Chapter 16:"What's this about?" asked Emily taking a seat and looking
around the almost empty coffee shop. "This
guy has been looking forward to this coffee meeting as if he was meeting his
first love," she added pointing her thumb at Satya who was sitting down on a
chair next to her. Maan chuckled at her
jab.
"Thank you for coming here on your day off," said Maan
sobering quickly. "What is it?" Emily
asked softly when Maan didn't speak for several moments.
"There is something I want you guys to find out for me,"
Maan hesitated. "I promise you that I will not hold it out on you if you
refuse," he said. Emily and Satya exchanged glances.
"Tell us," Satya said. Maan looked at Emily who simply
nodded. Maan took out a thin folder from his bag and placed it in front of
them. Satya looked at Maan questioningly.
"Eighteen years ago Pratap Handa called it quits with Dileep
Khurana and started operating on his own. He was one of the biggest
shareholders in Khurana group when he left and no one knows the reason why he disassociated
himself from the Khurana group. He was my father's most trusted friend and adviser. And two years later something happened between him and my father. He
started collecting evidence against my father which could potentially ruin
Khurana Group completely." Maan said.
"This is investment
records and capital movement between the companies for…" Satya said turning
pages and trying to find out how far the records went.
"Twenty years," Maan answered. Satya looked up from the
folder with surprise evident on his face.
"Actually I want you guys to go much farther, say start from
early 1980s and see what was going on between the two men," Maan added.
"You want us to find that evidence?" Emily asked picking up
the folder from table and turning pages randomly.
"Yes." Maan said. Satya shook his head.
"It may not be impossible for us to find out the truth but
if it is something that can tarnish the image of the group or even bring it
down then I doubt it would be still lying around after all these years," Satya
said. "And if those documents still exist then am sure chairman has taken every
precaution to keep them away from prying eyes." He added.
"I am sure father has saved all of them. He knows that there
is no such thing as good or bad; if strategically played even a pawn has the
capability to become a queen," Maan replied. The three of them became quiet
when coffees and drinks arrived.
"Why do want to know it?" Emily asked after the waiter left
their table and they had had several sips of hot beverage.
"Honestly? Leverage," Maan said flatly. Emily simply raised
eyebrow.
"I doubt it sir. It may ruin us completely," Satya said
sharing his fear of bringing down one of the biggest groups which could create
havoc on Dalal for months.
"That's exactly what I want," Maan smiled without humor.
"Is that all there is to it?" Emily asked looking at Maan
shrewdly. Maan met her eye unflinchingly. "It seems there is something else
which is driving your motive to dig up the past." Emily said.
"Sir it's just that the very thing that you don't tell us
might end up being a key parameter when we look into the past," Satya explained
the reason. Maan sighed and nodded.
"Two years after leaving the Khurana Group Pratap Handa
committed suicide after his wife handed over the evidence to my father." Maan
said and took a sip of coffee. Emily and Satya looked at him slack jawed.
"Discretion is essential on this one." Maan said and didn't say
anything further marking an end to the conversation. The other two nodded.
"Why are you dressed in formals?" Emily asked Maan as they
walked out of the coffee shop.
"I have a meeting with father; all four of us actually. He
is pissed off with what happened last month."
"Keep us posted," Satya said. "And call me if there is
anything," he added as an afterthought.
"How about drinks in evening?" Maan asked wryly. Satya
shrugged and nodded. With siblings like the ones Maan had, he would have been a
total alcoholic dealing with their shit on a daily basis.
"Count me out. I am making plans to ruin your sister so
meeting with few old friends." Emily replied happily. Maan stopped in his
tracks and Satya sighed deeply. Emily's rant about Mitalee's little stunt was
driving him insane.
"Ruin Mitalee?" Maan asked surprised at the casual way Emily
nodded at his question. Satya shook his head discreetly. Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask.
Maan received the message loud and clear. "Good luck on that
Emily," he said with a forced smile and looked over her shoulder at Satya who
was breathing a huge sigh of relief. He
waved to the two and walked towards his car the smile completely leaving his
face.
-- o00o --
Varun hadn't dared to meet him in person after the fiasco of
annual meeting. Vikram and Mitalee had gone overseas citing vacation and
relaxing in before the second month of fiscal year began.
