THE DECEPTION

Note: This is a neo-noir political thriller story based on multiples of research and studies. It's a legacy to my political-faction drama story Republic. Most characters are grey and there are neither protagonists nor antagonists. 

SINGANALLUR, COIMBATORE: 

1956: 

In 1956, Noyyal river is one of the most sacred rivers of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The Coimbatore town was once fenced by the Noyyal River and its channels and streamlets. 

30 YEARS LATER: 

The Noyyal River along with its interlinked tanks and channel arrangements are considered to have been constructed by the Chalukya and Chola powers. The system was so effective that it offered water conveyance, water storage, and helped in maintaining unchanging water levels under the ground. Excess water from the Noyyal River poured forth into the channels and were conveyed to the storage tanks, forestalling overflowing situations. 

The storage tanks were a crucial component in refilling the spring water through infiltration of the undersoil body of water. As urbanization developed, the arrangement was disregarded and the number of operational storage tanks was reduced in a drastic manner as only 11 storage tanks were left. Nowadays, the arrangement functions no more and water is deficient when compared with the demand. As a result, farming has significantly reduced and the lacking irrigation water supply impacted in thousands of Coconut trees in the region left to dry up. 

On the other hand, there is a lake in Singanallur, which was one of the largest freshwater lakes in the city, supported for Fishing and Fauna. 

In 2006, the lake was encroached by water hyacinth and contaminated due to effluents released into the lake. In 2014, Coimbatore Corporation unveiled a plan to clear the encroachments and use the lake for recreation. In January 2015, the lake was cleared and made ready for commercial tourism purposes. But, still more, Noyyal river is polluted and no actions are taken for this. 

Since the place have been controlled by Minister Sigamani's factories, that are present all over the city. 

23 DECEMBER 2017: 

Years have rolled now and the city of Coimbatore is developed with NH4 roads, buildings and malls. It is the function of Education to help each individual to discover all these psychological hindrances, and not merely impose upon him new patterns of conduct, new modes of thought. Such impositions will never awaken intelligence, creative understanding, but will only further condition the individual. Surely, this is what happening throughout the world, and that is why our problems continue and multiply. 

SINGANALLUR LAKE: 

AROUND 8:45 PM: 

Near to the banks of Singanallur Lake in Singanallur-Vellaloor Lakes amidst the right of Noyyal river canal, a renowned neurology scientist and professor Rajeev Roshan is tied up and kidnapped to the asides of the lake. There, he is brutally killed by some unknown assassins, who whispered the name, "Praise Sigamani groups." 

A journalist named Ananya Sri, who have her ID card in her shawl stops the scooter somewhere to take it and witness the murder by hiding behind the canal. Feared and puzzled, she escaped the place with the video being taken. 

A waiter armed with a revolver is pursued and falls to his death while a second waiter, also armed, leaves the scene unnoticed. A committee decides the killing was the work of a lone assassin. 

THREE YEARS LATER: 

25 MARCH 2020: 

Three years later on 25 March 2020, Ananya visits her ex-boyfriend Surya Krishna, a Major working for Indian Army under Special Task Force mission. He have took a break for two months from his Counter Strike mission and Surgical strike missions respectively. 

Seeing her, Surya is really happier and he greets her. They both have a good conversation, recalling their memorable days in college and their lovable times. After few hours, drinking a glass of water, Ananya sets her throat ready and tells: "Surya!" 

He looks at her and asked, "What Ananya?" 

"I wanted to talk with you now." She said in a baritone voice. 

"Yes. Tell Ananya" said Surya. 

She reveals about the brutal murder of renowned scientist Rajeev and shows the video to him, which was sent to his Gmail. Ananya further tells him, "Human problems are not simple, Surya. It's very complex. Mine too is like such only. Someone is behind this assassination and I fear to be the next. Because, two are already killed." 

Surya however takes her words lighter and takes her to his close friend and elder brotherly guy ACP Adhithya IPS, to whom he asked: "Brother. She have been feared a lot da. As she have witnessed a murder. For her safety, arrange security protection for her da." He agrees and however, she is soon found dead due to the overdose of Heroin. 

Surya is shattered and regrets for disregarding her pleas. After her cremation, Surya meets Adhithya in his house, who sends his daughter Aaradhana away from the place and looked at him saying, "Come inside da Surya." 

