“ Hi, I will give you my introduction in short words. I am a reporter, a journalist. I usually do crime stories. I am up with my high pride as always. But today standing here on this stage I am going to tell you a story about how a night can change someone's life. Let's start the story. ”
Story begins with the crime reporter himself. Being a crime journalist for a while, Raghu was totally corrupted himself. He was always full of himself. Night is the time when he used to wander around our city Hyderabad for scoops. Last week I met a girl who came to our newspaper office to find me.
" Hello sir, I am Neha Bist. I am from Kolkata. I studied here. I am a student. I used to do charity work near my hostel. The boy is Kishan." She pulled a 7- or 8-years boy in front of me. " He is mute. He can't speak but he can hear properly. He stayed in that slum near my hostel."
Raghu stopped her midway, " that's ok mam. But I still didn't get the point why you are searching for me ???" He asked as he was in a hurry for the party. To be a crime reporter you need to have some connection with the crime world. At that time, he also had a lot more. He also didn't know when he became part of that world.
" Sir, I heard a lot about you. I even know that you get the award of this year's best crime reporter. The local goon Hari bhai is using this kind of innocent boy in his drug trafficking sir." She said and Raghu sighed slowly.
" Mam I am a reporter not the police you have to complain to the police they will definitely help you." Raghu told her and tried to walk away but Neha was indeed a stubborn girl, she grabbed his hand.
" Please listen to me sir. I did. I complained about him in the Police station. But the Police were from his site. They gave him my details and he threatened me." She said with the worried look on her face.
" I can't protect you mam. I am not a trained man." Neha's story was very low for his level as now he deals with the national and international level gangsters. He is not gonna waste his energy on a local goon. How much money can he extort from him in return for his photos? 5 or 10 lakhs. Too low for a star crime reporter. That's the way he has reached to this level only in 5 years of his career. But no one knows his reality; they don't need to. They just think like Neha who is asking for help from a heartless person.
" I don't care about my life sir." Tears form in her eyes. " But I do care about the boy who is unaware of the harsh reality of drugs. He and his friends were selling these things today, tomorrow they will try that and just like that their life will be spoiled forever. We are adults, we know the difference between good and bad. But what about these children? They are the lower part of society who are trying to grow. Sir, I want you to write about them and their area. I am here today, maybe I will die tomorrow or even tonight but I want you to gather the proof and highlight their need. I am not an expert sir but you are." She gave her speech fantastically that for a minute Raghu memorised his deceased father. He used to tell Raghu that in their life 'A Human must follow ethics; without ethics a human is either a dead body or a demon. Only he can choose what he wants to be.' And Raghu definitely follows his father's advice and chooses to sell his ethics and be a demon. He was again going to protest against Neha when Neha said, " Hari bhai is working with Minister Natha Prasad. He is the culprit who is corrupting our future generation."
Hearing Natha Prasad's name is rather interesting. A businessman, who won the election and now is the Minister of Hyderabad. Now this is the case Raghu must get involved. " What proof do you have?" He asked with a smirk.
" Tonight, a shipment is going to be shifted to his warehouse. Please join us and see from your own eyes." Neha said and handed over her number and meeting location to Raghu.
Sharp at 12 hrs. midnight. He met them at the location mentioned by Neha. The warehouse was far more silent than Raghu thought. For a time, he was really confused, he just left his own party for this god damn mission and after waiting for an hour also there is no trace of any human activity. His patient was running out and he was above to glare at Neha when a car came into the warehouse. The silent warehouse turns into a massive packhouse. In no time one after another almost ten cars came full of men.
After picturing their illegal activity in his viewfinder Raghu was waiting for the best and he came at last. Minister Natha Prasad, how can someone be so stupid? Raghu thought when he saw the minister introducing some Chinese to Hari bhai. Definitely the foreign delegates were here for the drug supply. He clicked some very nice pictures of the minister's illegal activities. His work is done here almost. Now he has to retreat back to accomplish his mission. Going safe out from the place full of mobsters and goons was a hard task for them. Dreaming for his upcoming crores on the initial time when Raghu's overconfident blew their cover he received a call and the Minister's bodyguard saw something grim. Minister's bodyguard Jagga has suspected some action from the right side of the container. He was moving toward the direction when Raghu saw him.
