dedicated to SamreenNoor080
my dear SimSam, you are important to me ♡

~○●○~

Vikram Singh Arora has always been a well-composed man. He always seems to know what to do next and how to mask his emotions well. But this very quality of his seems to fall short now. It will be an understatement to say he is afraid. He is petrified. Vikram has always stood his ground. Hence, it's, undoubtedly, a big statement that he is scared of something.

Whatever happened 2 years ago shouldn't have happened. He still carries the guilt over his shoulders. It needs no telling that he gravely regrets whatever he did that night. He is aware that he is on the wrong end. However, it's hard to accept that truth. Truth has always tasted bitter in the mouth of the wrong doers. He is no exception. But he promises himself something. Whatever it takes, he will make sure to bury his past once again and this time there won't be any loose end. He will do everything in his power to control his past. As bizarre as that sounds.

"What do you mean by you can't trace the number? It's your job so you better do it fast." Vikram orders through gritted teeth.

"Mr.Arora, it's a private number. The caller also used a burner phone. I'm sorry but I'm not capable of tracing it." The man replies in a fearful tone.

Vikram takes a deep breath to control his anger. It's his problem. He will have to deal with it. It won't do him any good to vent his anger out on his employee nor will it magically work if he loses his cool. That number was the only clue to reach to the bottom of the matter but now he doesn't have anything to start his investigation. He will have to come up with something very soon before the blackmailer strikes again.

"Okay. You may go now." With difficulty he manages to muster a professional smile so that the man in front of him doesn't think he is in trouble for not being able to help his boss.

He has put all his corporate works aside for now. He needs to put his undivided attention to this. But what should he do?

He doesn't realize how he spent almost 2 hours basically doing nothing but thinking about possible solutions to his biggest problem. For now, nothing seems to impress the young CEO. He needs someone to help him with his matter and he has a perfect person in his mind for that.

"You didn't go home last night, did you? Naina asks as she enters the office to find her boss in the same outfit.

Some may say Vikram Singh Arora is a diva when it comes to dressing sense. He is very serious about the way he dresses and presents himself to the world. So, it is unlikely for him to wear the same outfit for 2 days in a row. If he were in his usual state of mind, he would be totally disgusted by it. However, it is very likely for him to spend his nights in his office when work piles up.

Vikram was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn't see Naina entering his cabin until she asked him a question. He throws a weak smile at her before nodding his head.

"Work was too much." He simply says, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is everything alright? I don't see you in pajamas like I spotted you last time." Vikram rolls his eyes at that.

"Was just too tired to change." Naina doesn't seem to buy his lie but thankfully she doesn't press him for answers.

"At least go and freshen up. I will order breakfast for you." Naina says, looking concerned for her boss. He is being too hard on himself.

While she respects the fact that he is willing to work diligently at such a young age, she is afraid he doesn't even take care of his own health while burying himself with work. It's not healthy.

"Your wish is my command, ma'am." Vikram tries to sound cheerful but he knows he has failed miserably.

The morning goes by and afternoon rolls in. Vikram had to force his mind to drive away his thoughts about the blackmail and think about work. He was successful to some extent. But then again he finds himself lost in his thoughts until Naina brings him back to reality.

"Mr.Arora, you haven't done a circular for your personal secretary yet." She reminds him.

"Why? Where are you going?" Vikram asks, looking confused at her sudden reminder.

She literally face-palms. She has already reminded her boss for the 100th time that she will be moving out of the city with her family. She will have to resign from her job unfortunately. It's hard for her to take care of her 3 kids on her own as her husband is away in another city for work. So, she decided to sacrifice her career to be with her husband and be a housewife for a while.

"Ohh, no. Where do I find a good secretary like you, Naina? I really want you to stay." Vikram says when he remembers.

She smiles fondly at the male. Some people may take their relationship out of context but if they know better, they will understand that she adores him like her younger brother. The way she took care of his work and him in the past 6 years, it's hard to think someone will be able to replace her.

"Don't miss me too much. You will find a good secretary or maybe even better than me in no time. But for that to happen, you need to circulate news for the post."

"I know you will miss me too, Naina."

"You are not wrong."
And they share a laugh at that.

"May I come in, Mr.Arora?" They turn their heads to the person who is standing outside the door.

"Leave the formality at the door and come inside, Priya." Vikram says as he realizes who the person is.

Priya Singh Gupta is a family friend. She is one of Vikram's closest friends. A close business associate as well. She is a powerful woman in the business world with a bold and straightforward personality. That's why Vikram can relate to her and trust her blindly.

"Seems like I need to take my leave." Naina comments as Priya takes a seat.

"Be a sweetheart and order a cup of coffee for me too, Naina." Priya says as Naina walks out of the door.