Surya looks at Adhithya's wife Ishika's photo and then, tells him: "Brother. Ananya told me human problems are very complex. To understand them requires patience and insight, and it is of the highest importance that we as individuals understand and resolve them for ourselves. They are not to be understood through easy formula or slogans. I failed to understand her fears and problems." 

Adhithya consoled him and tells, "Before you start to investigate this case, you have to regenerate within yourselves. Nothing can be achieved by violence, by the easy liquidation of one another. We may find a temporary release by joining groups, by studying methods of social and economic reform, by enacting legislation, or by praying; but do what we will, without self-knowledge and the love that is inherent in it, our problems will ever expand and multiply. Whereas, if we apply our minds and hearts to the task of knowing ourselves, we shall undoubtedly solve our many conflicts and sorrows." 

Recalling the scientist Rajeev's name, Surya collects the newspapers related to the deaths of four people: A Retired high court Judge Dasaratha Ramiah, a hotel waiter Krishnan, a ordinary man Gokul and Devaraj. 

THADAGAM: 

At first, Surya visits the town to probe the death of the Judge. After engaging in a fight with the local deputy at a bar, Surya attracts the attention of Central Minister Sigamani's henchman Doss. 

He goes near to him and asked him, "Whom do you want to meet man?" 

"I wanted to investigate about the recent death of retired Judge Dasaratha." He said to Doss. 

Doss affords to take him to the site of Singanallur Lake, where the Judge was drowned. Standing in the mid of the canal, he pulls out a gun and tells him, "As an army man, your duty is to stand in the border da. Unnecessarily, why are you investigating these cases da?" 

As he tried to shoot and kill him, Surya acts smart and recalls the Commando training in Army. He pulls out his gun and shoots Doss dead. He falls into the lake and drowns. 

The canal floods due to the severe rains in the catchment areas of Noyyal River and the lake fulls. Hencefroth, Doss's body reaches to the other side of Singanallur. Realizing that, this wouldn't end with this, Surya goes back to his house with the important documents and videos, that he have collected from Rajeev's house. 

In his house, he plays the videos of Rajeev in the computer, in which he tells: 

"See. This is Noyyal river. The photos are during 1950's to 60's. River Noyyal, the lifeline of Coimbatore district, and its tributary, the Chinnar, are polluted with heavy metals, says a recent study. 

Samples of water, sediment and specimens of a freshwater crab species collected from the river had high presence of heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, lead and zinc, my study says." 

Though similar samples from the Chinnar river showed the presence of these heavy metals, the levels were, however, not as high as those found in the samples from the Noyyal. 

Samples of water and sediments from Noyyal were collected at Marudurai village in Tiruppur district and from Chinnar at Sadivayal village in Coimbatore district. Crabs were lifted with the help of farmers from two other locations. The study titled "Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution in Noyyal and Chinnar Rivers, Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India with Reference to Crabs (Gecarcinucidae)-A Baseline Study", and authored by V. Gayathri, T. Muralisankar, R. Rajaram, M. Muniasamy and P. Santhanam, was recently published in the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 

According to the researchers, the study on the pollution in the Noyyal is essential because it is a tributary of River Cauvery, the main source of water for drinking, agricultural and farming in many districts of the State. 

Noyyal, which originates from the Vellingiri Hills in Coimbatore district, flows through four districts - Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur. The study found that the total hardness, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, residual (free) chlorine, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity were significantly higher in Noyyal water when compared with the samples from the Chinnar. Further, pH, total hardness, chloride, nitrates, and alkalinity levels in the Noyyal water exceeded the permissible limits of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 2012) for drinking water. 

Zinc, cadmium and lead levels were found to have exceeded in the water samples of both rivers compared to the permissible limits of BIS and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA 2002), said the study. The level of lead was significantly high in the water samples of both rivers. 

Presence of lead found in Chinnar water beyond the permissible limits of BSI and USEPA suggests that the river water was polluted by the metal, might be due to the dumping of domestic waste and agricultural activities in the river basin. The analysis of sediment samples from both rivers found a significant increase in the level of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in Noyyal sediments compared to sediments from its tributary. Zinc content was high in the sediments of both the rivers, the study showed. It was found that the level of bio-accumulation of the heavy metals and biochemical constituents were higher in specimens of Spiralothelphusa hydrodroma crab species collected from the Noyyal than Barytelphusa cunicularis crab species collected from Chinnar. 

