Dedicated to SudhaTammana 💜

Thank you for everything, sugar sis :)

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Karan finds it hard to believe that the famous businessman Mr.Arora is standing in his restaurant. When Sanjay hurriedly introduces him to Mr.Arora, he finds it too overwhelming to stand still. Does it how it feel to meet someone who feels comfortable in their own skin?

His surprise takes a greater turn when Mr.Arora forwards his hand for a handshake. He wipes his hands on his shirt before he takes the hand and shakes it, it feels like his heart is shaking more than his hand right now. 

"If you don't mind, can we talk in private? Actually, it's about business." Mr.Arora has taken an oath to give him shockers one after another. 

Business? What business can he possibly have with Karan? Karan is anything but a man who can be spotted in the same circle as Mr.Arora, he isn't someone that Mr.Arora should associate with either. He belongs to the bottom of the food chain while the rich businessman in front of him belongs to the top. However, he can't control his beating heart. Has the man heard about his catering? Does he want him to supply food to his company? Anticipation is running thick in his body as he nods his head at the businessman.

"Sure, Mr.Arora. It would be more than a pleasure for me." Karan replies enthusiastically, not knowing what is actually cooking in the billionaire's head. 

"What business is he talking about?" Kairav mumbles to himself.

Mr.Arora doesn't have any business plan that can require help from a rundown restaurant like this. Kairav thinks to himself. 

"You don't have to run your little head, Mr.secretary." Kairav glares at the man. 

"I possess a brain unlike you, ghostie. So, yeah, I can think as much as I want." He retorts to the man before focusing on Karan and Vikram.

"You-" 

"Shhh." Kairav cuts him off. He just wants to listen to what they are talking about. 

"This way, please." Karan leads him into a small room, located next to the kitchen. It's a little resting room for the employees. 

"How is your family, Mr.Mehta?"

Now, Karam definitely didn't expect a personal question from Vikram. They have met for the first time so it's only natural to feel awkward upon being asked a question like that. It's another thing that he doesn't find it comfortable to talk about his family to anyone. Even his best friend doesn't know much about his family life. 

"Umm…. They are fine, Mr.Arora. Thanks for asking." Karan manages to reply somehow.

"Well, that's good to hear that they are good." Vikram smiles.

"Please, take a seat." Karan says, patting a chair, making sure it's clean before Vikram sits on it.

"When you don't even have a family." 

All the colors drain out of his face upon hearing Vikram. How did he know what? Karan hasn't spoken about his family life to anyone so how come a stranger, a very rich and powerful stranger knows about his family life? Sweat beads appear on his forehead as he stares at the man in shock.

"What…….what are you talking about?" He breathes out.

"Let's get straight to the point, shall we?" Vikram says, leisurely going towards the chair and taking a seat. 

Karen's careful eyes follow Vikram's slow but smug movement. The shock is too intense to wear off. In fact, his brain has already started to go haywire.

"What do….you want? Karan asks in a careful voice, afraid to know the answer. 

"Take a seat, Mr.Mehta. You will have to be relaxed before listening." Vikram advises casually as if he didn't just ignite the fire of fear and curiosity in Karen's mind. 

Karan takes a seat in front of him nevertheless. He will have to calm his nerves to know what the man wants from him exactly.

"When I said you didn't even have a family, I was kinda wrong, wasn't I? Because, Mr.
Mehta, you do have a brother." 

Karan feels like the earth under his feet has been replaced by fire. Suddenly, he is feeling too hot, too bothered to hear about his own secretive life from a total stranger. He feels completely naked. As if someone was stripping him of all the lies he has built over the years to save himself. His brother is a total nightmare. Even the mere mention of his name, makes Karan want to run away and hide somewhere. How can Vikram act like he is reading from an open book? How can he know so much about Karan? Karan is creeped out to the core. 

"Don't get too excited, Mr.Mehta ….oops, my bad! I mean Mr.Agarwal. Because you have more things to know and more things to tell." 

