Update 37
'And in Business News, shares of Kapoor industries fell over 3% at opening today, after an already tumultuous decline of nearly 10% in the past week. Volatility continues to remain high, with rumors of poor sales and declining revenue persisting...'
'In a separate announcement, the company has confirmed that its founder and Chairman, Mr. Pankaj Kapoor, will not be attending the Annual Stockholders Meeting at the end of the month, citing a medical issue. The company's co-CEO, Kishore Kapoor will take his place. Mr. Kishore is expected to make an official statement at the shareholders meeting.'
'I disagree with these rumors, Naveen. The company has sound fundamentals and good leadership. The recent dip is likely from some betting and short selling, which does not seem grounded in fact.'
'Well, you may be right, and broadly the market does seem to agree but IF the company's financials are worse than expected, investors may pull out. I wouldn't bet on it myself, especially with their track record. If they are unable to allay these fears with their performance in the next quarter, I'm afraid they might lose a lot of investor confidence and that will hurt them badly.'
'True... True. Thank you for your insights, Naveen! This is Ravi Singh and Anjali Verma with business news. The only place for real, unbiased, information on Dalal Street!'
"Oh, shut it off!" I muttered in annoyance and Jhanvi, who was sitting beside me on the couch, turned the television off. On my other side, Pooja Didi raised an eyebrow at my sudden reaction. We were all sitting in Pooja Didi's living room, waiting for Karan to arrive, when I had stupidly turned on the news to pass the time and ended up seeing my worst fears come true.
"I hate listening to these idiots..." I growled, "They are always speculating about our finances, but they don't have the slightest inkling of what we really are going through..."
"I know... I know..." Pooja Didi said soothingly, "But it's just some rumour mill going on, Suraj. Why are you getting worked up so much?"
I sighed and looked at her, wondering if I should tell her the fix I was in. To tell her the truth, that the news just confirmed my theory. Ravi had executed his plan and had placed those shorts against the company!
"It's just... it's just... I'm stressed out, I guess..." I muttered, hoping to avoid the difficult conversation. However, just like with Nora yesterday, Jhanvi and Pooja Didi knew I was hiding something.
"Come on, Suraj!" Jhanvi said with a frown, "I know you well enough by now that I can tell that's not all..."
"Can't hide anything from us!" Pooja Didi chimed in, reaching up and stroking my chin, "What's going on...?"
I looked back at my two beautiful wives beside me and sighed in defeat. "Okay... fine. We have a problem..."
***
By the time I was done, both Pooja's and Jhanvi's faces had paled with worry, and they looked at me anxiously.
"How much money do we need to buy those options?" Pooja Didi asked me nervously and I replied, "Roughly 10-15 Crores. And that is assuming that the market is stable."
Jhanvi's eyes widened, "That's a LOT of money..."
"Yes..." I replied, "Karan said he will try to help with that, but I'm not really sure how he can do it. It's a shit ton of money to lend a friend with little scope of return if things go bad!" I sighed in defeat.
"You TOLD him everything?" Pooja Didi asked in disbelief
"Well, obviously not everything! I can't really tell the world that I'm having an affair with my sister-in-law and her sister at the same time!" I clarified, "Just the part about Kishore's plan with Oberoi. He already helped us with freeing Ileana, right. We can trust him."
"What is the alternative?" Jhanvi asked me, her tone worried, "I really doubt Karan will come through. I mean, I know he is rich and has known us since we were kids. But his father still controls the company. He can't just pull out 10-15 crores without anyone noticing!" Jhanvi said.
"I...er... have some plans to thwart the shorts Ravi's placing. So, the company won't be taken over. We can get rid of Kishore and Ravi still and be finally together," I replied grimly. "But the company would probably not recover from the loss of funds Ravi stole, it will come out eventually in an audit and... and then... and then we'll all be royally fucked!"
We were all silent for a few moments, nobody really wanting to absorb the implications of the news I had just shared.
*Ping*
The chime from my phone broke the silence and I looked down at the screen. It was a message from Karan, 'Need to cancel the meet-up with Jhanvi and Pooja Didi. Come and meet me at Malgoan Docs. ASAP!'
"Karan won't be able to make it... He's asking me to meet him at the docks..." I told them, showing them the text, "I'll let you know what happens."
I leaned over and gave each a gentle peck before leaving, "Please don't worry. Everything will be fine, okay!" Both girls smiled back, though I could tell it was forced.
***
I parked the car by the docks and followed one of Peter's men through the docks.
'Malgaon Port' the crown jewel of Karan's Dad's empire. Around 70% of the shipments to the state were routed through here; legal and illegal from what I had heard. I guess it's hard to keep one's hands completely clean in certain business ventures. But the way Dad talked about Thapar uncle (Karan's dad), he had put in a lot of effort to legitimize and exit the shady parts of his operations in the last few years.
I followed the hook-nosed bodyguard between rows upon rows of stacked cargo containers. The sounds of heavy cranes loading and unloading ships in the port echoing all around us. Finally, we came to one container which stood apart from all the others. It was a small blue one, surrounded by two other burly looking guards and unlike the rest, this one had no locks and chains keeping it shut.
"He is in there," the man pointed at the container and gestured for me to go forward. The two other men stepped aside and allowed me through.
'Bam'
"Better tell me something useful like your friend did and I'll let you go..." A gruff, familiar voice echoed out from behind the steel door, and I recognized it immediately. It was Peter. I opened the metal door and stepped into the container to find Karan sitting casually on a rickety stool, while Peter stood in front of three bloodied up men tied to chairs, each one of them sporting multiple bruises.
I winced as Peter took another heavy swing at the man in the middle, connecting with his ribs, eliciting a loud crunch. I almost stepped forward to stop him when I recognized their arrogant faces! They were the three thugs who had tried to kill me! I grinned, realizing why Peter was doing this.
"Ahh! Suraj! You made it!" Karan called out to me, smiling at me from his position in the far corner. Peter glanced over his shoulder at me, his knuckles bloody from hitting the men repeatedly. He nodded at me, acknowledging my entrance, but didn't say anything else.
"What is going on...?" I asked Karan, "What is all this?"
Peter turned his attention back to the three prisoners. The men were gagged, but I saw a flicker of recognition in their eyes when they saw me enter.
"I'll let Peter finish interrogating these assholes so we can chat..." Karan answered me, standing up. He walked towards me and whispered, "Let's leave these idiots to Peter..." and motioned for me to follow him outside. I nodded and we both left the container.
"What is this about?" I inquired when we stepped out of the box-like prison cell.
"Well, it's about that sword hanging above your head... Mafia Don Shah Rukh Bhai..." Karan replied, grinning at me. "And, I have some good news..."
"Shah Rukh? What about him?" I frowned, confused as Karan led me down the gravelled path between two containers. Two of his bodyguards followed behind us at a discreet distance.
"I've found a way to get that bastard to leave you and the family alone..." Karan answered cryptically, continuing to lead me through the maze of containers.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, curious as to what he could be talking about, but he seemed to want to be all theatrical about it, typical Karan, and just nodded for me to follow along to a small building at the end of the path.
One of the guards standing in front of this building opened the door and I followed Karan into a simple room, where a bald guy was sitting by the desk. I instantly recognized him as one of the partners of the other three guys who were being beaten to a pulp by Peter. He did have some bruises on him but nothing too serious and he seemed to cower in fear a bit at seeing me.
"Calm down!" Karan ordered the guy and then he looked at me, "Suraj, meet Bokul. One of Shah Rukh Bhai's associates, one of the men sent to kill you... and now our newest snitch..." he said with a wicked smirk, and I frowned, wondering what the fuck Karan was up to.
"Yes, sir. Sorry about that thing with you and Ma'am..." Bokul muttered nervously while glancing at me and then at Karan's two hulk-like bodyguards.
"Snitch!" I looked at Karan, still confused, "What do you mean?"
Karan smirked at the nervous bald guy in front of us and said, "Go on... tell him... what you told me earlier..."
"W-Well, sir... you see... Shah-Rukh Bhai... he... uh...he..." He stuttered.
"Speak up... Or you can go join your friends..." Karan threatened the bald dude with a growl, and he gulped in fear. He then looked at me and blurted out, "I know of a way to get S-Shah Rukh Bhai off your back..."
***
"This isn't going to work!" I muttered nervously as we watched Peter and Binoy head towards the gates of an old mansion which apparently was Shah Rukh's den! Karan and I were sitting in his car, watching from afar, as the plan we had devised came together.
"Relax, man..." Karan said, "It will be fine..." His calm attitude surprised me, especially given what was at stake.