According to the researchers, the two freshwater crabs were chosen for analysis as crustaceans-like crabs and shrimps are highly sensitive to heavy metal pollution. They tend to accumulate more heavy metals than fishes because they live in the benthic zone where the metals are stored in sediments, the study said." 

The same time, Surya have been called by some unknown man in his phone, who claims himself as Rajeev's best friend Raagul Roshan. The duo meets at Fun mall. 

"Yes sir. Tell what all you know about Rajeev!" said Adhithya, who have also accompanied along with Surya. 

Raagul narrated about Rajeev to them: 

Rajeev was an Indian student leader and social activist. He was a research student (PhD) in Neurological Science at Osmania University, Hyderabad. He was born in Palghat (now Palakkad) on 15 January 1998, just before India's independence, in the then Madras Presidency. His father Challa Raghunadh Reddy was a Telugu from Chittoor, while his mother Leela Varghese was a Tamilian from Travancore. They met while studying at the Presidency College, Madras. The family later moved to Andhra Pradesh from where George did his early schooling; at St. Gabriel's High School, Warangal and St. Paul's High School, Hyderabad. He ultimately got his intermediate degree from the Nizam College in Hyderabad. 

He was known for his helping nature, and was also a kick boxer. His enthusiasm for nuclear physics earned him a university gold medal while during his postgraduate studies at Osmania University. His brother Charan, was also an activist in Hyderabad. A lawyer, Charan was a part of the legal team lead by Bojja Tharakam. 

Rajeev was a firm supporter of democracy and socialism. He opposed social discrimination and economic inequality.

"Actually, how was he killed? Who's behind this conspiracy?" asked Surya, to which Raagul replied saying: "Sir. Rajeev fell in love with a girl Anjali and the duo got married, once Rajeev became a scientist. During this time, he came to know about Noyyal River pollution and studied in depth about the river. Because, Anjali died of neurological disease due to the fish in the Noyyal River. He then sees more people affected and plans to research on what happened and comes to the conclusion that it was contaminated by Sigamani's industries and tanneries." They gets the video evidence of Rajeev from Raagul. 

But, he is soon assassinated by an unknown person, sent by Sigamani.  

Adhithya is let over with a strict warning from his senior police officers due to this incident. Back in the house, Adhithya tells Surya: "Whatever we try, nothing could be changed here da. If we are to bring about a true revolution in human relationship, which is the basis of all society, there must be a fundamental change in our own values and outlook." 

The same time, Surya is given permission by his senior officer to deal with the civil service issues, proud that, he is to address the long issues in the county. 

Surya being dejected and angry decides to address the media and people saying: "The Corrupt system is why things are occurring like this. If the system is tight and strict, people won't indulge in corruption and fraudulent activities."

Surya further tries to talk with Sigamani with the evidences. But, Sigamani cleverly sidelines with the people at the banks of the river and lake, telling them: "He would give them better lifestyle from farming, if they doesn't support Surya." 

When Surya arrives to the place to talk with the farmers, they tells him: "As people entered into politics, they earned lots of money. They make plans and formulas. Why should we oppose them? Let's honour them." This prompts the anger of Surya and he goes under violent transformation. It causes multiples of lives to be lost and to make things worse, Surya gets suspended from his posts from the Indian Army due to lots of political pressures. 

Adhithya too is beaten up severely by the people. But is rescued by Surya, on time. Adhithya tells him, "As I told you already, nothing is going to change here da Surya. And myself, was a victim due to our system." 

He tells him, "I told you previously that Ishika was drowned. However, Ishika didn't die due to drowning in a lake. But, she was killed by my rivals, who wanted revenge for making them to go for prison. They easily escaped the law. Since, there's no evidence that, she was killed due to the pushing into the river, when we were coming in the train. I adapted to the system and followed our government rules because of this heartbreaking trauma in my personal life." 

With proper evidences, Surya and Adhithya teams up together to the Supreme Court. The court removed Sigamani and the government officials, (who supported their activities) from their posts and gives them life sentences. 

The Supreme Court also orders all the industries to be given seal at once. With this verdict, an angry Sigamani shouts saying, "How dare you could say like this? I have earned hard money to build this factory. You would demolish it ah?" 

