Asthenia

By Tiger Vishwas

Aurangzeb, a ghastly gangster killed Satyajit Bhandari, the most virtuous legal luminary of his times. But he made a BLUNDER! He killed a MESSIAH.

Rajeev, a simple man is trying to lead a normal family life when all PANDEMONIUM breaks loose, placating him at the receiving end of DESTINY.

Sukanya, Geeta Dabra and Renita Dsouza find themselves in a deadly duel of VIRTUES & VICE faced with the prospect of losing the dearest aspect of their lives.

It will take Cyril Pais, the DETECTIVE EXTRAORDINAIRE to the glittering streets of Rome, Delhi, Bangalore and Bombay to reach to the heart-stopping climax of his case.

Each one of them will be tested in ways, unimaginable to even their DREAMS. And their lives will never be the same again.

ASTHENIA is a searing saga of SACRIFICE, LOVE, FIENDISHNESS, REVENGE AND OBSESSION

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Jan 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543701760

Tiger Vishwas

Tiger Vishwas was born in Bangalore, Karnataka. He earned a bachelors degree from National College of Jayanagar and a law degree from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies. After practicing law for a brief period, Vishwas entered the corporate world where he worked until deciding to write full-time. He lives in Bangalore with his wife, Priya, and daughter, Keerthana.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Tiger Vishwas.

ISBN:                   Hardcover                   978-1-5437-0175-3

                            Softcover                     978-1-5437-0177-7

                            eBook                          978-1-5437-0176-0

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www.partridgepublishing.com/india

Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Dedication

ASTHENIA is dedicated to my beautiful parents K.R. Dattatreya and A.V. Vanajakshi who have astonishingly tolerated me from being a ‘menacing child’, ‘troubled teen’, ‘reckless adolescent’ and an almost ‘written-off adult.’ I love you both very much.

The book is also dedicated to my wonderful wife, Priya Vishwas and an equally wonderful daughter, Keerthana Vishwas for having infinite patience to hear my story at regular intervals. I love you guys like crazy.

ASTHENIA is ultimately dedicated to all my lovely readers, as a book becomes complete only after its read. I’m sure you guys won’t be disappointed, but if at all you are, do pardon me. I will strive to come out with another book honed with better writing skills.

Chapter

1

T HE YEAR WAS 1994 cradling the month of August, on a high noon of a Sunday, when the white SUV kept its grip on a very tight leash, maneuvering rugged roads in its operation. It was as patient as its passengers who were heading towards the huge house for some sort of a meeting happening that afternoon. Not having the faintest idea about the turn of events, they chose to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

The housewife, the spiritualist, the man Friday and the friend accompanied by four cyclopean bodyguards were tucked inside the g-wagon; a 4-wheel drive luxury SUV of the Mercedes brand called the wolf. Its destination was a palatial house located on the outskirts of Bangalore in the satellite town of Yelahanka. Letting his eyes trace the unevenness of the road the driver drove to the pinnacle of his skills, considering the circumstances. Slowly as if moving in space, the housewife turned her head and looked toward the spiritualist echoing an assertive aura, receiving in return an equally enterprising vibe. Perhaps both women had levered themselves up the path to perfection in life, but by itself that perfection was not allowed to belittle their astounding humility. What they both needed at that point was a more concrete illustration of what lay ahead in the meeting at the house and how they would bring that awareness to bear on their realities of decisions and choices.

The sky was grey and the earth wanted to experience each drop of rain together and apart, same and different. But it had to wait, as the firmament was still in no mood to precipitate the liquid orchestra. Working its way beneath the darkened clouds the SUV looking like a white Arabian stallion veered on the drowsy outskirts of Bangalore. The important contrast was not so much between the passengers, as much as it was, between their minds active reception and rejection forcibly arguing within itself. The dramatic conception of what each individual was conceptualizing inside the vehicle was a process of imaginative expansion with an apparent conclusion, staying very long in the vast silent labyrinth of speculation, favoring themselves an inhospitable climate of phantasm. And in all these individuals it was quite appropriate to ask whether their apparent conclusions were in fact acceptable, or was there also a rational standpoint; a kind of an internal rationale to some particular instinct, a proof that their minds said that the events would unfold in a certain way conforming to reality.