"Look at Miss Gupta ordering my secretary around like she is the boss here." Vikram tries to joke before she can suspect that something is wrong with him.

"If you have forgotten then let me remind you that I'm Mrs.Singh Gupta now. In fact, it's your lovely brother who is my husband." Priya replies, gaining a genuine smile from the distressed man.

"Areee... How can I forget? I don't know how my innocent brother got so unlucky."

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me why you look like you haven't showered for a whole year?" Priya comments, taking in his messed up appearance.

"I don't look that bad, idiot. Anyway, tell me how Veer is."

"He is fine but misses you though. Visit us sometimes where you are free, Mr.Workoholic."

Priya is a hardworking individual herself but Vikram makes the term workoholic totally valid. He has an unhealthy relationship with work. She doesn't blame him though. She knows his deepest secret so it's in her knowledge what he wants to escape from, why he keeps himself always busy.

"I will, I will soon." Vikram mutters.

If only meeting his little brother can bring him some peace now. He really needs some now. Just thinking about Veer makes him somewhat happy. That boy is the reason why he is still alive. No matter whatever he does for him, everything will fall short. But Veer has always been too fragile. That's why he finds himself being over protective of him. He is glad Veer found love in Priya. That girl can literally give her life for him or can even take a life for him. Her love for him literally shines in her eyes. Priya has always been one of his most trusted people but after her marrying her brother, their relationship has become stronger than before.

Naina was nice enough to bring 2 cups of coffee for them both with usual cookies for Vikram. Priya notices something usual and that is Vikram doesn't even touch a single cookie, it also seems as though it were hard for him to swallow coffee. He looks lost.

"So what's bothering the Mighty businessman?" Priya finally breaks the ice, playing her fingers on the rim of the cup.

"What do you mean?" Priya just stares at him with a knowing look.

"Just work. It's nothing you should be worried about." Vikram mutters before huffing.

He doesn't want to bother her about it. If she is bothered, it may disturb his brother as well. And he isn't in a state to handle stressful situations.

"Don't treat me like I'm an airhead." Priya warns. There's something bothering him definitely. She is sure of it.

"Trust me, Priya. It's just work. Anyway, why did your Highness decide to visit this commoner?"

"Don't change the topic, Vikram. I know something is bothering you. Just look at you! You look like a zombie!"

"Shut up, drama queen."

Priya gives in. Vikram won't share his share of burden so easily. So, she lets the matter go. Just for now.

"Business party at our residence. 12th July. Be there on time or else be ready to feel your brother's wrath."

"You are here to invite me almost 1 month early?" Vikram raises his eyebrow.

"Knowing your forgetfulness, trust me, even a prior notice of a month won't be enough." She says, sipping on her coffee.

"Alright, alright. I will be there. Don't eat my brain now."

"I would rather eat something healthy than your junk of a brain, dear brother-in-law."

Before Vikram can come up with a comeback, his phone vibrates against his desk. All the color leaves his body as a private number appears on the screen. If Priya wasn't as observant as she is, she wouldn't notice the slight tremor in his hand as he takes the phone in his hand.

Priya makes herself comfortable in her seat, leaning on the chair, inspecting a distressed Vikram. She may have found the reason why he looks like he is on the edge of a seat today.

"Pick it up. I don't mind." Priya urges him.

Vikram looks as though he were put into a dilemma. He looks stuck. So, Priya takes advantage of the situation and snatches the phone away from his hold. She put it on a loudspeaker after answering the call.

"Had a good sleep, Mr.Arora?" A loud voice blooms through the phone.

Priya cocks her eyebrow at Vikram as if she's asking who's on the line. The person on the other side doesn't sound professional and Vikram hardly has any friends. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the person on the line is unknown to Vikram.

"Who are you?" Priya asks while Vikram remains as silent as a statue.

"I didn't know I would get to greet your partner in crime, Mr.Arora. Well, hello there, Miss. Gupta or should I say Mrs. Singh Gupta. Congratulations on your wedding." The man sounds too cheerful to her liking. That person is clearly mocking her.

How can that person know her too? She doesn't remember this voice. To be honest, it doesn't sound like a real voice. The voice seems to be altered.

"Who the hell are you?" She asks again.

What annoys her further is the fact that instead of answering her that man breaks into a fit of laughter.

"You sure are impatient. Like that night when you helped Mr.Arora hide the evidence of his crime." Priya's eyes get wide at that. She looks at Vikram who looks as shocked as her.

"What the fuck do you want?" This time it's Vikram who yells.

"Now, don't talk like that to me, Mr.Arora. I'm nothing but a well-wisher." The man says.

"Gets to the fucking point. What do you know? What the fuck do you want from us?" Priya shoots one question after another.

"Well, if you guys are so eager to reward me for being your well-wisher, I need everything that you own, Mr.Arora. Everything."