However, he received a sudden heart attack and gets hospitalized. In the hospitals, Surya visits him. 

"Greed, ego, lust, and envy are a negative emotion; it leads to arousal of dismay from people. However, if we focus on greed while performing an act, we will devoid ourselves of the original purpose of our work and hamper the whole work. Ego makes one feel superior, and it closes the mind to brilliant strategies or ideas of coworkers and restricts social bonds. While compassion brings you close to people, helps you listen to others soul. Lust and envy arouse strong emotions leading to loss of senses. Instead, a person should carry humility and be humble to coworkers, friends, and family for inner peace and good. Devotion is required in any activity because one needs to be devoted wholeheartedly to succeed. Aforementioned, positive qualities only blossom when one learns to love. No idealism, no system or pattern of any kind, can help us to unravel the deep workings of the mind; on the contrary, any formulation or conclusion will hinder their discovery." 

As Surya is telling this, Sigamani laughed and tells him: "Wisdom cannot be found in books. It cannot be accumulated, memorized or stored up. Wisdom comes with the abnegation of the self. To have an open mind is more important than learning and we have an open mind. Wisdom doesn't come through fear and oppression, but through the observation and understanding everyday incidents in human relationship. Whatever you struggle, you try to change things here, neither the government won't reform nor the people would realize. Since, the system has been corrupt and wishes to be corrupt and inefficient." 

FEW DAYS LATER: 

A few days later, Surya finds the industries again being opened by the ruling party and he questions the nearby people for the reason in doing this. One of the people tells him, "Still now, Sigamani's caste dominated and ruled us. Now, it's their turn to showcase their power and authority to him." 

A dejected Surya meets Adhithya at the edge of the forests nearby Singanallur Lake around 7:45 PM and he tells him about the events that have happened. However, Surya sees him been tied up and henceforth, fights off the henchman despite getting stabbed in his back, after removing the thread from Adhithya's hands. 

While removing the thread, Surya says: "Brother. Until you are there with me, no man dares to touch me." Tears flow from Adhithya's eyes upon hearing this from Surya. He feels emotional.

Adhithya recalls, why have he been here after seeing Surya. He have been ordered by his senior officers to kill Surya, as instructed by the ruling party, who wanted to finish him at once and for all. Instead of seeing him dying in the hands of the people, who followed dirty ideologies of deception, he decides to kill him by himself with his senior official's permission. 

From the gun that he had grabbed from a henchman, whom he had shot to death, Adhithya goes near to Surya(who is fighting) in tears and shoots him in the back. 

"Brother," said Surya, turning back at him. 

In tears, Adhithya said, "Forgive me da Surya. Orders from our ruling party to kill you. My senior officers pressurized me. Rather than to see you dying in the hands of traitors, I myself agreed to kill you da. Forgive me da." 

"Brother. When I was left orphaned, you raised me up. The man who raises, the man who kills. I feel proud to die in your hands. Even when those people have killed me, I wouldn't have felt this much happier." Seeing the lake, Surya goes to the place and stands. Raising his hands up, he tells: "Jai Hind" and dies in Adhithya's arms. 

Adhithya cries seeing the dead body of his foster brother and tells him, "We need to tell each other our stories. We need to show that everyone — our neighbors, our families, our community leaders — everyone we know is touched by corruption and the deception." He shouts and cried out aloud, looking at the lake.

TWO DAYS LATER:

Adhithya stands at the photo of Surya, lighting candles for his photo. While, his daughter asked him: "Dad. Why did you kill Surya uncle? What mistake he did?"

Adhithya is in tears and struggles to answer his daughter, looking at Surya's photo.

Upon hearing the news of Surya's death, Sigamani too commits suicide and the whole state of Tamilnadu falls under depression. Surya reunites with Ananya in the heaven, wishing to lead a happy life with his love. 

EPILOGUE: 

1.) "Without strong watchdog institutions, impunity becomes the very foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And if impunity is not demolished, all efforts to bring an end to corruption are in vain. " — Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Prize laureate. 

2.) To understand ourselves, we must be aware of our relationship, not only with people but also with property, with ideas, and with nature. But, we avoid the necessary and fundamental transformation of ourselves, try to bring about political revolutions in the world, which always leads to bloodshed and disaster.

-J. Krishnamurthy