30-01-2026, 06:17 PM
Chapter 11: Two Offers & The Bigger Role
Vikram woke to sunlight cutting through the small window in the back room. No bottle beside the cot. No pounding headache. Just clarity—sharp, painful, like a blade scbanging rust off his mind.
Mohan had followed Sekaran’s order: no liquor last night. The fan spun lazily overhead. For the first time in weeks, Vikram didn’t feel like a ghost.
Mohan knocked softly, entered with a plate of idli and chutney. “Sekaran wants to meet you. Clean up—this could be your chance.”
Vikram stared at him. “What a big shot wants to meet me? I’m just a room boy who gets him beer and cigarettes!”
Mohan set the plate down. “Hey idiot… he is offering you something like a real job, not petty things. Take your resume with you. He has companies too.”
Vikram asked, “Am I an exhibition? Everyone wants to hear my stories… Is he offering me a job or wants to hear how ladies sexily betrayed me?”
Mohan assured him. “He really cares for you.”
Vikram joked, “He didn’t involve women there. I would work in a place where there are no women.”
Mohan came out laughing at his joke, but Vikram was determined. He hated women.
Vikram washed in the tiny bathroom, scrubbed the grime of weeks off his skin. He dressed in his least-worn shirt—still wrinkled, but clean—rolled the degree certificate tight, tucked it under his arm.
Internal voice: I’m not sure if I should believe, but what do I have to lose? Everything is already gone.
He climbed the stairs to the hall where Sekaran waited. The bigshot sat at the table, morning light catching the gold on his fingers, cigarette smoke curling upward. Papers spread before him—land deeds, bank slips, coded messages. Sekaran looked Vikram up and down, noting the sharp eyes behind the hangover.
“Sit, boy. Tell me your side—all of it.”
Vikram started with college, the top marks, the dreams. Sekaran waved a hand. “Cut that. I want Malar and Malavika. Why are you like this? Tell me straight. I’ll see if you fit into any of my expectations.”
Vikram exhaled. He recounted everything—honest, no embellishment. Malar’s betrayal in the theatre, the family expulsion, the theft lie. Then Malavika—Suresh’s girlfriend, the job she got him, the secret touches, the theatre brush, the headache excuse, the balcony jump, the framing shout. He left nothing out: the lust, the guilt, the hate that followed.
Sekaran listened, nodding once or twice. When Vikram finished, the bigshot leaned back.
“Why didn’t you reveal Malar’s affair there in the village station? But you tried to reveal Malavika here in Chennai?”
Vikram met his eyes. “Malar didn’t love me. I was only me. I could not see the face of her father—my uncle—who nurtured me, irrespective of love. Whatever happened there, the damage was to me only. So I didn’t care about myself—let them think what they want. But for Malavika, it affected my friend Suresh. I didn’t want him cheated like I was. Clearing my name was second; I wanted Suresh to realize her other side, to avoid the pain.”
Sekaran smiled—small, approving. “Selfless.
You value respect for your uncle. You care for your friend’s heart. Loyalty—that’s rare.”
He paused, eyes narrowing. “But you had bad thoughts for Malavika. Be honest: if Kaushik wasn’t there, and she still bedded you, what would you do?”
Vikram paused, then answered straight. “I would bed her. The lust was strong.
Strong I could not control. But eventually, I would inform Suresh. He deserved the truth, even if it hurt. I didn’t force her into it, but she gave me wrong signs… thinking about that, it’s my fault now I get a clear picture—she never gave me one.”
Sekaran laughed—deep, genuine. “Honest too. Good.” He stubbed out his cigarette. “I wanted to see you in one of these two offers, leaving it to your choice. But after your frank statement on not being able to control…
I don’t see the first fitting. I don’t judge you. I still need to screen you.”
He leaned forward. “Come work with me. Start as a driver. Then slowly you will be no more a driver but an orchestrator. You’ll know everything—secrets, deals, communications for my inner circle. Betrayals, alliances, weaknesses. It’s dangerous, but you’ll give jobs to hundreds one day. Build empires, not just earn a salary.”
Vikram blinked.
Sekaran joked, “It’s a place where there are no women.” The people there laughed, including Mohan.
Mohan had revealed the morning small joke with Sekaran.
Vikram said, “I’m from the village. I don’t know how to drive.”
Sekaran smiled—slow, knowing. “Did you train to jump at your friend’s girlfriend’s house balcony? You’ll get a hand on it.”
He called out. “Rakesh! Come get him the keys. Train him. Next week he should be able to take me to Trichy.”
