Ritu Sofia hated the hotel she was staying. The hotel was in between Sion and Koliwada stations in Mumbai. But she had to tolerate that for a few more days. She wanted obscurity. Tiny room. Floor was so dirty that it was thicker by an inch. Single cot. Waiting bed bugs underneath. One closed plastic mug for water. Two by two bathroom. Cobwebs. Cockroaches. Mosquitoes were bigger than those in Spain. Permanent BGM of highway traffic on Sion flyover. Dust fog Ritu felt nauseating and throwing up all the time. But Sion Hospital was walkable. That mattered.
Ritu had flown-in from Madrid and was piloting a special project for Sebastian. Her boss?. Her boyfriend? Probably both. Ritu is Spanish. Her name is Indo-Spanish since her mother was Indian and father, Spanish. Quarrelling parents. Drunken dad. In-disciplined mom. Monetary struggle. Oops! That is not the focus of this story. But all that lead Ritu to join hands with people like Sebastian.
Sebastian had mastered the art of trafficking children. Especially, babies. Have you not read the ‘’stolen babies scandal’’ in Spain a few years back? Sebastian was the master brain behind that. But, it has become difficult in Spain now. Expensive too. Margins were going down. That is why India.
The house-phone rang. Sunny was calling from the reception. Sunny is Ritu’s local fixer in Mumbai. He helped negotiate with the nurse at Sion Hospital and also Balsuraksh, orphanage in Mumbai. Nurse will ‘lift’ the baby, the orphanage will accept ‘’fake renunciation’’ of the baby and complete the adoption formalities.
Ritu again felt nauseating. May be the food last night. She could not control herself and went to the bathroom and threw up. Suddenly she remembered that Sebastian had crossed the limits last-time, when she stayed overnight with him. Oh! May not be that – Anyway, Ritu thought she should check it out once she goes back go Madrid.
Ritu cleaned herself, strangulated the cigarette half way and gulped the last portion of the Bacardi and walked down. 5th Meeting with Sunny in two days. Tall, fat guy. If you re-fabricate Sunny you can make two average Indians. They walked towards Dharavi, where they were to meet Philomena, the nurse from Sion Hospital.
Bee-nest like crowd on the street. Movable shops occupied half the road. Jumpy black autos . Red, BEST, pregnant buses threatening to run over you. Heaps of garbage every fifty meters. A cow was desperately trying to pull and eat the legs of Amitabh on the poster. Mahesh Family Restaurant and Bar (??) was getting ready for meat eaters. Overnight buses from South Canara were tired and getting washed on the road. Two wheeler shouting at a pedestrian ‘’saala mar jayegaa!’’.
Ritu and Sunny crossed all that and entered the 90 feet road in Dharavi and settled down in a small tea shop. Samosas were jumping enthusiastically in the oil. The owner of the shop had one eye on the cash box and another on the condition of the samosas.
Philomena was already there. Short, black, middle aged women who looked tired of night duties. Sunny called her Madrasi. For him all south Indians are.
‘’Tell me the plan’’ asked Ritu looking around carefully, sipping the strong tea.
‘’One baby is due for delivery tomorrow madam. I am the duty nurse. I will take the baby out from the mother after the delivery for checkup. I will do the check up, give the baby to you at the hospital. But, take back another baby from our mortuary to the mother and declare that the baby was dead madam – but I am feeling very bad madam, poor baby’’.
‘’Philo, don’t worry. This baby will be given to a rich couple in Australia who have no children. You cannot imagine the food, education, entertainment they can provide to this baby. All top class. You cannot match that in India, why should you feel bad?’’
Philo was both confused and convinced. Ritu continued ‘’but both of you have to be very careful’’ looking at Philo and Sunny.
She recalled what Sebastian told her when she was leaving – ‘’If this pilot project succeeds in India, we scale up, move hundreds of babies from India and make millions of dollars. If it fails, we close India once for all’’. Sebastian was fully Spanish. No idea about India. Ritu was his only trustworthy trump card.
Three of them spoke further on details of where to meet up in Sion hospital, what time Ritu should arrive etc. Ritu took 1000 dollars from her Prada and handed to Philomena and said the balance is after she hands over the baby.
