Aarushi’s Journey into the Hidden World of TMD

What happened earlier? Click here to read

Prerna’s voice broke the reflective silence in the room, her curiosity evident. “Hey, Aarushi, I’m very happy for you, but how did it all start? I mean your investigation, how did you get the thought of taking up such a goal and why? TMD mentioned that you were different from other people who investigated his identity earlier. I’m interested in knowing how it is different.”

Aarushi leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “It’s a long story, Prerna,” she began, her voice tinged with nostalgia. “It all started a few years ago when I was in my final year of pursuing my degree in journalism. I dreamed of many things in my career as a journalist. I had always been passionate about uncovering the truth and bringing justice to those who needed it most. But one particular story changed everything for me.”

Prerna’s eyes widened with interest. “What story was that?”

“Those were the days when I had to prepare a story as a project in my final year. I was searching for an interesting story to cover, something that would stand out. I browsed so many journals and newspapers, but nothing grabbed my attention. Then I decided to go to the police station to inquire whether there was any interesting case that we could investigate.”

Aarushi paused, her eyes distant as she recalled the memory. “When I got to the station, I noticed a group of people coming out, all of them sobbing. It turned out that their children were missing. I asked the officer at the desk if there were any interesting cases. He replied that missing children was the only hot case in town and that it would take time for the new Sub-Inspector to take charge. ‘If you’re interested, you can investigate the case,’ the officer said.”

Prerna leaned in, captivated. “And did you decide to investigate right away?”

Aarushi shook her head, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “No, at first, I didn’t. It seemed important, but I wasn’t immediately drawn to it. Thinking of what to do next, I went with my classmates to our favorite fast-food truck. The owner was frustrated, struggling to manage a huge crowd. We stepped in to help him complete the orders for the day.

“At closing time, he offered us our favorite food as thanks. While we were eating, I asked him what had happened to his associate. He was in a rage, shouting, ‘Those idiots come begging for the job and then disappear without notice.’ I tried to calm him down, saying, ‘You can find someone else. Don’t ruin your health by shouting at them.’

“He replied, ‘I’m not going to hire any more kids. They keep leaving without informing me.’ That piqued my curiosity. I asked him how many kids had left like that. He replied, ‘He was the third to leave me,’ with disappointment in his voice.”

Prerna’s eyes widened. “So, that’s when you made the connection?”

Aarushi nodded, her expression serious. “Yes. My mind was flooded with doubts. Did these kids leave on their own, or were they kidnapped? If they were kidnapped, why wasn’t anyone going to the police to report these missing orphaned working kids? I started to think that if there was foul play involved, the missing children case at the police station might be connected to these orphan kids disappearing from their jobs. That’s when I decided to take up the investigation of these missing orphan kids as my story.”

“As we started investigating, we hit nothing but dead ends. No matter which way we turned, we couldn’t find any clues about the whereabouts of these kids. One day, though, we met a shopkeeper who had faced the same problem as the fast-food truck owner. He told us about two customers who were new to the area. They had visited his shop the day before two of his hired kids disappeared, one after the other.”

Prerna placed her hands over her mouth in shock. “OMG! They were the kidnappers, then?”

“We thought so too,” Aarushi continued. “We asked about their recent visits, but the shopkeeper said their last visit was right before the second kid disappeared. After that, they never came back. We found similar cases elsewhere, but every lead was a dead end. Days passed, and I was running out of time—only 15 days left to submit my project cover story. Desperate, I went back to the police station to talk to the new SI about the case of the missing children. But he was in full frustration, not giving any proper answers except to say, ‘Not a single case was lost by me. I will definitely retrieve the children.’ I found him to be the most egoistic creature on earth, unwilling to listen to anything I had found.”

Prerna chuckled sympathetically. “Yeah! I’ve heard about him. He does come across as a stubborn officer. Maybe he was just in a hurry and didn’t have time to listen? I’m not defending him, but there might have been a reason, right?” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Aarushi rolled her eyes playfully. “Whatever!” she said, pouting before continuing, “I left the station, feeling completely frustrated. As I was about to cross the street, I saw two men talking to a kid who was begging on the sidewalk. Suddenly, they started forcing the kid to come with them. Even though the kid was fighting back, they dragged him toward a vehicle and drove off.”

Prerna gasped, leaning in closer. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t have much time to think,” Aarushi explained. “I immediately looked around for any taxi or vehicle and managed to get a lift from a man passing by. I asked him to follow the vehicle, and thankfully, he agreed. My heart was racing; I knew this was my only chance to find out what was happening to these kids.”

Prerna was hanging on every word. “Did you manage to catch them?”

Aarushi nodded, a determined look in her eyes. “Yes, but what I discovered was far more complicated and interesting than I had ever imagined. That moment was the turning point in my investigation. Those men in black T-shirts and blue jeans took the boy into a room in an old building. I followed them but stayed outside, peeking through a slit in the door.”

She paused, her eyes reflecting the intensity of the memory. “That’s when I saw him for the first time—The Man in Dark. He was sitting behind a table, his face obscured by shadows on the screen. He looked mysterious, powerful, and yet… there was something about him that felt almost protective.”

Prerna leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “So that’s how you first encountered TMD?”

Aarushi nodded, her voice steady as she recalled the pivotal moment. “Yes. Watching him on that screen, I realized this wasn’t just about a few missing kids—it was something much bigger. At that time, I didn’t know who TMD was, but seeing him in that dark shade, I knew I had to dig deeper. There was an entire world hidden beneath the surface, and I had to understand what was really going on and why.”

She paused, the weight of the memory evident in her tone. “My investigation took on a new purpose after that. It wasn’t just about my story anymore; it became a mission to uncover the truth, not just for those kids, but for everyone affected by this hidden world.”