank account. 

As a venture capitalist he has been running extremely profitable ventures and amassed a lot of money in his life which is sufficient for his next ten generations. His dressing style was that of a classic-modern businessman type with a blazer, tie and a lapel pin. He has no special liking for any particular colors and wears one color of suit each day. Today being Thursday he wore a sky blue colored suit. The people who are closely acquainted with him can simply recollect the day by just looking at his suit. 

It's been three days since he arrived in India and he is still facing the issues in adjusting with the Indian timings. To come out of the drowsiness, he rose up and walked towards the window from where he can take in the complete view of the ten acres plant. The area is under surveillance with more than one hundred cameras. With the gentle push of a switch he can have a look at the respective sites within the plant.

From the distance he was able to see a column of grey smoke coming out from the chimney. The pharmaceutical industry is unique because of how often employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals. He never cared about the health of his employees while his room is equipped with two air purifiers imported from Japan. 

Money was his entire world. All throughout his life he never spent a single rupee for the welfare of others and doesn't hesitate to kill anyone who has become a hurdle in his way.

Tring! Tring! The telephone on his desk rang.

'Good morning, this is Dhyaneshwar online,' Dhyaneshwar casually spoke on the telephone.

'Dad where are you?' It was Rajath on the other side and he was panting while speaking.

'I am here inside of the plant but what happened? You seem to be worried. Is everything okay?' Dhayneshwar asked, sensing the trepidation in his tone.

'Dad please come to my office immediately. Fast! Please! Don't ask me anything now,' Rajath said and disconnected the call.

'What happened to him?' Dhyaneshwar thought. He then called his driver Mallesh and summoned him to bring his Benz car and started to the corporate office in Begumpet. It took ninety minutes to reach the office. He got down the car and straightaway made himself into Rajath's cabin. Rajath was seated with his hands buried in his hands.    

'Rajath!' Dhyaneshwar said as he entered Rajath's cabin. 'Why did you ask me to meet all of a sudden?'

Rajath got up from his seat and parked himself three feet away from his father. Beads of perspiration started getting surfaced on his face and his heart began racing faster. With the arrest of Dr.MadhuSudhan his life had come to a greater risk and he was left with no other option except to confess everything to his father who is a very good troubleshooter. 

'Dad,'  he said, taking his eyes away from him. He was struggling to make the sentences. 'I am sorry, I made a mistake.'

'What kind of mistake? Rajath tell me what did you do? From the past few days you weren't feeling good at all. I thought maybe you are not feeling well,' Dhyaneshwar demanded, taking a step forward and narrowing his eyes at Rajath.

'Dad, you are aware that three months ago we made a memorandum of understanding with Clarus Adepto Life Sciences company.'

'Yes I am aware of it and it was indeed a good job. It's worth a five thousand crores contract. But what is the matter and why are you sweating? You really did an amazing job.'

'Dad, actually they have formulated a new drug to cure terminal depression but they need to perform clinical trials before going for the approval. They said if we can help them in performing clinical trials, they will make it easy for us to step into the European Market and promised us a fifty percent stake in profits.'

'So, what did you do?'

'With the help of Erragadda Mental Hospital superintendent we performed clinical trials on five terminally insane patients. Luckily they didn't develop any side effects.'

'What?! You bloody fool! Why did you do that without informing me?' Dhyaneshwar yelled. In the spur of moment, he picked up the blue crystal paperweight on the desk and thrashed it on the floor. He threw with such an intensity that the crystal split into two and bounced till the level of his knees. 'I told you many times not to do anything without consulting me. You have put me in very big trouble.' 

'Dad, first listen to the complete story and then do whatever you want to do.'

'What story? Rajath please tell me what have you done?' Dhyaneshwar said.

A month ago, one fine evening in the month of rainy November, Rajath received a call from the reception desk. 

'Hello,' Rajath said.

'Sir, there's someone here to see you. He says it's very urgent and that he will not leave until he speaks with you.'

'What's that urgent matter?'

'He is saying that he will speak only with you. And he is also saying that there's much risk involved in turning him away than letting him in.'

For an instant Rajath thought about handing him over to the security but realizing that this person has something urgent to discuss, he decided to allow him.

'Okay send him in,' he said to the receptionist.

Who is he and what can be that urgent matter? Rajath asked himself.

