Page 72 of One Hellish Passion

“You okay, Ma'am?” Aisha's voice broke Maya's chain of thought.

“Yes,” Maya replied absently. “Uh, where is Ranveer?”

“Boss is out of town. He's been away for two days now,” Aisha explained.

This surprised Maya. As Ranveer's girlfriend she would expect to know his schedule before others. But she didn't press Aisha further. Now it made sense why everything had been so quiet - why Ranveer hadn't called her to meet or given her further instructions.

Maya drove onto the busy lane, hoping for the traffic to ease, but when it didn't, she took a shortcut route again. Hardly any other vehicles were on this isolated road. She kept her speed steady within the limit, as she'd always been a cautious driver, treating her car like a precious possession as many middle-class people do.

Suddenly Maya felt a jolt as a vehicle rammed her from behind. Gripping the wheel, she tried to stay on track. Who would do this? She couldn't afford another repair bill so soon. Checking the rearview mirror, she spotted the same maroon sedan which had followed her in the past. Before she could react, it slammed into her car again, roughly this time. Maya lost control, crashing into a roadside tree and falling unconscious as her door flew open. The maroon car sped away without stopping. Blood trickled from Maya's forehead as she felt unconscious.

Aisha had lost track of Maya when she changed routes, but soon found her at the accident scene. Shocked, she and her driver swiftly moved Maya to their car and rushed to the hospital. As they drove, Aisha called Ranveer directly to inform him of the crash. He reacted intensely, as expected, demanding Aisha look after Maya while he turned his jet around back to Delhi, now just three hours away.

Hospital

It was 10:00 p.m. when Ranveer landed in Delhi and reached the hospital where Maya was admitted. Aisha met him on the 5th floor.

“How is she?” His voice was unreadable, giving no indication of his thoughts or feelings in that moment.

“She's fine. Lost some blood. The doctors say her right leg is hurt but luckily not fractured. She should be able to walk in 2-3 days,” Aisha explained.

“How did this happen?” Ranveer asked sternly.

“She took a different route heading home and by the time I tracked down her car, the accident had already happened. We won't know exactly what occurred until she wakes up,” said Aisha.

Ranveer clenched his jaw, standing outside Maya's private ward but hesitating to go in and see her.

“She's still unconscious, boss. I notified her mother. Aman has gone to bring her here. She insisted on coming to see Maya,” Aisha added.

Ranveer nodded silently.

Just then a nurse came out of the ward. “You can meet her now but please don't wake her,” she instructed Ranveer.

He slowly entered the room. Maya lay on the bed with bandaged feet and forehead, bruises visible on her hands as well. Ranveer imagined the crash must have been bad. A piercing pain filled his heart picturing what Maya had endured. She stirred slightly, seeming to sense his presence. He tensed, unsure how to act - what to say, how to behave with an injured, unconscious woman. Should he express regret? Offer encouragement about her recovery?

Maya's eyes fluttered open and she scanned her surroundings, realizing she was in a hospital. The memory of the accident flashed back, disturbing her. Her breathing grew rapid and uneven. Ranveer quickly moved to her bedside, gripping her hand.

“It’s okay, Maya. You're alright. Just relax,” he said, though uncertain if that was the right thing to do.

She gazed at him but his expression was uncharacteristically passive, none of his usual devilish grin. Her eyes drooped shut again as she slipped back into sleep.

************

Garima arrived at the hospital with Aman and Pammi, weeping already. Seeing Maya's condition shattered her.

“What happened to her? How did this accident happen?” she asked Ranveer after coming out of Maya's private room.

Ranveer was at a loss for words.

“She's always a careful driver, never exceeding the speed limit. She just had her car serviced last week. I don't think she's at fault here,” Garima insisted.

Ranveer nodded silently.

“Please, sit,” he said, guiding Garima and Pammi to a couch outside the room. “My people are investigating what happened. We'll get to the bottom of this soon.”

Garima shook her head in distress.

“I suggest you both go home and rest,” Ranveer urged gently.

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