The Hidden Agenda Read online

  The Hidden Agenda

  Uncovering the truth behind global tragedy

  AJINKYA SATISH DHARANE

  Copyright © 2020 Ajinkya Satish Dharane

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN: 9798652893736

  Imprint: Independently published

  Cover design by: Ajinkya Satish Dharane

  Contents

  The Hidden Agenda

  Copyright

  Dedication

  ABOUT THE BOOK

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  This book is a token of love and support to my wife - Achal, my parents - Satish and Ujwala, my brother - Adwait.

  They continue to stand by me in the thick and thin and encouraged me to follow my heart in all my ventures.

  In addition, I want to extend a Special Thanks to my beta readers who endured my rookie writing skills. These wonderful people made this book a better read:

  Trupti Bhalgat

  Tanmay Gadkari

  Arpit Agarwal

  Vishakha Sodha Khakhar

  Yash Khakhar

  ABOUT THE BOOK

  This book is a work of fiction. Though I have used some significant events in the book, note that the conclusions, characters, storylines are all fictitious.

  As everyone in the world, the real pandemic of COVID-19 has hit my profession hard. I was looking to assign blame for this global tragedy. So, I created a story around the blame.

  I do not encourage or promote any kind of conspiracy theory. If you want facts about the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit your country's health department website.

  Thank you for reading.

  Cheers,

  Ajinkya Satish Dharane

  Prologue

  "This has gotten bigger than we planned. If someone finds out, the world will crucify my family and me."

  Mr. Lee, a man in his forties, wearing a vibrant black suit, a purple tie, was staring at the numbers on his tablet, entirely shocked and frightened. Mr. Lee was a thin man with a short stature. If not for his vast wealth and family reputation, he would be ignored by the least fortunate person on the streets of China. Mr. Lee was not the man he usually portrayed. To the outside world, he was a wealthy, confident, smart, and a genius businessman. But it was all a part of an act to maintain his public image. In reality, he was a timid guy who was always seeking approval of his followers.

  His eyes now were filling up, small drops of sweat starting to appear on his forehead. The vast dining room, overlooking the valley, was utterly silent. The rain was pouring down heavily, but Mr. Lee's heart was pounding louder. The scenic views outside the enormous French windows were not complimenting the mood inside the room.

  The room was filled with expensive artifacts from around the world. Right behind, Mr. Lee hung a huge antique Victorian style wall clock. The clock was a gift by his majesty King George V in 1912 to Mr. Lee's grandfather. The family had maintained the clock as their most valuable possession. It was probably worth millions in the black market. Still, Lee family had never even thought of checking its value, let alone sell it. Among the rich and pretentious society, the clock would earn them more than millions - bragging rights. It was a handsome piece with the body made of walnut wood in merlot-cherry colour, silver dial hands, dark black roman numbers, and a rusty but functional gear mechanism. On the right wall, the portraits of Lee's family patriarchs were hung from the last four generations. Mr. Lee's father had passed about seven years ago. After that, he had taken up the mantle as head of the family, as well as the complete control of their business empire.

  Mr. Lee was not involved in the family business as he should have been before his father passed away suddenly. Senior Lee had dropped dead unexpectedly, due to cardiac arrest on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, just two hours after returning from the golf course, in their family home just outside Shanghai. Mr. Lee was away in Thailand at the time. He returned immediately to Shanghai. He was devastated but was not even given the time to mourn his father's death. He was pushed into the business the very next day. Mr. Lee's first task was to address his thousands of employees about the direction the company would take under his leadership. He had someone else write the speech for him. The statement was monotonous, with Mr. Lee emphasizing the same core values the company operated on for many years. The employees were expecting a modern approach as they saw Mr. Lee as a youth and modernization icon. The rumours and doubts had started spreading immediately on the capabilities of young Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee knew he had inherited a substantial business empire and had no legacy of his own, yet.

  He was not close with his father. Yet, he understood his position as the heir of the century-old business and the responsibilities that came with it. Now even seven years later, Mr. Lee was barely coping with the duties as any thirty-eight-year-old with no experience would.

  It had been about twenty-five minutes since his assistant presented the report. Finally, Mr. Lee spoke, "Call Mr. Ghazi now."

  Mr. Lee's assistant immediately pulled out his satellite phone and dialled Mr. Ghazi. The phone rang, but no one answered. Mr. Lee was sweating more now. He knew that he had screwed up big time. He never wanted more than three hundred thousand people to die. He never wanted to ruin so many lives. He never wanted for families to get torn apart. He never wanted so many businesses to close down. All he wanted was to gain recognition as a world saviour. He was feeling betrayed. He was feeling confused. He was getting angry at himself and his partners.