ONLY TIME COULD TELL.

The housewife, the spiritualist, the man Friday and the friend accompanied by the cyclopean bodyguards reached the palatial house at Yelahanka, an hour post their departure from the city.

Chapter

2

7 MONTHS EAR LIER….

Karan dear, why don’t you go to Karthik’s house and play chess?

but ma, Karthik has gone to his native.

what about Bernice and Bethany? I’m sure they are in town. You can go to their house."

ma, they sleep in the afternoons.

hmmm. Ok, ok. Give me some time to finish my chores, after which I will figure out a way to put an end to your boredom, said sukanya to her son Karan.

ok. I’m waiting ma.

Rajeev and sukanya happened to be the happy parents of Karan who had joined in matrimony in the year 1980 with all the facets of commitment ensconced. Domiciled in Bangalore, Karnataka, they had made their dwelling in Jayanagar; a southern suburb of the city. Rajeev was a B.A graduate and sukanya had a degree in law. Complimenting and supporting each other in multidimensional ways they both had a dignified life with ample love and respect for one another. Rajeev the bread-winner had a decent job at the garments factory in the morning and worked as a co-adjutor for a public-prosecutor in the evening. He was an upright man who believed in honesty and morality. Sukanya the housewife was a hardworking woman who did her chores meticulously and loved to keep the house squeaky clean. In her free time, she read a lot of books, especially, the spiritual genre that simply fascinated her. At each day’s sundown, the family huddled together for warmth, after which Rajeev made haste for his evening work with the public prosecutor. Life went on with ease for the family as they hoped for a lot of similar humdinger of days in the future.

They had named their boy Karan enchanted by the warrior karna, one of the central characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, who was known for his sacrifice, courage, charity, valor and selflessness. Wanting their boy to possess similar virtues the name was a natural choice of the parents. Karan was an eight-year-old boy who was extremely playful and cherubic looking, blessed with an appealing aura. With a guiding father, and a dedicated mother his upbringing was holistic.

Sukanya as a person was very reflective about life. She was sensitive, caring and even minded by nature and nurture, having discipline, mannerisms and values etched in her character. Raised in kodaikanal by cultured parents known as Narayan and Hema, she was their only child who received the best upbringing in culture and education. Having grown up in a hill station with its scenic beauty and lush greenery, Sukanya’s personality had developed a sort of magnetic serenity that had worked wonders for her. Narayan had chosen Rajeev as his son-in-law from the recommendation of a friend who happened to have an acquaintance with the public prosecutor under whom Rajeev worked. By only spending a few minutes with him Narayan was able to ascertain that he was a man of noble virtues who would keep his daughter happy and out of harm’s way. And, post marriage Rajeev indeed kept sukanya happy. With absolute dignity and respect, he loved her beyond his depth, promoting the sound functioning of marital life, strengthening the fabric of family. He had promised Narayan that he would never fail her in his duties of dharma, artha and kama. Despite having an aspiration to practice law, she had married Rajeev at the behest of her father, and settled as a housewife.

Rajeev at his core was essentially an ultra-conscientious human being who practiced what he preached, and definitely preached what he practiced. As a father he would prevail against the most difficult odds of fate to secure his son’s future. Guiding his son on a daily basis about life and it’s never- ending woes, he was building in Karan: disposition, values and morals. His love for his son was not just instinctive, but was also based on learnedness.

ok Karan, I’m done with my chores. What do you want us to do?

Great! Let’s play chess ma."

The mother and son played chess for an hour or so which Karan thoroughly enjoyed, and it was evening by then.

let’s go to the park boy. I will enjoy my time with nature, and you can enjoy yours by playing.

sounds super ma.