The door to his cabin opened slowly. At last it swung fully open revealing a smiling young man dressed in a neat formal clothing. He was tall, lean and muscular and his eyes, his piercing brown eyes that sliced clear through was fuming with rage and happiness, resembling that of a lion that has cornered it's prey. 

'Are you the one?' Rajath asked in a commanding tone after a long moment of uncomfortable silence.

The man continued to look at him. He gazed at his desk strewn with lots of papers and the two clocks opposite to him one showing the Indian time and another the American time.

'Are you deaf? I am asking you only. Who are you?' Rajath once again asked, this time with a slightly raised voice. A strange sensation tickled the pit of his stomach.

'Is this how you treat all of your guests Mr.Rajath?' he said, his full lips curving into a mighty grin. 'Didn't your father teach you how to behave with the guests?'

'Who the hell are you first of all and what is that urgent matter that you came here to discuss with me? Please don't waste my time. I have millions of things to do.'

'Well, my name is Suresh Bhadri and I am a journalist.'

'Oh! I am sorry. Please take your seat,' Rajath's tone turned polite. 'I am so sorry Mr.Suresh. I thought maybe you are one from those charity houses who came here to ask for money. Are you going to take my interview? Good, but if you want we can have that interview at home instead of here. You should have requested me before. I would have given the entire day.'

Suresh sat on the chair opposite to him. 'See Mr.Rajath, I didn't come here to take your interview.'  

'Then what did you come here for?'

'See Mr.Rajath, I know how precious the time is for millionaire's like you. Without wasting much time I will come straight to the topic. On October 10th, I saw you giving a briefcase containing five crore rupees to the superintendent of Erragadda Mental Institute Dr.MadhuSudhan.' 

'What is wrong in that? Dr.MadhuSudhan is my friend,' Rajath tried replying in a casual tone.

'What about DepressoVac-65? The drug which was developed by Clarus Adepto Life Sciences.'

Rajath felt the tremors under his feet but he immediately assumed a cool posture as if he had committed nothing wrong.  'What is this DepressoVac-65?'

'You should have tried acting. I am sure you will win the Oscar.

'What rubbish are you talking about?'

'I got to know everything about you Mr.Rajath. You had a secret contract with Clarus Adepto Life Sciences company to perform the clinical trials and Dr.MadhuSudhan helped you in conducting those trials and in return you paid him five crores. I have all the evidence.'

'You are lying! I haven't committed anything wrong.'

'Well,' Suresh took out his mobile, opened the gallery and leaned a bit forward holding the mobile between his fingers, as if he were a photograph with the focus on the mobile and his own figure blurred in it's background. He showed him an image in which a group of men dressed in clinical uniforms were administering injections to patients. 'I have been following all your movements and activities. This is just one of many I have in my possession.'

Rajath fell silent for a moment. 'Tell me what do you want? I think you are expecting something from me?'

'Now you came on the right track. If you want me to keep my mouth shut, just pay me ten crores. Ten crores is not a big amount for you.'

'What?! Ten crores?' Rajath was nonplussed for a moment and was struggling to get the words out.

'If you are not comfortable with ten, then make it fifteen crores. It is also a multiple of five.'

'You are committing a big mistake in messing up with me. You will definitely pay a heavy price for this.'

'Cool down! Realxe! There's no use in shouting upon me. Your horoscope is in my hand and right now, I am the master of your fate and the captain of your ship. You can't do anything except surrendering to me. And I am not a cruel person. I don't want fifteen crores, let's get back to our previous deal of ten crores. Tell me when are you going to give? One more point, I am not going to accept any cheque. I want it to be paid in cash.'

'If I don't?'

'I will broadcast all the evidence on the television. You will be seized, penalized and arrested. Your company will be closed and all your money licked. Tell me which is better? Losing ten crores or everything?'

'Are you blackmailing me? Do you know who is my father and who is behind me? The minister of state for Industries Uday Kumar is my uncle. I will call his secretary now,' Rajath took the telephone receiver.

'Don't be funny Mr.Rajath. You have illegally conducted the clinical trials and you can't complain against me. You have to stay quiet like a criminal stung by a scorpion,' Suresh gave a gleeful chuckle, 'and you are forgetting that no one can dare to lock horns with a journalist.' 

'You are a lone person. I am one of the biggest industrialists in this state.'

