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Kannur ke dense jungle ke edge pe ek exclusive spiritual retreat tha — ‘Inner Aatma Echoes’. Wahan sirf invitation basis pe log aate the: entrepreneurs, influencers, ex-CEOs, burnt-out creatives — sab kuch temporary detox ya redemption ke liye. Retreat conduct karta tha Guru Shivanand, once a controversial life coach turned holistic guru.
Vanisha Dutt, 32, Delhi ki ek popular YouTube mindfulness creator, iss baar ke retreat ki highlight guest thi. Teen din retreat chalna tha – yoga, silence hours, ‘authentic sharing circles’, aur ek ‘ego death’ ritual jo final din hota tha. Guests apne past secrets likhte ek patte pe, phir meditation ke dauraan usse jala dete.
Pehle din sab normal chala. Dusre din shaam, ek minor scuffle hua Dr. Ashok Kalra aur Vanisha ke beech during an exercise. Kalra, ek retired psychiatrist, Vanisha ke ‘energy healing’ methods ko pseudo-scientific keh ke chidh gaya tha. Vanisha ne bas ek sardi bhare ton mein kaha tha: “Not everything you can diagnose, doctor.”
Teesre din subah, Guru Shivanand ko Vanisha unconscious mili meditation tent ke paas. CPR fail – body cold thi, posture calm, jaise peacefully gayi ho. Retreat doctor ne suggest kiya ‘natural cardiac arrest’ – but Vanisha ka wellness record flawless tha. Police bulayi gayi – lekin jungles mein signal weak tha, aur lodge ko reach karne mein sarkaari help ko 12 ghante lag gaye.
Tab tak, ek internal inquiry start ho chuki thi. Shivanand ne group ko bola: “Jo bhi hua, hum tab tak yahan se nahi jaayenge jab tak truth surface na ho. Truth chhipa to nahi sakta.”
Unhone sab se poocha ki kya kisi ne kuch unusual dekha previous night? Kahi kisi ne kuch suspect toh nahi kiya?
Journalist Saara Menon — jo chhupke undercover retreat ka expose karne aayi thi — ne quietly observe kiya tha ki Guru Shivanand ka assistant Raju ne meditation tent ke aaspaas kuch ghantiyaan change ki thi. Vanisha’s smoke bowl bhi dusre bowls se slightly alag tha.
Lekin sabse twist tab aaya jab ek wellness influencer, Pia Mehta, apne vlog camera ke stored footage check kar rahi thi – accidentally uski camera tent ke opp side mein thi, aur usne record kiya tha ek shadow jaisa figure jo raat ke 2 baje tent mein gaya tha aur ek chhoti vial jaisi cheez Vanisha ke smoke bowl mein daali.
Zoom karne par bhi face clear nahi tha – lekin figure thoda limping tha.
Ek aur surprise mila – Dr. Kalra ka yoga injury ke chalte ek purana limp tha, aur woh bina kisi ke dikhaye tent ke paas gaya tha, secretly smoking karne.
Jab police aayi, Pia ne footage dikhayi. Kalra se poocha gaya, toh bola: “Main kya bolun? Vanisha was misleading people, selling placebo as healing. But I didn’t kill her. I did tamper the bowls – but only swapped her sage stalk with regular dry neem out of spite. That can’t kill.”
Postmortem ne bataaya: Vanisha died due to oleander poisoning – ek toxic plant jo rare hota hai but nearby forest mein grow karta hai.
Saara Menon ne jungle walks ke drone footage mein analyze karke identify kiya – Raju, the quiet assistant, baar baar early morning ek hi spot pe jaata tha. Jab uske room ki checking hui, wahaan ek small grindstone aur oleander paste mila — importantly, uske fingerprints ke saath.
Catch? Raju kuch years pehle Vanisha ke ‘energy healing’ scam se financially ruin ho chuka tha. Vanisha had sold him an expensive “soul realignment” package jab wo depression phase mein tha. Uske baad depression aur badha, aur uski maa ne suicide ki thi. Yeh sab kisi ko pata nahi tha, kyunki Raju ne kabhi reveal nahi kiya.
Raju ne confess kiya: “Guruji ke kehne pe mujhe sab forgive kar dena chahiye tha. Par maine bas ek poison distribute kar diya – woh bhi dark karma ke naam pe. Insaan hi toh hoon.”
Guru Shivanand quietly baith gaya. He knew Raju was hurting, par yeh expect nahi kiya tha. Vanisha’s masked exploitative side, Raju ka internal grief aur retreat ka forced forgiveness philosophy – sab tah-tah ho gaya tha.
Retreat band ho gaya. Saara ne secretly likha ek viral report: “Inner Aatma ya Inner Darkness?”
