"The Grand Sahara"

One of my extravagant tales, this one was very difficult to write. My visit to the Bakhra Dam when I was 10 years old kid was the inspiration behind this gigantic tale , which I wrote almost 10 years later.....read on .

" This one is BIG.HUGE. ENORMOUS.GRAND.
And it sticks to its theme to the last word!
Rajvendar Raj is a Power Project Head to the Indian Government .He is called the “Hydro-Power Man of India” because he is the pioneer of modern hydroelectric power generating projects of Indian subcontinent .
Power crises in India are still a cause of concern and he has a vision and a dream to make every village ,every home free of darkness. So he formats a plan . Almost after 8 years of research ,he comes up with a solution to bring relief to entire North India from problems of recurring floods ,irrigation and electricity .

Lake Sahara (fictional) located on the Himalayas at Himachal-Uttranchal Border holds the potential for the Highest Hydel power station. The project proposition is sent to the Indian Govt but it runs into trouble from the day its get the nod . First the local inhabitants refuse to part with their land , then political upheavals at the Centre prolong the start of work for 2 long years and later Leading environmentalist and human rights activist Mira Deshmukh wages a 5 year long battle against its construction along with the support of the locals and many NGOs.

The battle goes legal and the court announces the verdict in Rajvendra Raj’s favour . But the work is still not done .

The construction work is stalled many times and approximately 1lakh workers are put to task to make the biggest and highest ever Dam of India at the most toughest conditions. Nearly 150 workers lose their life. More than 200 are crippled and there is widespread agitations, Dharnas, strikes and rallies all over the country spearheaded by Mira Deshmukh who ironically happens to be Rajvendra’s daughter in law.
The whole conflict results in Mira’s divorce with Rajvendra’s son, Yashwant who is incidentally the chief civil engineer of this project. Mira has to part with their 4 year old son Ansh when divorce court announces Ansh to stay with his Father Yashwant.
But Rajvendar’s dream is far above these personnel problems. He has a greater task to do to put India on the Power Map. And his dream is realized after 7 long years when the longest, biggest and highest Dam of Asia “The Grand Sahara” is inaugurated by the President .
The turbines and the machines rotate as the water gushes down and the power generated illuminates every nook and corner of North India!

Shaheen Tariq, a famous novelist, is interested in writing a Biography on Rajvendar and she reaches those heights to interview him who now has become a sort of an icon. She chronicles his life and the success story and unravels The Grand Sahara. Her book is a bestseller.
A multipurpose dam that claims to solve the flood ,draught ,water and electricity problem hosts a grand carnival to celebrate its success. Leading companies ,geologists, architects, civil engineers from around the world conglomerate to research Rajvendra and his son ‘s master creation. Many schools organize an educational trip for students. Its party time at “The Grand Sahara”.But that's where the Story boils up and the real heat begins. Shaheen Tariq is abducted by ISI agents and they have a dangerous purpose to do that.
They conceive vital information from her !
They want to blow up the Dam!
Meanwhile , there is an Emergency meeting at the Government level when an American MNC researching the landscape around the Dam approaches for it.
The Panic button is pushed on!

Their report reveals that the Dam is located at the most strategic seismic epicenters of Asia and an earthquake measuring 6 or more on the Richter Scale can make it go down and drown the whole of Himachal, Haryana ,the Capital City and parts of Rajasthan! The Govt wants a probe into it but The MNC suggests immediate action to prevent the worst calamity.
But the time has come!
Taking advantage of the Celebrations that are undergoing at the Dam site, The ISI agents work their way into the Dam and load it with explosives at prominent locations. Their master plan is to slowly disintegrate the whole structure and then blow up into pieces.
Of course Rajvendra is unaware of this as he is busy giving interviews while Yashwant sees his son Ansh around the big thing.
Govt orders war scale measures to built banks of sand along the length of river Sahara and Yamuna. They cant imagine Delhi drowned!
And they cant force damn 1000 odd Grand Sahara employees out, neither can it stop the carnival nor the panic….
The tremors have started…2,3,5 on the Richter scale…there are landslides around the region.. Rain is heavy…the lake is rising ….the ISI pushes its first explosion..

It cannot be bigger than this ….as the last and most moving and
‘thrill with a chill’ part of the story begins…
That has to be read and understood to be believed. Its highly absorbing and as mind shattering and thought provoking as it could get.
The hot debatable theme is transformed into a classic story and much more enlightening is the message it gives and the signals it sends.