Ritu and Sunny continued after Philo left for her duty.
‘’Where are we on rest of the arrangements Sunny?’’
‘’All taken care Madam. Kale Saab from Balsuraksh has finalized the standard adoption document and has also arranged for a ‘couple’ to sign up as parents renouncing the stolen baby before you sign the adoption papers. I have put the Luxembourg address you gave me’’
‘’Great. Have you finalized the money with them?’’
Sunny unwarrantedly scratched his head with the index finger and said ‘’Asking for a bit too much madam – I have brought it down to 5000 dollars’’
‘’That is fine, but no more okay?’’ and pulled another 2500 dollars and handed to Sunny. He took it hurriedly and said ‘’What is the hurry madam?’’ and smiled. They agreed that they will meet Kale Saab the next day.
Ritu started walking back to the Hotel. She was still feeling giddy and also a bit feverish. She returned to the room and ordered a simple dinner, one lager beer and a couple of Rothman packets. She recalled Sebastian’s plans.
‘’Look Ritu, Spain is no more lucrative. Too expensive to do this business. We need to get babies cheaper. That is why India. If we succeed in the pilot, we can hire more agents, talk to more hospital employees, orphanages’’ He was already imagining a pan-India network.
‘’But, Seba, how do the margins and numbers stake up?’’
“Fantastic, you know the size of this industry? Close to US $50 billion a year. More than the illegal arms trade. Getting closer to drug industry size. We are just scratching the top. That too, for good purposes. No slavery, No begging, No organ trade of stolen babies. Simply supply babies to craving couples across the world. For India this is great news, since they are struggling with a huge population’’ explained the ethics of his business.
The mosquitoes pulled Ritu out of her thoughts. She slapped herself to kill the mosquito on the forehead. The hotel delivery boy arrived with her dinner and she complained about the mosquitoes. He brought an electric repellent and plugged it into the socket and grinned ear to ear. Tip. She gave him a 50 rupee note.
She could eat only a little bit. Smoked and drank more. Around midnight, she switched off the flickering light and moaning A/c and went to bed.
She got up around 8 am. She quickly freshened, ate a piece of bread and took a couple of paracetamol pills. While she was reviewing the adoption documents, Sunny called and said he will come to the hotel at 10 am to pick up Ritu for meeting Kale saab from Balsuraksh.
While waiting for Sunny, Ritu called Sebastian. Mostly a Spanish conversation, but I have done a quick and dirty translation for our readers:
‘’Honey, how are you? What is going on?’’
‘’All well Seba, delivery due today and will complete everything today and probably will leave tonight’’
‘’Great. That is really impressive and you are my India business head’’ and laughed loudly.
‘’Let us get to the finish-line Seba, but I am vomiting and have a nauseating feeling all the time, I think you may become a dad soon’’
‘’More the merrier. We need somebody to inherit our business right? Don’t worry. All will be well. Give me a ring before you leave tonight. Okay. Adios’’
Though Ritu was tired, she packed her luggage and started making her expense list. Looking at the list of expenses she felt what Seba said in one of their meetings was indeed true.
‘’Ritu, the India margins are fabulous. Cost of middlemen in the hospital, fixer, orphanage, tickets, and hotel all put is not more than 10,000 dollars. We have customers who will pay, on an average, 40,000 dollars per baby. A margin of 30K, wow! Even if we do a moderate 100 babies a year, we are talking about 3 million dollars per annum. Es mucho dinero”
She smiled and came down and Sunny was waiting.
Balsuraksh was 5 minutes by an Auto. It was in one of the by-lanes of Koliwada. Squeezed between two auto workshops and a Gurudwara. Nepalis were desperately selling sweaters in summer. Kale had a smiling face with all the teeth visible. Nehru and Gandhi were on the wall. Kale folded his hands in front of them before he began as if they kept their children with him. Children were singing in the first floor. The building would probably fall if they sing a little more loudly. Old structure. Kale shook hands with Ritu and Sunny and told a cross sari lady ‘’Theen chai geuan yea’’ and looked at Ritu and smiled again.