Both of them got ready and headed straight towards the park. As they strolled by, sukanya explained to her son about nature and its generosity to mankind. She also told him how trees enrich human souls by emitting a substance called phytoncide which means aroma of the forest. Looking puzzled, Karan asked,

ma do I have this for my exam?

hahaha. No dear you don’t. but it will help you in the exam of life. Phytoncides are produced to help plants and trees to protect themselves from insects and germs. When we humans spend time with nature, their positivity influences us calming our minds.

NATURE BASICALLY HEALS.

Karan was deeply engrossed at what his mother was saying. He probably assumed that nature was some kind of a doctor. Soon they reached the park, and sukanya let go of Karan’s hand. As he excitedly left for the play area, he looked back and said,

ma, get yourself some good nature healing.

surely dear. You have fun.

Sukanya was happy inculcating an immeasurable benefit of nature in her son. Whenever time permitted, she used to feed Karan with knowledge and wisdom that would later on help him in shaping his life. Sitting on a stone bench, she began contemplating the vastness of mother nature amid the cold weather, as it was the month of December. Her mind flitted across various thoughts, and when she was just about to hang-on on one constructive thought, she saw a dignified figure wrapped around in a shawl approaching her in the distance. It was a beautiful woman with a striking aura that could hold the attention of a hermit! As the woman neared sukanya, a sense of enthrallment bound her. With a sweet voice, the woman spoke,

can I sit here?

With absolute courtesy, sukanya replied,

please do.

thankyou. Hello there. My name is Geeta.

Hai. Nice meeting you. My name is sukanya.

After exchanging pleasantries and civilities, both the women sat in absolute silence. Breaking the ice after a while, Geeta asked,

you stay somewhere close-by?

oh yes. Just a stone’s throw-away.

how about you?

pretty close. 7th block actually.

yeah. how come we’ve never met? asked sukanya.

well, I work for an N.G.O, and hardly find any time for myself. Today, somehow, I’m relieved a bit early, so I thought why not take a stroll, answered Geeta.

nice.

The ladies soon struck up a warm acquaintance with each other, continuing their bonhomie. As they spoke, they realized their personalities were quite a match. They had a lot of similarities: both were women of substance and character. They were both gentle and courteous. Both practiced meditation, and were staunch advocates of spirituality. All in all, the women were feminism on steroids!

time to go. Left all by himself, my boy would play the whole night.

As she was closing the conversation, Karan, surprisingly came to his mother and said,

ma, I think we should go home.

Quite amazed at Karan’s discipline, sukanya said,

this is my son Karan. Karan say hello to Mrs. Geeta.

All of a sudden Geeta became stone cold silent. She felt she was struck by a lightning or something. Undergoing a brief spasmodic muscular contraction, she twitched her hand. With an induced smile, she took leave of the mother and son in hurry-scurry. Sukanya being a meditative person absorbed quite some tension off Geeta’s body language. She was a tad perplexed at seeing the untimely exit.

WHAT FEELINGS HAD HER SON EVOKED IN GEETA TO MAKE HER LEAVE IN SUCH A HURRY?

This question bothered her quite a bit. Ignoring it as trivial, sukanya and Karan strolled back to their house, Karan humming a poem to himself.

Rajeev was a very hardworking man who took life and work seriously. Being a sole bread-winner, he clocked 14 hours a day to make ends meet. He had taken the evening off from the prosecutor’s office, as he wanted to spend time with his family. Karan was delighted to see his father at home.

popsie, I love you said Karan and jumped on his father.

how was park champ? Had fun?

"awesome fun!

did you meet all your friends? any new games you guys came up with?

oh yes, popsie. Lots. I will tell you once I freshen up.

Sukanya was happy too, seeing her consort. Hugging each other they pecked at one another’s cheeks with great intimacy. After freshening up, Karan pounced on his father’s lap and reported blow-by-blow about his sojourn in the park. Watching the father-son duo interacting, the ever tranquil sukanya headed toward the kitchen to make a delicious dinner for her loved ones.

dearest hubby and dearest sunny, dinner ready please come along.

only if you feed us, came the reply.

ok my loved ones, I will. Now get your bodies here before the food gets cold.