  Mr. Lee was the Chairman and owner of Ziyuan Group of Companies, a multi-national conglomerate. The group was privately held by Lee's family. The company's principal business included the trading of agriculture produce, livestock farming, and distributing. They also had food processing plants like baking essentials. The group had an arm of pharmaceutical research and products. The group had something to do with most of the essential daily needs of human lives.

  In the rich history of business, the family had never faced any controversy. The family was known for its philanthropic efforts to help the less fortunate. They were among the biggest employers in the country, holding close relations with elites in business and political circles around the globe.

  Mr. Lee knew very well that if this scandal breaks, all the fame, wealth, and reputation his family built over generations will vanish in seconds. The government would charge him from treason and would sentence him to death. No other nation in the world would give him refuge. His young kids would have to flee the country at best or live a life of shame, dying slowly.

  Mr. Lee looked at his assistant, fear very much evident in his eyes. "What about Dr. Chung?"

  "We are confident of him. If he decides
to leave the herd, we will take care of him. He would not think of going back on his commitment."

  At this cold response from his assistant, Mr. Lee broke down entirely and started bawling like a child. He felt as if an invisible force was choking him. He wanted to give in and die but was not allowed to die.

  Mr. Lee scanned the room and felt the silence around. It was his favourite room amongst many properties; Lee family owned around the world. The room brought delightful and happy memories for Mr. Lee. He had used this room to throw parties in his college days. The room was filled with expensive but tasteful decor and had seen young Lee and his friends pass out on various occasions. Then the room had also seen many corporate deals go through in Mr. Lee's adulthood. This room gave him the confidence which he generally lacked in life. Somehow this brick and mortar was an emotional pillar in Mr. Lee's life. But today, the room was witnessing a loser in Mr. Lee. Today, even his favourite room was not providing him with any comfort.

  Three of his servants brought in some green tea and his meal. The head butler was supervising the food serving, as Mr. Lee was particular about the placement of the food on his plate. The stringent table manners were preached to Mr. Lee by his father. The head butler was confused to see his wealthy, dominant, decisive employer in a helpless condition. He looked at Mr. Lee's assistant, who was looking down and standing still. He was doing everything he can to avoid eye contact with Mr. Lee or the butler. The butler gathered some courage and asked Mr. Lee, "Are you okay, Boss?" He received no response. He took the cue and left the room.

  Guilt and fear now dominated Mr. Lee's mind. He was conflicted about the course of action he wanted to take. He was contemplating two options, come clean and face death through legal action or kill himself to avoid public humiliation. The thought of his family followed every idea. No matter what, he loved his wife and kids. But they did not know what Mr. Lee had done, how he was responsible for the death of so many people, how he was responsible for ruining so many lives.

  Suddenly, the phone rang. Mr. Lee's assistant answered the phone. It was Mr. Ghazi. Mr. Lee took the phone and greeted Mr. Ghazi, trying hard to sound typical, "Hello Mr. Ghazi, I hope you are doing very well."

  But Mr. Ghazi sensed the uncertainty in Mr. Lee's voice. He did not return the greeting. He ignored the fact that maybe Mr. Lee was wavering from his commitment and feeling empathy towards victims.

  Mr. Ghazi, in his stern voice and middle-eastern accent, said, "Where are you?"

  "At my cottage. Listen, Mr. Ghazi, we need to increase security around the information. Maybe make the circle tighter. Those groups of doctors are loose ends, and we need to figure out a way to keep them quiet."

  "Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee. Do not worry, my friend. We have taken all the care. And the bad part is about to end. We are ready for the final phase. The deal will be signed next week. The robin-hood will start saving people in the next three weeks."

  Mr. Lee was trying hard to feel positive. Looking to find comfort in Mr. Ghazi's assurance, he said, "That is good news."

  Mr. Ghazi continued in his positive voice, "You will be richer, Mr. Lee, and the world will call you its saviour. Congratulations!"

  Mr. Lee sank into guilt again. He just half-heartedly chuckled and said, "Good-bye" to Mr. Ghazi.

  Chapter 1

  Dr. Emily Rogers was exhausted from the day at work. She could barely open the door to her apartment in downtown Ottawa. As she entered the living room, Emily glanced at the table clock in her living room. It showed 1 AM. It was not surprising to her. This had become a standard time for her to come home from work. She was determined to get a few hours of sleep before going back to the office at 7 AM.

  As she placed the heavy pile of paperwork on the table, a brown envelope slipped out and fell on the floor. Emily had forgotten about the envelope she had received from her late father's lawyers. Emily had deliberately not opened the envelope for over a month now. She knew the contents of the package. It was her late father, William Rogers's will. William had passed away about a month back, after fighting a long-time illness. She did not really care how much money he had left for her. Emily picked up the envelope and placed it on the desk. She changed into her nightgown and dropped on her bed, praying for her body to fall asleep.

