The Accidental Wife Read Online Free

asleep thinking there might just be a solution to all his problems.
    ***
    Over the next few days, Rihaan got down to the serious business of finding a wife. And for once in his life, he knew exactly the kind of person he was looking for. And his requirements weren’t many.
    1. Mid-twenties (Not too young or flighty.)
    2. College educated.
    3. A fairly agreeable personality.
    4. Not averse to moving to the States.
    5. Did not have huge expectations from the marriage, and in particular from him. He didn’t want to elevate hopes. He lay everything out in the open so the girl knew exactly what she was getting.
    6. And the most important criteria of all—she should possess fairly ordinary looks; pretty enough to satisfy his mother, but not stunning. He had no desire to be overwhelmed by his future wife’s beauty. That would be a distraction he wasn’t prepared to deal with.
    Soon he had narrowed his search down to ten girls. Then ultimately to one. She fit all the specs and also appeared empathetic with his views. In all, she seemed too good to be true but he pushed that uneasy notion aside.
    Within the space of a week, the deal was almost sealed.
    They chatted via Skype about the arrangements at two a.m. his time on a Sunday.
    “Okay…so are we engaged?” she asked.
    Engaged? Oh crap! Really? “I…guess we are unofficially,” Rihaan replied.
    “You can mail me the ring if you wish, but I really don’t care about formalities,” she assured him with a bright smile through the screen.
    “That’s cool,” he said while thinking at the same time; these Indian girls are quite tez. Mom may be shocked!
    “So when should we set the date?” Deepika said.
    “Date? Ah…” The question threw him off. It was completely unexpected. In no hurry to tie the knot, Rihaan wanted to enjoy his bachelorhood a little longer. “Six months?” he suggested vaguely. That would give his mother enough time to make preparations to her heart’s content.
    “No, that’s not soon enough.” She shook her head. “Next month or the deal is off.”
    “What?” Rihaan sat up straighter on the couch in his living room. “I… That is not possible.”
    “Our family priest says that if I don’t get married within a month, my father will die in a road accident,” she said quite calmly.
    “Is that right?” Damnit! His head had started to spin. He was losing control. It was unnerving, so he tried to stall. “Don’t your parents wish to speak to mine?”
    “They can do so when you and your parents come here for the wedding. My mom and dad have no objections. They love you already!” She smiled. “You know you are a dream catch!”
    It was the second time he had heard the description and he didn’t like it at all. He probed her eyes carefully on the monitor. She looked sincere enough. There appeared no reason to doubt her statement.
    He shrugged it off his mind. He had to take chances in life, at some time or other.
    “Don’t worry. It’ll all go without a hitch. My parents are pros at arranging weddings. You won’t have to do a single thing.”
    He glanced at his schedule. “Uh, okay… I am long overdue for a vacation. I can try to make it there in a couple of weeks, or so.” He stared back at her, hoping she would develop cold feet.
    Not a chance. She agreed right away.
    He could have said no and called the whole blasted thing off. But he didn’t. Another girl like her would be hard to come by, and he was already feeling worn out by the entire process.
    “So we have a…a date in two weeks or so. I’ll see you soon. Till then, take care,” he muttered with little enthusiasm before signing off.
    It was odd, but he wasn’t experiencing any of the excited anticipation that a new bridegroom is supposed to—at least that’s what he’d heard—while he awaited D Day. Instead, Rihaan was filled with a strange dread.
    Another thought spiraled in his mind—perhaps he deserved it.
    He consoled himself with the good things he had