24-04-2026, 01:03 AM
Chapter 5: Under His Shadow
The next morning, Malavika stood outside Vikram’s corner office on the 8th floor, clutching a notepad tightly. Her cream blouse and black pencil skirt felt too tight under the fluorescent lights. She took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
She stepped inside. Vikram was already seated behind his massive desk, looking sharp and intimidating in a charcoal suit. He didn’t even glance up immediately.
“Close the door,” he said flatly.
Malavika obeyed. The click of the door sounded too loud in the silent room.
Vikram finally looked at her, his gaze cold and assessing. “From today, you are my personal assistant and trainee. You follow my schedule. You speak only when I ask you to. You observe. You learn. And most importantly — you do not embarrass me in front of clients or investors. Understood?”
Malavika nodded stiffly. “Yes, sir.”
A faint, mocking smile touched his lips. “Good. Let’s see how long that obedience lasts.”
The first investor meeting that afternoon was a disaster.
Malavika sat beside Vikram in the glass-walled conference room, taking notes. When a senior investor asked about the delayed semiconductor project timeline, she nervously jumped in before Vikram could answer.
“Actually… I think we can fast-track it if we reallocate resources from the older chipset line,” she said, trying to sound confident.
The room went silent. Then someone chuckled. Another whispered, loud enough for her to hear, “Who is this girl? The new CEO’s girlfriend?”
Vikram shot her a sharp look but continued smoothly, correcting her mistake without raising his voice. The meeting moved on, but the damage was done. By evening, the internal group chats were already calling her “Heir Apparent Barbie” and making memes about her “brilliant suggestions.”
The second investor meeting the next day was even worse.
Malavika fumbled again — mixing up two major client names and suggesting a strategy that had already been rejected six months ago. Laughter rippled across the table. One of the older shareholders, Mr. Reddy, shook his head loudly.
“See? This is exactly what Dharmendra warned us about. Bringing in an inexperienced girl just because of her father’s name. She’s becoming a laughing stock. How long are we going to tolerate this?”
Several heads nodded in agreement.
Vikram, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke, his voice calm and professional.
“She just started two days ago. These mistakes are normal in the beginning. She will get hold of things gradually. Let’s focus on the agenda instead of personal comments.”
He didn’t defend her warmly. There was no softness in his tone — just cold logic. Still, the words shut down the open mockery for the moment. Malavika sat there burning with shame, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.
By evening, exhaustion and humiliation weighed heavily on her. She had to submit her daily report to Vikram before leaving. She searched for him on the 8th floor, then the 7th. Finally, she spotted him through the half-open door of a small meeting room on the basement level.
Vikram was standing with a rough-looking man in a black shirt. The stranger had a thick gold chain and a visible bulge near his waist — the unmistakable shape of a gun tucked into his pant. He was definitely not a security officerman.
Malavika froze behind the corner, heart pounding. She watched as the man handed over a thick envelope to Vikram. They spoke in low voices. The man laughed once — a harsh, dangerous sound — then patted Vikram’s shoulder before walking away.
Vikram turned, adjusting his suit jacket casually, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Malavika quickly stepped back into the shadows, breathing fast. Who was that man? Why does the new CFO have a gun-carrying gangster in the basement?
Malavika was just back to Chennai everything was so sudden for her
Her engagement with Bhaskar.
Her uncle and aunt leaving her here cutting ties smartly.
Cohabitation with Bhaskar before marriage
Sudden accident of Shekar.
Pushing her for CEO by Sharma and Bhaskar in VeeR GRoup
Humiliated by CFO Vikram
Now she is seeing an unseen side of Vikram..
She just wished to do what best for her life
she just wished to continue what her father done
but thee place of her fathers filled with mysteries.
She hated Chennai for this reason.
She turned and hurried back toward the elevator before Vikram could spot her, her mind racing with questions and fresh fear.
This company wasn’t just filled with corporate politics.
It was far darker.
The next morning, Malavika stood outside Vikram’s corner office on the 8th floor, clutching a notepad tightly. Her cream blouse and black pencil skirt felt too tight under the fluorescent lights. She took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
She stepped inside. Vikram was already seated behind his massive desk, looking sharp and intimidating in a charcoal suit. He didn’t even glance up immediately.
“Close the door,” he said flatly.
Malavika obeyed. The click of the door sounded too loud in the silent room.
Vikram finally looked at her, his gaze cold and assessing. “From today, you are my personal assistant and trainee. You follow my schedule. You speak only when I ask you to. You observe. You learn. And most importantly — you do not embarrass me in front of clients or investors. Understood?”
Malavika nodded stiffly. “Yes, sir.”
A faint, mocking smile touched his lips. “Good. Let’s see how long that obedience lasts.”
The first investor meeting that afternoon was a disaster.
Malavika sat beside Vikram in the glass-walled conference room, taking notes. When a senior investor asked about the delayed semiconductor project timeline, she nervously jumped in before Vikram could answer.
“Actually… I think we can fast-track it if we reallocate resources from the older chipset line,” she said, trying to sound confident.
The room went silent. Then someone chuckled. Another whispered, loud enough for her to hear, “Who is this girl? The new CEO’s girlfriend?”
Vikram shot her a sharp look but continued smoothly, correcting her mistake without raising his voice. The meeting moved on, but the damage was done. By evening, the internal group chats were already calling her “Heir Apparent Barbie” and making memes about her “brilliant suggestions.”
The second investor meeting the next day was even worse.
Malavika fumbled again — mixing up two major client names and suggesting a strategy that had already been rejected six months ago. Laughter rippled across the table. One of the older shareholders, Mr. Reddy, shook his head loudly.
“See? This is exactly what Dharmendra warned us about. Bringing in an inexperienced girl just because of her father’s name. She’s becoming a laughing stock. How long are we going to tolerate this?”
Several heads nodded in agreement.
Vikram, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke, his voice calm and professional.
“She just started two days ago. These mistakes are normal in the beginning. She will get hold of things gradually. Let’s focus on the agenda instead of personal comments.”
He didn’t defend her warmly. There was no softness in his tone — just cold logic. Still, the words shut down the open mockery for the moment. Malavika sat there burning with shame, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.
By evening, exhaustion and humiliation weighed heavily on her. She had to submit her daily report to Vikram before leaving. She searched for him on the 8th floor, then the 7th. Finally, she spotted him through the half-open door of a small meeting room on the basement level.
Vikram was standing with a rough-looking man in a black shirt. The stranger had a thick gold chain and a visible bulge near his waist — the unmistakable shape of a gun tucked into his pant. He was definitely not a security officerman.
Malavika froze behind the corner, heart pounding. She watched as the man handed over a thick envelope to Vikram. They spoke in low voices. The man laughed once — a harsh, dangerous sound — then patted Vikram’s shoulder before walking away.
Vikram turned, adjusting his suit jacket casually, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Malavika quickly stepped back into the shadows, breathing fast. Who was that man? Why does the new CFO have a gun-carrying gangster in the basement?
Malavika was just back to Chennai everything was so sudden for her
Her engagement with Bhaskar.
Her uncle and aunt leaving her here cutting ties smartly.
Cohabitation with Bhaskar before marriage
Sudden accident of Shekar.
Pushing her for CEO by Sharma and Bhaskar in VeeR GRoup
Humiliated by CFO Vikram
Now she is seeing an unseen side of Vikram..
She just wished to do what best for her life
she just wished to continue what her father done
but thee place of her fathers filled with mysteries.
She hated Chennai for this reason.
She turned and hurried back toward the elevator before Vikram could spot her, her mind racing with questions and fresh fear.
This company wasn’t just filled with corporate politics.
It was far darker.
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