I am a 24 years old woman from Mumbai, and I never imagined that my dream of running a successful event business would turn into a nightmare. What started as a promising venture-bringing entertainment to clubs and making a decent profit-soon became a fight for survival against corruption, crime, and unimaginable threats.
After graduating, my college friend and I launched an event business. We were new but ambitious, and soon, our events became successful. Within months, we were making six-figure profits. But everything changed when we organized an event at a well-known club in Andheri. We made ₹1.6 lakhs in profit, but the club manager refused to pay, making excuses and delaying payments. We waited, trusted his words, and eventually went to the police for help-only to realize that the manager had bribed them. Our case wasn’t even filed; instead, we were blamed for running such a business.
Feeling helpless, we approached a politician we knew. He agreed to intervene, but what he discovered left us in shock-behind the club manager stood a notorious gangster group from Mumbai, one that is feared by many but operates under the guise of charity and social work. When we pushed for our rightful money, they began threatening us. Soon, we found ourselves in an impossible situation: they were willing to let go of our money, but only if my business partner joined their gang and engaged in smuggling. We were horrified and refused.
A PATTERN OF BETRAYAL AND FEAR
We thought this was a one-time ordeal, but it happened again. Another event at a well-known club brought us a profit of ₹2.8 lakhs-but again, we weren’t paid. The same threats, the same criminals, and the same police inaction. It became clear that no matter where we went, they were watching us, ensuring we failed.
Determined not to give up, we tried once more, organizing an event in Bandra that earned us 3.3 lakhs. But once again, the money was withheld, and the threats escalated. We had lost over 8-9 lakhs in just five months. My friend was targeted the most-one day, he was even held at gunpoint and forced to either join their illegal operations or face worse consequences.
We were in debt, with no support from the law, and our families were suffering. Out of desperation, I took a 5 lakh loan, hoping to sustain ourselves and keep our families safe. We tried to lay low while some people we trusted looked into the matter. What we found next was beyond imagination.
A PERSONAL BETRAYAL
The mastermind behind our downfall was someone close-my younger sister’s boyfriend. This was someone I had known since school, a toxic and manipulative person I had warned my sister about years ago.
I was in ninth grade when I first crossed paths with him-not just as a classmate but as someone who wanted to be a part of my life in a way I had no interest in. He asked me out, but I refused. Not because I was hesitant, but because I knew who he was. His reputation preceded him-manipulative, aggressive, and the kind of person who thrived in chaos. I wanted no part of it.
A year later, he set his sights on my younger sister. Unlike me, she didn’t recognize the warning signs. She fell for his words, his charm-a trap disguised as love. At first, I didn’t know. None of us did. But soon, whispers reached me from our mutual friends. It was impossible to ignore. We were all studying in the same school, living in the same world.
When I confronted her, she denied it. When my family tried, she resisted. No matter what we said, no matter what we did, she refused to let go of him. We watched helplessly as she drowned in a relationship that we all knew would destroy her. And then, the truth hit us harder than we had imagined.
My brother found a fake Instagram ID-an account my sister had hidden from us. Curiosity turned to horror as we scrolled through the chats. The messages were gut-wrenching, filled with insults and verbal abuse. He called her names no one deserved to hear-words like “slut” and “whore”-designed to break her down and make her dependent on him. This wasn’t love. This was control. This was poison. That was the moment I knew we had to put an end to it.
Furious and disgusted, I did what I had to do. I took my family to his house. I wanted his parents to know what their son was doing. I wanted them to see the damage he had caused. But to our shock, they didn’t care. They listened to everything with casual indifference, as if it was just another ordinary conversation. No guilt, no anger, no regret. Their son had emotionally and mentally destroyed my sister, and yet, they acted like it was nothing.
We made sure they broke up. We made sure they stayed apart. It was over-or so we thought. Time passed, but the grip he had on my sister hadn’t loosened. She went back to him, despite everything. She ignored the pain he had caused, the warnings, the consequences. And that’s when he decided to take his revenge-on me. Because I was the one who had stood between them.
And in his twisted mind, I was the enemy. Unknowingly, she was used as a tool to feed information about our business. This man, driven by years of hatred and a thirst for revenge, hired the gangster group to destroy my career. Because of him, we lost everything-our business, our money, our mental peace, and almost our lives.
A LIFE IN CONSTANT FEAR
For the last 11 months, we have been receiving death threats. One of our closest friends, who stood by us and tried to protect us, was murdered. He had some connections, a little influence with higher authorities, and he used every ounce of it to try and help us. He made sure we were protected. And they knew it. They knew he was a threat. They knew he wouldn’t stop fighting for us. So they did what people like them always do. They silenced him.
Just like that, his life was taken away-ruthlessly, without a second thought. All because he stood up for what was right. He was kidnapped and murdered. His body was found on a railway track, staged as a drug overdose, and the police refused to investigate, dismissing it as an accident. He left behind a wife and a baby girl who will never know the father who fought for justice.
I can’t stop blaming myself. I keep thinking-what if I hadn’t pulled him into this? What if I had handled things differently? Would he still be alive? The guilt is unbearable. The regret is suffocating. And the truth is, it has been mentally torturing me just to exist-to wake up every day and know that he is gone while the ones responsible are still walking free, still living their lives as if nothing happened.
Now, they are after my business partner. We cannot move freely, as they are watching our every step. Our families are at risk, and we have no legal way out.
A PLEA FOR HELP
I never thought I would be in a situation where I would have to ask strangers for financial help. But I am out of options. My family and my business partner’s family need to leave this city for our safety. I am in 5 lakh debt, and with no source of income, things are getting worse. I cannot disclose my identity or location for safety reasons, but if you can contribute anything, it would mean saving our lives. I will be forever grateful for any support you can provide.