“Hi, I’m Janvi Sinha,” she muttered to herself, leaning back in her chair at the ZX News office. A
fresh graduate and new recruit, Janvi had joined the newspaper full of dreams—dreams of
uncovering gripping stories and making a difference. But the reality was far from it. Her first
assignment? Covering the demolition of an old tomb that was being turned into a public
washroom.
Janvi sighed, her notebook lying untouched on the table. She turned to her manager, frustration
written all over her face. “Sir, with all due respect, there’s so much happening out there—real
stories, important stories—and we’re stuck covering this? An old tomb?”
Her manager barely looked up from his desk. “It’s news, Janvi. If it’s happening, it needs to be
reported. Focus on the assignment,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Dejected, she left the room and found Akash, her friend and cameraman, fiddling with his
camera. “Hey, Akash, guess what? I’m about to break the most exciting story of the year,” she
said sarcastically, plopping down next to him.
“Oh? Don’t tell me they’re finally letting you cover the mayor’s scandal?” Akash teased, his face
lighting up with mock excitement.
“Nope,” Janvi replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s about an old tomb being turned into a washroom.
Groundbreaking journalism, isn’t it?”
Akash burst into laughter. “Wow, Janvi. You’re on fire! I mean, who wouldn’t want to read about
that?”
“Laugh all you want, but this is my life now,” she said, throwing a crumpled piece of paper at
him. “Anyway, we’re going there tomorrow at 4 p.m. Don’t be late.”
The next day, Janvi and Akash arrived at the site. The tomb was nothing special—just a
crumbling structure surrounded by overgrown weeds. They interviewed a few locals and took
some photos, wrapping up the assignment in a couple of hours.
On the way back, Janvi sighed. “I can’t believe I studied journalism for this. I wanted to uncover
crimes, expose corruption—not write about a tomb-turned-toilet!”
“Patience, Janvi,” Akash said, trying to cheer her up. “Every great journalist starts somewhere.
Who knows? Maybe this boring assignment will lead to something bigger.”
“That’s doubtful,” she muttered.
Later that evening, Janvi returned home to her family. Her father, a lawyer, was engrossed in his
case files, while her mother was busy in the kitchen. Her elder sister teased her as usual about
her “glamorous” job. After dinner, Janvi retreated to her room, her safe haven. She spent the
evening binge-watching crime documentaries, her guilty pleasure, though they often left her too
scared to sleep peacefully.
The next evening, as she and Akash were heading back from another routine assignment, they
noticed a group of policemen searching the area near a slum. Janvi’s curiosity was piqued.
“What’s going on here?” she asked one of the officers.
“A vendor has gone missing,” the officer replied, barely glancing at her.
“Another one?” Janvi asked, frowning.
“It’s the third case this week,” the officer said before walking away.
Janvi turned to Akash. “Have you noticed how many people have been disappearing around
here lately?”
Akash nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, I’ve heard about it. But it’s probably nothing—just people
moving away or something.”
“Three in one week, Akash? That’s not nothing,” Janvi said firmly.
Akash hesitated before replying. “Alright, I’ll admit it’s strange. But there’s something else I’ve
been hearing about. Ever heard of Pharmatech Industries?”
Janvi raised an eyebrow. “Pharmatech? No, what is it?”
“They’ve opened a hospital near here. Rumor has it they’ve been conducting experiments on
bodies, even after death. There was a huge uproar about it last year, but it somehow died
down,” Akash said in a hushed tone.
Janvi’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I didn’t think it was relevant. Besides, it’s dangerous to dig into stuff like this,” Akash replied.
“Dangerous? That’s exactly why we need to investigate it,” Janvi said, her excitement growing.
“Janvi, come on. This is way above our pay grade. Let’s stick to writing about tombs and
washrooms,” Akash joked, though his unease was evident.
But Janvi’s mind was already racing. Could this be the story she had been waiting for?
Something real, something that mattered?
The next day, she began researching Pharmatech Industries, digging through old articles and
public records. What she found only deepened her suspicions. The company’s history was
riddled with controversies—unexplained deaths, missing reports, and legal battles that had
mysteriously been dropped.
Janvi shared her findings with Akash. “We have to go to that hospital. If there’s even a chance
that they’re involved in these disappearances, we need to expose them.”
Reluctantly, Akash agreed. The following evening, they visited the hospital under the guise of
writing a feature on healthcare facilities. They spoke to staff members, subtly trying to gather
information. But most of them denied knowing anything unusual, and the few who seemed
nervous refused to talk.
The next day, they visited the hospital under the guise of writing a healthcare feature. They
interviewed staff members and observed the premises but found nothing unusual. Days passed,
and every lead seemed to hit a dead end.
“Janvi, I think you’re overthinking this,” Akash said one evening as they left the hospital. “Not
everything is a conspiracy.”
“But what about the missing people? And those rumors about Pharmatech?” Janvi asked.
“Sometimes rumors are just rumors,” Akash said. “Let’s drop this before we get into trouble.”
Janvi reluctantly agreed but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Sure,
Over the next few days, Janvi tried to piece together what she had seen in the hospital. She
revisited old news articles about Pharmatech Industries, but most of the information was vague,
almost like it had been intentionally buried.
Akash noticed her restless behavior and sighed. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
Janvi shook her head. “Akash, there’s something going on. I can’t ignore this.”
He hesitated for a moment before replying, “Alright, but if we go back, we’re doing this together.
No sneaking around alone.”
Janvi smiled. “Deal.”
A few nights later, the two of them returned to the hospital. They waited until visiting hours were
over, blending into the small crowd of lingering visitors before slipping down a quiet corridor.
“Why do I feel like we’re in one of your crime documentaries?” Akash muttered.
“Because we are,” Janvi said, grinning despite the tension.
They retraced their steps to the corridor Janvi had explored before. This time, the door was
closed. “It was open last time,” she whispered.
“Maybe they figured out someone had been here,” Akash replied.
Janvi gave him a pointed look. “That’s why we’re here. To find out what they’re hiding.”
She carefully turned the knob, and the door creaked open. The room was dimly lit, filled with
strange machinery. Papers and documents were now scattered across a desk in the corner.
“Look at this,” Janvi whispered, pointing at the papers.
Akash frowned as he picked up a sheet. “These are medical reports. But… these people are
dead.”
Janvi’s stomach churned. “Why would a hospital keep files on deceased patients? What are
they doing here?”
Before they could dig deeper, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Someone was
coming.
“Hide!” Janvi hissed.
They quickly ducked behind a cabinet just as the door opened. A man in a lab coat walked in,
muttering to himself as he rifled through the papers.
Janvi held her breath, her heart pounding. Beside her, Akash looked equally terrified.
After what felt like an eternity, the man gathered some papers and left, locking the door behind
him.
Akash let out a shaky breath. “That was way too close.”
Janvi didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed on the desk. “We need those files. Did you see the
names? Some of those people went missing recently.”
Akash looked at her in disbelief. “You’re insane. We almost got caught!”
“This is the story, Akash. People are disappearing, and it’s connected to this hospital. We can’t
back out now,” Janvi said firmly.
“Alright,” Akash said reluctantly. “But we need a better plan. We can’t just walk in here like this
again.”
As they left the hospital, Janvi’s mind raced. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were onto
something huge—and she wasn’t going to stop until she uncovered the truth.