"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Bakshi.
"I don’t know. You suggest." The teacher replied.
The teacher, as everyone called him, ran an organization that helped rich people fulfill their desires. He created illusions and deceptions so complex that they seemed real to their targets.
Bakshi was confused and the teacher was playing along, pretending to have no clue. Somehow, Bakshi knew that the teacher had already decided their course of action.
"Stop fooling me around," Bakshi said, "You have planned already, haven’t you?"
"Not really. I have three scenarios in mind."
"Would you care to explain?"
"I would definitely enjoy explaining but I need your help first. Tell me what should we do?" The teacher said. Bakshi was startled with the question. Never in the span of two and a half decades had the teacher asked for opinions.
"Wait a minute. I understand this. You need to make sure you are morally correct in whatever you are about to do, isn’t it?" Bakshi said suddenly.
"No." The teacher snapped back.
Bakshi smiled. It was clear. Teacher needed to know if he was doing the right thing in the wrong business. This case was one of the most bizarre cases they had ever encountered. A week earlier a lady had come to them with a request. Her request was simple. She wanted the teacher to convince her son to give up on his dead father's empire. The bizarre part was this son had visited the teacher as well. He was in his early twenties and was supposed to receive his father's grand wealth a decade later. He wanted the teacher to eliminate the possibility of his mother receiving the money. Bakshi was professionally confused and he knew that the teacher never hesitated to act. All these years of deceiving people had rendered the teacher to lose his humane morals.
"The lady has been legitimate with her request. She ran the business alongside her husband all those years. She has a right over the property." Bakshi said.
"You sound convincing. Mr. Mehra was terminally ill when he devised the will. He clearly stated in it that all his property and the business will be transferred to his son when he turns 32. He didn’t even mention his wife. We have all seen their business grow for years. We have seen how his wife helped him with everything. She stood beside him at all points of his life. Every single fall, she shielded him and he didn’t even mention his wife. Why is that?" The teacher said.
"Well, that baffles me as well. But we are not to meddle with their personal lives. What confuses me more that who we are supposed to side. Do we help the Mrs. Mehra to gain the wealth she has worked all her life for, wealth which is rightfully hers or do we help Akash Mehra in removing her mother from the equation?" Bakshi said.
"Some similar questions are forming in my mind right now. I will, however, disagree with you on one thing you said. We are necessitated to meddle in their personal lives. That is how we find out who we help." The teacher said.
"Great idea." Bakshi said, his eyes widening in appraisal.
"Get on it. Both of them already know that we will have people on them. Assign Sneha to the mother and Vikram to the son. Find out what their relationship is like. Find out if what appears is true." The teacher said.
Bakshi said as he was told. Within a week Sneha and Vikram, being one of their best agents, had found out the hidden truths about the mother and son. Mrs. Mehra had since long craved for her husband's business. She had been truthful and loyal to her husband and was an ideal wife both in terms of personal and professional lives. But there was something else. Sneha, who had joined Mrs. Mehra's company as her private assistant, had found out that she was sterile. She could never have a kid. That meant that the son was adopted. Sneha's deduction was confirmed by Vikram. He had approached Akash's best buddy as one of his old friends and come up with solid proof about adoption.
Bakshi was quite clear after he had received both the reports.
"We work for the lady, don’t we? She is genuine. Besides, Mr. Mehra has already made sure for his son to have a good life even if does not inherit the money. He is pursuing MBA with one of the finest colleges in the US and rest of the world knows him as the son of one of the greatest business tycoon of all times. He is bound to make a life on his own without assistance."
"And what good that does?" The teacher asked.
"Well, the lady has promised ten millions."
"Not that. You were correct when you guessed I was morally confused. I want to do the right thing." The teacher said. His gaze was focused on the crackling fire. He got up and took his pipe from the mantelpiece.
"What do you suppose we should do then?" Bakshi asked. He was moved.
