Chapter 13: The Connection
The prison slept, but the economy of the dark didn't.
It was 2:00 AM. The silence in Barrack 6 was broken only by the rhythmic snoring of fifty men and the occasional clank of a guard's baton against the iron bars.
Arjun sat on his mat, his back against the cold wall. He wasn't asleep. He was watching.
At the far end of the corridor, sitting on a wooden stool under the dim yellow bulb, was Head Constable Yadav. He was a thick-set man with a paunch that strained his khaki uniform. He had a small transistor radio pressed to his ear, listening to the late-night commentary of the India vs. Sri Lanka match being played in Colombo.
Yadav's face was slick with sweat. He was chewing his fingernails. Every time the commentator shouted, Yadav flinched.
Arjun knew why.
Information was the most valuable currency in Central Jail, and Arjun had spent the last two weeks gathering it. He knew Yadav was a gambling addict. He knew Yadav bet on everything—cricket, matka, even the weather. And he knew that Yadav was currently deep in the hole with a local bookie named Ratna.
Arjun stood up silently. He moved like a ghost across the concrete floor.
Shiva, sleeping near the bars, woke up instantly. He started to rise, but Arjun signaled him to stay down. This wasn't a job for muscle. This was a negotiation.
Arjun walked to the iron bars of the cell.
"India is going to lose, Yadav," Arjun whispered.
Yadav jumped, nearly dropping his radio. He spun around, raising his baton.
"Who's there? Back to sleep, or I'll break your head!"
Arjun stepped into the slice of yellow light. He looked calm, his hands resting loosely on the crossbar.
"You put twenty thousand on India winning the toss. They lost. You put another thirty on Sehwag scoring a century. He got out for duck. You're down fifty thousand rupees tonight, Yadav. And Ratna doesn't give credit."
Yadav froze. The baton lowered slightly. He walked up to the bars, his eyes darting around to see if other guards were watching.
"How do you know that name?" Yadav hissed.
"I know a lot of things," Arjun said. "I know Ratna sends his boys to collect on Tuesdays. Today is Monday. You have twenty-four hours to find fifty thousand rupees. On a constable's salary? Impossible."
Yadav gripped the bars. His face was a mix of fear and anger.
"Are you threatening me, prisoner? I can have you thrown in solitary for a month."
"Solitary won't save your kneecaps when Ratna comes," Arjun said flatly. "I'm not threatening you. I'm offering you a lifeline."
Yadav hesitated. Desperation warred with duty. Desperation won.
"What do you want?"
"I want a phone," Arjun said. "A simple Nokia. A charger. And a SIM card pre-activated."
Yadav laughed nervously. "Are you crazy? A phone inside is a suspension offense. If the Superintendent finds out..."
"If Ratna finds you, you lose your legs," Arjun interrupted. "The Superintendent checks the barracks once a month. Ratna checks his ledger every day. Which one is more dangerous?"
Arjun leaned closer.
"My man Mallesh was released two weeks ago. You know Mallesh. He worked for Corporator Reddy. He's waiting for a call. I can have him walk into Ratna's office tomorrow morning and drop fifty thousand rupees cash on the table. Your debt is wiped clean. No questions asked."
Yadav licked his dry lips. Fifty thousand was six months of his salary. It was a lifeline he couldn't refuse.
"And in return?" Yadav asked.
"You bring me the phone tomorrow night. Hidden in the bottom of the dal bucket for the evening meal."
Yadav stared at Arjun. He saw the cold confidence in the young man's eyes. This wasn't a negotiation between a guard and a prisoner. It was a deal between a debtor and a banker.
"If you cross me..." Yadav began.
"I'm a businessman, Yadav," Arjun said, turning his back. "I honor my contracts. Do we have a deal?"
Yadav looked at the radio, then at the darkness outside.
"Tomorrow night," Yadav whispered.
The next evening, dinner was served at 7:00 PM.
The line moved slowly. When Arjun reached the front, Yadav was manning the large aluminum vessel of dal. He didn't look at Arjun. He just scooped a ladle of lentils onto Arjun's plate.
But as he did, his hand slipped under the rim of the vessel. A small, plastic-wrapped package dropped onto Arjun's plate, instantly covered by a mound of rice.
Arjun didn't blink. He took the plate and walked to his corner.
Shiva sat next to him, blocking the view of the room with his massive shoulders.
Arjun ate quickly. When the plate was clean, he unwrapped the plastic under the cover of his blanket.
It was a Nokia 1100. Small, durable, and reliable.
He pressed the power button. The screen lit up with a faint green glow. Network: Full.
Arjun felt a surge of adrenaline. This tiny device was his weapon. It was the bridge between his cage and the kingdom he was building outside.
He dialed a number from memory.
It rang twice.
"Hello?" A rough voice answered. It was Mallesh.
"Mallesh," Arjun said softy. "It's me."
There was a pause on the other end. Then, excitement.
"Bhai! You called! I've been waiting."
"Did you pay Ratna?"
"Yes, Bhai. Just like you said. I gave him the fifty thousand this morning. Told him it was from a friend. Yadav is clear."
"Good," Arjun said. "Now, listen carefully. I have a new job for you."
"Tell me, Bhai."
"Go to the Registrar's office tomorrow. I want the land records for the plot in Puppalaguda. The one Satya Constructions is eyeing."
"Puppalaguda? That's barren land, Bhai. Why do you want that?"
"Because in six months, the government is going to announce a new ring road project that goes right through it," Arjun said, his eyes gleaming in the dark. "The price will skyrocket. I want to know who owns it before Satya buys it."
"But Bhai... we don't have money to buy land."
"We don't need to buy it yet," Arjun said. "We just need to make sure Satya can't buy it. Find the owner. Tell him not to sell. Tell him if he waits, he gets double. If Satya threatens him, you go there with the boys. You break some legs if you have to. But that land stays frozen. Understood?"
"Understood, Bhai. I'm on it."
Arjun hung up. He switched off the phone and slipped it into a hollowed-out groove he had made in the concrete floor under his mat, covering it with straw.
He lay back, staring at the ceiling.
For four years, Virendar Rao had been playing the game alone. He thought the board was clear. He didn't know that a player had just re-entered the game from behind bars.
Arjun smiled.
The network was live. The army was moving.
"Shiva," Arjun whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Get some sleep. Tomorrow, we start making money."
Arjun closed his eyes. The walls of the Central Jail felt a little less solid tonight. They weren't keeping him in anymore. They were keeping the world out while he prepared to conquer it.