Alisha could not keep her crew around much longer – they were needed by her channel & were being transported back….
The reserve police force roped in by Inspector Sharma was also being deputed toward Central India to curb the Naxal menace… he was left with a handful of his men & the local police who’d been not so successful getting much info on this matter…
Inspector Sharma took the only option left to him – his men & local police would patrol the roads… surrounding the jungle 24×7 & hope they’d encounter Vicky’s men when transporting the goods…
“No point in you staying here & scouting jungles Chaits…” said Inspector Sharma, “my men have scanned the entire jungle they’re not in the jungle. They could be hiding in big or small towns & villages near the coast – they’ve been accustomed to the urban life & I’m sure they’d hide in jungles only when they see any police activity around… my men are keeping a vigil on all the roads that border or run through the Jungle… so I know, we’ll get them eventually…” he looked at Chaits… “Please don’t waste your time in these jungles – go back & join your duties and your organization – you still have a career to follow…”
Chaits heard what Inspector Sharma advised but remained adamant “I’ll stay here at Jungle Homes – I’m not giving up… I already have had two encounters with them – I’m sure I’ll have more – I AM STAYING PUT…”
Inspector Sharma shrugged his broad shoulders & yielded, “But – do keep me informed…” and left the jungle – he was again back at Sundernagar Police Station – his men on a vigil of all the roads around the jungles – stopping & checking any or all vehicles at will of their suspicion…
Alisha left with her crew to see them off at Sundernagar… she’d be away for a couple of days – she wanted to find any further info she could get through her connections.
As they left Jungle Homes – Chaits sat down brooding & thinking over the happenings…. He couldn’t sit still for a long time… he kick-started his bike & was off travelling on the border road -southward…
After travelling about 50 kilometres, he stopped at a road side tea stall & looked around at the jungle…
By now, he’d realized that the main highway & by roads leading south were made on such a geography that one had to climb up & down several hills & he was looking at a road to his left that seemed to be winding up a hill… off the Goa road…
“If I take this road – where does it lead me to…?” he asked the person on the tea stall.
After getting the directions, Chaits knew that it was a road passing through the jungle meeting the main road that passes through the jungle back to Jungle Homes He’d never travelled that road… On an instinct, he starred going up the winding road which was of a bad quality… soon, he was atop the hill & stopped he was looking at a panoramic view of the jungle…
It was a breath taking wonderful sight of the nature for a moment he couldn’t stop admiring the beauty of the nature… He took out his powerful high resolution digital camera & clicked pictures of the breath taking scenery – noted the direction his compass pointed in his pocket diary.
Then he got his binoculars out & scanned every nook & corner of the jungle for any visible clue… he slowly cruised back toward Jungle Homes…
Once back, he called Alisha to know if she had any information from her press connections – she had none… he ate his dinner & started downloading the high resolution pictures he’d clicked of the jungle…
Once again he couldn’t stop himself from admiring the beauty of the nature. Then he started zooming into those pictures to get a closer look of the captured jungle… He scanned the zoomed photos – one by one – the jungle was very dense & not many details could be seen in the zoomed photos…
Then he turned to his old hobby – the Photoshop skills… he brightened each photo & started scanning them again… he was painfully meticulous about every detail… he seemed dejected as he zoomed into the last photo & started scanning…
His face brightened as he saw what looked like a stone house in the midst of the dense forest… he recollected what the tribal women had said about a mad man obsessed by a ghost – ‘can this be the place where Pakya is hiding?’
He carefully mapped the place – it seemed about 2 miles SE of the tea-stall he’d visited that afternoon… he made a plan for the next day & slept off – an intriguing dream of jungle haunted him…
He was up & travelling to the spot he’d mapped the evening earlier… he reached the tea stall & stopped. He sipped a well-made local tea that refreshed him & then started walking to the spot he’d mapped… his calculations were a bit astray & he’d walked almost 5 kilometres before stopping at a rivulet to cool himself & quench his thirst…
He looked at his compass – it was pointing in the right direction… something seemed to be wrong… he climbed a tree to get a clearer view of the surrounding… As he climbed further up, the vision of forest started clearing & he was now looking atop the tree that hid what he sought…
He looked around & seemingly at a distance toward his right, he thought, it looked like a small clearing… he climbed down the tree & started carefully walking in that direction… he now had his gun in his hand & was ready for any eventuality…
Alisha bade goodbye to her crew in Sundernagar & drove to meet Mr Patel & Amit… she apprised them of current situation of them running into dead ends every corner with some clues they’d managed to get…
Next day she drove to the main grain merchandise warehouses located at Navi Mumbai… Amit accompanied her as he was familiar with the roads in and around Mumbai…
They spent a whole day studying the turnover of the warehouses in the vicinity… she & Amit were amazed at the quantity of grain that was traded in one day & she knew that it was going to be difficult to pin point who could be supplying the grain to Vicky & his men…
She had gathered all the details she needed – she was going to analyse the pattern of each merchant when she reached Sundernagar… they sat in the car and were about to start back when Alisha decided to call Chaits to know how he passed his time at Jungle Homes…