"How is your little company doing? Are you still able to pay
your employees?" Vikram said snidely.
The four siblings were seated on porch waiting to meet their
father who was currently in his study talking to an old friend – ex-finance
minister.
Maan didn't look up from the file he was looking at and
said, "You seem to be awfully concerned about the welfare of my employees'
brother."
"I am a very charitable man," Vikram said with a hint of
laugh. Maan could hear Mitalee's slightest chuckle. Varun who was sitting next
to him was on edge of his seat. Varun might be a weasel but he hated
confrontations.
"Satya is doing fine, by the way. That redundant move of
yours where an anonymous driver hits the target who is a major pain in your ass
is beyond boring now." Maan said turning a page in folder, refusing to look up
and spare his older siblings a glance.
"You hurt me with your accusation Maan," Vikram's voice was
anything but apologetic.
"The incident has your stink all over it. Of course there is
no evidence that it was you who ordered the hit and Satya isn't someone who
would pursue a shitty thing like this. He is a good man," Maan said casually
marking the page he was reading with pencil.
"Satya seems to be a smart man. You think I can persuade him
to work for me?" Vikram picked on unnecessarily. Maan didn't bother to respond and continued to
read the file in his hand.
"His girlfriend is a pretty thing," Vikram added goading
Maan to lose his patience and look at him. Maan was waiting for Vikram to bring
in Emily into the conversation.
"She sure is. Her latest motto however is to destroy Mitalee
completely." Maan said in nonchalance as he scribbled some points across the
margin of the paper he was reading. A part of him wanted to look up and dissect
the emotions passing on Vikram's and Mitalee's faces. But he held himself and
ignored the two.
Mitalee burst into laughter Vikram joining her a moment
later. He could hear Varun chuckling a little.
"That's the most hilarious thing I have heard in a while.
The last I heard something this funny was when father told me that you were
made COO of Khurana Heavy Transport and Khurana Electricals." Mitalee said once
she caught her breath.
He finally looked up at the three smiling faces of his
siblings. He shut the folder and removed his spectacles.
"You know about the Apple and Samsung patent war right?" He
asked the three of them. Surprisingly he didn't receive any condescending
answer but they merely nodded.
"Apple has filed several lawsuits against Samsung and
primary one being Samsung copying iPad's design for their Galaxy series. Samsung
recently filed a declaration stating that Apple didn't come with the idea of
iPad either." Maan said looking straight at Mitalee. She looked surprised as he
had calculated.
"As per Samsung's lawyer the original design of iPad should
be actually credited to Stanley Kubrick for envisioning it in Arthur. C. Clarke's
2001 – A space odyssey book he adapted to a movie by the same name. Thus
technically Apple cannot claim to be the owner of iPad's design either." Maan said.
"And….?" Mitalee trailed with a hint of smile.
"Just because you are f**king a bureaucrat from RBI doesn't mean
you can f**k around with people like Emily thinking that you have subdued her
permanently. Her vindictiveness lies in her creative way of systematically
collapsing the very foundation you are standing on." Maan maintained a
disregarded nonchalance which he knew would get on Mitalee's nerves. "You are
smart enough to understand what I mean, aren't you?" Maan added it just to piss
her off.
"She is a fool if she thinks she can touch JCI," Mitalee
replied knowing how JCI was something that was something she could call as her
own and the company which hadn't been brought under the Khurana Group umbrella.
"Chairman is waiting for you," Venkat came in and announced.
Vikram and Varun were the ones to rush forward while Maan waited till Vikram
and Varun were several steps ahead.
"You are such an idiot darling sister. You don't even know
what your most vulnerable stance is. Either that or you are covering it up very
well." Maan shrugged. Mitalee looked at him her face betraying her curiosity.
"I will be standing by the side, eating popcorn and drinking
cola when ground beneath your feet dissolves to nothing." Maan grinned at her
and walked inside leaving her alone on the porch staring at his retreating
figure. His job was done. He had installed a tiny worry in her head and her paranoia
would take care of the rest.
He hoped Emily would go easy on him when he tells her about
this conversation.
To be continued.
Music companion for the day: Black Coffee by All Saints
And (An all time favorite): Ghosts by Dirty Vegas
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