Chapter 18:"Deshmukh wants to meet you," said Satya coming in to Maan's cabin. Maan who was reviewing list of pending invoices looked up, eyes widened. He exchanged glances with Emily who was sitting in the chair opposite to him.
"Why now?" She asked.
"There is no agenda for the meeting set. He has actually invited you for dinner," said Satya. Maan groaned loudly. Emily looked at him questioningly.
"Did you forget to initiate break-up talks with Vaidehi?" Emily asked looking at Maan's state. Maan looked at her horrified and nodded vigorously.
"I totally forgot about it! What do I do?" Maan looked quite helpless.
"It's your funeral," said Emily. "I'll get court order for these," she said pointing to the list of names in Maan's hands and left.
"You find this funny?" Maan asked Satya who had given up holding a smile and was grinning outright.
"Yes." Satya said without missing a beat. "A fax came in for you," he said handing over a sheet of paper to Maan. Maan sobered up when he saw the contents of the fax.
"This is the company from which the capital originated," said Satya. "It looks like a paper company," Satya noted.
"There is something else sir," Satya said. "This company was established eighteen years ago and the original investor's name is Pratap Handa. Three months after its establishment, it was transferred to Dileep Khurana and I think it is undeclared here." It had been a fortnight since Dileep Khurana had transferred funds to Maan.
"But why did Pratap uncle establish a company in Uganda? Unless…" Maan looked at Satya in surprise.
"It's a common way hiding slush funds. A paper company with substantial capital sits in a foreign country undisclosed here." Satya finished.
"I wonder if Vikram or Mitalee know about it," said Maan.
"It's quite possible sir," replied Satya.
"Did you find anything else regarding Pratap uncle?" Maan asked as Satya turned to leave.
"Emily did sir. She wants to tell it to both you and Geet together," said Satya. Maan looked at him wearily. "It involves her father sir," he said and walked out of the cabin.
Maan sighed deeply. The prospect of meeting Geet under these circumstances didn't sound very nice.
-- o00o --
"Why are you so against it Geet?" Emily asked Geet picking her coffee cup. Emily had called for a breakfast meeting to talk about the things she found out about Pratap Handa after his split with Dileep Khurana. Emily didn't understand why Geet didn't want to know what triggered all the events of the past. When she had told her about the task that Maan had given her and Satya, Geet hadn't taken it well.
"I don't know why he is hell bent on this Emily. My dad and Dileep uncle separated and things didn't go too well with my dad after that. Two years later he committed suicide without caring a damn about his family." Geet spat. Emily swallowed hard. Maan had told her offhandedly that it was Geet who had found her father dead and she was completely withdrawn for months after that.
"Geet you know there is more to the story than that." Emily sighed. "What is the real reason Geet?" Emily asked. Geet didn't reply.
"When papa started working after moving out of Khurana group, everything was changed. We moved to a different part of the city, my father remarried and he cut off all ties with Khuranas. He was Dileep Khurana's best friend and mentor for Vikram and Mitalee. Of course they didn't like him because he supported Damini aunty and helped her a lot." Geet said absently stirring coffee.
"Who is Damini aunty?" Emily asked, confused.
"She is my mother," Maan's voice came and the women saw that Maan was standing along with Satya a foot away. Emily and Satya looked at their boss open mouthed. Wasn't Dileep Khurana's wife dead? Maan noted the confusion on their faces and nodded at Geet.
"How are you?" he asked her sitting next to her and leaning back on chair. He ignored the questioning looks Emily and Satya sported and stalled talking about it.
"I am okay but you look old," Geet said frankly. Maan grinned. There was a time when he unnecessarily taunted her and she answered him back equally caustic. In past few months the relationship between them was hanging by a thin thread and Maan tried his level best to leave it alone. He knew that if he tried to even mend it, it would be broken forever.
"Work does that to people Geet especially to those who work day and night sweating blood to build a glorious world," Maan said dramatically. Emily sniggered as Satya shook his head and signaled waiter.
"You are COO of two companies whose last year's net profit is less than your own inheritance," Geet replied flatly.
"You are so mean," Maan replied.
The two men placed their orders when a waiter arrived at their table marking an end to a round of bickering. Geet rolled her eyes as Satya sighed at the timing.
