The Campaign Part 6

Trisha countered many sleepless nights in the following week, her aim was to win but she couldn’t see that happening. The opposition gained power miraculously in that week; supposedly they started to view Trisha as a potential threat and decided to charge at her. Furthermore her funds depleted rapidly, nothing was going well until…

She received a courier from the Times magazine. As soon as she opened it, her face lit up! She started to scream with joy in the whole house, her parents and Geetanjali were present in the veranda.

‘What happened?’ asked her mother

 ‘Mummy! My interview, it’s here I am on the front page with others! Look!’

‘Wow! That’s great, let me read it…’ Geetanjali said

Geetanjali went through the article; she smiled continuously while reading. Trisha was getting curious she wanted to know what was written about her

‘Read it out please’ she requested her in desperation

“Trishala Rao hails from Kibla, has been elected as the official candidate fighting for the seat of Murukpur district from the Raj Mandal Party.  Politics isn’t new to Rao, in fact she is the granddaughter of renowned politician Mr. Abhiraj Rao, who passed away a few years back. Young and energetic, Trisha’s ideas are fresh and can change the lives of many, she is indeed an emerging star in the field of politics, and we admire her for outstanding courage and believe blah blah blah…” ‘I can’t read any further, but I can tell you that its very well written’ gasped Geetanjali.

 Trisha laughed, she realised that she hadn’t informed Abhay about the article, she dialled his number, it was busy, she dialled again but before she could, Abhay entered from the back door, still on the phone. He smiled at Trisha, she smiled back. After talking for good ten minutes extra, he finally kept his phone.

‘Who was it?’ Trisha asked

‘My girlfriend’

‘Your what?!’ Trisha asked dumbfounded 

‘Relax; it was from Mr Singhania’s office’

‘Oh (embarrassed), what was did he say’

‘I don’t know, I have received about ten to fifteen calls from various businessmen and traders, all suddenly interested in helping Trishala Rao from Raj Mandal Party, what did you do?’

‘I didn’t do anything but I think this did’ Trisha handed the magazine to Abhay

 ‘Holy God! Trisha congratulations, when did it arrive?’

‘Today in the morning, I have been rejoicing since then’

‘Looks like it has good stuff about you in there because my phone has been ringing without a break’

‘Yeah could be, so how many worth accepting?’

‘Out of all I think we should accept Singhania’s proposal, he is interested in setting up a manufacturing unit, and the one that matches our requirement’

‘You mean its environment friendly, won’t bother the villagers and guarantee them employment…’

‘Yes all that we has been covered, a meeting has been planned for day after tomorrow in Delhi and he is offering cash’

‘Cash? But the Election Commission, you know how strict they have been, what if we are caught?’

‘Trisha, wait. By cash I didn’t mean black money I meant that the funds can be gained immediately and this is a donation for the campaign all in white, the EC cannot do anything of that’

‘Oh okay’

‘Just trust me’ Abhay said

‘I always have’ Trisha assured

Trisha’s meeting in Delhi with Mr Singhania was a success, all her needs were met, and this project could change the lives of many people. Landless labourers could be employed in this manufacturing unit that would provide them bread for the entire year. Trisha’s achievement was much celebrated by the Raj Mandal Party. Yogendra ji was highly impressed by her and so were the other party generals.  He took Trisha aside for a word

‘I knew it Trisha, I have always believed in you, now what do you have for us?’

‘For you? I am sorry I am not getting what you are trying to say’

 ‘We know that you have acquired a good amount of money from that businessmen, I think you would like to share some of it with the party members too’

Trisha understood; this ever-lasting greed of these corrupt politicians will never die out. She didn’t want to give a penny to the party; after all it was her team’s effort that had paid off.

‘Yogendra Ji, you will get your share when I will win, if I don’t then you will be held responsible. Now you concentrate on my campaign and stop funding Vinay Kumar by my funds. Don’t try to play me, should I tell your chief secretary what you are asking’ said Trisha sternly

‘Trisha beti, why do you get angry, I will take care. And don’t worry nobody will ask you for any money’ he said sheepishly

 After that Trisha and Abhay left for home. While they were in the car, Trisha narrated her scene with Yogendra Ji to Abhay, he wasn’t surprised by that scoundrel’s act.

‘I was beginning to wonder when he will ask you’ he said

‘So this was one of that cheap political tactics’

‘No, this is the most common tactic performed by these side leaders in a party. They use all these various schemes to launder money from the elections’

‘Nothing is fair’ Trisha murmured, disgusted by the fact that her own party leaders are ready to steal from her. She thanked her stars that she had people like Geetanjali and Abhay working for her.

‘So we are left with the last few days of the campaign, I think I should announce the project in all villages under my district within next week. What do you think?’ Trisha asked

‘Yeah you should’ Abhay replied casually, he wasn’t concentrating on what Trisha had said; he was looking at something in the front view mirror of the car. He asked the driver to take a U turn

‘What happened and why is he turning back?’ Trisha asked

‘Something’s wrong, I have been noticing that black SUV for long, it’s not of our party’

‘What?’

Abhay searched for something in the side pocket of the car, he found it. It was a gun

‘What the hell! Where did you get that from?’

‘The party people gave it to me in the beginning; they said I will need it at some poi-’

Before Abhay could complete his sentence, bullets from that mysterious car started to fire, Abhay ordered Trisha to kneel down, the driver was shot and the car lost its balance, Abhay fell over Trisha.

‘Oh shit Abhay we are going to die!’ Trisha screamed