As Ammu and I approached the Agricultural Department, I saw Seenu deep in conversation with Parimal about something that seemed important. Spotting Seenu, I couldn't help but smile and call out, "Seenu, my dear friend!"
Seenu turned around, his face pale with fear. "Krishna, we are brothers, childhood friends! Don't be angry. Hear me out first, it's all a misunderstanding!" he pleaded, his voice trembling.
I began walking toward him, maintaining my smile. "Yes, my dear friend, I understand. Please stay there, we can have a good conversation."
Seenu's eyes widened, clearly unconvinced. "I don't think you want to hear me out. I can see you're smiling angrily. Please, calm down!"
I kept advancing, my smile never wavering. Seeing this, Seenu suddenly bolted. "Parimal, catch him! Don't let him run!" I shouted.
"Okay, boss," Parimal replied, immediately giving chase. I joined in, sprinting after Seenu as he darted through the department.
"Seenu, why are you running away from me? Come here, I have a gift for you," I called out, my voice laced with faux sweetness.
"I don't need your gift! I know you just want to beat me! I'm sorry!" Seenu yelled back, his voice filled with desperation.
Our chase continued through the labyrinth of the Agricultural Department, weaving between workers who paused to watch the spectacle unfold. Laughter erupted around us as my staff and Ammu, who was standing to the side, enjoyed the unexpected entertainment.
After several minutes of chasing, Parimal managed to cut off Seenu's escape route. "Parimal, what are you doing? Get out of the way!" Seenu shouted, trying to dodge him.
"Sorry, Seenu sir, but it's the boss's order," Parimal said, moving forward to catch him. But Seenu slipped past him, narrowly avoiding capture.
Despite the initial setback, I finally cornered Seenu. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I said, "Seenu, why are you running? I'm not going to hurt you... much."
Seenu squirmed, trying to break free. "I'm sorry, Krishna! Just hear me out!"
Holding him firmly, I said, "I'm listening. Tell me how this happened."
Taking a deep breath, Seenu began, "It's all just a misunderstanding. When you were in a meeting with Mahalakshmi Publications, Anu called. She wanted to talk to you, but I told her you were in a meeting. As we talked, I accidentally mentioned your promise to Ammu. Anu asked for more details, and I didn't have any option but to tell her everything."
Hearing this, I frowned. "Then why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Seenu looked down, guilt written all over his face. "I was scared. But all's well that ends well, right? Now you and Anu are in a relationship."
I was about to respond when Ammu interjected, "Seenu, I am also in a relationship with Krishna now. Just a minute ago, he confessed to me."
The room fell silent, and the staff started whispering among themselves. Seenu turned to me with wide eyes. "Krishna, is this true?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I didn't confess first. It also happened because of you, Seenu."
Seenu looked confused and nervous. "How is it my fault?"
"When you were talking to Anu this morning, Ammu overheard about my relationship with Anu," I explained.
Seenu's face paled, and he stammered, "But... isn't that a good thing? Congratulations, now you have two girlfriends!"
I let out a deep sigh and released Seenu, not before giving him a light kick on the rear. Now everyone in the company knew about my complicated love life. What was I going to do?
As I pondered this, Seenu quickly changed the subject. "Don't be angry, Krishna. We have a meeting with Mr. Vikramaditya."
I nodded, trying to regain my composure. "Yeah, let's go." Looking at the staff, I added, "Alright, people, that's enough for today. Get back to work."
Turning to Parimal, I said, "Parimal, I want this week's report from your department after I get back from the meeting."
Parimal nodded obediently. "Yes, boss."
Then, I looked at Ammu. "Ammu, let's go."
She nodded, and the three of us made our way to the parking lot. After reaching the parking lot, we got into the car. Seenu started driving toward Mr. Vikramaditya's house. As the car moved, Ammu scooted closer to me and held my hand. I raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing?"
Ammu smiled and replied, "What do you think I'm doing? I'm holding my boyfriend's hand."
I sighed, deciding it was best to ignore her. Then I heard Seenu ask, "Krishna, have you ever met Mr. Vikramaditya or seen him before?"
Waving my hand dismissively, I said, "No, I've never met him or seen him. I've only heard about him. I heard he doesn't like to appear in public much and prefers to stay inside his house because of his circumstances."
Seenu nodded in understanding. Silence filled the car for a few moments. I glanced at Ammu, who was still holding my hand. Noticing my gaze, she smiled sweetly at me. Now that I thought about it, she might be a bit obsessed with me.
