Nothing Lasts Forever - No Secret Can Stay Buried

by Vish Dhamija

  'Kabir…' Raaj called after the congregation. Kabir turned back and smiled. 'You're not leaving without saying bye to us, are you?'

  'I thought you guys were busy,' Kabir responded.

  'It's the last day Kabir. Who knows if, and when, we will meet again?' Serena chipped in.

  'It's a long life Serena. I am sure we will see each other again,'

  'Is that something you wish for, or a prophecy?' Serena asked.

  'Both, actually.' Kabir hugged Serena and Raaj. 'Wish you both all the best. Do not forget to send me your wedding card,' Kabir said, and walked away.

  ***

  Serena initially got an assignment in Delhi so she stayed back. Raaj received an offer from a UK bank, but the proposal to move abroad encountered difficulties with the authorities who had declined his mother's visa, hence he was re-assigned to Mumbai. Before he moved, Serena insisted that he meet her father and tell them about their relationship and plans. Serena's father was not initially happy with Raaj's family background, but he could see that the young man was promising. The businessman had never refused anything his only daughter had ever wanted in life, and he wasn't going to start now by interfering in her choice of life partner. His only request was that they worked for a few years before tying the knot so that it gave them some time to establish their careers before adjusting to married life. Raaj and Serena weren't planning to get married anytime soon in any case, therefore the suggestion suited everyone. They parted on a promise that they would meet every couple of months and agreed that as Raaj would travel north, to Jaipur, to see his mother, he would come — or go — via Delhi and see Serena and her family.

  Raaj had a few tragic years. His mother died in January 1990. He was at her bedside and she told him about his father and his family. One of her last wishes was that he should speak to his father and reconnect with the rest of the family, but when he called after her death, he was told that his father had also passed away only a month back, and no one from his father's family had cared to inform him, or his mother. As for the rest of his father's family, they were not free to come down for the cremation, but they promised to stay in touch with Raaj.

  Raaj was a broken man. He had lost the one person he loved more than anything else in his life. Brought up by a single parent he had been exceedingly attached to her. Mindful of not shedding tears in public, he went through some excruciating times. Everything seemed to remind him of her — the time she had got him admitted into the primary school, the time she explained to him that being fatherless was not any kind of a handicap to be embarrassed about. He remembered all the important lessons in life she had given him. And how, regardless of all their financial problems, she had provided the best upbringing and education she could manage.

  In Mumbai, Raaj made friends with Sonny, a professional chef at the Sheraton. They had met at a party and clicked from the start. Sonny was looking for a temporary place to stay and Raaj offered to share lodgings for a couple of months before Sonny found his own accommodation. The solidarity remained long after Sonny had moved out of Raaj's apartment. Sonny, coming from an incredibly affluent background, always took Raaj's advice before investing money, and Raaj was an ardent food lover; their friendship had the all the right ingredients. Whenever Sonny wasn't working on weekends, he always prepared a new dish for Raaj.

  Raaj quit his job in early 1993 and intended to set up his own finance consultancy. It was also time to take a break and get married. He insisted on doing the ceremonies in Jaipur because of the memories he had of his childhood, and he thought Serena, too, should have some relationship with the city. As agreed between Raaj and Serena, the wedding was a low-key affair in March with Serena's parents, a few relatives and only Sonny attending from Bombay.

  22

  Taj Coral Reef Resort

  Male, Indian Ocean

  March 1993

  Raaj was deep in thought, sitting on the deck, when he saw Serena emerging from the water and coming up the steps of the lagoon villa they were staying in. She wore a halter neck, tropical-print bikini in red with a clasp fitting at the back and a low-slung bikini bottom that moulded to her body beautifully. The sunlight falling on the droplets of water on her skin shone like pearls and her wet tresses clung to her body. His mind went blank as he took her in his arms and kissed her.

  'If I wasn't in love with you yet, I would be falling in love with you now,' he murmured after disengaging from the kiss.

  'Promise me, whatever happens, you will never leave me.'

  'Promise, my precious.'

  They went in and made love; again and again.

  'Common sense tells me that rich people are happier than their poor counterparts and I am sure all research could provide evidence for that. People find various ways of getting wealthy...' Raaj started when they lay exhausted after endless rounds of lovemaking.

  'We have enough money…'

  'Describe what "enough" is,' Raaj politely interjected. 'I want to be rich. My job was well paying but my dreams are far bigger. I hope I am successful in my business.' He had always aspired to be rich. A large part of the deep-rooted inspiration came from the financial difficulties he had seen his mother face, knowing well that his father amassed enormous wealth and she hardly got any of it. When he had spoken to his father's family after his mother's death, he was infuriated to know that they had lived a life of luxury and with that came a complete abhorrence for people who did little but inherit.

  'So, do you have any ideas of growing rich?' Serena questioned nonchalantly.

  'Yes, I do … but I need you to complete the plan,' Raaj responded, driven by enormous ambition and great determination.

  Serena realised that she needed to pay more attention. 'I am up for anything you say, darling. I don't want to work for ever, either.'

