06-02-2026, 06:30 PM
Chapter 53 – Sekaran's Advice
The morning sun was still low when Vikram slipped out of bed. Mirnaa slept deeply beside him, her breathing slow and even, face soft in the half-light. He watched her for a long moment — the woman who trusted him completely, who had no idea what he had done in Trichy, who had just called Bharath a “savior” with that small, girlish giggle.
He dressed quietly in the dark, left a note on the kitchen counter — Early meeting. Back by lunch. Love you. — and drove out before she woke.
He took the long route through the city outskirts, past the old textile mills and abandoned godowns, until he reached the secret spot: a derelict warehouse with rusted iron gates and broken windows.
Krish was already there, leaning against his car, cigarette glowing in the half-light.
Krish flicked the cigarette away when he saw Vikram. “You came.”
Vikram nodded. “You said it was urgent.”
Krish gave a tired smile. “Sekaran wants to see you. He’s recovering… but he refused to talk to anyone else. Only you.”
Vikram’s throat tightened. “Where?”
“Follow me.”
They drove in convoy through narrow backroads, past slums and empty factories, until they reached a small, nondescript bungalow tucked behind a grove of coconut trees. Two men stood guard outside — old Sekaran loyalists. They nodded respectfully when they saw Vikram, no questions asked.
Inside, the air smelled of medicine, incense, and old books.
Sekaran sat in a cushioned chair near the window, thin and pale, but his eyes still sharp. When Vikram stepped in, Sekaran’s face lit up. A weak but genuine smile broke across his lips.
“My Vikram,” he rasped.
Vikram crossed the room in three strides and knelt in front of the chair. Sekaran reached out with trembling hands and pulled him into a hug. Vikram hugged back carefully, feeling how fragile the old man had become.
Krish stood in the doorway, watching with open surprise.
He had never seen Sekaran show this kind of warmth toward anyone — let alone a former driver.
Sekaran pulled back, eyes wet. “You came.”
“Of course I came, Sir.”
Sekaran looked at Krish. “Give us a minute alone.”
Krish hesitated — clearly stunned — then nodded and stepped outside.
The door closed softly.
Sekaran looked at Vikram for a long time.
“How are you?” he asked, voice rough but warm.
Vikram managed a small smile. “I’m fine, Sir. Doing good.”
Sekaran nodded slowly. “I know. I still have people watching. Twenty stores… leading a good life. This is what I asked you to do.”
Vikram smiled.
Sekaran said... You catched whatever i asked you to do, but look the one who preached to you didn't follow it
Vikram frowned. “Sir, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Sekaran’s eyes were distant. “Don’t you know how I guided you…”
“Back then, when you got into that fake molestation claim, you were betrayed by two women. You lusted after Malavika. Remember what I told you?”
Vikram nodded slowly. “You said… I lost to them because I gave them control. Instead I should have controlled it. Manipulated in a way that Malavika surrendered herself to me. Instead I craved for her and ended up getting bashed by my own friend.”
“Exactly.” Sekaran’s voice was quiet, tired. “I asked you to apply that control in business — and you shined. You built my secret empire when everything was falling apart. You doubled it when Aadharsh showed his true face. You were the mind I never had.”
Vikram looked down. “I just did what you taught me.”
Sekaran shook his head. “I missed that control, Vikram. Not in business… in family. As soon as I knew what my son wanted, instead of moving or stopping with my actions indirectly… I should have spoken with him. Allowed him to do what he wants. Yes, it was against my policy. But he would have listened to me. I would have slowly manipulated him back to my stand. But I missed the opportunity. I moved away — and that gave him more enthusiasm to act aggressively.”
The beauty of allowing is, they subconsciously give us the position of Master and they like a slave seeks our validation.
Vikram listened, chest tight.
Sekaran leaned forward. “Vikram, listen carefully. Be in business say your staffs or especially in your personal life — your wife, your future children, whoever wants something — don’t stop them. Allow it for a while.
They should mentally be your puppet, seek your validation for everything. Keep their control with you. Once they start doing what they want, they will consciously come back to you for the next step. They will seek your permission. This is applicable in business and personal life as well.
The plus point in business is you can change people. In personal life it’s tough, so control in personal life is important.
I missed it in personal. Don’t want to miss it in business — hence I’m fighting back.”
Vikram swallowed hard. “Sir…”
“The reason I asked Krish to go out is… he should not know you are the one who built my secret empire. Let that go with me. You live your life peacefully. Even today, Aadharsh would leave me if I said your name or made you work for him. But decisions are taken. He needs to be stopped. And I will do that. I will start my empire back next week.
Knowingly or unknowingly, you entered this zone — so you need protection. Only Krish can give you that.