Rakesh—a lean, quiet man in his thirties—appeared with a set of keys to a black Innova. “Come, brother. We start now.”
Vikram followed, still dazed. As they walked to the car, Sekaran called after him.
“Not all women are cheaters and wrong… you should start seeing the real world. Don’t take my joke serious and don’t take your joke yourself serious.”
Mohan, watching from the doorway, asked quietly, “You said you’d give him a decent position in office.”
Sekaran exhaled smoke. “Like I said—he is not a person who should sit under a salary. He has determination. Just if we fine-tune it, he will become a big shot like me. He didn’t commit any crime. I just don’t want to give him options that keep him small.” He smiled and went back.
Vikram sat in the driver’s seat for the first time. Rakesh beside him, patient. “Clutch in, gear one, ease the accelerator. You’ll learn.”
The engine roared to life. Vikram’s hands shook on the wheel, but the road ahead felt different. No more hiding. No more victim.
One day, driving Sekaran to Trichy, the bigshot looked at him in the rear-view mirror.
“You know why you got betrayed twice?”
Vikram kept eyes on the road. “Why?”
“All these days you let others take control of you. You need to practice taking control of everything in your way. Don’t make others take control of you.”
I’m telling this for a reason… I know why you started drinking heavily…
Vikram curious asked, “Why?”
“You are guilt-tripped. You realised if not Malavika affair you would have forced it on her… You lost the control… Even you panicked to face Suresh as a reason.”
Vikram said, “Yes sir, I realised and got guilt-tripped.”
“This is where the control comes… Imagine she is not in an affair and you have lust and you don’t want to use force… You become a soft speaker, you slowly get into her emotionally, then get her consent and be in an affair… That’s the control I’m speaking about. You should be orchestrator.”
Vikram nodded. “That should be the way.”
Sekaran joked, “I just said a relatable example for you. I do the same but in business, deals, shady deals. You should start doing it…”
I’m getting older. I need a perfect hand for my son to take care of this business. He has no intention in dark business, he is clean professional perfect. I want you to train to be his right hand but majorly taking what I'm doing..…
Vikram said, “Sir, am I only one for it?”
Sekaran said, “There are thousands out there. Only you seemed to be loyal and honest… Even for a friend who stopped communicating with you.”
Sekaran smiled. “From today, you start.”
Vikram nodded, grip tightening on the wheel. The dark—sorry, clear—path had begun.
Vikram woke to sunlight cutting through the small window in the back room. No bottle beside the cot. No pounding headache. Just clarity—sharp, painful, like a blade scbanging rust off his mind.
Mohan had followed Sekaran’s order: no liquor last night. The fan spun lazily overhead. For the first time in weeks, Vikram didn’t feel like a ghost.
Mohan knocked softly, entered with a plate of idli and chutney. “Sekaran wants to meet you. Clean up—this could be your chance.”
Vikram stared at him. “What a big shot wants to meet me? I’m just a room boy who gets him beer and cigarettes!”
Mohan set the plate down. “Hey idiot… he is offering you something like a real job, not petty things. Take your resume with you. He has companies too.”
Vikram asked, “Am I an exhibition? Everyone wants to hear my stories… Is he offering me a job or wants to hear how ladies sexily betrayed me?”
Mohan assured him. “He really cares for you.”
Vikram joked, “He didn’t involve women there. I would work in a place where there are no women.”
Mohan came out laughing at his joke, but Vikram was determined. He hated women.
Vikram washed in the tiny bathroom, scrubbed the grime of weeks off his skin. He dressed in his least-worn shirt—still wrinkled, but clean—rolled the degree certificate tight, tucked it under his arm.
Internal voice: I’m not sure if I should believe, but what do I have to lose? Everything is already gone.
He climbed the stairs to the hall where Sekaran waited. The bigshot sat at the table, morning light catching the gold on his fingers, cigarette smoke curling upward. Papers spread before him—land deeds, bank slips, coded messages. Sekaran looked Vikram up and down, noting the sharp eyes behind the hangover.
“Sit, boy. Tell me your side—all of it.”
Vikram started with college, the top marks, the dreams. Sekaran waved a hand. “Cut that. I want Malar and Malavika. Why are you like this? Tell me straight. I’ll see if you fit into any of my expectations.”
Vikram exhaled. He recounted everything—honest, no embellishment. Malar’s betrayal in the theatre, the family expulsion, the theft lie. Then Malavika—Suresh’s girlfriend, the job she got him, the secret touches, the theatre brush, the headache excuse, the balcony jump, the framing shout. He left nothing out: the lust, the guilt, the hate that followed.