After a while, we finally reached Mr. Vikramaditya's house. It was hard to describe his residence—it was incredibly luxurious and beautiful. There were rows of high-end cars parked outside, and a large, exquisitely landscaped garden greeted us as we approached. Seenu parked the car, and we got out, taking in the grandeur of the place.
The house itself was an architectural marvel, with sprawling lawns and manicured flower beds that gave it an almost ethereal quality. Marble statues and fountains adorned the garden, and the driveway was lined with blooming trees. As we walked up to the entrance, the sheer scale and opulence of the property made me momentarily forget the chaos of the day.
"Wow," Ammu whispered, her eyes wide with awe. "This place is like a palace."
Seenu, walking ahead of us, nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty impressive. They say Mr. Vikramaditya values his privacy a lot, which is why he rarely leaves this sanctuary."
As we approached the entrance, I noticed a beautiful girl standing there, clearly waiting for us. Curious, I turned to Seenu and asked, "Who is she?"
"She is Mr. Vikramaditya's secretary, Keerthi," Seenu replied.
I nodded in acknowledgment. As we drew closer, she smiled warmly and extended her hand for a handshake. "Welcome, Mr. Prasad. It's nice to meet you," she said.
Taking her hand, I felt how soft it was and returned her smile. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Keerthi," I replied.
Her smile widened, revealing her stunning beauty. Her skin was as white as an angel's, and for a moment, I was captivated. Keerthi blushed slightly, perhaps noticing that I was still holding her hand. Just then, Ammu punched me in the back, snapping me out of my reverie. I quickly let go of Keerthi's hand and said, "So, where is Mr. Vikramaditya?"
Keerthi, still blushing a little, gestured for us to follow her. "Please, follow me," she said.
As we walked, Ammu leaned in close and whispered, "Aren't two girlfriends enough for you, Krishna?"
Before I could respond, Seenu interjected, "Ammu, it's not two, it's three. Don't forget about Raji."
Ammu ignored him and continued, "Answer my question, Krishna."
Feigning innocence, I said, "How can you say that, Ammu? I'm such an innocent person. How could I do that?"
Ammu rolled her eyes. "Don't act. What if she falls for you?"
Smirking, I replied, "Then it's not my fault, is it? Haha."
Ammu punched me again, and I winced playfully. "Ouch, Ammu, that hurt!"
"Don't act," she repeated sternly.
"Yes, ma'am, as you wish," I said, grinning.
We continued to follow Keerthi through the grand corridors of the mansion. Each room we passed was more impressive than the last, filled with exquisite art and luxurious furnishings. Keerthi led us to a large door and knocked gently before opening it.
As we stepped inside, I immediately noticed a man around thirty, seated in a wheelchair and gazing out the window. His eyes were filled with loneliness and a sense of lost hope. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized his face. "What the hell," I thought to myself, "he looks just like Deva. Back in Dubai, we were best friends, almost like brothers. But after I came to India, we lost touch. Deva, the gangster, the criminal boss, my dear friend." I couldn't believe my eyes.
My thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Vikramaditya, who turned to me with a smile. "Welcome, Mr. Prasad. Sorry for being unable to greet you properly."
I returned his smile and replied, "Don't worry about it. It's my honor that someone like you wants to meet me. And please, don't be formal—just call me Krishna."
He nodded, still smiling. "Then you can just call me Vikramaditya or Vikram."
"Vikram it is," I said, settling into the more casual tone.
"Please, have a seat," Vikram offered, gesturing to the nearby sofa.
I nodded and took a seat, my mind still racing with thoughts of Deva. As we settled in, I couldn't help but look at Vikram more closely, trying to piece together the resemblance. Noticing my confused expression, Vikram asked, "Is there a problem, Krishna?"
I hesitated, then asked, "Do you have a twin brother?"
Vikram looked puzzled. "No, I don't. But why do you ask?"
"It's just... you look a lot like an old friend of mine," I said, still trying to wrap my head around it.
Vikram chuckled softly. "If that's true, then I'd like to meet him someday."
"Maybe someday," I replied, still distracted by the uncanny resemblance.
Trying to refocus, I leaned forward and asked, "So, Vikram, can you tell me why you called me here? I mean, Keerthi didn't mention the reason for this meeting."
(A/N:Not a big chapter today because I have lots of work 😃)
(Words count:1646)