The best is you are just identified only as my driver. I have protected that so far.”
Vikram’s eyes stung. He leaned forward and hugged Sekaran again — carefully, like the old man was made of glass.
“I just need one thing, Vikram,” Sekaran said.
Vikram: “Tell me, Sir. What do you want?”
Sekaran: “Next week I’m starting my business back. I said right — I need you to drive my car for me, you should drive me to our old fort where we operated..after that you can go back to your place, i wont disturb you”
“Anytime I can drive for you, Sir,” Vikram whispered.
Sekaran patted his back. “Go live your life. But remember what I said. Control… not through fear, but through love and permission through manipulations.”
Vikram pulled back, nodded.
When he left the room, Krish was waiting outside.
Krish stared at him — clearly stunned. “He hugged you like a son.”
Vikram didn’t answer. He just walked to the car.
The drive home felt longer than the distance.
The recent happenings, the dreams. Everything had accumulated in his brain.
He kept hearing Sekaran’s words:
Allow it for a while. They should seek your validation. Keep their control with you.
And Vicky’s voice underneath it:
Women have urges… someone will grab it… guilt is the chain.
By 4 PM he reached home. He saw the fuel tank showing emergency sign. He didn’t want to drive again after the long travel. He didn’t enter the house; he parked the car outside itself.
He saw the security standing there. He came out and the security came near. He gave some money and asked him to fill fuel.
He entered the car, looking at the already partly opened gate. Vikram asked the security, “This is how you look at the house?”
Security who started the engine said, “Guest arrived to meet Mirnaa madam, Sir.”
Security already raced the car.
Who came to see Mirnaa? In all these years none had visited her. Now what’s this new thing?
His dreams hinted it could be Bharath?
When he reached home, the laughter hit him before he even entered the house entrance door.
Loud, bright, carefree.
Mirnaa’s laugh.
Vikram froze on the doorstep. His heart slammed against his ribs.
Is Bharath here? Already?
He hid near the door to hear what they speak.
He slowly peeked via door cracks…
Mirnaa was sitting on the sofa, laughing so hard her eyes were tearing up.
Beside her — Dr. Shiney and Priya.
Priya spoke: “What you said about Bharath is true?”
Mirnaa shook her head yes!! “But it’s accidental,” she said.
What? What is she talking about?
Vikram decided to overhear them.
Why they had to laugh at this? Something strange, Vikram thought!
The morning sun was still low when Vikram slipped out of bed. Mirnaa slept deeply beside him, her breathing slow and even, face soft in the half-light. He watched her for a long moment — the woman who trusted him completely, who had no idea what he had done in Trichy, who had just called Bharath a “savior” with that small, girlish giggle.
He dressed quietly in the dark, left a note on the kitchen counter — Early meeting. Back by lunch. Love you. — and drove out before she woke.
He took the long route through the city outskirts, past the old textile mills and abandoned godowns, until he reached the secret spot: a derelict warehouse with rusted iron gates and broken windows.
Krish was already there, leaning against his car, cigarette glowing in the half-light.
Krish flicked the cigarette away when he saw Vikram. “You came.”
Vikram nodded. “You said it was urgent.”
Krish gave a tired smile. “Sekaran wants to see you. He’s recovering… but he refused to talk to anyone else. Only you.”
Vikram’s throat tightened. “Where?”
“Follow me.”
They drove in convoy through narrow backroads, past slums and empty factories, until they reached a small, nondescript bungalow tucked behind a grove of coconut trees. Two men stood guard outside — old Sekaran loyalists. They nodded respectfully when they saw Vikram, no questions asked.
Inside, the air smelled of medicine, incense, and old books.
Sekaran sat in a cushioned chair near the window, thin and pale, but his eyes still sharp. When Vikram stepped in, Sekaran’s face lit up. A weak but genuine smile broke across his lips.
“My Vikram,” he rasped.
Vikram crossed the room in three strides and knelt in front of the chair. Sekaran reached out with trembling hands and pulled him into a hug. Vikram hugged back carefully, feeling how fragile the old man had become.
Krish stood in the doorway, watching with open surprise.
He had never seen Sekaran show this kind of warmth toward anyone — let alone a former driver.
Sekaran pulled back, eyes wet. “You came.”
“Of course I came, Sir.”
Sekaran looked at Krish. “Give us a minute alone.”
Krish hesitated — clearly stunned — then nodded and stepped outside.
The door closed softly.
Sekaran looked at Vikram for a long time.
“How are you?” he asked, voice rough but warm.
Vikram managed a small smile. “I’m fine, Sir. Doing good.”
Sekaran nodded slowly. “I know. I still have people watching. Twenty stores… leading a good life. This is what I asked you to do.”
