Omerta - Ch 11, Pg 29, 10/Sept - Page 17

Chapter 9:

"So what did Maan Singh Khurana tell you?" A burly man asked Vikram who was wiping his blood soaked hands on a snow white towel. Ashish, Vikram's closest aid and confidante was curious about the phone call that had taken place between Vikram and Maan. Vikram was surprised to see Maan disappearing somewhere in the second hour of the party which had resulted in two women being brutally assaulted; when Vikram got angry, he got rough and it showed on skin and bodies of other people.

Ashish swallowed and watched the serene smile pass on Vikram's face.

"He fell sick during party and had to leave," Vikram said discarding the bloodied towel. Ashish didn't want to know about the owner of the blood; at least not now.

"Is he telling the truth or is there something else going on?" Ashish asked peering at his friend-boss.

"I think he is and even if he isn't, it wouldn't matter anymore because what has been done because of his presence is something irrevocable," Vikram said and grinned. Ashish noted that it was the grin of a predator.

"Did your father say anything?" Ashish asked slowly. Vikram looked at him his grin dropping. Ashish swallowed. The dim lighting of the warehouse allowed Ashish to hide his fear behind shadows.

"He wasn't unhappy," Vikram replied and suddenly smiled. "But you know what the best part is?" Ashish shook his head. "Maan's presence put that f**ker Varun in his place," Vikram snarled at his half-brother's name.

The rivalry between the brothers was fairly well known to people who were around them for long and the stench of the bad blood that flowed between them was now reaching few outsiders too.

"When did Varun develop sudden interest in our business?" Ashish questioned irritably. Vikram always saw Varun as an opponent and had trained his men to view him the same. His resentment towards his father's legitimate son was born quite early and the resulting hatred had permeated to Ashish's system given his more than two decades of camaraderie.

"That's because heir to Damodar Deshmukh not only inherits the business and substantial amount of finance but also the alliances; alliances which has the capacity to do anything Ashish – from completely eliminating a government from its power to installing a new one," Vikram said. Ashish didn't respond but merely hummed in acceptance. It wasn't something he didn't know already anyway. He watched Vikram pace in front of him in a non-hurried pace.

"Find out if Maan really did leave the party because he was sick or it was a stupid drama," Vikram said stopping his pace. Ashish wasn't surprised at that order. Even though Vikram put on a cool faade, his paranoia about someone walking over him was ever present.

"Oh, I am going to Istanbul." Vikram said stopping Ashish on his tracks. "Maan wants to meet me and discuss 'work' and he said which I agree by the way, that we should meet in a place away from here," he added.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Ashish asked in a tone which he hoped didn't offend Vikram too much.

"He is up to something. I know it. I feel it." Vikram said holding Ashish's eyes. In his eyes Ashish saw paranoia mixed with greed and insanity; never a good combination, he thought.

"Do you still want to go?" Ashish asked fully aware of what his friend's response was going to be.

"If I cut a deal with Maan Singh Khurana, then I am automatically eligible to run this empire. Ashish, sometimes life fails to give us the power to make a choice even when there are dozens at our feet," Vikram said.

The staggering shadows in that dimly lit warehouse hid Vikram's face; the uncut stimuli lay hidden beneath the layers of darkness and dust.

Music Companion for the day: Do you want to by Franz Ferdinand