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Palmgrove Heights, Mumbai ka ek high-rise gated society, jahan har Sunday morning ek virtual mindfulness workshop hoti thi via YouTube Live. Workshop host karti thi Anuja Rao—ek popular wellness influencer jiska channel lakhs tak subscribers pahunch gaya tha pandemic ke baad.
Is hafte ka session khas tha. Anuja ne promise kiya tha ek “deep cleanse guided trance therapy” with carefully chosen volunteers from the society itself. Total 6 log screen pe the—ek retired banker, ek teen mom influencer, ek fitness freak, ek newly engaged couple aur ek college professor. Sab logon ne stream join kiya Anuja ke instruction ke hisaab se.
Sab smooth tha jab tak screen pe baitha Vikas Ahuja—wo hi professor—achanak se thama, aankhein palakna band kar diya, aur phir camera ke saamne hi collapse ho gaya. Chat mein log pareshaan ho gaye. Viewers ne socha yeh koi unexpected medical emergency thi. Stream turant disconnect kar diya gaya.
Par agle din, news aayi: Vikas ki death natural nahi thi. Police ne jab uske system aur study room ki preliminary report publish ki, toh pata chala wo caffeine overdose se mara tha—par stream ke dauraan toh sirf herbal tea diya gaya tha sab volunteers ko, jo Anuja ne personally courier kiya tha Friday ke din WITH customized glass cup sets. Us tea ko lab mein test kiya gaya—aur pata chala Vikas ka cup mein ek untraceable synthetic stimulant tha jo normal tests mein detect nahi hota. High dose mein wo heart palpitations badha ke ek temporary seizure jaisa induce karta hai—unless specially test kiya jaye, cause unknown lagta hai.
Anuja ne claim kiya ki sab ne same detox tea piya tha. Baki 5 bilkul theek the. Toh poison sirf Vikas ke cup mein kaise gaya?
Policing was tough. Sab kuch live tha—youTube stream ka recording bhi mila. Cups identical the. Tea brewing bhi sab ne apne apne ghar pe ki thi. Par ek baat chhupi reh gayi. Kisi ne notice kiya ki stream shuru hone se sirf 8 minute pehle Vikas ne ek awkward sa pause leke camera off kiya tha 10 seconds ke liye. Jab wapas on kiya toh kuch alag tha—lekin pata nahi kya.
Phir building ke CCTV footage ne ek naye clue ka raasta diya. Friday raat ko kisi hoodie-wale ne Vikas ke flat ki delivery rack pe ek aur box rakha tha—original Anuja delivery ke baad. Us parcel pe Anuja ka hi label tha par handwriting match nahi karti thi. Forensics mein pata chala synthetic stimulant usi ‘alternate tea bag’ se tha.
Jab Anuja ko confront kiya gaya, wo break down hone lagi. Par phir ek aur twist aaya: delivery log sheet mein dekha gaya ek naam — Shruti Kaul.
Shruti wo hi mom influencer thi jo stream pe calm aur composed thi. Backtrace karne pe laga ki uske aur Professor Vikas ke beech ek private interaction hua tha exactly ek mahine pehle—Shruti ke kuch notes copy karne ke excuse mein Vikas ne usse inappropriate approach kiya tha. Jab Shruti ne protest kiya, toh Vikas ne usse threaten kiya ki wo uski social image pe questions uthayega — Shruti ke monetized brand promotions nuqsan mein aa sakte the.
Shruti ne kisi ko nahi bataya. Lekin she joined therapy sessions regularly — noting ki Anuja ka detox box har session mein standard hota tha. Shruti ne next delivery box recreate kiya, lekin sirf Vikas ke liye swap kar diya. Usne Anuja ke fonts tak replicate kiye, aur society ke internal courier boy ko bribed kar ke box delivery rack pe rakha diya.
Sab kuch soch samajh ke kiya gaya tha, par ek choti si glitch—Vikas ne apna stream setup 8 minutes pehle hi open kiya tha aur cup uss time trolley se uthaya gaya toh frame mein momentarily aaya tha. Slow-mo analysis ne dikha diya cup ke base pe ek slight discoloration—jo Anuja wala set se match nahi karta tha. Isi visual discrepancy ne Shruti ko corner mein la diya.
Shruti ne confess kiya silently—sabko pata nahi chala. Anuja ne quietly uska channel delete karwa diya, police ko bas tampered delivery aur swapped parcel par case close karna pada. Society mein koi khula punishment nahi hua. Vikas ki death ko accidental declare kiya gaya.
Par Palmgrove mein mindfulness sessions ab band ho gaye hain.
Har resident ab sirf silence choose karta hai. Par unka silence ek aur scream jaisa lagta hai.
