Scam a Bleeding Heart - Farook Taseef

Last month, social media was flooded with news of my brother Beebo's death. This week, the media erupted over a massive corruption scandal involving my brother-in-law, Kaushal Veni, right around the time I received word that my sister, Nida, had stabbed him and was now in police custody. None of it made sense. Nida had always insisted that she had the perfect marriage and frequently praised Kaushal for how he cared for Beebo and their family.

Kaushal wasn't just another name in the news. He was a well-known corporate figure, recently appointed to oversee the infamous Turag Project: a mega motorway initiative that had remained unfinished for thirty years. Locals called it cursed, claiming misfortune befell everyone who took on its construction. Yet, Kaushal was the first person the media hailed as being on track to complete it. Until, of course, the so-called curse took hold. Now, sitting behind bars, Nida is piecing together the web of scams and fraud that ultimately tore her family apart and shattered her 'happily ever after.'

This is the fourth part of the Unpopular Opinions series, as told by Nida and Yaad Oman, set in 2020s Bangladesh.

Disclaimer: This story explores strong themes of corruption, prostitution, gang violence, and mob justice.

About the Author

Dr. Taseef H. Farook is an award-winning academic researcher and healthcare professional with an extensive publication record in medicine and dentistry. His fictional novels blend wit, humour, and compelling storytelling to explore pressing societal issues. Shaped by his cross-cultural experiences living and working across multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, his literary work offers a fresh and engaging perspective that will resonate with mature, diverse audiences.

Other books in this series:

#1 Unpopular Opinions 1

After inheriting the diary of his dearly departed friend, Yaad faces a difficult choice: leave his troubled past behind or relive it again through Sufi Hamza's eyes. But it's not just about a diary filled with scandals; it's about something-and someone-Yaad had spent years trying to forget and must now confront before he is ready to read Sufi's final words. His thoughts pull him back to 2000s Bangladesh, as he begins to share raw opinions on the many societal flaws that shaped his childhood and ultimately led him to his own version of a happy ending.

#2 Unpopular Opinions 2

Though their lives now seem worlds apart, Yaad and Sufi once shared a controversial passion for exposing societal flaws with brutally honest opinions. However, after Sufi's death, Yaad inherits his diary. Upon reading its pages, Yaad discovers a series of criminally unsavoury confessions from his morally ambiguous best friend. These confessions indirectly implicate Yaad as a silent witness to scandals that once ruined many lives.

#3 Troubled Waters

As storm clouds gather over the village, Rono runs his kite through the meadows in the valley. When rain begins to fall, the villagers retreat as the dam struggles against rising water levels. As families conduct headcounts, Riba Marya, the village outcast, realises her son, Rono, is missing. Desperation leads her back into the storm, where she finds the valley swallowed by a sudden flood after the dam collapses. The villagers call it divine punishment, blaming Riba's past and shunning her completely. Only a few offer solace in her grief. But in her anguish, Riba confesses how trusting her brother and using common sense have sealed her fate as the village outcast.