Karan isn't even surprised that the man in front of him knows about his real surname. At this point, nothing can surprise him anymore. However, it can make him feel scared. 

"Don't get startled, Mr.Agarwal. I know everything about your secret life. Your father wasn't a police officer who died in a fire accident, he was murdered. You were brought up in an orphanage because your father had to hide your existence. Oh, but you weren't alone. You had a brother with you, your identical twin, Ravi Agarwal." 

"H-How do you know about all that?" Karan stutters out. 

He didn't have to face his cruel reality like that. He was trying so hard to flee from it. His life was a hell in the orphanage. Not because anyone else bullied him there. It was his own twin. His brother was an absolute psycho.

"It's not important how I know rather think about how much I know." 

Karan just stares at him, looking stunned. This man has managed to dig into his past. But why? What does Vikram want from him?" 

"To say your life story is tragic will be an understatement. Your mother was a prostitute with whom Mr.Agarwal had fun for one night. And that's how you two were born. However, Mr.Agarwal couldn't accept you two nor your mother because he didn't have the guts to face the shame of the society. She ended up taking her life, leaving you two at the door of an orphanage. When Mr.Agarwal came to know about it, he secretly took care of you two. He still kept you two a secret though." 

Karan can't decide whether he should lash out at the older man for talking about his life like it's nothing or should he cower in a corner because this has managed to know so much about him, it won't surprise him if the man can do more than that. However, at the end, it's the anger which wins the battle. 

"Mr.Arora-" He gets cut off by Vikram.

"Shh, I'm not done yet." Vikram warns, silencing Karan.

"So, I was talking about your brother, right. You two look the same but your deeds are totally different. While you are the textbook definition of a goodie two shoes, your brother is the incarnation of a devil. While your father was proud of you, he was worried about his other son who couldn't stay out of trouble." 

It's amazing how technology holds so much power. When Nilay got to know about the name Mr.Agarwal's supposed killer gave them, he found things about him in a jiffy. It's astonishing to say the least. However, they couldn't find out anything about the other twin. He is the one Vikram is looking for. He is sure Ravi has something to do with the case.

Mr.Agarwal was good with his secret as well but he wasn't as sharp as his son. He didn't want to accept his mistakes but he did register his name as their father in the hospital when they were born. They were on Mr.Agarwal's tail already and finally they could discover his dirty secret.

"I hope you are over the shock. Because now it's your turn to talk." Vikram says, fixing his tie, fixing his gaze on Karan. 

Karan looks lost in his own little world. It must be connected to something his brother has done. It's always that lunatic who is ready to ruin his life every time he is ready to pick up the pieces and get his life together. 

"Where is your brother?" Vikram asks, using his most stern voice, changing his whole demeanor. 

Karan isn't ready to answer. Not when it's about his twin. So, he keeps quiet even when Vikram clenches his jaw. 

"Speak!" Vikram yells, breaking him free from his reverie. 

"I-I don't know about him. I h-haven't talked to him for years." 

Vikram stands up and grabs the collar of Karan's shirt, lifting him off the chair.

"Don't fucking dare to lie to me! I can crush your career, your life within seconds!" Vikram threatens, however, his eyes are what Karan finds more terrifying than his deadly tone.

"Please, b-believe me. I don't know anything about him. I want a peaceful life and he always makes my life a living hell so I always try to stay away from him." 

Vikram can tell from Karen's tone that he wouldn't dare to lie but it doesn't help him. He will have to know about Ravi very soon. 

Vikram lets Karan go. He takes some deep breaths to keep his shit together.

"Sit down, let's talk like civil people." 

Karan obliges, taking his previous seat, finding no other alternative options.

"I will believe your words for now but you must know something about him that can lead me to him." 

"I….. I haven't talked to him in 6 years. I don't know where he is or what he is doing these days. I just know that maybe 2 years ago he started to live with father. I didn't even show up at his funeral because I hated him." 

"And why are you not keeping any contact with him?"

Karan embraces silence again which makes Vikram impatient. 

