After an accident that leaves Aditya paralysed from the waist down, he has shut himself off, locked out the world and lives day to day with a frown on his face.
When his mother leaves him desolated in his home, he has no choice but to swallow his pride and call for help, the last thing he was expecting was for help to come in the form of a beautiful, upfront and sassy woman who's main goal seems to be to annoy him.
Can the duo get past their differences and find love in the darkest places?
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Flags flew, handkerchiefs dropped, and the single sound of a gunshot filled the air. The scent of petrol spread over the race track, engines revved, and cars jolted forward, racing down a straight road then turning around hills. Every car was smooth, a beautiful matte colour that gleamed, with tyres that glided down the track with precision, these cars were built for the race, life would be unfulfilling if they never hit the finish line, this was just how it was.
"Reaching the chicane, Hooda and Muller are neck and neck, Hooda is distancing, he's rounding and he's over, Hooda's car has flipped" the commentator continues to shout into his mic but is drowned out by the buzzing in Aditya's ears.
His head flings forward, smashing into the steering wheel as his Ferrari drags across the ground, spins and stops just as it bashes into a tree. The metallic taste of blood floods his mouth, his jaw is slack as he gasps for breath, choking on the blood that travels down his throat. Something is lodged into his shoulder; his neck is bent the wrong way and try as he might he just cannot move. People are gathering around now, medics trying to speak to him, but he just can't focus, blinking through the haze he peers down at his knees and sees the gaping mess of mangled skin, car parts and protruding bones, seconds away from falling unconscious when he wobbles over his words "My legs, I can't feel my legs".
+++
Aditya would never forget his successful career as a race car driver, he would never look away from the memories of medals placed around his neck and trophies placed into his hands. He would never, because he could not forget, yet he wished he could. Back then age was just a number, life was amazing, and he was at the top of his game. Now he was paraplegic, the knock on affect on his spine from the accident had made him lose both function and feeling of his legs, every now and then they'd tingle as if they were coming back to life, but it seemed no matter how much therapy he went through, how many drugs he trialled or how many surgeries he was subjected to, it could not be fixed. Now he was forgotten, a man no one knew, who kept himself locked away from society and the cruel public eye, he didn't want pity or sympathy, he just wanted to be alone. This was his path, it was just a pity he couldn't walk down it.
Anjana stepped out of the darkness, sighing at the lack of light both in his life and in his home "Adi, we have nurses coming today, maybe you'll like one of these?"
Clashing his teeth together, he inhaled sharply "If I wanted a stranger to dress me, undress me, wash me and care for me, I'd have one, it is bad enough that you have to do it, I said no Ma" turning his head to the side, he rolled his eyes as she sniffled, clearly crying again "My life is over, accept that and stop trying to find new ways for me to get better, I can't be your number one son and make you proud anymore, suck it up, that's life, get out of my sight".
Flinching at his tone, she nodded "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy and I-"
"Then how come in the three years I've been like this, you never allow anyone to see me, never allow me to go out and never even call me your son? Can you answer these questions? Or like always will you just ignore them? Money may make your world go round, but I am stuck here, I can't move, so go, nothing is stopping you, run away like you always do, I don't need you now, I'm fine all alone" his shouts echoed in the empty room, angry, so angry at her for always trying to control every aspect of his life, even now, even when he had nothing left. She only wanted him better, so she could gain, that was his mother, the woman he had come to envy, to hate at times. Of course, everyone said things in the heat of the moment that they didn't always mean, he hadn't expected her to leave and never come back, but she did. Just like everyone else.
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Aditya had tried for four days to live alone, but after continuously starving, wetting himself and crying, he had, had enough. He needed help, he couldn't do it alone, so his pride would have to take a hit, just this one time. Reaching for the phone he dialled the nurse's number that was written beside it and waited for her to pick up.
"HELLO" a loud voice boomed through the phone.
"Can I speak to the uh nurse?"
"Say please" she replied sweetly.
"Excuse me?" Who did this woman think she was?
