The Chronicles of Chatur Bahadur: Episode 8 - The Audit Trail
Episode 8: The Audit Trail
Chatur Bahadur had weathered ministers, middlemen, and the media — but this time, something colder was in the air: auditors.
A team from abroad, hired by the investors, arrived with laptops, scanners, and a terrifying sense of curiosity.
The Arrival
They were polite, methodical, and obsessed with “supporting documents.”
Chatur greeted them with tea, snacks, and selective truth. He even ordered new office curtains — in case transparency became a metaphor.
But one line item caught their attention:
Miscellaneous Expense – Facilitation (Hydro Phase II)
The Discovery
The auditors traced the payments, following a digital breadcrumb trail that led to an unexpected account — one belonging to a “Consultant B. Chettri,” a person who did not seem to exist.
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Dr. Miscellaneous Expense – Hydro Facilitation 850,000
Cr. Cash in Bank 850,000
And later — magically reversed through “asset revaluation”:
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Dr. PPE – Hydro Development Rights 850,000
Cr. Miscellaneous Income – Project Valuation 850,000
The books balanced, but the story didn’t.
The Confrontation
One auditor finally asked, “Mr. Bahadur, could we meet Mr. Chettri?”
Chatur smiled, tapping his pen. “Ah, Mr. Chettri… he’s in the mountains. Very spiritual man. Doesn’t use email.”
Silence. The auditors exchanged glances. They weren’t buying the spirituality — or the spreadsheet.
The Escape Plan
That night, Chatur instructed his accountant to prepare a new set of ledgers — one “for compliance” and one “for reality.”
He muttered, “Auditors may follow the trail, but I built the path.”
The Moral
Every trail leaves footprints. But in Chatur Bahadur’s world, footprints were just another thing to wash away — preferably with river water from his own dam.