"Are you sure this Binoy guy can be trusted? He could be bluffing!" I asked, "I mean, you literally just beat up his friends to extract the information from him!" My tone was a mixture of both scepticism and worry.
"He'll be getting a hefty paycheck from me if this works out. Much more than he will ever make from being Shah Rukh's lackey."
"But..." I began, but stopped short as my phone rang and I looked down at the screen to see it was Pooja Didi.
"Hey... Are you busy...?" Pooja Didi's soft voice came through the line, "You've been gone quite a while, and we are worried..."
She had no clue what was happening, and I didn't feel like this was the right time to worry her either. "No, everything is alright. I just have something to take care of... I should be there soon. Don't worry."
I quickly cut the call and looked up at Karan who gave me an amused look. He'd not seen the name on the phone but did hear her voice. "Secret girlfriend that I don't know about..."
"Shut up and focus..." I muttered as we both looked ahead towards the mansion where the guards just finished checking Peter for weapons before allowing him and Binoy in.
'The game was on!'
***
Shah Rukh Bhai was sitting on his couch. His right-hand man, Aslam, was also sitting there. Two glasses of whiskey rested in front of the pair, as they eyed Binoy and Peter with suspicion.
"Well, look who decided to show up. It's our Binoy." Shah Rukh sneered as Binoy walked nervously up to him, "We thought you and your gang had decided to skip town after the fuck up you boys had with that Kapoor kid!"
"N-No no Bhai... How could anyone even consider that?" Binoy replied, his eyes darting about anxiously, "I would never do something stupid like that. Never."
Aslam scoffed, "Oh really, where's the rest of your gang then?"
Binoy gulped nervously, "Bhai... They were picked up by the police. I just barely escaped by the hair of my skin!"
"So, you're here to apologize for messing up, while your friends are in jail?" Shah Rukh commented sarcastically, "And you think you can just waltz into my house and ask for forgiveness, huh?"
"No, no, no! Not at all... No! I'm here to give you something better than an apology, Bhai..." Binoy insisted, and Shah Rukh frowned, "Err... Well, I was thinking of ways to redeem my mistake with the Kapoor kid. That's when I brought Peter here. He wants to meet you..."
Peter, who till that point hadn't said anything, stepped forward and handed Shah Rukh a visiting card. "Peter Thomas, Head of Security at MalGaon Port. I believe that I may be of use to you..."
"MalGaon Port..." Shah Rukh looked down at the visiting card, scrutinizing it before handing it off to Aslam, while keeping an eye on the tall, muscular man in front of him, "And what exactly can this man offer me?"
"We've been trying to move our shipments back through that port for years" Binoy replied nervously, "Ever since Thapar shut down all the illegal stuff a few years ago. Peter here says he can get in a weekly shipment of grade-A coke."
Peter nodded in confirmation, "I've been with the Thapar's for years, but to be honest, I'm kind of tired of the scraps at the table while these hot-shot rich folks enjoy life king size."
Shah Rukh nodded at Peter and gestured towards the sofa and then flicked his finger towards Binoy, indicating him to leave, "You may wait outside..."
"Sure Bhai..." he mumbled and scurried off, leaving Shah Rukh and Peter alone. Shah Rukh sat facing Peter, while his bodyguards stood guard at either side.
Shah Rukh studied Peter for a moment and then spoke, "So, Mr. Peter Thomas, how can you help me?"
***
"How did it go?" I asked Peter as we sat down later at one of Karan's clubs, 'The Pirate Ship'. A beautiful waitress dressed up like a pirate wench, with a low-cut corset and a short mini skirt, served us drinks as we discussed the details of the meeting.
Peter's eyes lingered over the buxom girl, taking in her cleavage with an appreciative grin before turning his attention to me, "I've laid the bait, pretending to be a disgruntled employee who has struck a deal with some international smugglers and need a local partner to handle the distribution once the drugs come in. "
"Well, you don't get to be a man in his position without being cautious, do you?" I commented, sipping from my glass, "What's the hiccup then? Isn't he interested?"
"Of course, he's interested." Karan interjected, "Rumour has it that even though Shah Rukh heads the largest gang in the city, he's been facing immense pressure from an upstart gang that broke away a few years ago and also from the police who've issued an arrest warrant against him already. So, this gives him a chance to bolster his business with new weapons and money!"
"Hmmmm... that's true. But I'm still not sure if all this planning to lure him out of his house is needed at all. As you said, the police are already on the lookout for him. Can't we just lead them to him with an anonymous tip or something?" I asked, not sure how Karan and Peter had managed to plan this out in a day.
Karan shook his head and said, "If only it were that easy... The police already know where Shah Rukh stays. But he's been holed up in his own little gangster land for years, never once stepping out. The police won't risk an all-out bloodbath to take out Shah Rukh while he is protected by 100s of his armed goons!"
"Yes, but if we lay the trap well with the chance to get these new weapons, that might just convince him to leave his fortress for once." Peter nodded along, "Leave him to me, Mr. Suraj. I know what I'm doing. Within a week, Shah Rukh will have bigger troubles than you to worry about."
"Fine... fine... I'll leave it to the experts." I sighed and raised my glass to Karan and Peter, "To a successful operation, gentlemen!"
***
The drive back from Karan's place had me lost in thought. While the plan to lure out Shah Rukh and get rid of one of Ravi's major allies was underway, my mind went to my other problem: Ravi and Oberoi's shorts and raising the money for that play.
Karan hadn't mentioned anything about that part of the help I needed and as I thought more about it, his silence meant that it wasn't possible to help me there. Pooja Didi was right, Karan was already doing so much for me. How in the world could I expect him to pull out Crores for my cause. I knew he wouldn't say it out-loud, but it would be too risky of a proposition for him.
This was a totally different scenario, and I had to find another way to deal with it myself. Maybe I could talk to Dad, without revealing too much and get him to help me buy the options. But I didn't know how I would even approach him out of the blue and get him to lend me so much money, given our strained relationship.
My thoughts were interrupted as I turned the corner to our house. I looked at my watch. It was around 7 PM and Kishore was probably back home. I didn't really have the energy to deal with my smug brother today. I knew Ravi won't be back home for a few days, so I pulled my car over to Pooja Didi's place.
Maybe spending the night with her would take my mind off things!
As I pulled my car into the driveway, I noticed there was another car already there. I wondered who had popped by as I climbed the stairs to Pooja Didi's door.
Her house wasn't as grand as ours but Pooja's and Jhanvi's parents had left them a pretty big place. It sort of stuck out a bit with its simplicity in the posh neighbourhood that surrounded it, but it was actually quite a big place, with a garden and plot area even larger than even our house. It was their ancestral house and their parents, while not rich, had held on to it while the rest of the city grew richer around them. Pooja Didi's parents didn't really care much for money, and I guess that's why they were able to raise their two daughters so well.
I decided against using my key, and knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to have the 'mystery guest' wonder why the neighbour boy has the keys to a married woman's house.
I heard the sound of some footsteps and Jhanvi unlocked the door. She looked surprised to see me, "Chotu? What are you... Ohhh..." her expression was worried and guilty at the same time, "I thought you were going to be busy with Karan for a while longer?" She asked me, opening the door further for me, and letting me in.
"Who is it?" Pooja Didi's voice called out from the other room as Jhanvi quickly shut the door behind me.
"Uhm...It's Suraj!" She replied as we stepped into the living room.
I frowned at this odd behaviour but put that aside for now as I noticed an older man in a suit seated with Pooja Didi on the couch. There were a bunch of old yellowed files and papers strewn about on the coffee table and the man seemed to be inspecting one. There also were some stacked velvet boxes, like jewellery boxes, on one side of the table.
"Suraj?" Pooja Didi looked up in surprise, "I thought you were going to be busy..."
"Yeah... uh... The thing with Karan wrapped up earlier than expected..." I replied, looking curiously at the suited gentleman.
"Oh..." She replied and then turned back to the man, "Mr. Patil... this is my neighbour, Suraj. Suraj this is... er..." She hesitated and stopped in her words.
"Padmakant Patil, Branch Manager at City Bank. Good to meet you Mr. Suraj." The elderly man stood up, holding up his card for me, smiling, and I took it, nodding politely.
"Good to meet you too, sir." I greeted him, and then looked curiously at Pooja and Jhanvi, wondering what this banker could possibly be here for.
"Well, I guess I'll get going. Thank you for letting me go through these documents Mrs. Patel." Padmakant said with a smile. "I will get back to you by tomorrow with the decision and I will send over someone to do the appraisal on the jewellery."
"Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Patil. We appreciate it." Pooja Di smiled back, avoiding my eyes with a guilty look. "We'll be in touch..."