"coming along to tear the dining table up!

bon Appetit. And the family feasted on.

Chapter

3

A GIRL WHO HAD rubbed shoulders with the homeless and destitute of Bombay was raised in an orphanage called Ambuja homes. A tough nut to crack, her vigour and enthusiasm toward life was spellbinding. Starting from working in the kitchen, laundry, gardening, ironing, to cleaning the rubbish; this girl had once done it all. No chore proved to be taxing on her. From a tender age she was exposed to life’s whips and scorns and through that suffering, her character had been built rock-strong. When the girl turned 24, an important person of a spiritual organization had initiated her into spirituality. From that juncture, there was no looking back. The woman dedicated her entire life to spirituality and social service, and was known by the name, Geeta dabra. Possessing dynamic energy and positive spiritual force this woman was a stalwart. She woke up at 4 am every single day treating it as a blessing. A refreshing walk and a cold bath followed by meditation would jumpstart her day, and as the day rolled by, she would be present at a local N.G.O, briefing selfless individuals like her about the day’s activities. The angels would spread themselves across the city visiting government schools, orphanages, slums, asylums, and old age homes. Geeta dabra and her entourage were human beings extraordinaire who had devoted their lives to the underprivileged.

After many years of travail in Bombay, Geeta and her team of social workers had come down to Bangalore to do social work. Establishing themselves very strongly in the garden city, their concern for others was simply felicitous. Although having permanent quarters at the spiritual home, Geeta preferred to stay alone way from it, in a small abode in Jayanagar, that belonged to a spiritual aspirant who had let out the house for her. Removing every mental block of life through intellectualization and doing her duty without the thought of results, Geeta dabra was a detached soul who could observe life with all its ups and downs. On the whole the woman was virtues incarnate.

Chapter

4

h AVE YOU HEARD about Aurangzeb, gulnaz?

Hmmm, Aurangzeb? Oh, yes, the Mughal emperor, right?

no. not the Mughal emperor. I was referring to Hanslal Mehta, the notorious gangster. He is known as Aurangzeb in the underworld.

oh my god! You mean the Hanslal Mehta; the terror of the underworld.

that’s right, gulnaz. Our boss and the gangster go back a long way, sharing a deadly animosity for one another from the past.

really. I didn’t know that Rajeev.

yes. Ok, leave all that. the boss might be coming in any time. Make sure all the dossiers are ready for tomorrow. Keep the boss’s chambers tidy, and don’t ask stupid questions when he comes.

argh! Stop it Rajeev. I never ask stupid questions to the boss, and besides being a secretary I’m also the boss’s indispensable hand. Hence I know more than what actually should be done.

oh yes. That’s precisely the problem gulnaz.

Standing at 6 feet two inches, broad body frame, and an august legal lineage, Satyajit Bhandari scared the living daylights out of criminals. Having a ninety percent conviction rate, the intrepid public prosecutor was a sworn bachelor who had consecrated his time and energy for law. Intelligent and overbearing, the man was a respectable legal luminary of his time. His office was situated in Basvanagudi, K.R road. He had quite an impressive legal and para-legal staff; Rajeev and gulnaz being his fave. The former was his co-adjutor, and the latter his secretary. Both of them were loyal and efficient; Rajeev being highly level headed, and gulnaz being slightly air headed.

my cup of decaf, letter from the registrar about disclosure and notice requirements, and two new black parkers on the table right now, gulnaz, came the authoritative baritone from the P.P, as he entered the office.

right away sir, ran the secretary helter-skelter.

Rajeev, get me these files immediately. I’m preparing something so strong this time that will annihilate his empire totally. His days are numbered, I tell you.

certainly sir.