'But I have your head in mine. I am giving you time till tomorrow. Pay me the ten crores and I will never show my face to you again and I will even destroy the evidence. If not, your entire life story will be on air the day after tomorrow. You will have to spend your entire lifetime in jail. Think carefully Mr.Rajath. I am leaving for now,' Suresh rose from his seat, 'remember Rajath only one day. I will tell you later how and where you should bring it over the phone. See you soon...' after having said that Suresh stormed out of the room humming a tune.

The sudden change of course filled him with strange disquietude. That entire night he has been sleepless. He wasn't sure still how many proofs are present with Suresh. He was finding it difficult to decide whether to pay him the sum of ten crores or instead run away somewhere and hide? At one moment he thought of informing it to his father but later dropped it again.

'If I inform Dad, he will definitely get angry. But if I pay Suresh ten crores, who knows whether he will remain true to his words. He can still blackmail me and keep demanding the amount. I should do something to keep his mouth shut. But what can I do?'

The evening had finally come and his mind was still at the crossroads.

Tring! The telephone on his desk rang.

'Hello Mr.Rajath. What did you decide? Ten crores or jail?'

'See ten crores is not a small amount.'

'Crores of rupees are sitting in your bank accounts. As a venture capitalist your father has provided capital funding for more than fifty start up companies in Hyderabad and you are saying that you don't have the money. Don't try to fool me. The amount that I am asking doesn't even constitute one percent of your entire wealth. See, I am giving you time till midnight. If you fail to give me the amount, then get ready to sit in jail. Good bye!'

'Now it's time to keep his mouth shut forever!' Rajath thought. He dialled the reception desk on his intercom and asked them to send the visitors register log. At his company all the visitors are supposed to show a photo identity proof with address and the same needs to be entered into the register along with the purpose of visit, entry time and exit time. He took note of Suresh's address and started drafting a plan in his mind.

Rajath soaked a cloth with chloroform solution and placed a knife in his pocket. At 10:30 PM in the night, he got down to the parking lot and got into his car. He parked his vehicle just three hundred metres away from the apartment where Suresh lived. He walked into the apartment and the security guard was asleep on his chair which has become a blessing.

Climbing three floors, he knocked on Suresh's door. Suresh opened the door and no sooner did he open the door than Rajath pushed him inside circling his arm around his neck and placed the kerchief on Suresh's face and then slit his throat with a knife. He then walked into Suresh's room, took away the laptop, mobile phone along with a few photographs and an old 2010 diary which was completely written. 

After listening to the horrific narration of Rajath, Dhyaneshwar gave a tight slap on his face. 

'Why didn't you tell me all these things before? It took me twenty five years to create this empire and you have completely ruined it.'

'Dad, please do something. Yesterday Dr.MadhuSudhan was arrested and he is right now in the custody of ACB. If MadhuSudhan reveals the secret, I will be arrested.'

'I can't do anything as of now. Everything is out of my hands.'

'Dad, please don't say that. Call our minister Uday uncle.'

'There's no use of him. He is no longer a minister now. With the central government's decision to give away Telangana he resigned from the party and joined the opposition. But still I will give it a try.'

'Dad, also I have to tell you one more thing.'

'What is that another one?'

'On December 31st, I got an anonymous letter in the pub. In which it's written "Mr.Rajat your good times have ended".'

'Rajath these many things have happened and why didn't you care to tell me all these things? Who gave you that letter? Did you try to find out?'

'A barman gave it to me. He said someone has informed him to give that letter to me. But I couldn't find who he was.'

'There's only one thing possible now. For now, we should not let the doctor speak anything against you. I will do something. Right now he is in the custody of ACB. If he has confessed anything by now the police would have come to us. Since it didn't happen we can do one thing. If we can get him out of the jail and send him to a safe place, we can at least delay the arrival of the crisis. Let me call Uday.'

Dhyaneshwar took out his mobile and dialled his friend Uday who recently resigned from the state ministry and from the political party which is currently holding the power.

'Hi Uday, this is me Dhyaneshwar. How are you?'

'I am fine Dhyaneshwar. How are you doing? And when did you arrive in India?'

'Three days ago.'

'See, this time I am contesting as the member of parliament. I need more funding from you this time.'

'I am ready to give you as much money as you want.'