I watched in silence as she and Jhanvi escorted the older man to the door. But once it closed shut, I immediately rounded on the two of them, "Okay, what the hell was that all about? Why was a banker at your house?"
Jhanvi bit her lower lip and looked at Pooja Didi. "I told you he'd be mad."
Pooja Didi sighed and walked past me, back into the living room. "Come on... sit down. Let's talk."
I glanced at Jhanvi suspiciously before following her sister back into the living room, "Talk about what?"
"Just sit and listen. Please..." Pooja Didi said and pulled me down beside her onto the couch. She looked me in the eyes. "Do you trust us?"
I nodded, wondering what in the world she was up to, but answered honestly, "Yes. I trust you both completely. You know that..."
She nodded at Jhanvi, sitting on my other side, who then picked up a file and handed it over to me. I looked down at the first page. It was a copy of a loan application form. "A home mortgage loan? Why is there..."
"Keep going..." Pooja said, cutting me off.
The next pages were a lot of legal mumbo jumbo, but one particular line caught my eye and I read it out loud, "For securing an additional loan of three Crore against this property?" I exclaimed, "Didi, you're putting up your family's house?"
Pooja Di and Jhanvi exchanged a look before Pooja Didi answered softly, looking at my face, "Yes, our parents' estate and all of our jewellery, as well. Hopefully that should fetch a few Crores too. I know that it's still nowhere near enough for what we need but it's a start."
"What?" I asked in disbelief and then turned to Jhanvi. "And you agreed to this?" I asked her incredulously, "You're going to lose your home?"
Pooja Didi put her hand on my shoulder and answered me, "Suraj... We want to help you..."
"You need the money for buying those call options to thwart Ravi's plan. Right?"
"Y-Yes..." I stammered out.
"And if you don't get that money, we might end up being stuck with Ravi and Kishore for the rest of our lives!" Jhanvi interjected.
"But... But... I can't accept this." I said firmly, "Your family home is your legacy. I can't allow this. No!"
"You can't allow us?" Pooja Didi repeated, "Suraj, this is our choice, not yours. Both Jhanvi and I agree that it's more important to spend our lives with the man we love rather than stay with two assholes like Ravi and Kishore for the rest of our lives."
"But, I..." I started choking with emotions but Pooja Didi cut me off, leaning in to hug me close, "Chotu, you are our life now..."
"And we want to help you!" Jhanvi said softly, "We can't let you do this alone!"
"Besides, you can repay us once you take over from Kishore..." Pooja Didi added and then chuckled at my expression, "Promise?"
I nodded, unable to reply, tears in my eyes. Pooja Didi then leaned in to kiss away the tears, while Jhanvi reached over and hugged me from the other side.
"Thank you. It... it means the whole world to me..." I said finally, looking at them with gratitude. Pooja Didi smiled at this, stroking my cheek, "We know..."
"However, if you DO want to thank us for doing this for you tonight!" She added with a grin, "I know a certain way you can show your appreciation for both of your wives!"
***
"Mmmm... What are you doing out there?" Pooja Didi walked upto me from behind as I stood on the balcony early in the morning. I smiled and glanced back to find her looking sexy as hell, wearing just a long shirt, covering her down to her mid-thighs, with nothing else underneath. She was barefoot and the shirt was unbuttoned at her navel, giving me a tantalizing view of her cleavage. Her long black hair dishevelled in the morning light made her all the more gorgeous.
"Thinking..." I replied, pulling her to stand beside me. She snuggled into my arm with a sigh, "About how lucky I am to be able to be with two gorgeous women at the same time!"
"Oh, you mean last night with Jhanvi and me?" she asked with a small smirk, "Or the night before with Tara and me at the school?"
I blushed deep red at her quip and looked at her guiltily. To be honest, I was expecting to have this conversation with Didi, sooner or later. You don't have a threesome with your future wife and YOUR sister, and then another with HER sister without it having consequences.
Luckily, Pooja Didi hadn't brought it up with Jhanvi around, but now that she was all alone, I was worried that she'd have a lot to say. However, instead of being mad, Didi just giggled and kissed my lips gently. "Relax, Chotu! I'm not jealous!" she said with a grin, "Actually... I found it kinda kinky to watch you fuck your sister! It was very sexy!"
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm hmmm..." she whispered and pulled back a little and stroked my cheek lovingly, "You have to admit, our love story is a little...unique..."
I nodded, agreeing with her, "That's for damn sure."
"I mean... I practically jumped you when you came back from college, even though I'm married. Then you pulled my sister into our crazy relationship, then seduced and slept with your stepmother for some secrets against Ravi. Hell, if Nora's seduction plan had gone ahead properly, she might have been in bed with us back there!"
I chuckled, "I guess... I am a bit of a player, huh."
*Smack*
This earned me a well-deserved smack at the back of my head, but I couldn't help but grin at her, "Owww!"
"You're lucky that I love you so damn much! But yes... I can't believe how much I've changed in just a few months since you returned and turned my life upside down!" She said while rolling her eyes at me, "I've become such a slut, thanks to you! But it's not just me... I mean... look at how much Jhanvi has changed. Who would have thought that my shy, demure baby-sis would turn into a complete nympho, who likes being fucked everyday?"
I grinned and pulled Pooja Didi closer, pressing her soft, curvaceous body against mine. "So, if I got it right, you're not jealous of me sleeping with Tara, Nora or Jhanvi... and you actually got turned on by watching me fuck Tara?"
"Well... maybe... I'm not really sure..." she replied and looked away shyly.
I cupped her chin gently and made her face me with her eyes, "Didi... tell me the truth..."
"Yes..." she whispered and looked up into my eyes, a small smile on her lips, "As long as I know that I'm your one, true love... I guess it's okay. Besides, I can't blame them for falling for my handsome, young, stud of a husband!"
At those words, I pulled her in for a hug, kissing her neck, cheeks and lips softly. "Didi, you are the love of my life! I promise that no matter what, nothing will ever change that!"
She nodded and then pulled back, looking at my face. "So, you're okay with my feelings then?"
"More than okay..." I whispered, stroking her cheek gently, "It's hot to know that my gorgeous wife likes watching her future husband banging other women."
She blushed deeply, and looked down, embarrassed, "Well... it's kind of weird to say that out aloud."
"Well, you know, I do understand it a bit. Remember that night on Navratri, when you and Jhanvi gave Vivaan a blowjob together. That was really hot!" I replied with a grin, "I guess I'm so confident about our love, that I don't mind sharing you like that, as long as I am in control..."
"Hmmm..." She nodded thoughtfully and leaned into my arms as we watched the sunrise together, "I guess I feel a lot like that with you too, Suraj!"
***
The Next Morning...
"Karan's late! As usual!" Jhanvi grumbled as we all waited for Karan at Pooja Didi's place, "First he cancelled on us yesterday and now he's late again!"
"Oh relax, Jaanu. You know he was busy with Peter yesterday, interrogating Shah Rukh's goons and getting that snitch to flip on his boss. He's really helping us out a lot in our plan. You can't blame him for being somewhat late," I said, trying to placate her.
Jhanvi pouted, "I know but it's been so long since we've met. I can't wait to see him. I'm so excited!"
"You've known him as long as I have. Did you really expect him to change that easily?" I chuckled at her impatience, when the doorbell finally rang!
"See! I told you he'd come..." I said to Jhanvi with a chuckle, and all three of us got up to get the door. Karan hadn't met Jhanvi and Pooja Didi for over six years now, so both girls were quite excited to see him again.
Karan still had his trademark roguish smile as he stepped into the living room. He was dressed in a casual shirt, jeans and sneakers, his curly hair styled perfectly and a pair of sunglasses on his forehead. "Suraj, my man! Sorry I'm a little late..."
"No worries..." I had just opened my mouth to greet him back, when Jhanvi, who until just a minute ago was complaining about Karan's tardiness, suddenly squealed and jumped into Karan's arms, hugging him tightly "Oh my God! Karan! It's been so long."
"Yes, it has..." he grinned widely and patted her back affectionately, "Look at you! All married and everything!"
She giggled back and pulled back from him to give him a good look up and down, "Well, you did spruce yourself up a bit. Nice shirt! Is that Gucci?"
"Only the best for you, Mrs. Jhanvi Kapoor!" Karan replied with a flourish, taking off his sunglasses, and finally getting a chance to get a good look at her. And as with most guys who saw Jhanvi for the first time these days, I could literally see his jaw drop open.
Jhanvi wore a sheer pink saree that clung to her voluptuous figure and showed off her ample curves in all the right places. Her beautiful tits were barely covered with a low cut blouse, while the low-draped pallu left her waist bare, exposing her midriff.