"Keep dreaming,you fucker-"

"And I know everything that went down that day. Don't worry, I will let you two watch the trailer soon enough. The movie that I have can surely pass for a horror classic."

The man cuts the call after that. Both of them are too stunned to speak. They look flabbergasted.

"When did it start?" Priya whispers when the shock wears off and worry slips in.

"Last night."

"That's why you seem so tensed."

"What should we do now? I'm so scared."

"I know the situation is scary but we don't know if he has anything on us for sure. He may be bluffing." Priya tries to calm him but she herself knows the situation is out of their hands.

"Then how does he know about it?" This question puts her to silence.

"We will look into the matter, Vikram. Don't worry. We will find that fucker sooner or later."

*********

"Thank you so much, beautiful. I swear you have magic in your hand. How can someone look like an angel and be an actual angel at the same time?" Kairav says, taking the plate of food from Mrs.Thakur's hand.

"Don't you get tired of buttering my mother every chance you get, you dumbass?" Tani asks, being annoyed at their stupid conversation.

Kairav sticks his tongue out at her like a literal child.

"Let her be, handsome. She is just jealous of us." Mrs.Thakur says, pinching Kairav's cheeks lovingly.

Kairav doesn't remember his mother, he never got to get his mother's love but Tani's mother never let him feel that. She has always been loving towards him. She seems to love him more than she loves her own daughter and it makes Tani annoyed to no end. Sometimes she thinks that she is adopted.

"Yeah. She can never be as beautiful as you." Kairav comments before diving into the food.

He was feeling hungry but was too lazy to cook something for himself. Sanjay has been really busy and tired these days to cook something. So, he decided to crash at his best friend's home and enjoy some good food and Mrs.Thakur never disappoints.

"Tell me why is he being treated like a highness while I'm here washing dishes like a maid?" Tani curses under her breath.

Kairav has made all the mess but her mother is making her wash all the dishes. She doesn't know what spell he did on her mother that she treats him like royalty.

"Beautiful, your daughter is always so rude to me. She even hits me all the time. Won't you scold her?" Her mother looks at her like she has committed some crime.

"Taani, I've taught you better! Why do you hit my boy? I will break your hand if you dare to do such a thing ever again." She warns her daughter who just rolls her eyes. It's not like she didn't get to hear the same thing like thousands of times before.

Tani ignores the duo and finishes washing the dishes. They are always like this. They seem to bond over their mutual dislike for her. No wonder they are always a team, ready to attack her anytime.

Mrs.Thakur had to excuse herself as she had to go to the market to get groceries. Now, only Tani and Kairav are alone. Kairav is scared for his life. He is sure Tani will take her revenge for making her wash the dishes. And just like he thought, she has him in a chokehold on the couch.

"Ahhhh, let me go, dumbass. I can't breathe!" But who is there to listen to his pleas? Not Mrs. Thakur apparently.

"Where is your beautiful now, huh? Come on, call her to come to your rescue." Tani laughs like a maniac afterwards, knowing she gets to torture him now.

He lied to her about his injury and made her do his project, he made her the bad guy in front of her mother when he is one who always bothers her. But no one believes it when she says so. Damn his innocent face! Everyone falls for that puppy look.

"I will kill you today." She mutters before sitting down on his stomach, still choking him.

"Get down! You are tickling me. Don't put pressure on my stomach! I will pee my pants!" Kairva warns, trying to get her off but that girl is strong.

"What in the WWE is happening here?" They turn their attention to the person coming to their view.

"Help me, bhai. Your sister is crushing me." Kairav pleads to Tani's older brother who looks unimpressed.

"If you want to commit a murder, do it outside. Don't ruin my couch. It cost me a fortune." The man says before climbing the stairs to get to his room.

Tani smirks at that. Finally she has someone on her side. Apparently, Kairav isn't charming enough to put a spell on her brother. While Kairav is feeling betrayed.

"I will buy you ice-cream. Let me go!"

"Which flavor?"

"Whatever the fuck you want."

Finally she lets him go. Remind him not to mess with her again. He just wanted to have some free food but now here he is feeding tons of ice-cream to his best friend who was ready to take his life a while ago.

"Wanna go hiking?" Tani asks, taking a spoonful of ice-cream.

"When pigs can fly." He replies.

She should have already guessed his answer. He is too lazy to even walk two steps.

"There's no hope for you. You are gonna end up begging on the street in future."

"Jokes on you. Just wait and watch, I will own one of the biggest businesses in the whole country." He says confidently.

"Yeah. That will happen when pigs can fly."

He doesn't reply. Instead, he eats his own ice-cream. He is a lazy piece of shit but he has great plans for life. He needs to make his brother proud. That's why he is saving all his energy and stamina for the future. He will need it when he will run big businesses like Arora Corporation.