Gamble

Prologue

Construction companies have long been a convenient cover for mafia and cartel operations, a truth well-documented in Kasturi Narayan's investigative report for the news channel 'Described'.

In her report, titled Brick by Brick: Why the Mafia Builds More Than Just a Reputation, Narayan reveals how organized crime has found an ideal front in the construction industry.

Unlike many sectors, construction is cash-intensive, making it easy to mix illegal funds with legitimate investments. It's a sector where money can appear and disappear in plain sight. Each phase—from permits to contractors, materials, and labor—creates openings to siphon off money and manipulate finances. Criminal enterprises, for instance, can put "ghost workers" on the payroll, rerouting funds under the guise of labor expenses. Developers can inflate costs or add "unexpected expenses" without much oversight, making it almost impossible to track every dollar. And unlike more visible industries like restaurants or casinos, construction sites don't attract much public scrutiny. As long as buildings keep rising, no one questions the flow of cash. By investing in high-end properties—luxury apartments, office complexes, shopping malls—criminals can launder millions. When these properties sell, their dirty money becomes clean, transformed into valuable assets. As the properties appreciate, their investments become untouchable, allowing crime syndicates to expand their influence without detection.

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Narayan's report made waves when it was first released, but it gained even more attention when someone dared to challenge the system from within. Enter Akshara Raghuvanshi—not a hero by any measure. Her motive isn't to end corruption but to implement a darker, more brutal agenda. She doesn't want to untangle mafias from construction for justice, but for something far more sinister. 

"Why do I want to separate the mafia from construction?" she asks. "Because things are messy."

Scene from the Book:
"Was it really a suicide, the way your stepmother died?" a police officer asks Akshara, who is barely humming a tune, her voice just above a whisper. She pauses, silent tears slipping down her cheeks, then replies, biting her nails, "She was praying. Praying to a stone. A spherical, shiny stone."
"What's your religion?" the officer presses.
"Hinduism," she answers.
"And your mother—was she Hindu too?" he asks.
"No." Akshara's eyes are red and swollen as she meets his gaze. "She called her faith Paashan."
The room falls silent. Finally, the inspector nods to a female officer. "Take her to a psychiatrist."
As Akshara is led out, a junior officer raises an eyebrow. "Sir, you believe her?"
The inspector lights a cigar. "Just because she was smiling at her mother's corpse doesn't mean she's guilty."

Her actions in the present seem shaped by the past—but what exactly shaped her past?

"You see the world the way your mind wants to see it."
~ Akshara Raghuvanshi.

The mafia's reaction to Akshara's defiance? Tense confusion. None of the major players could anticipate her next move; all were left guessing—except one. The oldest and most powerful mafia family in the country, led by Aditya Thakur.

But he didn't interfere actively. Reasons? Unknown.  Aditya, enigmatic and calculating, had his own reasons for wanting to separate the mafia from the construction business, reasons rooted in self-interest rather than heroism. Publicly unknown and a master of anonymity, Aditya's reputation ran deep within underground circles. He wasn't out to save anyone; his motives were purely his own, and his plans could be as dangerous as they were concealed.

"Why am I not reacting?' he asked. "Because I am letting the catalyst do its work."

Scene from the Book:"Aditya, you're the only witness to the murders that took place last night. Tell me what you saw," the inspector questioned, eyeing the 17-year-old who was fixated on the gun at the inspector's waist.Aditya's gaze didn't shift. "A gun. I saw a man with a gun."The inspector leaned forward. "And what did he do with it?""He fired it at a stone. A spherical, shiny stone," Aditya answered, rubbing his foot against the floor."Who was the man?" the inspector pressed.Aditya didn't respond. Instead, he burst into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach as his bloodshot eyes fixed on the inspector's face."Take him to the psychiatrist," the inspector said, gesturing to the officer at the door.As Aditya was led out, the assistant inspector muttered, frustrated, "Sir, they're both lying. We saw him shooting at that stone, surrounded by corpses. No sane child would do that."The inspector shook his head, exhaling slowly. "Shooting at a stone doesn't make him a murderer."

He was unpredictable because he knew too much. But who had given him such knowledge?

"I know everything. I once thought it was a blessing, but now I see it as the greatest curse any mortal could bear." 
~Aditya Thakur