"You look..." Karan managed to stammer out and I could swear he was already drooling over my wife as his eyes roved all over her curves, lingering on her cleavage. "Wow! Look at you. You've grown up into a stunning woman, Jhanvi!" He said and then turned to me, "Suraj, I don't remember our third musketeer Jhanvi being this hot before!"
Jhanvi blushed at the compliment. Karan, Jhanvi, and I were inseparable back in school and referred to each other as the three musketeers. She was a bit surprised at Karan's brazen compliment but took it with grace, "Well, I guess you're not too bad yourself. You clean up nice too. I still remember how much of a dork you looked back then!"
"Heyyyyy!" he protested with a chuckle. All four of us had grown up together and there was familiarity between them, despite not meeting for over half a decade.
"Now come on, both of you. Why don't we invite our guest into the house, instead of standing at the door like idiots!" Pooja Didi said, coming in between the two and giving Karan a hug, "Hi, Karan! It's been ages!"
"Hello, Pooja Didi! Looking good too, I see." Karan greeted her cheerily, giving her a warm, friendly hug. As with Jhanvi, his eyes lingered on her cleavage in Didi's equally sexy white saree and I could see her raise her eyebrows a little at his obvious ogling of her tits.
Luckily Karan had the good sense to not make a comment about Didi's looks. She was always a few years ahead of us, so he had more of a strict elder sister and clownish younger brother relationship with Pooja Didi. He used to play so many pranks on her, and I distinctly remember more than one instance when my friend had gotten a strong scolding for his antics back then.
"Well, come on in." Pooja Didi said with a smile, stepping back to let him in, "Take a seat at the couch while Jhanvi and I go get some snacks for us."
As both girls headed into the kitchen area, I gestured for Karan to sit. We sat down at the table where we were planning to have lunch.
"So..." he said, turning towards me, his tone a little conspiratorial.
"So... what?" I replied, looking a bit confused.
"How much do they know? I mean, about their husbands being in a conspiracy to take over your family. And that we both are trying to stop them. Do I need to be discreet about stuff, while talking to them, or is it ok to talk freely in front of them?" he whispered to me, and I shook my head.
"Nah! Don't worry about that." I replied with a chuckle, "They both know the full deal. I've told them everything."
"Told us what?" Jhanvi asked, overhearing my last comment as she returned with Pooja Didi and set up plates on the table in front of us.
"That you both are aware of Ravi and Kishore's evil plans and are totally fine to help us in any way possible to take them down!" I replied and Karan gave me a panicked look, "Really?"
Pooja Didi laughed at this, seeing Karan's expression, "I thought, we decided to ease him into it. But then you go and just blurt it out?"
"Well, I think he's been in the dark for way too long and still helped us out every step of the way, like a good friend. There's really no point in hiding it from him," I answered, grinning at Karan.
"So, you two are really on our team? Against your husbands?" He asked both women and Pooja Didi nodded, "Of course we are! We can't be with them now can we, not after Suraj told us the truth."
"Our husbands are assholes!" Jhanvi chimed in. "They deserve everything that's coming for them."
"And we do appreciate all the help you've been giving us in this, Karan." Pooja Didi said with a smile, taking a seat beside Karan and leaning in to give him a soft peck on the cheek, "Thank you for being such a wonderful, loyal friend."
On his other side, Jhanvi did the same, kissing him lightly on his cheek and adding, "We're so glad you're in our corner, Karan..."
Both women then leaned back and looked at the stunned Karan. His face had gone red from their attention, and he was staring blankly at us, "Uhm... yeah... sure..."
Jhanvi giggled and Pooja Didi smirked, exchanging amused glances at his reaction. "He still can't handle women, can he?" she remarked to her sister.
"Still the same old Karan..." Jhanvi agreed, shaking her head in disbelief, "I thought you would have gotten some practice after leaving us for Goa. Or are you still pining for Tara like you did way back in the day."
"I... uh... well..." Karan stammered, his face turning redder than before, and I couldn't help burst out laughing along with the girls.
It seemed like Jhanvi still knew how to push his buttons, "I mean, he had this stupid plan to woo Tara back at school with a bouquet of roses and everything, and he was so nervous around her that he just handed her the flowers and ran off!"
Pooja Didi chuckled, patting a mortified Karan on his shoulder, "Oh come on, Jhanvi! Give him a break. He was what? Sixteen back then?"
"Seventeen actually, Pooja Didi. But he never grew up beyond fifteen!" Jhanvi giggled. "I mean, just look at him, all red in the face!"
"Oh, drop it, the two of you. What's wrong in a guy having a long unrequited crush on a girl he loves? I mean sometimes it does work out for the guy in the end." I added with a smirk, glancing at both Pooja and Jhanvi, who blushed a little.
I had to admit, the irony was a bit thick. I mean, I was in the same situation with Jhanvi and Pooja Didi and now I was fucking them both on a daily basis. In fact, while Jhanvi and Pooja Didi didn't know of it yet, Karan had scored with Tara back in Goa already. But I'm not sure if this was the right time to reveal that story. So, I let it slide and let the girls assume that poor old Karan was just as pathetic as back then in his quest for a girlfriend.
The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by quickly. With all the heavy stuff out of the way, we chatted endlessly with Karan. He regaled us with tales of his time at Goa and we reminisced about the antics we got in back in the day. Despite all the stress and drama of our predicament weighing down on us, it seemed that having Karan join us seemed to take all of us out of it. It was nice to have a carefree moment with our old friend, even if it was only a temporary reprieve.
However, a phone call from Peter around noon, put a damper on things and brought us back to reality quite effectively.
"What do you mean he wants a meeting with the head of the international smuggling gang!" I exclaimed in surprise as Karan got off the call and informed us of the new hitch, "What other gang?"
Karan sighed and shook his head at the news, "Well, when we cooked up this story about gun smuggling, we needed to make it believable. Can't just have a mysterious new seller who approaches Shah Rukh out of the blue. What if he tried to find out if the deal was true from some backchannel contacts."
"And..." Pooja Didi asked, frowning a little.
"It would be easier to make it out to be some well-known syndicate but with bosses who are unknown, so that if anyone asks questions, they can't get answers." Karan explained, "So we pretended to be from this one gang where the old boss was kinda 'deposed' by his brutal young daughter, who's now taken over the family business per se. Little's known about this daughter and her new lieutenants, so we thought that would be the perfect scam."
"And now he wants to meet the leader of this syndicate that we supposedly represent?" I clarified and Karan nodded with a frown.
"Can't someone pretend to be the leader of this gang? Like Peter did when he met the goons?" Jhanvi asked. I could see she looked a little worried.
"We could, but I can hardly find any girl on such a short notice to meet the dreaded crime lord, who is a psychotic, ruthless killer. I mean, I could try, but it would be risky to use anyone I don't trust fully..." Karan said with a frown.
"Fuck! This complicates things. How the hell do we pull that off?" I asked.
"What if I do it?" Pooja Didi said softly, looking at Karan and then at me.
There was a brief stunned silence at her words and Karan, Jhanvi and I both gaped at Didi. She looked at the shocked faces and continued, "I mean, why not? I could do this. I can pretend to be the boss of the gang, can't I?"
"Oh, there is no way in hell that I'm going to send you into that lion's den alone. No fucking way!" I said vehemently.
"Chotu... this is the only way..." she said calmly, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I won't let you..." I started but Jhanvi interrupted me.
"Actually, she's right..." Jhanvi said, looking at her. "We have to do it! But, I think it will have to be me and not Didi who goes!"
It was now Pooja Didi' turn to be shocked, "What?"
Jhanvi nodded with a determined expression, "Oh come on Didi, you can't act to save your life. You'll get made in minutes. I was the one who was in the theatre club back in school. I can definitely pull it off!" she declared.
"Jhanvi, I know what you're trying to do. But there is no way I'm risking you either..." I started. "I mean you're not even part of all this, Shah Rukh's coming after me. You don't need to do this..."
At my words, Jhanvi and Pooja Didi leaned in and hugged me. Jhanvi kissed me lightly on the cheek, "You've been doing everything for everyone else. Let us help you for once!"
"Yeah Chotu... you're not alone anymore. Let me and Jhanvi help you out." Pooja Didi whispered into my ear, giving me an affectionate kiss, as well, "Let us do this."
I looked down at both of them, sighing. The thought of sending my Jhanvi into Shah Rukh's den, made my stomach churn. But it seemed like I had no choice in this. They had both made up their minds.
"Fine, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" I finally relented and then looked up at Karan, "But I can't send her in there alone and Shah Rukh knows my face!"
Karan who had been listening silently, finally broke in. "She won't be! I'll go along with Peter. Act as her right-hand man or something. Don't worry. I'll protect her, Suraj. I promise." He said with a reassuring smile.