  'We're a team then.'

  'We always were. What is the plan?'

  'Counterfeiting.'

  'You're joking?'

  'I am serious, sweetheart,' Raaj asserted.

  'What if we get caught?'

  'You haven't even heard the plan.'

  'Okay… I'm all ears, my love.'

  'I have shared this information with you before but let me start again. There is almost a parallel economy in our country. A lot of businessmen never declare their actual incomes for fear of heavy taxation and hence they have wealth that's unaccounted for. You might be forgiven for thinking it's a small amount…'

  Serena nodded as she listened patiently.

  '…Most of these people who hide their wealth, are by definition, wealthy. They could potentially be sitting on stock piles of cash and that's where it gets interesting.' Raaj smiled.

  'How?'

  Raaj paused for a moment and lit up a cigarette.

  'These shrewd businessmen — and women — know if they keep cash as such, they lose money due to inflation, so they make investments.'

  Serena lit up a cigarette too.

  'They invest in property under bogus names, they have bank accounts all over the place in fictitious names, and they buy and sell shares in companies, without giving a whiff of what is going on to the government authorities or companies that actually issue them. They do not send these share certificates over to the companies for transfer to their names because that would mean that they would have to declare these assets. What's more, I know a lot of such people through my contacts in my last job.'

  'I am still not clear how we fit into the picture,' Serena asked naively.

  'Simple. If the certificates do not go to the company that issued them, for years, no one spots if they are genuine or counterfeit.'

  'And how long could this cycle last?'

  'Two, three or four years… who knows? And one certificate might change hands ten times before the company registrar receives them.'

  'It sounds like a highly ambitious plan. We'd certainly be caught one day.'

  'Not likely.' Raaj sounded confident.

  Serena didn't believe him in the beginning. Natural
ly, she had concerns about the whole plan, the repercussions. There was always the possibility of something going wrong and then they could have to face calamitous consequences. It was one thing to dream about counterfeiting, but entirely another to carry it out in reality. It would be difficult and markedly dangerous. But Raaj with his silky verbal skills made even a remarkable counterfeiting plan of this kind sound like a routine operation. Knowing Raaj well by now, she knew he had thought of everything and this idea hadn't sprung in his mind in the last few minutes. He would have, unquestionably, been planning this for months, probably years.

  'I get it now.' She gave in, as she found herself being infected by the highly ambitious plan.

  'And the best part is when the shares are sent to the company the officials they will not, in all probability, be able to detect a genuine from a counterfeit.'

  'Really?' she was even more enthused now.

  'Unless they receive two certificates of the same serial number and details concurrently, in which case, they undoubtedly would.' Raaj stopped and looked at his watch. 'Should we go to the bar for a drink?' It was now almost seven in the evening.

  Serena kissed him and disappeared into the bathroom. She came out putting on the shortest skirt on the face of the earth. She had purposefully bought it for her honeymoon knowing she wanted to look coquettish and desirable. It was dark, almost bottle green with some mirror work that shone and drew attention to contrast with her pale, toned legs. She also wore a leaf-green tank top that didn't cover much either.

  'You've got very beautiful feet, sweetheart,' Raaj commented, as he looked down her bare legs.

  'Are you saying that's the only beautiful thing about me?' She did not want to miss the chance when she revealed more than she concealed.

  'You're gorgeous, my precious.' He took her in his arms. 'But please don't tease me any more or we will be late for drinks.'

  'Come on then. Let's go.'

  Raaj had got into a beige vest and khaki coloured cotton cargo trousers with pockets bulging with keys, camera, lighter and cigarettes, et al.

  'Get me drunk tonight. I've never been drunk before.' Serena said as they sat on the bar stools. She was really coy about her rather short skirt and made it a point to face either the bar counter or Raaj. She wanted Raaj to know that she was only being desirable for him, and not for the rest of the crowd there. Though with the hotel full of honeymooners, from all around the world, there did not seem to be many guys interested in other people's wives when they were only recently married themselves.

  'Drunk?'

  'Yes. I have never been "blown off my head." I want to experience it.' She was adamant.

  'Okay. That should not take long.'

  The bartender had finished serving drinks to another couple and was waiting for their orders.

  'Could we have two large vodkas with colas?' Raaj said and added, '...and two shots of tequila please.'

  The bartender nodded and retreated to make drinks for them.

  'So, tell me more about the plan,' Serena started.

  'Not here, sweetheart... we shall speak later.' Raaj was quick to warn her, knowing well that they could be overheard in the bar. They sat there for about an hour cuddling and romancing like every other newly wed couple around them. An hour of mixed drinks was enough for Serena to get drunk. Raaj walked her to the restaurant holding her arm with her head against his shoulders till they sat down on comfortable sofas. He ordered a lobster in mustard sauce topped with cheese and sweet potatoes and peppers on the side. Serena, being a paltry eater, ordered mussels in Thai green sauce from the starters menu.

  'So what's on your mind?' Serena started again, hinting at the conversation they had had a while ago in bed.

