Translucence II - Complete - Page 20

Chapter 33

"You want me to do, what exactly?" Varun asked Maan who was languidly sprawled on the vast leather sofa in Varun's cabin.

"Meet Deshmukh, hear out what he wants and accept all the terms he is going to put. It's quite simple Varun," Maan replied breezily.

Varun was less than happy.

"And why should I do it?"

"You should do it because it is going to help Khurana Capital to advance," Maan was eerily honest. Emily who was sitting in chair opposite to Varun, swallowed. What the hell was Maan doing?

Varun burst out laughing. "You expect me to save your ass because you are asking me to do so? I don't think so champ," he said chuckling.

"Okay," Maan said and stood up. Both Varun and Emily were surprised.

"That's it?" Varun echoed his surprise.

"Yep. That's it. I asked you nicely and you refused like a moron without asking me anything further given how he and I have already held a meeting regarding this matter," Maan replied putting on his jacket. Emily was clueless in whatever Maan was trying to pull off. But she saw that he had successfully rattled Varun a bit.

"Look Maan, any alliance at this stage is not going to happen with Khurana Heavy Transport all thanks to the incredibly dumb stunt you pulled off last year. The board is already worried about your…err…influence on the ongoing of this company," Varun shared his helplessness. It's not like he had firsthand information on everything that went around in the company. He simply did things because he was supposed to do; nothing more nothing less.

"To start with, you can tell the board to shove it. Secondly the board consists of arrogant snobs who have no f**king clue about how to run this company since they are interested in profits anyway. And thirdly, I am not letting a spineless idiot to create problems for Khurana Capital." Maan finished his little speech and turned from the window. "How do I look?" He asked Emily seriously.

Emily opened and closed her mouth several times but without getting a single syllable out. She finally shook her head and clamped her mouth shut.

"It's not that simple. You already know what they are capable of and their position is quite tricky; they are on executive board in other companies – Khurana group included." Varun replied.

Maan didn't speak for several moments. Emily had decided to be on mute that afternoon. Maan was in a way on a rollercoaster ride and he was too far into the game to hear what rationality she had to offer. She didn't completely elude that fact that Maan in his element was darn too entertaining.

"You know it's actually quite simple," Maan said. Varun peered. "Be a man and tell the board that it's your decision."

Emily waited. She knew that Varun wasn't the man who neither took up responsibility so easily nor was he the one who would ever start any confrontation.

"I will have to consult the legal department before I make any proclamation to the board," Varun said in a final tone. Emily turned to look at Maan.

It was like watching grand slam final where Varun and Maan were volleying arguments back and forth; only that this match had tons of redundancy in it.

"Guys. Please stop going back and forth with 'I won't and 'you should' arguments. It's not taking us anywhere and the two of us," she said point to her and Maan, "are wasting our time."

"You are right Emily. The two of us are wasting our time by trying to talk sense. Let me deal this the way Mitalee or Vikram or even Varun would."

"Eh?" Varun looked at Maan offended.

"I have enough material to blackmail you Varun; your personal life, your professional blunders, the bribes, money you invested in movies, etc. If you don't agree to accept Deshmukh's proposal then it's the same old 'I will destroy your career and all of your inheritance will be snatched away from your nose' threat and other blah. If you think that am bluffing, then it's your headache." Maan said swishing his arms around. Emily thought he was purposely getting under Varun's skin but she wasn't sure anymore.

"I need some time to think about it. It's a huge decision," Varun conceded. Emily cheered internally.

"Sure." Maan accepted.

"Thank you!" Varun was glad.

"You have three minutes," Maan smirked. Emily's eyes rose in surprise. Maan caught her look and shrugged happily.

"That's…I am…I can't…" Varun spluttered.

"Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock," Maan said looking at his watch.

"This is not fair Maan," Varun tried reasoning.

"Two minutes and fifteen seconds. Time sure does fly fast when you are having fun or when you are super tense." Maan scratched his stubble. He shrugged a moment later and checked the watch again. "One minute and fifty seconds," he updated the countdown status.

"Fine!" Varun yelled after Maan started the T-20 countdown. Even Emily was little annoyed at his antics.

"Fine, I will meet Deshmukh," Varun replied.

"No. You will meet him and accept his terms and conditions. Once you do that Emily and Satya will start working on the next phase." Maan's tone didn't have any traces of humor in it.

"You screw it up, I will destroy you."

Maan's words hung around the cabin and the clicking of Emily's heels only accentuated the situation Varun was in.

-- o00o --

"I told you it would work," Maan gloated over lunch. The four of them were meeting for a bite to eat on a weekend a week after Maan had openly blackmailed Varun in his own cabin. Emily, Satya and Geet were betting against the outcome since they were at stalemate. They knew that Deshmukh would proceed only if his alliance with Khurana Transport would come through. You didn't have to be a genius to figure it out.

Maan was miffed that the three of them were opining against him. "Et tu Geet," he had hissed dramatically when she said that he was being too callous about the whole thing.

"I can't believe that it worked and that too with Varun. Varun is slimiest of all and he knows very well how to slither and tither and survives better than anyone." Satya said thoughtfully.

"Satya, Varun only looks after himself. His agenda is clear that way. As far as he is affluent enough to continue with the activities that make him happy, he doesn't care a shit about what happens to others. He sold me once, remember?" Maan explained.

"Still Maan, it's a gamble we can't afford at the moment," Emily said, her expression serious. Maan sobered at that.

"If talk with Deshmukh doesn't come through we need an exit strategy." Emily said slowly.

"What's exit strategy? Closing the company?" Geet asked.

"It would be much worse. We may have to file for bankruptcy, if it comes to it." Maan said. Geet looked alarmed but her facial expression betrayed her confusion.

"The repercussions of a bankruptcy can be market wide. If a large company files for bankruptcy then various other companies who have invested in it will book losses that day. So it's a chain reaction which can potentially cause havoc in the market." Maan explained.

"I am more worried about legal investigation which regulatory bodies might insist on." Emily said. Geet was unnerved to see a totally calm and sober Emily whose knitted eyebrows only intensified the seriousness in her face. "It's going to be hell from then onwards," she added.

"There is also a possibility that whatever Deshmukh is going to offer might not be enough. We need a contingency for that." Satya said. "I don't think it would happen but we shouldn't be ruling out that as one of the outcome when Emily and I are going to meet the counsel team." Satya said.

The table went quiet after that. Everyone ate lunch in slow pace, each lost in their own thoughts.

"If we are in a state where we know that we cannot raise money within stipulated time, I will go for voluntarily filing for bankruptcy rather than waiting for the last moment," Maan said.

"You should probably talk to Damini aunty too," Geet said taking a bite of cucumber.

"Why?" Maan asked, surprised.

"Wait. You don't know?" Geet asked only to be met with three blank stares.

"Damini aunty has substantial quantity of Deshmukh's shares. Deshmukh and Damini aunty used to be friends."

Maan felt his mouth go dry.

To be continued.

Music companion for the day: Something stupid by Frank and Nancy Sinatra