Accidental Love

I

Aparna

I was engaged to Mohit Shah for nine months now. It was an arranged marriage and I was totally okay with it because I had absolutely no time for the lovey-dovey shit.

Over the months, we had grown to become quite good friends and I had started to consider him as one of the few people I truly cared about. And trust me when I say that the list was way too small.

So, when I got a call at midnight telling me that he had got into an accident, I obviously rushed to the hospital in my sweatpants and oversized tee to meet him.

"I am here for Mohit Shah." I asked the woman at the reception, my panic thick in my voice.

"Are you family?" She asked, not peeling her eyes off the computer screen.

"I am his fiancée." I said.

She raised her head o look at me sympathetically before answering, "Mr. Shah is in the ICU down the hall."

Yelling a quick 'thank you' over my shoulder, I pushed my way to the ICU ward.

"...my son?" A man in his late twenties asked the doctor standing in front of the ICU ward.

"He is totally fine except for the scratch on his forehead. He can go home with you right now if you wish." The doctor answered as the man sighed in relief.

"Doctor?" I asked. Way to go, Apu. State the obvious.

"Yes?" The doctor looked at me.

"Uh... M-Mohit Shah?" I didn't know why my voice wavered but it did.

"I am assuming you are Ms. Sawant. I am extremely sorry for your loss, ma'am. I am afraid Mr. Shah has only a few hours to live. He had too much internal bleeding." He said, pity clear in his eyes. I have always hated pity.

Pity was the only thing people offered me seven years back when I was alone and abandoned. Every eye I ever looked into overflowed with pity and I absolutely hated it. Only my Mamu (maternal uncle) and Mami (maternal aunt) offered me something I needed the most at that time. Love and support.

"That being said, the police want to speak to Mr. Oberoi and you about the accident." He said, motioning his head towards the man in the suit he was talking to before I arrived. Mr. Oberoi...

He was sitting with his head in his hands on the chair outside the ward. His knees kept bouncing up and down, a habit I myself had too. He lifted his head from his palms as soon as his name was mentioned and I probably had the biggest shock of my life.

Sitting in front of me was Mr. Varad Oberoi, the CEO of Oberoi Automobiles Ltd., the biggest automobile company in the country and the co-founder of SV Hotel chains. It had always been my dream to work with Oberoi Automobiles and meet the youngest and most successful businessman of India. But this isn't exactly how I wanted it to go.

I followed the doctor to where ever he was taking us, Mr. Oberoi following closely behind me. Soon, we reached a more secluded area of the hospital which was probably a waiting room. A police officer and two constables were waiting there, feasting on the cup of chai and pakoras in their hands which they put away hastily once they noticed our presence.

"Hello Mr. Oberoi and Ms. Sawant, I am Inspector Vikrant Shinde. I want to ask a few questions to you about the accident." The younger-looking one said. I nodded my head for him to continue and noticed Mr. Oberoi doing the same from the corner of my eye.

"Well, who are you to the patients?" 

"Husband." Mr. Oberoi grunted, like he didn't exactly love the thought of being her husband.