Raji and Mala’s small tiffin business was supposed to be a simple way to earn a living, but things took a dark turn when drugs were found hidden in their new workspace. Raji, who had no idea about the drugs, was left shocked when Officer Preeti discovered them during her inspection. The big question is, who planted the drugs there? The answer is not immediately clear, but there are a few possible suspects who could have set them up, either to use their business as a front or to frame them for something much bigger.
One of the most obvious suspects is Mala’s boyfriend, Santosh. He had already tried to convince her to use their tiffin business to distribute drugs, but she refused. It is possible that he went ahead and planted the drugs himself, hoping she would eventually give in. If he was involved with people who were pushing him to get involved in drug distribution, he might have thought that setting up the workspace with drugs would force Mala to agree. But at the same time, if Santosh had done this, he would have no reason to run away or hide from Mala. Instead, he might have tried to convince her again. Since Mala is later seen running in the rain, being chased by someone, it suggests that the real people behind the drugs are far more dangerous than Santosh alone.
Another possibility is the landlord of the workspace at Sankalp Siddhi. From the beginning, it seemed strange that he was willing to rent out the space so easily and without asking for a deposit. In a city where getting an affordable place to rent is a challenge, his generosity was suspicious. He could have been working with a drug network, using his rented properties as storage spaces for illegal substances. If this is true, then Raji and Mala were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They might have unknowingly walked into a trap where their business was being used to hide drugs without their knowledge. If the police had not found the drugs, they could have been forced into working for these criminals, and by the time they realized what was happening, it would have been too late.
Then there is the biggest suspect of all—VivaLife, the pharmaceutical company where Raji’s husband, Hari, works. The company is already under investigation for its connection to Modella, a dangerous opioid linked to deaths in Punjab. From the way the executives, especially Shankar Dasgupta, reacted to the investigation, it is clear they are hiding something serious. If they are illegally manufacturing fentanyl, a powerful and highly addictive opioid, they would need a secret way to distribute it without drawing attention. A small food delivery business run by unsuspecting women could be the perfect cover. If someone from VivaLife planted the drugs in Raji and Mala’s workspace, it could mean they were testing whether the women could be used for distribution. If this theory is true, then Raji and Mala were never supposed to find the drugs—the people behind the operation would have quietly taken them whenever they needed.
Varuna Dasgupta, Shankar’s wife, could also be involved. She seems frustrated about being excluded from her husband’s business, implying she used to play a role in it before. If she wanted to prove her usefulness again, she might have decided to use Raji and Mala’s business for something illegal, either with or without Shankar’s knowledge. Since Mala works as a maid in their house, Varuna might have known about their dabba service and seen an opportunity. If this is the case, she could have arranged for the drugs to be placed there, hoping that Raji and Mala would get used to handling them before realizing what they were involved in.
Another angle is that someone is deliberately trying to frame Raji and Mala. If this is not about using their business but instead about getting them arrested, then the real question is, who would benefit from their downfall? Tejaswi Tijori, the snobbish society member who looks down on domestic workers, might not be directly involved in drug dealings, but if she had some kind of rivalry with Raji or Mala, she could have played a role in setting them up. However, this seems less likely unless she had connections to the drug world herself.
With so many possibilities, the truth remains uncertain. What is clear, though, is that Raji and Mala have unknowingly stepped into something far more dangerous than they ever imagined. If they do not figure out who planted the drugs and why, they could end up being blamed for something they never intended to be a part of. The real danger now is not just the police investigation, but the fact that whoever planted the drugs will not want the truth to come out. With Mala being chased in the final moments of the episode, it is clear that someone is trying to keep their secrets hidden. Whether Raji and Mala will be able to escape this trap or if they will be forced deeper into the underworld of drug trafficking remains to be seen.