"Okay... Fine. When does Shah Rukh want to hold this meeting?" I said finally.
'In a separate announcement, the company has confirmed that its founder and Chairman, Mr. Pankaj Kapoor, will not be attending the Annual Stockholders Meeting at the end of the month, citing a medical issue. The company's co-CEO, Kishore Kapoor will take his place. Mr. Kishore is expected to make an official statement at the shareholders meeting.'
'I disagree with these rumors, Naveen. The company has sound fundamentals and good leadership. The recent dip is likely from some betting and short selling, which does not seem grounded in fact.'
'Well, you may be right, and broadly the market does seem to agree but IF the company's financials are worse than expected, investors may pull out. I wouldn't bet on it myself, especially with their track record. If they are unable to allay these fears with their performance in the next quarter, I'm afraid they might lose a lot of investor confidence and that will hurt them badly.'
'True... True. Thank you for your insights, Naveen! This is Ravi Singh and Anjali Verma with business news. The only place for real, unbiased, information on Dalal Street!'
"Oh, shut it off!" I muttered in annoyance and Jhanvi, who was sitting beside me on the couch, turned the television off. On my other side, Pooja Didi raised an eyebrow at my sudden reaction. We were all sitting in Pooja Didi's living room, waiting for Karan to arrive, when I had stupidly turned on the news to pass the time and ended up seeing my worst fears come true.
"I hate listening to these idiots..." I growled, "They are always speculating about our finances, but they don't have the slightest inkling of what we really are going through..."
"I know... I know..." Pooja Didi said soothingly, "But it's just some rumour mill going on, Suraj. Why are you getting worked up so much?"
I sighed and looked at her, wondering if I should tell her the fix I was in. To tell her the truth, that the news just confirmed my theory. Ravi had executed his plan and had placed those shorts against the company!
"It's just... it's just... I'm stressed out, I guess..." I muttered, hoping to avoid the difficult conversation. However, just like with Nora yesterday, Jhanvi and Pooja Didi knew I was hiding something.
"Come on, Suraj!" Jhanvi said with a frown, "I know you well enough by now that I can tell that's not all..."
"Can't hide anything from us!" Pooja Didi chimed in, reaching up and stroking my chin, "What's going on...?"
I looked back at my two beautiful wives beside me and sighed in defeat. "Okay... fine. We have a problem..."
***
By the time I was done, both Pooja's and Jhanvi's faces had paled with worry, and they looked at me anxiously.
"How much money do we need to buy those options?" Pooja Didi asked me nervously and I replied, "Roughly 10-15 Crores. And that is assuming that the market is stable."
Jhanvi's eyes widened, "That's a LOT of money..."
"Yes..." I replied, "Karan said he will try to help with that, but I'm not really sure how he can do it. It's a shit ton of money to lend a friend with little scope of return if things go bad!" I sighed in defeat.
"You TOLD him everything?" Pooja Didi asked in disbelief
"Well, obviously not everything! I can't really tell the world that I'm having an affair with my sister-in-law and her sister at the same time!" I clarified, "Just the part about Kishore's plan with Oberoi. He already helped us with freeing Ileana, right. We can trust him."
"What is the alternative?" Jhanvi asked me, her tone worried, "I really doubt Karan will come through. I mean, I know he is rich and has known us since we were kids. But his father still controls the company. He can't just pull out 10-15 crores without anyone noticing!" Jhanvi said.
"I...er... have some plans to thwart the shorts Ravi's placing. So, the company won't be taken over. We can get rid of Kishore and Ravi still and be finally together," I replied grimly. "But the company would probably not recover from the loss of funds Ravi stole, it will come out eventually in an audit and... and then... and then we'll all be royally fucked!"
We were all silent for a few moments, nobody really wanting to absorb the implications of the news I had just shared.
*Ping*
The chime from my phone broke the silence and I looked down at the screen. It was a message from Karan, 'Need to cancel the meet-up with Jhanvi and Pooja Didi. Come and meet me at Malgoan Docs. ASAP!'
"Karan won't be able to make it... He's asking me to meet him at the docks..." I told them, showing them the text, "I'll let you know what happens."
I leaned over and gave each a gentle peck before leaving, "Please don't worry. Everything will be fine, okay!" Both girls smiled back, though I could tell it was forced.
***
I parked the car by the docks and followed one of Peter's men through the docks.
'Malgaon Port' the crown jewel of Karan's Dad's empire. Around 70% of the shipments to the state were routed through here; legal and illegal from what I had heard. I guess it's hard to keep one's hands completely clean in certain business ventures. But the way Dad talked about Thapar uncle (Karan's dad), he had put in a lot of effort to legitimize and exit the shady parts of his operations in the last few years.
I followed the hook-nosed bodyguard between rows upon rows of stacked cargo containers. The sounds of heavy cranes loading and unloading ships in the port echoing all around us. Finally, we came to one container which stood apart from all the others. It was a small blue one, surrounded by two other burly looking guards and unlike the rest, this one had no locks and chains keeping it shut.
"He is in there," the man pointed at the container and gestured for me to go forward. The two other men stepped aside and allowed me through.
'Bam'
"Better tell me something useful like your friend did and I'll let you go..." A gruff, familiar voice echoed out from behind the steel door, and I recognized it immediately. It was Peter. I opened the metal door and stepped into the container to find Karan sitting casually on a rickety stool, while Peter stood in front of three bloodied up men tied to chairs, each one of them sporting multiple bruises.
I winced as Peter took another heavy swing at the man in the middle, connecting with his ribs, eliciting a loud crunch. I almost stepped forward to stop him when I recognized their arrogant faces! They were the three thugs who had tried to kill me! I grinned, realizing why Peter was doing this.
"Ahh! Suraj! You made it!" Karan called out to me, smiling at me from his position in the far corner. Peter glanced over his shoulder at me, his knuckles bloody from hitting the men repeatedly. He nodded at me, acknowledging my entrance, but didn't say anything else.
"What is going on...?" I asked Karan, "What is all this?"
Peter turned his attention back to the three prisoners. The men were gagged, but I saw a flicker of recognition in their eyes when they saw me enter.
"I'll let Peter finish interrogating these assholes so we can chat..." Karan answered me, standing up. He walked towards me and whispered, "Let's leave these idiots to Peter..." and motioned for me to follow him outside. I nodded and we both left the container.
"What is this about?" I inquired when we stepped out of the box-like prison cell.
"Well, it's about that sword hanging above your head... Mafia Don Shah Rukh Bhai..." Karan replied, grinning at me. "And, I have some good news..."
"Shah Rukh? What about him?" I frowned, confused as Karan led me down the gravelled path between two containers. Two of his bodyguards followed behind us at a discreet distance.
"I've found a way to get that bastard to leave you and the family alone..." Karan answered cryptically, continuing to lead me through the maze of containers.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, curious as to what he could be talking about, but he seemed to want to be all theatrical about it, typical Karan, and just nodded for me to follow along to a small building at the end of the path.
One of the guards standing in front of this building opened the door and I followed Karan into a simple room, where a bald guy was sitting by the desk. I instantly recognized him as one of the partners of the other three guys who were being beaten to a pulp by Peter. He did have some bruises on him but nothing too serious and he seemed to cower in fear a bit at seeing me.
"Calm down!" Karan ordered the guy and then he looked at me, "Suraj, meet Bokul. One of Shah Rukh Bhai's associates, one of the men sent to kill you... and now our newest snitch..." he said with a wicked smirk, and I frowned, wondering what the fuck Karan was up to.
"Yes, sir. Sorry about that thing with you and Ma'am..." Bokul muttered nervously while glancing at me and then at Karan's two hulk-like bodyguards.
"Snitch!" I looked at Karan, still confused, "What do you mean?"
Karan smirked at the nervous bald guy in front of us and said, "Go on... tell him... what you told me earlier..."
"W-Well, sir... you see... Shah-Rukh Bhai... he... uh...he..." He stuttered.
"Speak up... Or you can go join your friends..." Karan threatened the bald dude with a growl, and he gulped in fear. He then looked at me and blurted out, "I know of a way to get S-Shah Rukh Bhai off your back..."
***
"This isn't going to work!" I muttered nervously as we watched Peter and Binoy head towards the gates of an old mansion which apparently was Shah Rukh's den! Karan and I were sitting in his car, watching from afar, as the plan we had devised came together.
"Relax, man..." Karan said, "It will be fine..." His calm attitude surprised me, especially given what was at stake.
"Are you sure this Binoy guy can be trusted? He could be bluffing!" I asked, "I mean, you literally just beat up his friends to extract the information from him!" My tone was a mixture of both scepticism and worry.