"Mrs. Mehra's hatred for his son is because she cannot have her own child. Somewhere deep inside, she is angry on herself." The teacher said.
"She is angry on herself and hence she is angry on his son?"
"I think so. Moreover, this phase she is in is crucial. She is 46. That is when one needs support from their partner and her partner is dead."
"You think that she needs to be shown what is correct for her?"
"I think she needs to be taught to accept life the way it is. She needs to be taught that there is a balm in every pain, a solution in every problem and a miracle in every tragedy."
"We make her understand that his son is the only one left of his family?" Bakshi asked.
"Precisely. She feels lonely. We need to make her see that she has a son even if adopted."
"That is a great idea except for the fact that we will be left with no payment at the end of its execution." Bakshi said.
"Yes. We will not receive anything because the outcome will be humane." The teacher said pondering over various possibilities at once.
"Then? What do we do?"
"Get Sneha to know how his husband was with her. There is a possibility that he is the cause of his loneliness. I have a plan."
"No payment, it is then. I will update Sneha at once. What about Vikram? What should I tell him?"
"Ask him to befriend Akash. We need to plant an idea in his head if it is not already there."
"Alright." Bakshi said getting up from his chair.
"One more thing. Ask Sneha to know personal details about Mrs. Mehra, her favourite singer, hero, heroine and so on." The teacher said.
"Straightaway." Bakshi said and left the room.
A month later, they were seated again with reports in hands. Sneha and Vikram had successfully completed their tasks and the results were just as the teacher had expected. Mr. and Mrs. Mehra were never close. Their arranged marriage was a disaster and Mr. Mehra had tried to get rid of her once. Mr. Mehra's late mother however had prevented the separation. Mrs. Mehra had resorted to having no personal life. After the death of her mother-in-law, she had kept it all to herself and never accepted the possibility of being loved. She was never connected to her son in any manner. Mr. Mehra had nannies appointed when Akash was young and later he was sent abroad. Akash, on the other hand, believed his father to be god. He was an infant when he was adopted but at the age of 16, his father had told him everything. He was informed that he was not their real child. Akash who had never seen much of his mother hated his mother after that.
"Her favourite hero is Rajesh Khanna and heroine Babita. She has no particular interest in singers. She likes to see Ranbir Kapoor's movies nowadays and enjoys cricket a lot." Bakshi said.
"Rajesh Khanna will do. How is Sneha doing with Mrs. Mehra?" The teacher replied.
"She has developed quiet a bond with her."
"Ask her to discuss Rajesh Khanna on every occasion she gets, especially the cancer part."
"Alright. What about Akash?"
"I have plans for him as well. How has Vikram done with his task?"
"Perfectly. Akash and Viram are together since last 20 days. Akash enjoys his company. They both are staying nearby. They have been spending most of the nights smoking and drinking together."
"Ask Vikram to discuss how mother is the most important thing for him. Ask him to show Akash some movies on maternal love. Any of those bollywood craps."
"And?"
"I will ready some medicines after a week. They will induce certain symptoms that will lead her to visit hospital. She will be diagnosed with cancer. Meanwhile her son will be watching those crap movies and will develop the idea that his mother needs him. Once Vikram behaves nicely with her when she thinks she is dying, everything will be sorted out." The teacher said.
Bakshi nodded in consent and left.
Another month passed and Bakshi and the teacher were again seated in the office. This time the reports were not as planned. Akash was simply overjoyed when he learnt about his mother. She was hospitalized and seemed ready to accept death as well. Two days after the diagnosis, she had called the teacher to withdraw her case.
"I don’t want you to do anything. Fate has decided for Akash to have the money. Be it that way." She had said and hung up the phone.
Bakshi and the teacher were both tired and irritated. There was no possible way out.
"Akash is arrogant. Those movies and Vikram were not able to do any good." Bakshi said.
"There has to be something." The teacher said.