"Shit. We are finished. He saw me." Raghu cursed.
Neha also saw Jagga moving toward their direction very aggressively. " Sir, please hide in that container with Kishan." She said directing Raghu.
" Are you out of your mind? He clearly saw me, if we hide, he will definitely go to search and after that the death will be more painful. Let's think about something." Raghu said but the sweat formed on his head narrating another story so far.
" We are not going to hide sir. You and Kishan were going to hide in that container. I will surrender." Neha said.
" What do you mean by surrender?" Raghu asked and a goose bump formed on his body. Kishan may have guessed what Neha is going to do further, tears started to run from his eyes.
" Hey hey, don't cry." Neha knelt in front of him and wiped the eyes of the boy, " Always remember you have to grow and grow higher with your dignity. Be a human in the end." She said and hugged the boy for the last time. She saw Raghu with pleading eyes, " We don't have time to think further sir, I will distract them. Please take care of Kishan and tell his story to the world. You are a media person; your pen has more power than any bomb. Please help the poor people. Let the country know what kind of people they have chosen as their leader. Save our youth sir." She said,
" Are you out of your mind? This is not a movie; the hero is not going to save you nor you are going to be reborn. Just calm down and let me think." Raghu said but he also knew that going out from here without a scratch is not only difficult but impossible. Jagga was coming closer.
" They don't need a Neha sir, but the society needs a Raghu. They need your pen to tell their pain. The hard-working crime reporters like you are the base of society. He is coming near, promise me you are going to deliver justice to Kishan and his friend. Please sir I am trusting my last breath on you. Please go." She said and sent them away. She has another camera with her for a backup. She grabbed that camera and sat on the floor. Raghu and Kishan were hiding in a nearby container. Jagga grabbed Neha by her hair and took her in front of the minister. As per Raghu's knowledge they might rape her, but even thinking about her was sending shiver to his spine. Is he really gonna be the reason for a girl losing her pride? His thoughts were interrupted with a loud thud noise. He saw from the corner, Neha fell down unconsciously, with a hole in her forehead. The pool of blood started forming near her body. He definitely didn't see this coming on their way. At that movement his father's didactics plays in his mind, " Son, do anything everything you want as you only have one life to live but never be the reason for someone dying. It's the most unforgettable crime in God's list."
" That day with Neha, two more people died. Imagine a girl in her teenage died for what? To save the future generation of the country and what our current generation is doing? taking bribes, increasing corruption, stocking up on easy ways to make money. A pure hearted innocent girl sacrifices her life to save a sly reporter like Raghu." My eyes blurred with tears as the scene from that night a week ago started playing again in my mind.
" Ram we don't need your speech if you have proof, show us the reality about the Minister, whom you are claiming to be a cheater." One of my fellow journalists asked from the crowd in front of me.
I didn't say any further words and started playing with the photos on screen behind me. I was standing on the stage of an award function where I received The Star Crime Reporter award. I left the trophy on the podium with my resignation under it. Why? Because after that night I connected my boss and other head of department to produce this story in the headline, but they said "The girl lost her life by herself. What can we do? Let's not make a fuss Ram, this is the biggest story of your career. Let's contact the minister and ask for our share." That day was the first time I felt shame for myself because I am also one of them. I didn't reply to them that time and gave my memory card to them as I knew on what level they can touch to fulfill their wish.
I choose the correct day as I know I will receive the award, after all my company has paid for that. But now I am feeling free of the promise I gave to Neha, free of my past which is binding me through this job. Now I am not Raghu who was a coward, Now I am not Ram who was a sly and evil reporter, they both died with Neha. I am Raghuram Brahmkumar Varma only.