She heard the phone at Jungle Homes ring & waited patiently for the housekeeping to answer the call when Amit tapped her on her shoulder… she looked at him staring at a truck leaving a warehouse… it stopped the weigh scale & moved further as it stopped near the main entrance in front of them – a simple looking well-built man got into the truck…. Alisha was confused as to why Amit was looking at the warehouse & the truck…
She cut the phone & looked at Amit “The person who got in that truck is Vicky’s man – I’ve seen him with Vicky a lot of times..” even before he could finish, Alisha revved up the car & started to follow…
“Don’t follow him Alisha,” said Amit & Alisha looked a bit amazed at his statement, “let police follow the truck – it could prove to be a wild goose chase… instead, let’s get in & talk to the warehouse guy… we may get more info than we’ve got in the whole day…”
She looked at the list of the warehouse owners she procured from the association… this particular warehouse was owned by someone called Mr Kadam & managed by a person called Mr Thorat … by the time Amit had called Inspector Sharma & given him the details of the truck that had left the warehouse with Vicky’s man…
As they started entering the warehouse a man blocked the entrance – Alisha put on her best smile & said, “Hi – I’m from TV & we are covering the business of local food grains in India – we wanted to get an appointment with Mr Kadam so that we can conduct an official interview”
The guy’s eyes rolled in excitement at mention of a TV interview & turned around – he called someone on the intercom & showed the way to Mr Kadam’s cabin…
They made their way through the huge stacks of gunny bags filled with stocked grain. Alisha put on her professional smile & modulated her voice that she used on her TV show as they settled across the table to Mr Kadam…
“Hi – I’m Alisha & we are covering the food grain business in India – I was impressed by the volume of food grain turnover at your warehouse & wanted an appointment for an official TV interview – could you please give me a time & a date next week? I’d have to get my camera & crew here for the interview…
Mr Kadam was pleased at her proposal & dreamed about people watching him on TV…
“Oh! Sure…” he said excitedly, “you can fix a time & date & let me know a day in advance – and I’ll be ready…”
“You seem to work pretty late in comparison to other warehouse owners in this complex – I saw a truck full of grain leave as we entered… that’s what we call workaholic & a good work culture…” Mr Kadam was pleased at the praise & smiled, “by the way – where all do you supply the grain? Is it only in Mumbai?”
“Oh! No!” beamed Mr Kadam, “I supply grain to every nook & corner of the state – the truck you saw leaving now… was carrying grain to Gadhchiroli…”
‘Good. I heeded what Amit said’, thought Alisha, ‘or we would’ve been following that truck almost 800 kilometres’ & prompted Mr Kadam to carry on…
“In fact, we have major supplies. In Konkan area… we supply to major town warehouses there – we load almost one truck load daily to that area – in fact we are tied up with suppliers who also supply the grain at subsidized rates to Tribals in the forests…”
“Wow!” Alisha feigned the awe, “well that gives new angle to your interview not only you have one of the best turnovers here, but also are aware of social work carried out for uplifting of the Tribals that could make a hero out of you…”
Mr Kadam already seemed to be dreaming about his interview…
“In fact, Mr Kadam… I’d also like to know about your suppliers who work in the tribal area to be present during the interview – you all should be felicitated for your good work…”
“Well, it’s difficult to get them here as they’d be working around the forests & cannot be contacted – it’s normally they who contact us with their requirement…”
“Oh!” said Alisha a bit dejected, “but no problem – my colleagues are planning a documentary on the Tribals & would be glad to get to interview them will it be possible for you to arrange it?”
“I’ll try most probably, I may have a conversation with them tomorrow – excuse me,” he said as the phone on the table buzzed…
“What? Ok… I’ll take care can you join me?” he kept the handset down,” I’m sorry – normal business – you know” he said…
There was a slight noise as a man entered the cabin, “Let me introduce Mr Thorat to you – he’s the person works the most in this warehouse” & they turned around to see a menacing looking lean man.
“Hi” said Alisha & Amit said in unison…
“Well – at least – if you can give me names of the people who do such a wonderful social work in tribal areas – I can ask my press friends to interview them when they make the documentary on the tribals…” said Alisha
“Why not?” said Mr Kadam & pushed his chair aside and walked toward a cabinet on his side, “Umm – let me see where I’ve kept the file with their details” he scanned a drawer – then another – then another “Ah-ha!” he exclaimed as he found what he was looking for & turned around with a gun in his hand, “Ms Alisha Fire… the famous Ms Alisha fire…do you take me for a fool? I agree – I was taken in when you initially approached for the interview – but my best man Mr Thorat – he recognised you & cautioned me before entering the cabin…”
Alisha looked around to check her odds of escape & then at Amit who looked & meaningfully winked at her to convey his preparedness for any eventuality…
“I pity you Ms Alisha” he continued “You’re going to die a horrible death today & with you this crippled guy… and nobody in this world will know of your death … so finally, you did get a whiff of food mafia & want to expose it to the world… a pity… you’ll be loaded among the grain gunny bags that are being loaded for those social service friends of mine who work in the tribal area – from their you’d be shifted to a fishing trawler – your hands & feet will be tied to heavy stone & thrown into deep sea – the fish will take care that nobody finds your body – ever..”
He laughed viciously as he waived them to start walking toward the entrance where a truck was parked waiting to be loaded – along with them…
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