The Queen's Dilemma

Ch. 1: Car Troubles

Rani stared at Vishnu, watching him laugh alongside his wife. He had such a joyous expression, with the way his eyes lit up and how wide his smile was. Those beautiful hazel eyes were something she'd fallen in love with again, despite losing all memories of him.

Well, if I'd paid attention when I was walking at that damn airport, maybe I would've noticed a car barreling towards me.

Sadness wrenched her heart as the two of them joked with one another until someone put a hand on her shoulder.

Janaki, Vishnu's sister and her closest friend, stood next to her, with a dubious expression on her face. "Having regrets?"

Rani turned away from her and gripped her purse, wringing her hands into the leather fabric. "Yes and no."

"You should've told him your memories returned."

Her heart twisted, like someone was using it as a washcloth. Tendrils of pain bolted through her chest and Rani looked at the floor, unable to hear those words and look at Vishnu's face at the same time.

It'd been over a year since the accident. She woke up with no memories of her boyfriend, a broken hip bone and gashes too deep to heal completely. Her face looked like a tiger had slashed across it: the scarred and jagged skin was hideous, pale against her mocha-colored skin.

He'd tried so hard. He'd been there every day for her, through the painless, sweet days to the harsh ones.

But human beings had a limit.

And he moved on.

Her memories of him returned after she tripped and fell one day, but it was too late. She didn't want to ruin his happiness. He'd found someone who he wanted to share his life with, and Rani wasn't that person.

She couldn't do that to him.

"I'm not the kind of woman who's going to break up a happy couple," she whispered. Tears lurked behind her eyes and she swallowed, trying to will them away. Her throat burned. "And I think a part of him still loved his ex, even though he insisted that he didn't feel anything towards her."

Janaki's voice rose abruptly. "You don't know that—"

"Then how did he move on so fast?"

She looked at her friend, who, for once, didn't have a response. Janaki looked startled, as if she'd never thought of it, and watched her brother laugh with his new wife.

After saying bye to her parents and Vishnu's, Rani left. She didn't want to stay there and suffer through the reception. The speeches and having to see him all happy or lovey-dovey again would drive her into a deeper hole.

Fortunately, work helped her forget it...somewhat. She moped around the weekend, but by the next week, she was fine.

As a human resources personnel for a major hospital, she had her hands tied with nagging nurses, harsh doctors and grouchy patients.

"I still can't believe you found another job," Nathan droned. "Like how'd you manage it? Can you find me one?"

She barked a laugh, finished her email and faced him. "I'm sneaky and fast. They needed an office manager and I was available."

Her boss hadn't been too happy that she was leaving in the next month, but Rani wanted to move out of this town as fast as she possibly could.

"This doesn't have to do with your ex does—How was the wedding?" Nathan asked.

"Beautiful."

They'd gone all out for it. Vishnu's parents were wealthy, which meant it was held in a grand hotel, with expensive foods and gifts for all the close family and friends. In her bedroom, the gift basket lay untouched, laden with a sari and other cute trifles.