"He'll be getting a hefty paycheck from me if this works out. Much more than he will ever make from being Shah Rukh's lackey."
"But..." I began, but stopped short as my phone rang and I looked down at the screen to see it was Pooja Didi.
"Hey... Are you busy...?" Pooja Didi's soft voice came through the line, "You've been gone quite a while, and we are worried..."
She had no clue what was happening, and I didn't feel like this was the right time to worry her either. "No, everything is alright. I just have something to take care of... I should be there soon. Don't worry."
I quickly cut the call and looked up at Karan who gave me an amused look. He'd not seen the name on the phone but did hear her voice. "Secret girlfriend that I don't know about..."
"Shut up and focus..." I muttered as we both looked ahead towards the mansion where the guards just finished checking Peter for weapons before allowing him and Binoy in.
'The game was on!'
***
Shah Rukh Bhai was sitting on his couch. His right-hand man, Aslam, was also sitting there. Two glasses of whiskey rested in front of the pair, as they eyed Binoy and Peter with suspicion.
"Well, look who decided to show up. It's our Binoy." Shah Rukh sneered as Binoy walked nervously up to him, "We thought you and your gang had decided to skip town after the fuck up you boys had with that Kapoor kid!"
"N-No no Bhai... How could anyone even consider that?" Binoy replied, his eyes darting about anxiously, "I would never do something stupid like that. Never."
Aslam scoffed, "Oh really, where's the rest of your gang then?"
Binoy gulped nervously, "Bhai... They were picked up by the police. I just barely escaped by the hair of my skin!"
"So, you're here to apologize for messing up, while your friends are in jail?" Shah Rukh commented sarcastically, "And you think you can just waltz into my house and ask for forgiveness, huh?"
"No, no, no! Not at all... No! I'm here to give you something better than an apology, Bhai..." Binoy insisted, and Shah Rukh frowned, "Err... Well, I was thinking of ways to redeem my mistake with the Kapoor kid. That's when I brought Peter here. He wants to meet you..."
Peter, who till that point hadn't said anything, stepped forward and handed Shah Rukh a visiting card. "Peter Thomas, Head of Security at MalGaon Port. I believe that I may be of use to you..."
"MalGaon Port..." Shah Rukh looked down at the visiting card, scrutinizing it before handing it off to Aslam, while keeping an eye on the tall, muscular man in front of him, "And what exactly can this man offer me?"
"We've been trying to move our shipments back through that port for years" Binoy replied nervously, "Ever since Thapar shut down all the illegal stuff a few years ago. Peter here says he can get in a weekly shipment of grade-A coke."
Peter nodded in confirmation, "I've been with the Thapar's for years, but to be honest, I'm kind of tired of the scraps at the table while these hot-shot rich folks enjoy life king size."
Shah Rukh nodded at Peter and gestured towards the sofa and then flicked his finger towards Binoy, indicating him to leave, "You may wait outside..."
"Sure Bhai..." he mumbled and scurried off, leaving Shah Rukh and Peter alone. Shah Rukh sat facing Peter, while his bodyguards stood guard at either side.
Shah Rukh studied Peter for a moment and then spoke, "So, Mr. Peter Thomas, how can you help me?"
***
"How did it go?" I asked Peter as we sat down later at one of Karan's clubs, 'The Pirate Ship'. A beautiful waitress dressed up like a pirate wench, with a low-cut corset and a short mini skirt, served us drinks as we discussed the details of the meeting.
Peter's eyes lingered over the buxom girl, taking in her cleavage with an appreciative grin before turning his attention to me, "I've laid the bait, pretending to be a disgruntled employee who has struck a deal with some international smugglers and need a local partner to handle the distribution once the drugs come in. "
"Well, you don't get to be a man in his position without being cautious, do you?" I commented, sipping from my glass, "What's the hiccup then? Isn't he interested?"
"Of course, he's interested." Karan interjected, "Rumour has it that even though Shah Rukh heads the largest gang in the city, he's been facing immense pressure from an upstart gang that broke away a few years ago and also from the police who've issued an arrest warrant against him already. So, this gives him a chance to bolster his business with new weapons and money!"
"Hmmmm... that's true. But I'm still not sure if all this planning to lure him out of his house is needed at all. As you said, the police are already on the lookout for him. Can't we just lead them to him with an anonymous tip or something?" I asked, not sure how Karan and Peter had managed to plan this out in a day.
Karan shook his head and said, "If only it were that easy... The police already know where Shah Rukh stays. But he's been holed up in his own little gangster land for years, never once stepping out. The police won't risk an all-out bloodbath to take out Shah Rukh while he is protected by 100s of his armed goons!"
"Yes, but if we lay the trap well with the chance to get these new weapons, that might just convince him to leave his fortress for once." Peter nodded along, "Leave him to me, Mr. Suraj. I know what I'm doing. Within a week, Shah Rukh will have bigger troubles than you to worry about."
"Fine... fine... I'll leave it to the experts." I sighed and raised my glass to Karan and Peter, "To a successful operation, gentlemen!"
***
The drive back from Karan's place had me lost in thought. While the plan to lure out Shah Rukh and get rid of one of Ravi's major allies was underway, my mind went to my other problem: Ravi and Oberoi's shorts and raising the money for that play.
Karan hadn't mentioned anything about that part of the help I needed and as I thought more about it, his silence meant that it wasn't possible to help me there. Pooja Didi was right, Karan was already doing so much for me. How in the world could I expect him to pull out Crores for my cause. I knew he wouldn't say it out-loud, but it would be too risky of a proposition for him.
This was a totally different scenario, and I had to find another way to deal with it myself. Maybe I could talk to Dad, without revealing too much and get him to help me buy the options. But I didn't know how I would even approach him out of the blue and get him to lend me so much money, given our strained relationship.
My thoughts were interrupted as I turned the corner to our house. I looked at my watch. It was around 7 PM and Kishore was probably back home. I didn't really have the energy to deal with my smug brother today. I knew Ravi won't be back home for a few days, so I pulled my car over to Pooja Didi's place.
Maybe spending the night with her would take my mind off things!
As I pulled my car into the driveway, I noticed there was another car already there. I wondered who had popped by as I climbed the stairs to Pooja Didi's door.
Her house wasn't as grand as ours but Pooja's and Jhanvi's parents had left them a pretty big place. It sort of stuck out a bit with its simplicity in the posh neighbourhood that surrounded it, but it was actually quite a big place, with a garden and plot area even larger than even our house. It was their ancestral house and their parents, while not rich, had held on to it while the rest of the city grew richer around them. Pooja Didi's parents didn't really care much for money, and I guess that's why they were able to raise their two daughters so well.
I decided against using my key, and knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to have the 'mystery guest' wonder why the neighbour boy has the keys to a married woman's house.
I heard the sound of some footsteps and Jhanvi unlocked the door. She looked surprised to see me, "Chotu? What are you... Ohhh..." her expression was worried and guilty at the same time, "I thought you were going to be busy with Karan for a while longer?" She asked me, opening the door further for me, and letting me in.
"Who is it?" Pooja Didi's voice called out from the other room as Jhanvi quickly shut the door behind me.
"Uhm...It's Suraj!" She replied as we stepped into the living room.
I frowned at this odd behaviour but put that aside for now as I noticed an older man in a suit seated with Pooja Didi on the couch. There were a bunch of old yellowed files and papers strewn about on the coffee table and the man seemed to be inspecting one. There also were some stacked velvet boxes, like jewellery boxes, on one side of the table.
"Suraj?" Pooja Didi looked up in surprise, "I thought you were going to be busy..."
"Yeah... uh... The thing with Karan wrapped up earlier than expected..." I replied, looking curiously at the suited gentleman.
"Oh..." She replied and then turned back to the man, "Mr. Patil... this is my neighbour, Suraj. Suraj this is... er..." She hesitated and stopped in her words.
"Padmakant Patil, Branch Manager at City Bank. Good to meet you Mr. Suraj." The elderly man stood up, holding up his card for me, smiling, and I took it, nodding politely.
"Good to meet you too, sir." I greeted him, and then looked curiously at Pooja and Jhanvi, wondering what this banker could possibly be here for.
"Well, I guess I'll get going. Thank you for letting me go through these documents Mrs. Patel." Padmakant said with a smile. "I will get back to you by tomorrow with the decision and I will send over someone to do the appraisal on the jewellery."
"Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Patil. We appreciate it." Pooja Di smiled back, avoiding my eyes with a guilty look. "We'll be in touch..."
I watched in silence as she and Jhanvi escorted the older man to the door. But once it closed shut, I immediately rounded on the two of them, "Okay, what the hell was that all about? Why was a banker at your house?"
