Chapter 17: Chapter 17 : Hidden families

Das is patiently waiting for the meeting to end. The time is already past ten. As there is a beautiful girl giving company to him... He did not feel bored.

"Miss, Grandfather is calling for you." One of the personal servants of the old man came to inform Luna.

"Ahhh… finally…" With a big sigh, she stood up.

"Lets' go… My grandpa is waiting for us." Without looking back, she started walking towards the dining room. Das fallowed her calmly.

"Luna, why are you bringing this dog!!?" the young master Richard shouted towards Lucy in a aggrieved tone.

"Richard, stop!... Don't you know how to behave with guests?" The old man said it in a lecturing tone.

"What!?... Grandpa!... You are the one who chased him away. Why are you supporting him now?" Richard asked with his mouth wide open. But the old man ignored him.

"Grandpa... as you requested, I brought him safely." Lucy reported to the old man.

As the patriarch was calmly observing the situation, he did not object to the arrival of Das.

Das walked closely towards the old man and slightly bowed as a gesture of showing respect. The old man nodded his head and signalled for Das to sit across the dining table. The patriarch ordered every servant to leave the hall.

Inside the large dining hall, only five people sat closely at the head of the table. Even though Das doesn't know what is going to happen, he sat calmly without showing any nervousness on his face.

"Young man, explain to me... why you mentioned the chief minister's name? ..." The old man asked directly, without beating around the bush.

After listening to the old man's request, Das felt really funny. Das was seriously thinking about what was going to happen. But the old man was asking for his opinion.

"Sir, I'm just a dog who is still learning to walk properly while holding a tail between my legs. Why are you even asking about my opinion? ..." Das replied sarcastic words with a humble tone.

"Young man, I'm really sorry for offending you earlier. Please don't take those words seriously." The old man apologised instantly without caring about his image.

"Grandpa!... Why are you apologising to him?... He is just a brothel manager who is working under one of our servants." Richard cried with confusion on his face.

"Richard, your grandfather knows what he is doing. Do not interrupt him with your yelling." The patriarch instructed his son to sit down calmly.

"Young man, I don't know your name... but I'm saying sorry on behalf of my son. My father won't ask your opinion without a valid reason." The patriarch spoke modestly.

"Sir, my name is Mohan Das. If you really want to hear my true opinion, you need to explain to me the actual situation of what is going on between your family and the Shetty family."

Even though Das heard a lot about the cold war between the Shetty family and the Reddy family, no one explained to him the actual situation. Everyone was talking about a new superpower taking control over the city, and some people even said the Reddy family lost their powerful backer. So, to understand the true picture of the situation, he first asked the patriarch to explain.

"Das, what you are asking for is a confidential information that even my family members, including my son, don't know about." The patriarch said it in a serious tone. But the old man signalled the patriarch to reveal that classified information to Das.

"Father!!!... He is not qualified to know about it." The patriarch tried to resist the old man's request.

Michel (the patriarch's original name), you are forgetting one thing—this young man here guessed correctly about the current situation. As he said, the Shetty family is also conducting a big party to gain the upper hand over us. That one reason is enough to know his calibre. Explain everything to him without hiding anything." The old man insisted on the patriarch revealing the information.

With a big sigh, the patriarch started explaining the actual situation of the Reddy family.

"Das, what I'm going to say... will be a little confusing to you. But try to understand as much as you can."

"Previously, my family used to have the support of a hidden family called the Leo clan. Because of their support, we ruled this city for more than a hundred years. During this period, no one dared to question the authority of my family."

"But suddenly, one day, the Leo family disappeared from the face of the earth, and a new family called the Aries family started taking control over this entire country. The new Aries family decided to support the families with more authority and control. So, to gain the favour of the Aries family, we are competing with the Shetty family for more power and authority."

"Recently, the Shetty family started gaining the upper hand as they had more support from the politicians. To counter this, My father is using Luna's birthday party to gain more supporters."

The patriarch explained everything without holding back any important information. As Das was completely immersed in the new information, he did not give an immediate reply to the patriarch. Das was seriously thinking about the pros and cons of the situation.

"Sir, what is the actual date of your daughter's birthday party?..." Das asked with a casual tone.

"It is on the next Sunday... still five more days left." The patriarch's daughter replied from the side with a sweet voice.

"Why are you asking about the date?... Do you have any particular reason?" The old man asked curiously.

"I'm just asking to calculate how much time we have left. After listening to the patriarch's explanation, I've got a few ideas in my mind."

"What is it?... Don't tell me that we still need to invite the chief minister. It's impossible." The young master Richard replied anxiously.

"Young Master Richard, why don't you listen to my idea before calling it impossible?..." Das said with a smiling face.

"As the patriarch said, the Shetty family had great support from politicians. In our state (province), the entire political system is like a big snake, and the chief minister is the head of it. If somehow we gain the favour of the chief minister... it will be a major boost to your family." Das explained why he suggested the name Chief Minister.

"Das, even though what you are saying is true... It is really difficult to gain the favour of the chief minister. That too... this the year of elections. So, he will definitely reject our invitation to the party." The patriarch elucidated reality.

"That is what I'm also saying, Father..." Richard cried from the side.

"Das, do you have anything to say?" The old man asked after a long pause.

"Sir, it is not impossible to gain a favour from the chief minister. If you are ready to lose something on your end, there are still two ways to gain his support." Das said in a meaningful tone.

"What!!!... But how?!..." Richard yelled immediately. But Das did not reply to him. He was waiting patiently for the patriarch's opinion.

"If it is really possible to gain a favour from the chief minister, my family is ready to lose something in return. Please continue to state your suggestion." The patriarch replied after thinking for a long time.

While taking a sip from the glass of water, Das continued his explanation.

"Sir, the first method is relatively easy. As this is an election year, the chief minister needs a large amount of money for the party fund. With a sufficient amount of money, you can gain temporary support from him. But it will put a large hole in your pocket."

"What is the second method?" The old man asked instantly.

"Sir, I suggest you to use the first method... because the second method will affect the future of your family. But with this method, you can gain permanent support from the chief minister." Das said in a persuasive tone.

"Dash, I don't like people who beat around the bush. Tell me about the second method." The old man asked in a serious tone.

"I'm not beating around the bush... I'm warning you of the possible outcomes. Because the second method is related to the marriage of the young master Richard. The chief minister had a widowed daughter who is around the age of twenty-five. If you propose marriage, the chief minister will immediately accept the proposal. Because it will help to improve the image of the chief minister in this election year. Through this marriage, your family will gain potential support from all the powerful politicians, and you will receive ample wealth in the form of a dowry." Das completed describing his plan.

Before the patriarch or the old man could reply anything, the young master Richard started cursing loudly.

"You mot*****…. You are taking revenge on me for calling you a dog. Father, call the security now. I want to kill this bastard. I will take fu*** sit on his dead body today." Richard continued to keep on yelling.

The old man stood up from his seat and gave big slap to the Richard face.