‘’Mr. Kale, I am sure Sunny has briefed you. We will deliver the baby at 1+ today. You need to keep the baby here. I am leaving tonight. Sunny will help get the passport, birth certificate and visa for the baby. I will return next week and take the baby, okay?’’
“Chinta Nakko madam, we have nurses, doctor on call, all baby food, don’t worry, but Sunny has paid only 1500 dollars’’
‘’Kale Saab, Don’t worry, I will pay once I return next week. We want to do more of this and it is a great long time opportunity for you’’
Philo called Sunny and told him that they can come to collect the baby. Before leaving, Ritu went around the orphanage to make sure that the child will be safe in that place.
They started walking towards Sion hospital since it was close. Sun was at its best. Forty degrees.
Sion Hospital probably was constructed around independence time and was painted once at that time. There was no gate. Dogs were loitering freely along with visitors. Wheel chair patients with glucose bottles. Nurses in stiff cotton attire. Cars of senior doctors zipping through. Student doctors with stethoscope garlands. Uniformed (don’t go near, it stinks) attenders allowing visitors after collecting their ‘’chai-paani’’. Ambulances were waiting for accident calls.
As Ritu and Sunny walked through the hospital, Ritu felt giddy again. They crossed Anatomy, Bio-Chemistry, Dentistry, Cardiology, Dermatology. Oh! When did Ritu faint? Sunny did not want to run away, especially since Ritu had not paid him in full.
He rushed her to the A&E department and spoke to the people there. He knew the way. The duty doctor looked at Ritu, checked her vitals and said she must be admitted. Sunny did not have a choice. He put her name and Luxembourg address and completed the admission. Through that night the junior doctors made sure her vitals were stable.
Next morning, Dr Aarti Kulkarni arrived at sharp 9 am. She was the visiting specialist. She pulled the history sheet hanging at the leg side of Ritu. “Temperature 102, diastolic 140, glucose 120, slight hypoxia but no central cyanosis, recovered once and sunk again. Asked for full blood examination’’.
Aarti examined Ritu again. She looked tired but looked normal. Glucose was still on. Aarti physically examined her and ordered more serum tests and told the duty nurse to call her in a couple of hours when the results arrive.
Aarti visited other wards, called her husband, and finished her lunch. Ritu’s reports came at noon and she read them carefully. Since she did not have any other patient she walked to Ritu’s ward.
Sunny was at Ritu’s side and she had gained consciousness and was in a reclining position like Mahavishnu and drinking tea. She tried to sit properly once she saw Aarti.
‘’How are you feeling now Ritu?’’
‘’Much better now. I still feel feverish though. What happened doctor?’’
Aarti pulled the reports and read through once again and said:
‘’Ritu, you are pregnant and that is why you felt so much giddy’’.
Despite her condition Ritu felt happy. Aarti continued:
‘’ While you are generally exhausted and tired, you have also been bitten by a lot of mosquitoes’’
‘’What??’’
‘’ Yes, Since I saw rashes on your body, I ordered a ZIKA-MAC-ELISA test and reports do confirm that you have a positive Zika virus infection. This is transmitted through Aedes mosquito bites. It is bit unfortunate. Recent Latin American experience has taught us that almost 100% of pregnant women who contract Zika deliver babies which will be born with ‘microcephaly’’’
‘’What does that mean?’’ asked a worried Ritu.
‘’It is a condition where babies have calcium deposits and lesions in the brain on account of the Zika-Aedes mosquito bite. This results in the new born baby’s brain size being smaller, heads smaller and the baby will definitely have abnormalities when born’’
Ritu was visibly disturbed and kept quiet for a minute. Rolling tears on her cheeks.
‘’While I love my child, I don’t want it to struggle, especially after my time. Can I get an abortion done immediately?’’
‘’Hmm.. You are already in the 14th week and that is almost impossible. You will risk your own life. If you ask me, you don’t have a choice but to deliver this baby. But you can go back to Madrid and consult your doctor there’’ said Aarti and looked at Sunny.
Aarti promised Ritu’s discharge at 4 pm and Sunny pulled his phone to call the travel agent to confirm Ritu’s ticket for that night.
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