"We need to act fast. The doctors we planted are doing great but the deception won't hold long. As soon as her symptoms are cured, she is going to return home and live a life of misery."
"What about Akash's real father and mother?"
"We researched that when we found out he was adopted. Her mother was not married when she gave birth to him. She couldn’t bear it. She died as soon as he was born. There is no evidence on who his father is." Bakshi said.
"Does he know that? Has he ever researched his biological parents?"
"He told Vikram that he had tried once. He had asked his father. He never found out though."
"Aha!" The teacher exclaimed.
"You have something?"
"Akash's biological mother writes him a letter before death telling her the name of the angel that saved her from the street that night she delivered him. She will describe how that angel had not only prevented her child's death but also assured her that her child will be safe. Imagine that."
"And that angel will be Mrs. Mehra?"
"Precisely."
"When do you want Akash to see that letter?"
"Tomorrow." The teacher said and both of them set to work.
The next day, Akash, with the help of Vikram, mysteriously found out a box from his apartment while they sat drinking. The box contained photographs of a young couple and an old, sealed envelope. Akash tore open the envelope and started reading.
The letter said,
"Dear child,
I don’t know what your name is. I don’t know if you are a boy or a girl. I don’t know if I will ever be able to see your face. I have remained ill now for quiet sometime and am sure that I won't survive to see you. Whatever happened between me and your father was never a reason for you to suffer that is why I had come to the conclusion of not giving birth to you.
I had been on drugs after your father left me. I was in the hospital for an abortion when a lady came to me. She was older than me, wife of some businessman as she told me. She had her own problems. She couldn’t have a child even if she wanted to. She convinced me to give birth to you. It was she that promised for your well-being. I gave birth to you because she had given me her word that she will convince her husband to adopt you. I will never know if she will keep her word but if she does you will have a good life. If you ever read this letter and if you are named Mehra, make sure and give your mother all the love you have.
A mother gives you life that is why you love her. I never gave you life. I had decided to kill you. It was this lady who gave you life. She is your mother.
Also, I had made her promise that you will never know about me. I wrote this letter against my own will. I just wanted you to know that I love you.
Love,
Your mother."
Akash finished reading the letter with teary eyes. He didn’t say a word. Vikram, who had actually planted that letter, took it from him and read it.
"Dude, …" Bikram started.
"She gave me life." Akash croaked.
"Mrs. Mehra do you think? Your mother is talking about her?" Vikram asked.
Akash didn’t reply. He got up and washed himself. He called up the hospital where Mrs. Mehra was kept. Within minutes he and Vikram were on the way to visit her.
Mrs. Mehra was still being treated. She was amazed to see Akash on the door. Akash sat beside the bedstead.
"Why are you here?" Mrs. Mehra asked, "I don’t think you actually care for me."
"Mother…" Akash said, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Mrs. Mehra didn’t say anything. She had not expected this. Akash got up and hugged her. The doctor walked in at the same time.
"What are you doing? Visiting hours is long since over."
"I am her son. I want to know what will happen to her."
"Well, she will be discharged tomorrow. It is stage one. A year of medications and then a minor surgery and she will be fine. She will live a long life." The doctor said.
Akash stood up and hugged the doctor.
"Thank you doctor." He said, "I cannot thank you enough."
"It is alright. Take care of her. You can take her home first thing in the morning."
"I will." Akash said and the doctor left.
Mrs. Mehra didn’t know what to say. Akash continued.
"I will make sure you live a long life. I will withdraw my name from the college immediately. I can finish my degree in India. You need me." He said.
"What are you saying?" Mrs. Mehra asked.
"I am not going to abandon my mother when she needs me." Akash said.
Mrs. Mehra smiled and hugged Akash.
From across the door, Vikram had texted what the teacher was expecting.
"Done." The message on Bakshi's phone read.
"Here we are." Bakshi said, sitting in the office with the teacher at his side. A smile played on his lips and the satisfaction on teacher's face was immense.