  The last three weeks were very tedious for everyone at her office. Emily was an epidemiology expert at Health Canada. She led the team of research on the new strain of influenza virus that had caused havoc in the world. Her first task as the leader of the project was to identify how the source of the outbreak in Canada. Her team identified an elderly man in Muskoka, who was in contact with a tourist from Italy. Her team quarantined the source person and then tracked who that person had been in touch for three weeks before he was diagnosed. The tourist had returned the next day to Italy, so it was not Emily's department's problem to deal with. Emily had used all the tools required in contact tracing, which she had only read about in books in her doctoral studies.

  Emily had wished to lead a project of a large global scale all of her professional life. But as this wish turned into reality, she had a feeling of melancholy rather than the gratification of being in that role.

  Emily laid on her bed, gazing at the ceiling. All she could think of was the report her team had published today. The new strain of the virus was proving to be challenging every day. The transmissivity of the virus from human to human was unprecedented. Today her team had claimed that about fifty to sixty percent of the world population was vulnerable to the new infection. Emily was trying hard not to think about the work. She tried counting sheep in her head to make her fall asleep. But even after reaching one hundred and fifty, she was wide awake. Emily got up from the bed and procured the brown package she had received from her father's lawyers. She opened the package and saw there is a smaller white envelope inside. It was a handwritten letter from her late father.

  Emily felt a sudden warmth in her chest. She had not thought of her father since the crisis broke out at work. His handwriting made Emily feel the presence of her father. With a heavy heart, she started reading the letter.

  As she reached halfway through the letter, she sat up straight. Emily was shocked at the statement she had read in the letter. The news she had just received from her dead father's letter was very much troubling at best.

  At first, Emily thought she was fantasizing. She was exhausted and was probably reading into words. Emily went through the letter at least twenty-five times. She started looking around the room hopelessly.

  After pacing the room for twenty minutes, Emily called her step-mother, Lyla. It was 2:30 in the morning, but she did not care. Her step-mother answered the phone after five rings. Nowadays, Lyla was alert with worry, due to the role Emily was playing in global tragedy. She always slept light and kept her phone very close to the pillow. In her sleepy voice, "Hi, Emily, is everything okay?"

  Emily took a long time to reply, "Hi Mom, sorry to bother you so late. Do not worry, I am fine, well, kind of. I want to talk to you about Dad. Can you wake up, please? This is important."

  Emily could hear Lyla taking a deep breath. In full consciousness, Lyla said, "So, you found your father's letter."

  Emily was dumbfounded at her step-mother's response. Completely bewildered, Emily yelled at her, step-mother, "You knew this the whole time?" Lyla alarmingly replied, "No, sweetheart, I found out two days before William died. Please trust me."

  There were no words spoken between Emily and her step-mother for the next five minutes.

  With a sense of begging in her voice, Lyla finally broke the silence, "You know, honey, it was not my place to tell you such an important fact. I am truly sorry, but William made me promise it as his death-wish. I think he only told me so I can explain this letter to you." Lyla realized that she was probably stretching by giving excuses to Emily. She wanted Emily to understand Lyla's position but not by disregarding Emily's feelings.

  Emily did not respond to Lyla's plea for forgiveness. She kept br
eathing heavily in anger. Ten minutes later, Emily calmed down and comforted Lyla. "I understand you, Mom. I am having a hard time not getting angry at Dad if I can still call him that."

  "Of course, you can still call him that. No matter, he was your father. He has loved you all his life. He tried and succeeded in making sure you never doubt him. He was scared you would disown him if the truth came out."

  "I know. I am focusing very hard on the best part of Dad's life. It is pretty shocking to know this now. I was not expecting a challenge in my personal life when my professional life is going through hell."

  "Please promise me, you will take care of yourself, honey. When all this ends, I still want you by my side. I do not care about the labels on the relations, I want to spend my later years celebrating with you."

  "I promise Mom. I will also try to visit this weekend. It looks like we could use a couple of drinks."

  "I would very much love that kiddo. Let me know, and I will stack up. Take care, and love you."

  Emily hung up the phone, saying, "Bye, Mom. Love you."

  Emily knew she had just lied to her step-mother, now her only living relative in the world. She was not going to just casually let this go. Emily was already planning to pursue the truth further. She needed to travel to China immediately to uncover the complete story. She would, though, need a solid reason to convince her superiors of why she was abandoning her job in Canada and travelling to China. Luckily for her, the first outbreak in the world was registered in China.

  Emily glanced at the clock. It was 5 in the morning. Once again, sleep had eluded her, but today her mind was fixated on a new problem. With a tentative plan in mind, Emily started to get ready for work.