"Don't try to hide anything or else you can save nothing, trust me." His glare alone is enough to send terror down Karan's spine.

"When we were in the orphanage, he almost killed a boy there because that boy stole one of his cigarettes. Then, he was arrested by police. When he came back, I was no longer in the orphanage but he found me somehow. He started acting like a total psycho, yelling at everyone, fighting with everyone. He even tried to kill me when I refused to give him money to buy drugs. So, I ran away from that city and settled down somewhere else." 

That's the first time Karan is talking about his life so openly. He hasn't even shared this with Sanjay. It's always hard to share his troubled past with people. He would rather try to be happy in the present.

Vikram sighs knowing he is dealing with a psychopath. However, now he will need to find that fucker and give him a taste of his own medicine. 

"Let's make a deal." 

"W-What deal?" Karan whispers.

"You find out where your brother is and tell me and once i have him you don't have to see him ever again." 

"What do you mean by that?"

"If someone is threatening your happiness you should become the reason behind his pain.That's what I'm saying." 

"You have lived with him for most of your life. you know his habits,you know what he likes to do. So, you have a better chance to find him out."

"O-Ok"

"Look at the bright side, Agarwal. If you get him to me, I can make your life easier. You won't have to be scared of him anymore. But look at the dark side as well. If you don't cooperate and tell anyone about our deal, I will destroy your life and the boy you care about so much. Kairav makes a good secretary, doesn't he?" 

Karan feels his blood boiling. It's his fault. He is the reason why Kairav went for the interview. Is that why Arora hired him as a personal secretary? 

"Don't think I will let you go if you even dare to hurt the boy. Stay away from him." Vikram smiles at that. 

"Protective, aren't we?" 

"Don't-" 

A knock at the door interrupts their conversation. But before any of them can give permission, Kairav enters the room.

"Mr.Arora, your piping hot food has become freezing cold. What is taking you too long?" The boy asks. 

Well, both Karan and Vikram know that he just couldn't sit through without quenching his curiosity and that's why he is here.

"We were talking about business. We didn't give you permission to come in." Vikram scolds. 

"Mr.Arora, for your kind information, I'm your secretary. So, I have every right to know every detail of your business."

"We are done anyway. Here, keep my card, Mr.Mehta. we will be meeting soon." 

"So, are you supplying coffee beans to Karan bhai or are you buying lunches for your workers? Which one is it, Mr.Arora?" 

"You are free now, Sharma. Let's talk about business tomorrow." Vikram excuses himself from the room, ignoring Kairav's questions.

"Why do you look so pale, bhai?" 

"P-Pale? I'm just feeling hot." Karan replies, trying to avoid Kairav's eyes.

"Fine. But what business was he talking about?" Kairav asks, following Karan out of the room. 

"Leave him alone, Kai." Sanjay rebukes when he sees his brother bugging Karan. 

"Kai, how is your boss? I mean what kind of a person he is?" 

"Damn, did he ask for your hand in marriage or something?" Kairav receives a smack from his brother at that. 

"Fine. He is more annoying than your best friend, Karan bhai. They are both bossy and intolerable-" 

"Don't make me take my slippers off." Sanjay warns, Kairav just rolls his eyes. 

"Why do you ask though? What business was he talking about?" 

"Just ... .making lunches for his construction side…. It's not final yet though." Karan lies. 

"Why do you look so bothered though?" 

"It's just we couldn't come to terms with the deal…. We seem to have different opinions on the budget." 

"I knew it. He is such a miser ass. I swear, it's always the rich brats who are like this!" Kairav says, happy he found something to bitch about his boss. 

"Why do you look so off though?" Kairav asks, seeing Sanjay look as bothered as Karan.

"Nothing." 

Oh, but Kairav can tell it's definitely something. 

A/N:
I'm high on sleep rn. So, if you find any mistakes, feel free to point it out. I will edit later on.

Anyway, this chapter is a little boring, Ik. But don't worry because next chapter will be fun and an important chapter!

I will try to update soon :)