The Naroda Massacre

Convergence II

Karan Malhotra stood before the press, his voice steady and confident. "I've reached a conclusion," he began, "that the scale of these killings serves no purpose unless there was a larger plan behind it. If an organization was involved, their motives would have surfaced. As many of you already suspect, there's a connection between the Naroda Massacre and the Quantum Heights School Massacre. Both were orchestrated by the same person. Let me walk you through my deduction of how the Naroda Massacre unfolded."

The room fell silent as Karan continued, "An individual, or perhaps a small group—no more than two or three—was behind it. They used a poison derived from a chemical already present in our bodies, like carbon. Including more people would have been too risky and difficult to manage. They contaminated all six water towers in Naroda. When the water from these towers mixed, the poisoned water settled at the bottom, which was then supplied to households. People drank it, and tragedy struck. After a few hours, the poisoned water was exhausted, and the normal water supply resumed, which is why the killings stopped."

The press room buzzed with excitement as the explanation began to make sense. Sensing the momentum, Karan added, "To clarify, imagine stirring a spoonful of glucose in a bucket of water—it won't mix well. But if you separate the water into four glasses and add glucose to each, it will dissolve perfectly. This is what happened in Naroda. The water from Karai Dam was divided among six water towers, and the circular flow caused the poison to spread efficiently."

A reporter raised his hand, cutting through the murmur. "So, Mr. Malhotra, what steps should the government take to prevent future tragedies?"

Karan replied, "A small change could prevent such incidents. We should reroute the water from Karai Dam by shutting down three of the six water towers in Naroda. This would create a straight path for the water, reducing turbulence and preventing the poison from mixing effectively."

The room erupted in cheers. Karan smiled, soaking in the applause. "I can't share all the details now, but that's all for today," he concluded, leaving the room with a triumphant grin.

As the scene shifted to a living room, a middle-aged woman turned off the television. "It's late, you two should go to bed," she said.

Raj and Divyesh, seated on the sofa, had been watching the news with Divyesh's father, Deepak Choudhary. "Just ten more minutes, Maa," Divyesh pleaded.

Deepak stood up, heading to his room. "That guy, Karan Malhotra, did a great job," he remarked.

Divyesh turned to Raj. "What do you think? If he's right, doesn't that make your theory wrong?"

Raj remained calm. "It all sounds logical, but something feels off. Karan Malhotra has never shown such brilliance before. I've studied all the PANM members, and none of them match the image I'm forming of the person solving this case. My conclusion was different, and I'll need to rethink it."

Divyesh, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean?"

Raj explained, "It's simple. There could be someone else behind the scenes. The PANM members might have realized this case was beyond their expertise, so they called in a superior. Under immense public pressure, the government would have easily agreed."

"But why wouldn't that person come forward and gain public support?" Divyesh asked.

Raj replied, "Sending someone else creates pressure on the culprits without revealing the true threat. If this superior had come forward, the culprits would know their enemy, making it harder for him to operate at full potential. This way, he applies pressure while staying hidden."

Divyesh was impressed. "That's brilliant."

Raj nodded. "That's why I think someone else is pulling the strings. Take Detective Vikram Khanna, for example. He's a seasoned detective, but he always follows standard protocols, which wouldn't work in Naroda. Then there's Officer Karan Malhotra—a skilled investigator in gang-related cases, but too reckless for a situation like this. Neither of them fits."

Divyesh's eyes widened. "So, who do you think it is?"

Raj leaned in. "I wonder if it's Detective Arjun. What if the government turned to him, the greatest among the greats?"

"You know him, right?" Raj asked.

Divyesh smiled. "Of course I do. You've been talking about him since we were kids. But didn't you say he was abandoned by both the Indian government and the Russian defense agency? No one knows where he is now."

Raj sighed. "Yeah, you're right. And even if they did reach him, his ego would never let him work with the government again. I wanted my idol to solve this case. I wish he was the one behind all this. But anyway, I'm heading home. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Divyesh replied as Raj left.