"I said, say please, say please and I will give the nurse the phone".
Sighing, he shut his eyes "Please" he croaked out.
"That's better, AAPI, SOMEONE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU, HE'S RUDE TOO" she shouted causing him to flinch at the decibel her voice reached.
This time a woman with a softer voice spoke "Hello, Zoya here, how can I help?" She seemed calmer, easier to cope with, this one he wouldn't mind.
"I need a nurse, I uh", well he was too embarrassed to explain, he hated this life and what it had done to him.
"No problem" her voice was soothing "No need to explain, I'll be over as soon as I can, may I have your address? Is this an emergency? Do I need to phone for paramedics also?"
"Not an emergency" he coughed, read out his address then listened to her note it down and promise to be there as soon as possible, he shut his eyes, he was distraught. If his friends could see him now, they'd laugh, the man who won every race couldn't even go to the toilet himself, there was no cure for his situation, nothing that would ever take the pain away, he was a shell of a man, destroyed by one stupid accident and now he'd have to forever live like this. Life was unfair, unjust and cruel and in all of this he couldn't name one person who loved him enough to stay, how funny it was that with the loss of ability to walk around, he had also lost everyone he had. The reality of life was as simple as ever, if people stood to gain nothing from you, then they would not stay. All his life he had surrounded himself with fake friends and fake family members, thinking they loved him, cared for him and would forever be in his life, it took a loss so big to finally realise that they only reason they stayed was for them. Nothing was more bitter than that, truth was a hard pill to swallow and to this day he hadn't even tried.
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Zoya ducked her head as she walked beneath a curtain "Hello, anyone there?" Had it been some kind of prank? This house was dark and desolate, not that she didn't enjoy the darkness and all it brought, she loved it dearly, but nobody could live like this surely? "Hello?" She tried one more time, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and switched the torch of her phone on, found a light switch and turned it on "Hello-oh, sorry".
Aditya stared straight at her as she flushed, looked down and allowed her hair to form a curtain over her face, she was beautiful, angelic even, and that only made this whole situation worse. Girls like her had been plenty in his life previously, now he expected they'd cross the road just to stay far from him, as if he had some kind of disease. His girlfriend at the time of the accident had been quick to cut him off and run away with his best friend, so what else could he expect? "Your name?" He bit out.
"Zoya, I told you over the, never mind" she stopped, shook her head and stepped forward "What's your name?" She tried not to frown at the state of him, her heart hurt for him and her blood boiled in anger for whoever had left him here alone.
"Aditya" he rasped "Thank you for coming" the last thing he wanted was to scare her away, if he did, he'd die here and though that didn't seem like the worst thing in the world, he wasn't ready for that, not yet anyway.
"Aditya" Zoya repeated, nodded then placed down her bags "I'll get you some water, you must be dehydrated, then we'll get to cleaning you up" smiling at him, she moved to the kitchen "Do you have any medications?"
"Kitchen side" he was getting annoyed now, her voice was far too sweet, her attitude too nice and innocent and, quite frankly he didn't care for it "Hurry up" he snapped.
"No, please could you be quicker" she held the water to his lips "Say please" and just like that, Aditya knew he was in for one hell of a ride, Zoya was exactly like her sister and it infuriated him to no end.
"No, hurry up" he spoke after drinking, licked his lips then turned his head away.
"No, you ask, you do not order, I'm your nurse, not your servant and if you want us to get along, you'll be nice" flicking his nose she giggled "Don't forget who feeds you" winking, she laughed melodically again as she traipsed over back to the kitchen.
"Was that a threat?"
"Oh, no, silly, I'm just messing" bowing she looked up "Zoya Siddiqui, at your service, I know we'll become best friends by the end of our time together" she seemed so sure, so positive and so energetic and just for a second he allowed himself to relax, that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't leave him like everyone else, that she'd be the change he so desperately needed.
Sorry for the "photobucket" crap, I can't remove it x
Part 2~ Page 2
Part 3~ Page 4
Part 4~ Page 5
Part 5~ Page 5