'That's really so nice of you and are you planning to shift the company from Hyderabad to any region in Andhra?'

'As of now I don't have any idea but why are you asking that?'

'Dhyaneshwar, the central government is very serious about bifurcation this time. They made their mind to split the state into two and there's no way that our political party may come into power in the upcoming elections. If the new government decides to verify the land allocations made to the industries by previous governments you may run into the real risk of circling around courts.'

'It's ok. But I need a little help from you. I know that you are no longer a minister but you have friends who are still continuing as ministers.'

'Tell me what you want?'

'I just need the contact person of anyone working in the ACB office who will do whatever we say.'

'What is your intention behind this?'

'I don't have time to explain everything on the phone. In every department there will be good and bad people. Get me the contact of one bad person I will manage by myself. Just do this one small help for me!'

'Give me thirty minutes. I will try to get something and will send the contact to your mobile. If you have problems, approach Bhilal. He knows me personally.'

'Who is this Bhilal?'

'Bhilal is one of the most powerful rowdy sheeters in the city.'

'Then send his contact and address as well.'

'My secretary will text you in fifteen minutes but please don't disclose this to anyone.'

'Don't worry. I will not say it to anyone but send it soon.'

Fifteen minutes later he received two text messages on his mobile, one containing the contact person of one of the officers working in the ACB office, Nagaraju and another containing the contact number and address of gangster Bhilal. 

ACB inspector Nagaraju has been an informer for many politicians who warned beforehand to the authorities in higher positions in case if there's any raid planned upon them while talking some amount in return for doing that.

Dhyaneshwar contacted the ACB officer Nagaraju and promised him to pay ten lakh rupees in case he assisted him in relaying the information to him. He felt at ease after having learned that Dr.MadhuSudhan so far didn't speak anything about Rajath. 

Additionally Nagaraju also informed him that the ACB special court suspended it's duties for today as many of the staff members belonging to the Andhra region have boycotted their duties for today as a sign of protest against central government's decision to bifurcate the state. The custodial transition process is delayed and now Dhyaneshwar has to make the best use of it. He then decided to go and meet Bhilal personally.  

Bhilal was a rough and uncouth character. He first gained prominence in 1993 due to his alleged involvement in the killing of Indian Police Service officer S.K Vyas. Bhilal was a leader of Maoist squad which was previously known as 'naxalites of People's War'. Later, he surrendered to the police. Civil rights activists claim that after his surrender, Bhilal served as an informer to the police and helped in the elimination of many naxalites and their sympathisers. 

In the later years he immersed himself in land-grabbing, kidnapping, illegal betting, extortion and money laundering. His 'services' were regularly used by cops and politicians. Even while sitting in the prison he was operating a gang of hit-men comprising mostly gangsters and surrendered Maoists. More than fifty cases have been registered against him in more than ten districts across Andhra Pradesh.

 

'Bhilal bhai! If Dr.MadhuSudhan reveals the truth, my son and I will be in extreme danger,' Dhyaneshwar said as he looked at Bhilal who was busy wrapping cardamom, areca nuts, and rose petal paste onto a bright green betel leaf.

 

'As long as he is inside the ACB office, we can't do anything. We need to create some drama. You told you know one person working in the ACB office right?' Bhilal said as he placed the paan in his mouth. 

'Yes!'

'Do one thing, create a health emergency so that he needs to be appointed in the hospital. Once he is out my gang will take care of the rest.'

'I will do it and here's the money,' Dhyaneshwar gave him a cover containing five lakh rupees. 'Remaining amount will be given once after the work is accomplished.'

'Don't worry about it!' said Bhilal, spitting the pan onto a platter. 'Tonight we will bring him out!'

At 09:30 P.M in the night, MadhuSudhan took a gulp of water from the glass. The taste was different this time. Minutes later his stomach started churning, his throat began to itch and the burp from his mouth was continuous. The vomit that had been building up inside erupted like a fountain from his mouth, splattering on the desk and falling down on the floor unconscious.

One of the officers on duty observed him collapsing on the floor from the window. They immediately rushed him to the nearby government's primary health care center.

ACB inspector Nagaraju sent a text message to Dhyaneshwar mentioning that the task was successful and they have shifted him to the primary health care center. Dhyaneshwar relayed the same to Bhilal. Now the entire escape operation will be looked after by Bhilal.

To be continued...