I tried to open my eyes with great difficulty, I was surrounded with some beep sound, and unknown voices.

"Follow up every one hour and update me afternoon, a stern male voice said, ok sir" a humble reply from a female voice.

After a while I slowly opened my eyes I got to see a lady of middle age in a white dress with the calm face infront of me, I realised she was a nurse. I rotated my eyes at the nook and corner of the room to confirm where I'm, I was placed on hospital bed. With a heavy head I asked her'

"Why I'm here??"

"Where is my family??"

"What happened to me??"

She gave a warm smile,asked me to relax and moved out to call someone. I tried to pull my body up but I was failed in that,

I couldn't get up why??

What happened to me??

Suddenly I got a flashes of past happened with me, I remembered something like a car hit me fiercely I fell down, before that Ria.....I became anxious.

Oh God!! What happened to Ria?? She was hit by a van and was on blood pool without conscious. First I need to find out about her. Doctor entered my room and shooted him with questions straight away.

"Arjun so you are back after a struggle,

How do you feel??" Doctor asked.

"Yeah I'm ok But, doctor can you please tell me first, what happened to my friend Ria??"

I questioned him apprehensive holding my breath.

He asy casually "Who is Ria?? We don't know anything about her. We are only treating you for a month, your family admitted you here". I was damn shocked at his confessions.

"What do you mean?? Am I getting treated for a month?? But why?? What happened to me?? Excuse me wait a minute. Where am l staying now?? Why do I think it is not Canada?? So where am I now?? Please tell me I'm going insane", I shouted in frustration.

Doctor said, "Relax you are under treatment so be calm".

I was loosing my patience and yelled at him to answer my questions.

He said, " Ok fine relax I will explain you, right now you are in India, you were admitted here by your uncle Chandra sekar, so we are treating you. And most importantly you were in coma for a month just now you were out of it".

I was speechless and couldn't believe, that I went to coma for a month. Very first question popped in my mind was Ria.

So what happened to her ??

How is she??

Where is she??

To whom I should ask now, after a thought I asked the doctor to call my uncle immediately, I said I want to meet him.

After an hour my uncle reached my room he was happy to see my recovery. Before he asked me anything straightaway I enquired him about Ria. His face changed pale and he was at loss of words. I was frightened at his act and asked him to answer me.

With a hesitation he patted my shoulders and said Sorry Arjun she is no more. I was shattered to hear his words tears rolled rolled from my eyes, a chillness spread over my body. I was not aware how long I cried my uncle was tensed and shooked my shoulders. I was flinched and cried in his arms profusely.

He said when Ria was trying to cross the road a van hit her with an uncontrolled speed she was badly injured with a lots of bleeding, head injuries and multiple fractures later she lost her life by same day.

After I was informed about your fatal accident I reached Canada immediately. I got to know she was dead and you were fighting for your life.

Soon you went to coma but doctors said you are out of danger now,later you were hospitalized there for quite sometime. I was not able to take care of you and business as well, so I shifted you to India and arranged for a best treatment.

Grandma and Sarika was panic and very much worried about your health condition but I believed in god that soon you will get up, my prayers were answered, almost after a month you are awake.

Slowly I started to accept the truth of Ria is no more. My health was also getting better day by day.

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

After somedays my other friends visited me, they were pitied about Ria's death, I was at guilt stroke and lived like a corpse. Because of me only she came to that restaurant and she left with broken heart to meet up her end.

I opened up everything to my friend Nikhil, he was all also equally shocked and asked me to not to disclose this to others.

He convinced me, " Definitely nobody will believe you they may try to frame you in this, also others may badmouth about your relationship with Ria, she is no more now atleast to save you from humiliation, so better you hide. I'm sure if she lives with us now she would have tried to save you so listen to me Arjun".

First I was hesitant to hide this truth but later I agreed to Nikhil's words and kept it as a secret. But I was fully devastated that I lost my friend, I never thought her life would be too short, her dreams were short lived. I must meet her family to console them once I have been discharged.

After a week I was ready for my discharge, my sister Sarika was there to help me. I was informed by the nurse to meet the doctor who treated me, it seems he asked me to meet him in his room before I leave. I was in thought why did he want to meet me all of a sudden, then I convinced myself may be, he wants to instruct me to follow the medication properly.

Casually I entered his room after a knock, he asked me to sit. I sensed a tension in his face,I was worried and asked him,

" Doctor is there everything fine?? "

He nodded his head and said,

" Yeah, I wanted to tell you couple of things it's really important you must know about your health condition", I agreed and asked him to tell.

"First you have to follow your medicines for a year and you will come for check up every month for next six months".

I said, " Sure doctor I will follow, anything else??" I asked him.

He looked down at his crossed fingers. I felt something twitched in my stomach. He rubbed his palm at his neck and with lots of hesitation.

He said "Arjun stay strong you have to accept this truth and move on in your life. You ...You can't become a father".

My eyes widened in shock I can't believe what he said. Did I really hear what he said??

Still I asked him," doctor I think I didn't here you properly can you repeat again??"

He stood up came near me patted my shoulders and said "Arjun you can't become a father, that's the bitter truth"

I was frozen my body lost its strength completely I couldn't move my hands to wipe the tears rolled on my cheeks. With so much difficulty I asked,

" Why?? And How??"

He said "Arjun you were critical and in coma, so we treated you with heavy medications. But unfortunately it caused side effects on you, due to the drugs you became infertile, but you can lead a normal marriage life"

I didn't speak for a while just wept inside thinking about my family how can I tell them?? Already they lost my parents now I can't give a heir to my family. I felt ashamed about my lost.

Soon doctor said "Don't worry still you have a chance in future, if the drugs effects vanished completely you may become a father. But the chance is for only one percentage so I can't promise you, let's hope for the best"

I composed myself and asked doctor,

" Did my uncle know about this??"

He nodded his head as no and said,

"No I didn't inform since it is a sensitive matter, I can't tell anyone without your concern"

I said "please don't tell this to anyone, specially my family I will handle it alone they can't bear this"

Doctor said "ok fine as you wish I won't tell others. But keep it in your mind that you should resume your treatment,ok... you can leave now take care and stay strong"

I left the hospital with heavy heart.

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

Almost a month passed after my discharge still I couldn't come out of my trauma. First I lost my best friend, I believed I was the reason behind her accidental death, and second I became infertile, these two thoughts sickened me more.

I can't cry out on anyone's shoulders I was ashamed to tell them about my situation. Slowly I pushed others out of my world and I lived alone in my own world, when days passed I developed attitude and I became arrogant it was my wall to keep others far from me. Just I focused only on my work and lived for my family as a dead man.

After two years my wedding came in talks I was panic, but I decided long time back not to marry a girl to spoil her dreams. I know every girls desire to become a mother, how can I crush that knowingly??

Eventhough if I confess the truth I would be a joker infront of that girl, I believed definitely she won't accept me whole heartedly. So I decided to stay out of marriage, but soon after my granny started to threaten me for my marriage. I can't ignore her health she and my sister Sarika are the only two souls for me in this world. To make them happy and to not to spoil any girl's life, I planned to do agreement marriage. I thought I would marry a girl who will accept to divorce me after sometime.

So that's how I ended up with you Radhika....