"Dileep Khurana's wife is dead. But my mother is not," Maan said taking a sip of his coffee and breaking the silence that was settled on their table. Emily and Satya exchanged looks. Under the table Geet held Maan's hand and squeezed it gently.
"My mother and Dileep Khurana only lived together and aren't married," Maan said. Emily averted her eyes understanding the implications of it and Satya merely looked on. Maan continued.
"So I was formally adopted and was given Khurana name when I was five. It was the same time when my mother and I moved to that house too. My mother was never really known to anyone else outside the family besides a handful. Pratap uncle was the only one who was trusted by my mom and he was also the one who did all the paperwork for my adoption and went against everyone else. Even my father at one time wasn't interested in formal adoption. Khurana reputation was in ruins and he didn't want to add on to it by dragging us into the picture. Pratap uncle convinced my father to get us to the house and give me a family." Maan said. There wasn't any emotion in his voice and he told the story as if he was talking about strangers. But the pressure on Geet's palm showed how beaten he was about the whole issue.
"Is that when you met Geet?" Emily asked. Maan nodded.
"After coming to the house we lived in a separate wing which was technically not connected to the house. Vikram, Varun and Mitalee hated the sight of mother but hated me even more. Geet lived in the same locality as us and she was the only friend I had for next five years. Besides Pratap uncle, no one else really visited us. For everything he has done to me and my mother, I owe him this much." Maan said.
"You remember Geet? The day you had come to my house to say goodbye?" Maan asked. Geet nodded. "Well that was the last time I saw Pratap uncle alive. He moved away from our lives."
"I think he was in touch with Damini aunty," Geet added slowly. Maan looked at her, surprised. "I remember him talking to her couple of times," she said.
"Would she know about what we were trying to find out?" Emily asked.
"She would, but not completely," said Geet. "When you think in that way, my mom knows most of it too. I don't think she knew everything but I think she knows that something went really wrong two years after papa started his new company."
"How did you know that it was Geet's mother who sold off her husband?" Satya asked shooting an apologetic look at Geet. Geet bit her lips and looked at Maan.
"Venkat told me. And Maya aunty never countered when I asked her." Maan replied.
"This is all very hazy Maan," said Emily. "At one side you have things going on between your two families and on the other hand Khurana and Handa are working together or against each other. And now Venkat is also added to the mix."
"What you mean?" Maan asked.
"Let's all forget the fact that Geet's mother or Venkat or your mom knows about what happened. Let's just stick to the facts that we have and figure out using them," said Emily. "I used my contacts and found out about the people who were working for Khurana a decade and half ago. Khurana Group was facing a lot of heat from their investors and Khurana Capital was booking huge amount of losses every quarter. They were all set to declare bankruptcy and around the same time Geet's father moved out of the company." She said.
"That doesn't make sense. Pratap uncle isn't of the quitting variety," said Maan, frowning.
"However within next one year the company recovered miraculously. Capital was flowing in and they booked a lot of new clients. The establishment and transfer of the company Geet's father established falls within this timeline." Emily added.
"This is what you found?" Geet asked Maan and Emily.
"This is what I inferred after Satya gave me the fax," said Emily. "What I also found out was Dileep Khurana met Pratap Handa on the day before Pratap Handa died. It was the first time they were meeting after two years. They met in one of Khuranas guest houses and there was a lawyer present." Emily said.
By looking at Maan and Geet she knew that they had no clue about it.
"Who was it?" Maan asked.
"It was Venkat." Geet and Maan looked at each other.
"Did you know that Venkat was actually hired by Pratap Handa right before he left the Khurana group?" Emily asked. Maan shook his head.
"How do you know this for sure Emily?" Geet asked slowly.
"I can assure you that the sources are all rock solid Geet. They are people who have worked with Khuranas for a long time. I wouldn't have talked about it unless I was really sure." Emily replied.
"Dileep Khurana and Pratap Handa were working together all along without letting anyone know. But what went wrong?" Satya sighed.
Maan squeezed Geet's palm and nodded at her. It's going to be alright.
To be continued.
Music companion for the day: Bitter and Blue by Michael Weatherly (NCIS Soundtrack)
And: Heavy and Hanging by Patterson Hood
Cricket
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
