DOCKYARD, 6 PM.
Oh well, where do I start? It was just another night of going covert on a drug bust as an undercover buyer to nab Babu Pandya, a local peddler and so the event was put to the course.
"This looks shady already." I was telling this to Naz, the guy who had set up the deal.
"Relax, he can be trusted, a little crazy but can be trusted." If he says so but I shall take my chances.
And then the guy showed up with the money but he had his suspicion as he smelt the stuff.
"What's wrong? My stuffs not got enough?" I knew I was about to be busted. But Naz made a call.
"You're wasting out time mano, just close the deal already." Naz was getting greedy.
"Oh yeah, how about I waste you both?" and then he pointed a gun towards us until a police sniper shoots him down.
SFX: -BANG!
"GO GET OUT OF THERE!" the sniper was instructing me.
The local cops then showed up, this was Mumbai and I was working under the Jurisdiction of Narcotics and not police department and so, I had to make a run for it.
"Fuck it." I whispered.
And then I was escaping along with Naz. But the cops caught up to me and I was arrested.
MUMBAI POLICE STATION, 8 PM.
"Who exactly are you Mr. Awasthi? You must be a really dangerous man, aren't you?" The commissioner Jaivardhan was making his eyes big as he gazed into me.
And then he cut the cameras off.
"This is what we exactly want people to think especially the gangs if you want in, into the Shetty gang of course." Jaivardhan led out his plans to me.
He wanted me to infiltrate the most dangerous gang in the entire Mumbai right then.
The year was 1994, a booming era for the people of Mumbai with changes in Bollywood movies, trends, fashion and music. Mumbai was bustling with all the glam and glitter back then. But all that glitters are not gold. Mumbai was having its own unrest, multiple gang wars, rape, murder and extortions led out by various gangs but one who had most control was the Shetty gang.
"Sir, this could be dangerous, I have never gone to such level of deep undercover covert missions." I was hesitant.
"But you grew up with these guys, on these very streets in the 70s and 80s." Jai was still trying to convince me.
"Pardon me sir, but he can turn violent as he already has some violent and aggressive history." My future handler Andrew was saying so.
"Look, Andrew, these guys are trouble but one guy Jackie, he has been my best friend, I go way back, if he can pull me in then busting Shetty gang will not be a trouble." I already had my game set.
"What if this turns into a personal vendetta? For what happened to your sister? Overdosed remember?" And then he dug up my past.
"Andrew, you worry too much." And with that I tried to shut him up.
NEXT DAY, LOCAL MARKET.
"Yo! Shanker my man, how the heck are ya?" Jackie was more than happy to see me. He was the leader of the local Hafta [Extortion] gang and it seemed like a lot of people owed Shanker protection money which is why I too had to play along to earn his trust.
"Who's the new fish boy? I told you no outsiders." A gang member, Surya, was skeptical about me.
"Hey, he's cool, he's my bud from the old days who can totally kick ass. He's old school you know?" Jackie was backing me up.
"Oh yeah, we shall see about that. Now money doesn't flow through chit chat so get to work and make these fuckers cough up some dough for us." He was more than demanding.
"Johnny is selling pirated DVDs let's go to him." Jackie suggested.
"DVDs for 100 rupees, exclusive quality no hall or cam rip, dirt cheap." Johnny was trying to make sales.
"Hey bro, I heard you owe Shetty bhai some money so you better pay up!" I asked pretty nicely.
"Yeah, here you go." He was more than reluctant.
"Up next we will ask from the pork seller Vinod Kassai." Jackie seemed like he had a list.
But a rival gang was already on it, and so we rather had to protect Vinod then extort from him.
"Beat the crap out of these two assholes." The rival gang leader meant business.
"Oh yeah? come on then." I was looking for some action.
The gang fled with some warnings. And Vinod paid us some money.
"See? This was fun right? We got some nice dough tonight." Jackie was cheering me up.
"Hey, what took you so long? Let's go, Bhai will be pissed if we are late." Surya was more than obedient about the schedule.
AT THE RESTURANT OF SHETTY'S MOTHER.
"Who's the new fella?" Shetty asked.
"Shanker, he is my bud from the old days." Jackie backed me up.
"I think I remember him, yeah, I do. You had a sister, right? Manisha? How' she?" Shetty asked.
"She Overdosed a year ago." I told him the tragic truth.
"My condolences. So, you took out Dayal's boys at the market, right? You either a fool or just reckless!" He was mocking me.
"I'd say capable enough." I took a stand for myself.
"Okay, I'll give you a small heads-up. From now on you are a security for my boys along with Surya so work along with him under his mentorship and he will tell you which hands to shake and which one to cut off, good luck." And just like that I was inside one of the most dangerous gang in Mumbai.