At sharp 7:30 pm, a black Mercedes 500E halted below Satyajit Bhandari’s office. The bodyguard immediately got out of the car to open the rear door. As the door opened, a grim looking man with a cigar in his mouth came out. He wore a pinstriped suit, a matching hat and shoes polished to look like mirrors. With just one gaze, the man could unsettle any adult’s composure. He was tall looking, with an impressive physique developed through years of rigorous training. Taking the elevator, he pressed 3, which housed Mr. Bhandari’s office. On the third floor, he was greeted by the receptionist with a smile.

do you have an appointment sir?

"my name is Hanslal Mehta, and I don’t take appointments, thundered the gangster.

but sir, this is the office of the public prosecutor, and appointments are a must.

The bodyguard accompanied by the gangster lunged forward, and the receptionist didn’t utter a word. Walking straight inside like a lion, Aurangzeb headed towards Bhandari’s chambers, gatecrashing inside the room without knocking. The prosecutor and the gangster came face to face.

A CLASH OF THE TITANS!

The emotional atmosphere in the room was obvious and noticeable. Their eyes made no attempt to conceal the hatred they had for one another.

A HATRED OF AGES!

As long as the titans were far away, they were like the rumble of clouds. But when they fell on each other’s heads, they were thunder indeed. Satyajit Bhandari and Hanslal Mehta were like molecules of oil and water: super separable!

you can’t barge in like this, asserted gulnaz, who was taking a dictation from her boss.

relax gulnaz. Its ok. People don’t get to meet Hanslal Mehta on a daily basis. Its, my lucky day, said the prosecutor, his voice filled with sarcasm. Trembling with fear, gulnaz walked out of the room looking for Rajeev. He was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter

5

K ARAN, PLEASE ANSWER the door, spoke sukanya from the kitchen, as the calling bell rang twice.

ok ma.

Karan ran towards the door, confident that it was one of his friends. It wasn’t. There stood a lady outside the door, and Karan recognized her instantly. It was the same lady from the park.

who is it Karan?, came sukanya towards the door, her hands being all sticky from kneading the dough.

"oh, it’s you. Geeta right?

hello sukanya.

please come in.

Geeta dabra and sukanya sat in the drawing room, as Karan galloped towards the backyard to clean his cycle.

sorry sukanya, for coming in abruptly like this. I mean we just met recently and here I’m bothering you in your house with my presence.

well, you simply vanished the other day. Anyway, that’s ok. What brings you here?

"I’m sorry for that. my health was down and I had a……

you had a, what?

let me put it straight, sukanya. I had a premonition about your son, and I want to share it with you.

There was an air of discomfort followed by a moment of silence.

what premonition? What are you talking about?

I had a foreboding about your son, Karan. I was filled with a sense of feeling that something unfavorable would happen to him. I know it’s pretty weird which is why I initially didn’t want to share it with you, as it was just a feeling with no definite logic or reason. But it has started to grow stronger. Trust me sukanya, I have always had the ability to perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception. I have come here as a well-wisher to warn you about it, and to caution you to give special attention, regarding the safety of your son.

After listening to sukanya with rapt attention, sukanya spoke;

the other day when I met you for the first time, I was impressed by your stature. Later on, when you met my son, I noticed your discomposure. Now, in my house you come and tell me there is danger lurking around my son’s life! I know people like you. For a few bucks, you become creators of people’s destinies, making magical predictions. Fooling people in the name of extra-sensory perception. I’m sorry, I’m not buying your hogwash.

sukanya, I understand your resentment. You have no reason to believe me as I lack proof of something concrete. I can’t give you a corroboration of what I have experienced. But in the least, don’t ignore them. There is no harm in taking precautions. A measure taken beforehand can prevent harm.

Enough! Please leave.

I’m sorry?

you heard me Geeta. I have taken quite some nonsense of yours. Now, please leave my house.

Geeta took a deep audible breath and said, I’m deeply apologetic about all this. If I were a mother, I would react exactly this way. Take care of Karan, and if you need any help contact me on this number. She kept the piece of paper on the tea-poy and bid adieu to sukanya. A transfixed sukanya stood at the door, seeing Geeta leave her house, vanishing in the darkness of the dusk. Despite being even-keeled she was petrified. A