The Unraveling Thread
(Amit's Perspective)
Raghu's eyes darted around the room, landing on each unconscious figure with a dawning horror. He finally focused on me, his face a mask of bewildered terror.
"Where… what… who are you?" he stammered, his voice a mere croak.
I leaned in close, my voice low and dangerous. "The children. Tell me about the children. All of them." I didn't mention Deepak specifically, not yet. I needed to gauge how much he knew about the entire operation.
He hesitated, his eyes flicking nervously towards the door leading to the other room. "They… they were just brought here. For… for transport."
"Transport where?" I pressed, my grip tightening on his kurta collar. "And who is organizing this 'transport'?"
He stammered, avoiding my gaze. "I… I don't know the final destination. We just… we get instructions. A phone call. That's it."
I shifted my line of questioning. "Human trafficking. You spoke of it earlier. Tell me everything you know."
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "It's… it's a separate thing. …I just… I help with the logistics sometimes. Getting them here."
"Who is your contact for this trafficking?" I demanded. "Who is at the top of this chain?"
He shook his head vehemently, his eyes wide with genuine fear. "I don't know! I swear! He just gets calls. Different numbers each time. He never talks about the people higher up. It's all done through the phone."
I didn't believe him entirely, but his fear seemed genuine. He was likely just a cog in a much larger, more sinister machine. I reached into his pocket and retrieved his mobile phone. It was a cheap, basic model. I powered it on, noting the recent call history. A series of unfamiliar numbers. I pocketed the phone. It might contain valuable clues.
With a sigh of grim resignation, I delivered another sharp strike to Raghu's jaw, silencing him once more. He slumped back against the sofa, unconscious but alive. He would be my leverage.
Turning my attention to the heavy wooden door, I carefully pushed it open and stepped inside. The sight that greeted me was both heartbreaking and a profound relief. Ten children, boys and girls, lay huddled together on the bare floor, their small faces pale and drawn, etched with the residue of tears and fear. Their breathing was shallow, their sleep clearly drug-induced. And there, nestled amongst the others, his familiar features small and vulnerable, was Deepak. A wave of relief washed over me, so potent it almost buckled my knees. He was alive. They were all alive, for now.
I stepped back out of the cramped room, the image of their innocent faces burned into my mind. I pulled Raghu's phone from my pocket and I dialed a number and I pressed the call button. The phone rang, the sound echoing in the eerie silence of the abandoned factory. I held my breath, waiting for the voice on the other end.