Vikram smiled.
Sekaran said... You catched whatever i asked you to do, but look the one who preached to you didn't follow it
Vikram frowned. “Sir, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Sekaran’s eyes were distant. “Don’t you know how I guided you…”
“Back then, when you got into that fake molestation claim, you were betrayed by two women. You lusted after Malavika. Remember what I told you?”
Vikram nodded slowly. “You said… I lost to them because I gave them control. Instead I should have controlled it. Manipulated in a way that Malavika surrendered herself to me. Instead I craved for her and ended up getting bashed by my own friend.”
“Exactly.” Sekaran’s voice was quiet, tired. “I asked you to apply that control in business — and you shined. You built my secret empire when everything was falling apart. You doubled it when Aadharsh showed his true face. You were the mind I never had.”
Vikram looked down. “I just did what you taught me.”
Sekaran shook his head. “I missed that control, Vikram. Not in business… in family. As soon as I knew what my son wanted, instead of moving or stopping with my actions indirectly… I should have spoken with him. Allowed him to do what he wants. Yes, it was against my policy. But he would have listened to me. I would have slowly manipulated him back to my stand. But I missed the opportunity. I moved away — and that gave him more enthusiasm to act aggressively.”
The beauty of allowing is, they subconsciously give us the position of Master and they like a slave seeks our validation.
Vikram listened, chest tight.
Sekaran leaned forward. “Vikram, listen carefully. Be in business say your staffs or especially in your personal life — your wife, your future children, whoever wants something — don’t stop them. Allow it for a while.
They should mentally be your puppet, seek your validation for everything. Keep their control with you. Once they start doing what they want, they will consciously come back to you for the next step. They will seek your permission. This is applicable in business and personal life as well.
The plus point in business is you can change people. In personal life it’s tough, so control in personal life is important.
I missed it in personal. Don’t want to miss it in business — hence I’m fighting back.”
Vikram swallowed hard. “Sir…”
“The reason I asked Krish to go out is… he should not know you are the one who built my secret empire. Let that go with me. You live your life peacefully. Even today, Aadharsh would leave me if I said your name or made you work for him. But decisions are taken. He needs to be stopped. And I will do that. I will start my empire back next week.
Knowingly or unknowingly, you entered this zone — so you need protection. Only Krish can give you that.
The best is you are just identified only as my driver. I have protected that so far.”
Vikram’s eyes stung. He leaned forward and hugged Sekaran again — carefully, like the old man was made of glass.
“I just need one thing, Vikram,” Sekaran said.
Vikram: “Tell me, Sir. What do you want?”
Sekaran: “Next week I’m starting my business back. I said right — I need you to drive my car for me, you should drive me to our old fort where we operated..after that you can go back to your place, i wont disturb you”
“Anytime I can drive for you, Sir,” Vikram whispered.
Sekaran patted his back. “Go live your life. But remember what I said. Control… not through fear, but through love and permission through manipulations.”
Vikram pulled back, nodded.
When he left the room, Krish was waiting outside.
Krish stared at him — clearly stunned. “He hugged you like a son.”
Vikram didn’t answer. He just walked to the car.
The drive home felt longer than the distance.
The recent happenings, the dreams. Everything had accumulated in his brain.
He kept hearing Sekaran’s words:
Allow it for a while. They should seek your validation. Keep their control with you.
And Vicky’s voice underneath it:
Women have urges… someone will grab it… guilt is the chain.
By 4 PM he reached home. He saw the fuel tank showing emergency sign. He didn’t want to drive again after the long travel. He didn’t enter the house; he parked the car outside itself.
He saw the security standing there. He came out and the security came near. He gave some money and asked him to fill fuel.
He entered the car, looking at the already partly opened gate. Vikram asked the security, “This is how you look at the house?”
Security who started the engine said, “Guest arrived to meet Mirnaa madam, Sir.”
Security already raced the car.
Who came to see Mirnaa? In all these years none had visited her. Now what’s this new thing?
His dreams hinted it could be Bharath?
When he reached home, the laughter hit him before he even entered the house entrance door.
Loud, bright, carefree.
Mirnaa’s laugh.
Vikram froze on the doorstep. His heart slammed against his ribs.
Is Bharath here? Already?
He hid near the door to hear what they speak.
He slowly peeked via door cracks…
Mirnaa was sitting on the sofa, laughing so hard her eyes were tearing up.
Beside her — Dr. Shiney and Priya.
Priya spoke: “What you said about Bharath is true?”
Mirnaa shook her head yes!! “But it’s accidental,” she said.
What? What is she talking about?
Vikram decided to overhear them.
Why they had to laugh at this? Something strange, Vikram thought!
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