NOVEL WEB Chapter 19: Chapter 19 – The Unseen War
Prime Minister's Residence – New Delhi – Midnight
The drawing room was dimly lit, curtains drawn tight against the monsoon wind. The Prime Minister sat alone, an untouched cup of tea cooling beside him, when the door clicked open. A man entered without invitation—dressed in a tailored navy suit, the faint scent of tobacco clinging to his silk tie.
He was a pharmaceutical tycoon, one of the nation's oldest donors.
"I came without protocol," the tycoon said, voice smooth. "Because this isn't official. It's personal."
The Prime Minister gestured to the chair across from him. The tycoon remained standing, leaning in.
"I made your party electable," he said. "I can make it irrelevant too. This barefoot saint—Aryan Dev—is poisoning my profits. If he's not stopped, I will stop him. Again."
He slid a folder across the table: photos of Aryan's wrecked SUV, Gurumayi's crime scene in Odisha, and Li Wei's torched lab in Sichuan.
"Your next election costs money. I can write the cheques… or fund the opposition. Choose wisely."
Without another word, he left. The door sealed behind him.
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Prime Minister's Office – Early Morning
The Prime Minister stared at the tycoon's folder, his finger tracing the photo of Aryan Dev's unmoving form in ICU. He poured himself a glass of water and finally spoke aloud:
"If people vote only by caste or religion… must I beg before monsters to win?"
He set the glass down and picked up the secure line.
"Start a silent probe," he ordered. "Fake medicine licenses. Shell companies. Offshore accounts. Do it quietly."
The line went dead. For the first time in months, he closed his eyes in resolve, not defeat.
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New Delhi – Directorate of Revenue Intelligence HQ – 48 Hours Later
A sealed dossier arrived, stamped with the Prime Minister's personal seal. Officers in plainclothes gathered in the warehouse district, dossier in hand: evidence linking Medicron Labs Pvt. Ltd. to counterfeit drug distribution in four states. That evening, they raided the facility.
Inside, expired pills were being repackaged—antibiotics, painkillers, even sham antivirals bound for rural hospitals. Workers were arrested. Rats scurried among crates, shredded documents smoldered in bins.
Medicron's CEO was detained at a private club, enraged: "I own ministers!" he screamed.
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New Delhi – National Broadcast Center – 8 PM
The Prime Minister stepped onto the dais in the national studio. Floodlights gleamed off the walls, cameras whirred, and millions watched live.
He adjusted the lapel mic and began, voice steady:
> "My fellow citizens, tonight I took a decision that may cost me the next election.
I have ordered the shutdown and investigation of Medicron Labs Pvt. Ltd.—a company found producing fake, dangerous medicines that preyed on our most vulnerable.
I may lose votes. I may face backlash. But as Prime Minister, I cannot betray India's trust.
We will not allow profit to poison our people.
This is only the first step in rooting out the corruption that endangers our health and our future.
Together, we will protect those who heal us."
Silence filled living rooms across the nation. Then applause—quiet at first, but swelling into real-time social media support.
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South Block Veranda – Later That Night
A senior cabinet minister stepped forward during a press briefing:
"This country belongs to its people—not to profit-sucking vampires who poison our health and silence our healers. We stand behind our Prime Minister's courage."
The crowd's murmurs rose into chants.
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Beijing – State Media Headquarters – Next Morning
Chinese state television reported:
> "India pursues legal action against Medicron Labs for counterfeit drugs. We commend their vigilance in public health protection."
Behind the cameras, however, anger simmered.
Li Wei's brutal murder on Chinese soil had forced China's hand. The renowned healer had been abducted by masked operatives linked to foreign pharmaceutical interests, her body later discovered in a remote forest, signs of a violent struggle.
Overnight, funding for Traditional Chinese Medicine programs doubled. Officials called it "rebalancing national pride."
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Washington D.C. – White House Situation Room
The U.S. Secretary of Health spoke quietly during a televised briefing:
> "We condemn violence against health workers anywhere. The balance between modern and traditional medicine must be respected. International cooperation is vital to stop these attacks."
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London – Parliamentary Lobby
British MPs debated heatedly.
A prominent opposition leader declared:
> "Pharmaceutical monopolies must not silence alternative healers. It is time for transparency and justice worldwide."
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Rural Odisha – Village Herbal Garden
Far from the media glare, villagers gathered to replant their herbal garden, undeterred by recent bombings.
A little girl carefully drew a neem leaf in the dirt and whispered:
> "This saved Dadi."
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Aryan remained unconscious but alive, his presence a silent beacon for the growing global movement — a war fought not with guns but with courage, truth, and healing.