Mala’s involvement in drug trafficking is one of the biggest questions in Dabba Cartel. At first glance, she seems like a hardworking single mother who is just trying to make a better life for herself and her son. She works as a maid in an upscale society while also helping Raji run their small dabba business. She is someone who has struggled all her life, facing financial hardships and discrimination, so when an opportunity to earn more money comes her way, it’s natural to wonder whether she would take the risk. But does she really know what she’s getting into, or is she unknowingly part of something much bigger?
Throughout the first episode, there are subtle hints that Mala is being pulled into a dangerous situation. Her boyfriend Santosh suggests that she use the dabba service for drug distribution, showing her a packet that looks like marijuana. Mala immediately refuses, making it clear that she does not want to be involved in anything illegal. This reaction makes it seem like she is against the idea, but at the same time, it leaves room for doubt. Was she truly rejecting the idea, or was she just afraid of getting caught? Given her financial struggles, the temptation of easy money might have been hard to resist. Santosh seems determined to involve her, and if he kept pushing, she might have eventually given in.
Another suspicious moment comes when Raji and Mala finally find a new workspace for their dabba business. They have been struggling to find a place to rent, facing rejection after rejection, mostly due to discrimination. Suddenly, they come across a landlord who agrees to rent them a flat without asking for a deposit. This seems too good to be true, and in stories like these, anything that seems too easy usually has a catch. Later, when the police officer Preeti visits their workspace and finds packets of drugs hidden in the kitchen, Raji looks genuinely shocked. She had no idea about the drugs, but what about Mala? If Mala truly knew about them, she would have warned Raji beforehand. The fact that she didn’t suggests two possibilities: either she was completely unaware, or she was involved but never expected the drugs to be found so soon.
The episode ends with Mala running in the rain, being chased by someone. This is a crucial moment because it suggests that she is in danger. If she were an active participant in drug trafficking, she would have the protection of the people running the operation. But if she was being used or had unknowingly stepped into something dangerous, it would explain why she is suddenly being hunted. If she did agree to distribute drugs, it is possible that she thought she was dealing with something small, like aphrodisiacs or harmless substances, and did not realize she was handling serious narcotics. The discovery of the drugs by the police might have put her life at risk because the people in charge of the operation would now see her as a liability.
One possibility is that Mala was tricked into playing a role in drug trafficking without fully understanding what was happening. If Santosh or someone else from the underworld saw her desperation and convinced her that what she was doing was not dangerous, she might have agreed without realizing the full consequences. Another possibility is that she knew but believed she could control the situation. She might have thought that as long as the drugs were hidden well, nothing would go wrong. But now that they have been discovered, she is in trouble.
Ultimately, it’s still unclear whether Mala knowingly got involved in drug trafficking or if she was just a pawn in someone else’s game. She is caught in a dangerous web, and whether she can get out of it will depend on what happens next. If she was innocent, she will have to prove that she had no knowledge of the drugs. If she was guilty, she will have to find a way to escape before it’s too late. Either way, her life will never be the same again.