  'With what you're wearing, or rather not wearing now, I have only one thing on my mind, sweetheart.' Raaj tried sounding as lecherous as possible.

  They went for a short walk on the beach after the dinner to watch the crab race that was organised for the hotel guests once a week. It was a big novelty factor for most of the guests and it became even more interesting as Raaj and a few other men started betting on them. Serena enjoyed the cool sea breeze, which helped her feel a bit better after the drinking session. She had taken off her beach sandals to enjoy the night-time cool white sands under her feet. By the time everyone retreated to their rooms, it was around ten. As they reached the room, Raaj suggested that they go down their lagoon for a dip in the water. Serena did not need much persuasion.

  'How about skinny-dipping?' she asked teasingly, almost pulling off her tank top.

  'We've got neighbours, sweetheart.'

  Serena was drunk and tired so she slept like a log within moments of hitting the bed. Raaj tried reading under the bedside lamp, but his mind was busy making plans. He had been thinking of this grand scheme for quite some time now, and was happy that Serena had shown some initial interest in it. He knew there would be a lot of planning and hard work required, but it should not be impossible.

  Raaj got up late to find Serena missing from his bedside. She had got up early and was playing in the water close to their villa wearing another teasing minimalist bikini. After a while she came into the room and without making any efforts to cover herself, put the kettle on for some tea for both of them. 'So will you tell me the whole plan now?' she asked as she stood drying her hair with the towel.

  'Yes… where were we?' Raaj paused to think.

  'You were telling me that it would be virtually impossible for company registrars to tell the difference between the genuine and counterfeit share certificates…'

  'That is, if they do not get two with matching numbers simultaneously.' Raaj was inspired again.

  Serena's raised eyebrows told him that she was wondering about serial numbers.

  'There is no cipher to be decoded here. They are just alpha-numerical serial numbers and a hologram of the company in some cases that is not difficult to copy.'

  'How will you… er… we... ensure that the company does not receive the same serial numbered certificates simultaneously?'

  'Simple. We only duplicate the ones we have access to.'

  'We don't have much money to buy enough to make it worthwhile then.' She sounded disappointed.

  'We don't need to own them all, we can duplicate all the ones we have access to.'

  'I'm not sure I understand.'

  Raaj explained to Serena in great detail that physical share certificates were treated as another form of currency at their market value. They were traded through a stock trader and wealth manager, like him, who advises his business clients to pick up high-value blue-chip stocks. As the share certificate must pass through him, to his clients, he could keep the original certificates and deliver the counterfeit ones. He would only duplicate if a particular one had not been recently transferred — in the last one year or so — and had not been reassigned to the latest seller. Hence, there should be no conclusive evidence of who replaced the original certificate with the counterfeited one in the chain.

  'How do we make the money?' Serena couldn't stop herself asking.

  'We charge the clients for fake certificates and we keep the originals to offload them when the stock market is on a high, plus don't forget we could reproduce one certificate several times. Since I know these people well, I would sell only to clients where there's more than a fifty percent probability that the person buying from us would not send it to the company for transfer before changing hands a few more times. It would be unfeasible to trace back such certificates, and even if they try, it would take years and still not prove anything categorically.'

  'How much will we make?'

  'More than a few million dollars, I guess. Depends on how big a window we get before we have to sell and then we leave India and settle in some place like... Canada.'

  'More than a few million dollars?' Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing.

  'Yes, sweetheart.'

  'You've thought about everything, haven't you?' Serena lit up a cig
arette.

  'Yes, sweetheart.'

  'How do we get started?' Serena asked eagerly, now appearing even more motivated than Raaj.

  'Let's see how many clients I get. I will speak to Sonny — he already invests on my advice and does not seem to be in any haste to sell. If I get his portfolio, it could be a good beginning. I shall contact others once I set up the company when we return.'

  'One last question… where would you get these counterfeits printed?'

  'Somewhere they don't speak English,' Raaj responded pulling her into bed.

  On the flight back to Bombay, Raaj asked Serena not to speak about the whole thing to anyone, ever. 'Two traits are common across all successful people — they never stop thinking of being successful and they don't disclose their plans to anyone,' he said as the flight landed at Sahar International Airport.

  23

  Bombay

  1993

  Sonny couldn't wait to see Raaj and Serena when they invited him over for a few drinks, dinner and some initial discussions around setting up the new business. He felt privileged that Raaj wanted him to be the first client and consequently he carried his entire portfolio for an evaluation by the financial expert. 'Hello, Raaj.' He arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the invited hour of seven, threw his bag carelessly, and slumped on the sofa.

  'Hi,' Raaj said shutting the door.

  Sonny was the perfect guinea pig for this experiment. Firstly, Raaj would have been hard pressed to find a more staggeringly inept client than him. Secondly, the kind of trust he had in Raaj made him extremely vulnerable, and lastly, being born to a rich father and inheriting all the money and investments, he would be less likely to notice the difference between certificates — something Raaj had always despised about such dumb and fortunate people.