Sekaran listened, nodding once or twice. When Vikram finished, the bigshot leaned back.
“Why didn’t you reveal Malar’s affair there in the village station? But you tried to reveal Malavika here in Chennai?”
Vikram met his eyes. “Malar didn’t love me. I was only me. I could not see the face of her father—my uncle—who nurtured me, irrespective of love. Whatever happened there, the damage was to me only. So I didn’t care about myself—let them think what they want. But for Malavika, it affected my friend Suresh. I didn’t want him cheated like I was. Clearing my name was second; I wanted Suresh to realize her other side, to avoid the pain.”
Sekaran smiled—small, approving. “Selfless.
You value respect for your uncle. You care for your friend’s heart. Loyalty—that’s rare.”
He paused, eyes narrowing. “But you had bad thoughts for Malavika. Be honest: if Kaushik wasn’t there, and she still bedded you, what would you do?”
Vikram paused, then answered straight. “I would bed her. The lust was strong.
Strong I could not control. But eventually, I would inform Suresh. He deserved the truth, even if it hurt. I didn’t force her into it, but she gave me wrong signs… thinking about that, it’s my fault now I get a clear picture—she never gave me one.”
Sekaran laughed—deep, genuine. “Honest too. Good.” He stubbed out his cigarette. “I wanted to see you in one of these two offers, leaving it to your choice. But after your frank statement on not being able to control…
I don’t see the first fitting. I don’t judge you. I still need to screen you.”
He leaned forward. “Come work with me. Start as a driver. Then slowly you will be no more a driver but an orchestrator. You’ll know everything—secrets, deals, communications for my inner circle. Betrayals, alliances, weaknesses. It’s dangerous, but you’ll give jobs to hundreds one day. Build empires, not just earn a salary.”
Vikram blinked.
Sekaran joked, “It’s a place where there are no women.” The people there laughed, including Mohan.
Mohan had revealed the morning small joke with Sekaran.
Vikram said, “I’m from the village. I don’t know how to drive.”
Sekaran smiled—slow, knowing. “Did you train to jump at your friend’s girlfriend’s house balcony? You’ll get a hand on it.”
He called out. “Rakesh! Come get him the keys. Train him. Next week he should be able to take me to Trichy.”
Rakesh—a lean, quiet man in his thirties—appeared with a set of keys to a black Innova. “Come, brother. We start now.”
Vikram followed, still dazed. As they walked to the car, Sekaran called after him.
“Not all women are cheaters and wrong… you should start seeing the real world. Don’t take my joke serious and don’t take your joke yourself serious.”
Mohan, watching from the doorway, asked quietly, “You said you’d give him a decent position in office.”
Sekaran exhaled smoke. “Like I said—he is not a person who should sit under a salary. He has determination. Just if we fine-tune it, he will become a big shot like me. He didn’t commit any crime. I just don’t want to give him options that keep him small.” He smiled and went back.
Vikram sat in the driver’s seat for the first time. Rakesh beside him, patient. “Clutch in, gear one, ease the accelerator. You’ll learn.”
The engine roared to life. Vikram’s hands shook on the wheel, but the road ahead felt different. No more hiding. No more victim.
One day, driving Sekaran to Trichy, the bigshot looked at him in the rear-view mirror.
“You know why you got betrayed twice?”
Vikram kept eyes on the road. “Why?”
“All these days you let others take control of you. You need to practice taking control of everything in your way. Don’t make others take control of you.”
I’m telling this for a reason… I know why you started drinking heavily…
Vikram curious asked, “Why?”
“You are guilt-tripped. You realised if not Malavika affair you would have forced it on her… You lost the control… Even you panicked to face Suresh as a reason.”
Vikram said, “Yes sir, I realised and got guilt-tripped.”
“This is where the control comes… Imagine she is not in an affair and you have lust and you don’t want to use force… You become a soft speaker, you slowly get into her emotionally, then get her consent and be in an affair… That’s the control I’m speaking about. You should be orchestrator.”
Vikram nodded. “That should be the way.”
Sekaran joked, “I just said a relatable example for you. I do the same but in business, deals, shady deals. You should start doing it…”
I’m getting older. I need a perfect hand for my son to take care of this business. He has no intention in dark business, he is clean professional perfect. I want you to train to be his right hand but majorly taking what I'm doing..…
Vikram said, “Sir, am I only one for it?”
Sekaran said, “There are thousands out there. Only you seemed to be loyal and honest… Even for a friend who stopped communicating with you.”
Sekaran smiled. “From today, you start.”
Vikram nodded, grip tightening on the wheel. The dark—sorry, clear—path had begun.
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