Jhanvi bit her lower lip and looked at Pooja Didi. "I told you he'd be mad."
Pooja Didi sighed and walked past me, back into the living room. "Come on... sit down. Let's talk."
I glanced at Jhanvi suspiciously before following her sister back into the living room, "Talk about what?"
"Just sit and listen. Please..." Pooja Didi said and pulled me down beside her onto the couch. She looked me in the eyes. "Do you trust us?"
I nodded, wondering what in the world she was up to, but answered honestly, "Yes. I trust you both completely. You know that..."
She nodded at Jhanvi, sitting on my other side, who then picked up a file and handed it over to me. I looked down at the first page. It was a copy of a loan application form. "A home mortgage loan? Why is there..."
"Keep going..." Pooja said, cutting me off.
The next pages were a lot of legal mumbo jumbo, but one particular line caught my eye and I read it out loud, "For securing an additional loan of three Crore against this property?" I exclaimed, "Didi, you're putting up your family's house?"
Pooja Di and Jhanvi exchanged a look before Pooja Didi answered softly, looking at my face, "Yes, our parents' estate and all of our jewellery, as well. Hopefully that should fetch a few Crores too. I know that it's still nowhere near enough for what we need but it's a start."
"What?" I asked in disbelief and then turned to Jhanvi. "And you agreed to this?" I asked her incredulously, "You're going to lose your home?"
Pooja Didi put her hand on my shoulder and answered me, "Suraj... We want to help you..."
"You need the money for buying those call options to thwart Ravi's plan. Right?"
"Y-Yes..." I stammered out.
"And if you don't get that money, we might end up being stuck with Ravi and Kishore for the rest of our lives!" Jhanvi interjected.
"But... But... I can't accept this." I said firmly, "Your family home is your legacy. I can't allow this. No!"
"You can't allow us?" Pooja Didi repeated, "Suraj, this is our choice, not yours. Both Jhanvi and I agree that it's more important to spend our lives with the man we love rather than stay with two assholes like Ravi and Kishore for the rest of our lives."
"But, I..." I started choking with emotions but Pooja Didi cut me off, leaning in to hug me close, "Chotu, you are our life now..."
"And we want to help you!" Jhanvi said softly, "We can't let you do this alone!"
"Besides, you can repay us once you take over from Kishore..." Pooja Didi added and then chuckled at my expression, "Promise?"
I nodded, unable to reply, tears in my eyes. Pooja Didi then leaned in to kiss away the tears, while Jhanvi reached over and hugged me from the other side.
"Thank you. It... it means the whole world to me..." I said finally, looking at them with gratitude. Pooja Didi smiled at this, stroking my cheek, "We know..."
"However, if you DO want to thank us for doing this for you tonight!" She added with a grin, "I know a certain way you can show your appreciation for both of your wives!"
***
"Mmmm... What are you doing out there?" Pooja Didi walked upto me from behind as I stood on the balcony early in the morning. I smiled and glanced back to find her looking sexy as hell, wearing just a long shirt, covering her down to her mid-thighs, with nothing else underneath. She was barefoot and the shirt was unbuttoned at her navel, giving me a tantalizing view of her cleavage. Her long black hair dishevelled in the morning light made her all the more gorgeous.
"Thinking..." I replied, pulling her to stand beside me. She snuggled into my arm with a sigh, "About how lucky I am to be able to be with two gorgeous women at the same time!"
"Oh, you mean last night with Jhanvi and me?" she asked with a small smirk, "Or the night before with Tara and me at the school?"
I blushed deep red at her quip and looked at her guiltily. To be honest, I was expecting to have this conversation with Didi, sooner or later. You don't have a threesome with your future wife and YOUR sister, and then another with HER sister without it having consequences.
Luckily, Pooja Didi hadn't brought it up with Jhanvi around, but now that she was all alone, I was worried that she'd have a lot to say. However, instead of being mad, Didi just giggled and kissed my lips gently. "Relax, Chotu! I'm not jealous!" she said with a grin, "Actually... I found it kinda kinky to watch you fuck your sister! It was very sexy!"
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm hmmm..." she whispered and pulled back a little and stroked my cheek lovingly, "You have to admit, our love story is a little...unique..."
I nodded, agreeing with her, "That's for damn sure."
"I mean... I practically jumped you when you came back from college, even though I'm married. Then you pulled my sister into our crazy relationship, then seduced and slept with your stepmother for some secrets against Ravi. Hell, if Nora's seduction plan had gone ahead properly, she might have been in bed with us back there!"
I chuckled, "I guess... I am a bit of a player, huh."
*Smack*
This earned me a well-deserved smack at the back of my head, but I couldn't help but grin at her, "Owww!"
"You're lucky that I love you so damn much! But yes... I can't believe how much I've changed in just a few months since you returned and turned my life upside down!" She said while rolling her eyes at me, "I've become such a slut, thanks to you! But it's not just me... I mean... look at how much Jhanvi has changed. Who would have thought that my shy, demure baby-sis would turn into a complete nympho, who likes being fucked everyday?"
I grinned and pulled Pooja Didi closer, pressing her soft, curvaceous body against mine. "So, if I got it right, you're not jealous of me sleeping with Tara, Nora or Jhanvi... and you actually got turned on by watching me fuck Tara?"
"Well... maybe... I'm not really sure..." she replied and looked away shyly.
I cupped her chin gently and made her face me with her eyes, "Didi... tell me the truth..."
"Yes..." she whispered and looked up into my eyes, a small smile on her lips, "As long as I know that I'm your one, true love... I guess it's okay. Besides, I can't blame them for falling for my handsome, young, stud of a husband!"
At those words, I pulled her in for a hug, kissing her neck, cheeks and lips softly. "Didi, you are the love of my life! I promise that no matter what, nothing will ever change that!"
She nodded and then pulled back, looking at my face. "So, you're okay with my feelings then?"
"More than okay..." I whispered, stroking her cheek gently, "It's hot to know that my gorgeous wife likes watching her future husband banging other women."
She blushed deeply, and looked down, embarrassed, "Well... it's kind of weird to say that out aloud."
"Well, you know, I do understand it a bit. Remember that night on Navratri, when you and Jhanvi gave Vivaan a blowjob together. That was really hot!" I replied with a grin, "I guess I'm so confident about our love, that I don't mind sharing you like that, as long as I am in control..."
"Hmmm..." She nodded thoughtfully and leaned into my arms as we watched the sunrise together, "I guess I feel a lot like that with you too, Suraj!"
***
The Next Morning...
"Karan's late! As usual!" Jhanvi grumbled as we all waited for Karan at Pooja Didi's place, "First he cancelled on us yesterday and now he's late again!"
"Oh relax, Jaanu. You know he was busy with Peter yesterday, interrogating Shah Rukh's goons and getting that snitch to flip on his boss. He's really helping us out a lot in our plan. You can't blame him for being somewhat late," I said, trying to placate her.
Jhanvi pouted, "I know but it's been so long since we've met. I can't wait to see him. I'm so excited!"
"You've known him as long as I have. Did you really expect him to change that easily?" I chuckled at her impatience, when the doorbell finally rang!
"See! I told you he'd come..." I said to Jhanvi with a chuckle, and all three of us got up to get the door. Karan hadn't met Jhanvi and Pooja Didi for over six years now, so both girls were quite excited to see him again.
Karan still had his trademark roguish smile as he stepped into the living room. He was dressed in a casual shirt, jeans and sneakers, his curly hair styled perfectly and a pair of sunglasses on his forehead. "Suraj, my man! Sorry I'm a little late..."
"No worries..." I had just opened my mouth to greet him back, when Jhanvi, who until just a minute ago was complaining about Karan's tardiness, suddenly squealed and jumped into Karan's arms, hugging him tightly "Oh my God! Karan! It's been so long."
"Yes, it has..." he grinned widely and patted her back affectionately, "Look at you! All married and everything!"
She giggled back and pulled back from him to give him a good look up and down, "Well, you did spruce yourself up a bit. Nice shirt! Is that Gucci?"
"Only the best for you, Mrs. Jhanvi Kapoor!" Karan replied with a flourish, taking off his sunglasses, and finally getting a chance to get a good look at her. And as with most guys who saw Jhanvi for the first time these days, I could literally see his jaw drop open.
Jhanvi wore a sheer pink saree that clung to her voluptuous figure and showed off her ample curves in all the right places. Her beautiful tits were barely covered with a low cut blouse, while the low-draped pallu left her waist bare, exposing her midriff.
"You look..." Karan managed to stammer out and I could swear he was already drooling over my wife as his eyes roved all over her curves, lingering on her cleavage. "Wow! Look at you. You've grown up into a stunning woman, Jhanvi!" He said and then turned to me, "Suraj, I don't remember our third musketeer Jhanvi being this hot before!"
Jhanvi blushed at the compliment. Karan, Jhanvi, and I were inseparable back in school and referred to each other as the three musketeers. She was a bit surprised at Karan's brazen compliment but took it with grace, "Well, I guess you're not too bad yourself. You clean up nice too. I still remember how much of a dork you looked back then!"
"Heyyyyy!" he protested with a chuckle. All four of us had grown up together and there was familiarity between them, despite not meeting for over half a decade.
"Now come on, both of you. Why don't we invite our guest into the house, instead of standing at the door like idiots!" Pooja Didi said, coming in between the two and giving Karan a hug, "Hi, Karan! It's been ages!"
"Hello, Pooja Didi! Looking good too, I see." Karan greeted her cheerily, giving her a warm, friendly hug. As with Jhanvi, his eyes lingered on her cleavage in Didi's equally sexy white saree and I could see her raise her eyebrows a little at his obvious ogling of her tits.
Luckily Karan had the good sense to not make a comment about Didi's looks. She was always a few years ahead of us, so he had more of a strict elder sister and clownish younger brother relationship with Pooja Didi. He used to play so many pranks on her, and I distinctly remember more than one instance when my friend had gotten a strong scolding for his antics back then.
"Well, come on in." Pooja Didi said with a smile, stepping back to let him in, "Take a seat at the couch while Jhanvi and I go get some snacks for us."
As both girls headed into the kitchen area, I gestured for Karan to sit. We sat down at the table where we were planning to have lunch.
"So..." he said, turning towards me, his tone a little conspiratorial.
"So... what?" I replied, looking a bit confused.
"How much do they know? I mean, about their husbands being in a conspiracy to take over your family. And that we both are trying to stop them. Do I need to be discreet about stuff, while talking to them, or is it ok to talk freely in front of them?" he whispered to me, and I shook my head.
"Nah! Don't worry about that." I replied with a chuckle, "They both know the full deal. I've told them everything."
"Told us what?" Jhanvi asked, overhearing my last comment as she returned with Pooja Didi and set up plates on the table in front of us.
"That you both are aware of Ravi and Kishore's evil plans and are totally fine to help us in any way possible to take them down!" I replied and Karan gave me a panicked look, "Really?"
Pooja Didi laughed at this, seeing Karan's expression, "I thought, we decided to ease him into it. But then you go and just blurt it out?"
"Well, I think he's been in the dark for way too long and still helped us out every step of the way, like a good friend. There's really no point in hiding it from him," I answered, grinning at Karan.
"So, you two are really on our team? Against your husbands?" He asked both women and Pooja Didi nodded, "Of course we are! We can't be with them now can we, not after Suraj told us the truth."
"Our husbands are assholes!" Jhanvi chimed in. "They deserve everything that's coming for them."
"And we do appreciate all the help you've been giving us in this, Karan." Pooja Didi said with a smile, taking a seat beside Karan and leaning in to give him a soft peck on the cheek, "Thank you for being such a wonderful, loyal friend."
On his other side, Jhanvi did the same, kissing him lightly on his cheek and adding, "We're so glad you're in our corner, Karan..."
Both women then leaned back and looked at the stunned Karan. His face had gone red from their attention, and he was staring blankly at us, "Uhm... yeah... sure..."
Jhanvi giggled and Pooja Didi smirked, exchanging amused glances at his reaction. "He still can't handle women, can he?" she remarked to her sister.
"Still the same old Karan..." Jhanvi agreed, shaking her head in disbelief, "I thought you would have gotten some practice after leaving us for Goa. Or are you still pining for Tara like you did way back in the day."
"I... uh... well..." Karan stammered, his face turning redder than before, and I couldn't help burst out laughing along with the girls.
It seemed like Jhanvi still knew how to push his buttons, "I mean, he had this stupid plan to woo Tara back at school with a bouquet of roses and everything, and he was so nervous around her that he just handed her the flowers and ran off!"
Pooja Didi chuckled, patting a mortified Karan on his shoulder, "Oh come on, Jhanvi! Give him a break. He was what? Sixteen back then?"
"Seventeen actually, Pooja Didi. But he never grew up beyond fifteen!" Jhanvi giggled. "I mean, just look at him, all red in the face!"
"Oh, drop it, the two of you. What's wrong in a guy having a long unrequited crush on a girl he loves? I mean sometimes it does work out for the guy in the end." I added with a smirk, glancing at both Pooja and Jhanvi, who blushed a little.
I had to admit, the irony was a bit thick. I mean, I was in the same situation with Jhanvi and Pooja Didi and now I was fucking them both on a daily basis. In fact, while Jhanvi and Pooja Didi didn't know of it yet, Karan had scored with Tara back in Goa already. But I'm not sure if this was the right time to reveal that story. So, I let it slide and let the girls assume that poor old Karan was just as pathetic as back then in his quest for a girlfriend.
The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by quickly. With all the heavy stuff out of the way, we chatted endlessly with Karan. He regaled us with tales of his time at Goa and we reminisced about the antics we got in back in the day. Despite all the stress and drama of our predicament weighing down on us, it seemed that having Karan join us seemed to take all of us out of it. It was nice to have a carefree moment with our old friend, even if it was only a temporary reprieve.
However, a phone call from Peter around noon, put a damper on things and brought us back to reality quite effectively.
"What do you mean he wants a meeting with the head of the international smuggling gang!" I exclaimed in surprise as Karan got off the call and informed us of the new hitch, "What other gang?"
Karan sighed and shook his head at the news, "Well, when we cooked up this story about gun smuggling, we needed to make it believable. Can't just have a mysterious new seller who approaches Shah Rukh out of the blue. What if he tried to find out if the deal was true from some backchannel contacts."
"And..." Pooja Didi asked, frowning a little.
"It would be easier to make it out to be some well-known syndicate but with bosses who are unknown, so that if anyone asks questions, they can't get answers." Karan explained, "So we pretended to be from this one gang where the old boss was kinda 'deposed' by his brutal young daughter, who's now taken over the family business per se. Little's known about this daughter and her new lieutenants, so we thought that would be the perfect scam."
"And now he wants to meet the leader of this syndicate that we supposedly represent?" I clarified and Karan nodded with a frown.
"Can't someone pretend to be the leader of this gang? Like Peter did when he met the goons?" Jhanvi asked. I could see she looked a little worried.
"We could, but I can hardly find any girl on such a short notice to meet the dreaded crime lord, who is a psychotic, ruthless killer. I mean, I could try, but it would be risky to use anyone I don't trust fully..." Karan said with a frown.
"Fuck! This complicates things. How the hell do we pull that off?" I asked.
"What if I do it?" Pooja Didi said softly, looking at Karan and then at me.
There was a brief stunned silence at her words and Karan, Jhanvi and I both gaped at Didi. She looked at the shocked faces and continued, "I mean, why not? I could do this. I can pretend to be the boss of the gang, can't I?"
"Oh, there is no way in hell that I'm going to send you into that lion's den alone. No fucking way!" I said vehemently.
"Chotu... this is the only way..." she said calmly, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I won't let you..." I started but Jhanvi interrupted me.
"Actually, she's right..." Jhanvi said, looking at her. "We have to do it! But, I think it will have to be me and not Didi who goes!"
It was now Pooja Didi' turn to be shocked, "What?"
Jhanvi nodded with a determined expression, "Oh come on Didi, you can't act to save your life. You'll get made in minutes. I was the one who was in the theatre club back in school. I can definitely pull it off!" she declared.
"Jhanvi, I know what you're trying to do. But there is no way I'm risking you either..." I started. "I mean you're not even part of all this, Shah Rukh's coming after me. You don't need to do this..."
At my words, Jhanvi and Pooja Didi leaned in and hugged me. Jhanvi kissed me lightly on the cheek, "You've been doing everything for everyone else. Let us help you for once!"
"Yeah Chotu... you're not alone anymore. Let me and Jhanvi help you out." Pooja Didi whispered into my ear, giving me an affectionate kiss, as well, "Let us do this."
I looked down at both of them, sighing. The thought of sending my Jhanvi into Shah Rukh's den, made my stomach churn. But it seemed like I had no choice in this. They had both made up their minds.
"Fine, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" I finally relented and then looked up at Karan, "But I can't send her in there alone and Shah Rukh knows my face!"
Karan who had been listening silently, finally broke in. "She won't be! I'll go along with Peter. Act as her right-hand man or something. Don't worry. I'll protect her, Suraj. I promise." He said with a reassuring smile.
"Okay... Fine. When does Shah Rukh want to hold this meeting?" I said finally.
