The Accidental Wife Read Online Free Page A

learned about her. His future wife, Deepika, was realistic, mature, and a lot more experienced in these matters than he was. If she could handle the stress, so could he.

The Accidental Wife
    The laws of attraction are too potent to be ignored.
    R ihaan was a trustworthy man, though many might consider him cold and businesslike, he never went back on what he said. Well, almost never. Reliability and integrity came second nature to him. And this time was no different. Even though he wasn’t certain of what the future held, he was bound by his word and planned to carry through no matter the consequences.
    And since he’d made up his mind, he chose to reveal his intentions to his parents. Besides, he didn’t want to delay the inevitable any longer. They needed time to absorb the shock.
    So, on the day after his unofficial online ‘betrothal’ he made a surprise visit to the Mehta family residence. Without preamble he announced in a clear voice, “I’m getting married. Time to celebrate.”
    His mother, as he’d guessed she would, immediately dismissed him. “Rihaan, if that’s supposed to be a joke then it is a very bad one.”
    “Maa… I’m telling the truth,” Rihaan said. “I’ve found a suitable girl and the deal is set.”
    “Really? Is it someone I know?” she asked.
    “No. I found her online. She lives in India and is a perfect match.” He managed to speak with conviction even if he didn’t feel it at all.
    “Back home? Online? So soon? Are you mad? ” Shobha looked crestfallen. Her desire of bringing her dear friend’s daughter, Renu, home was clearly crushed. Apparently she had continued to hope, even though the day she had introduced the girl to him, he had failed to react. He hadn’t even blinked, if he recalled correctly!
    “No, I’m not mad,” he replied, assisting her to a beautifully upholstered Victorian chair and handing her a glass of water.
    He tried to dress his future wife up a bit. “This girl has all the qualities a good wife should possess. She’s incredibly talented. She’s a great cook (though he had no clue if Deepika could even turn the stove on), she paints, sews…everything.” He stopped himself in time before getting carried away, or his mother would definitely become suspicious. “She’s grounded and is pure desi! You’ll adore her!”
    Shashank suppressed a chuckle and said the only thing that seemed to concern him. “She certainly sounds like a rare gem, Rihaan. What about her family? We’d like to talk to her parents.”
    “You don’t have to worry about them, Dad. I’ve checked them out already. They are great, just like their daughter,” Rihaan confirmed quickly. He didn’t want his father to launch into a prolonged investigation.
    His mother having recovered a little, smiled fondly at Rihaan. At least he was getting married was probably what she was thinking. “Alright,” she said. “But I wish to see her picture and, I’d also like to know her name.”
    “It’s a surprise,” Rihaan said mysteriously. “Just have a little patience and trust me. Next month you’ll get your wish.”
    ***
    Two weeks later Rihaan couldn’t fathom why people got married, least of all why they conducted these ridiculously-long ceremonies. He’d flown into New Delhi earlier than his parents to meet with Deepika before they met her.
    What he discovered was that his wedding was utter chaos. It was a nightmarish ordeal which lasted over four days, or a few weeks if he took into account the day his mother had first dangled her sword over his head and coerced him to get married.
    He’d hoped to keep matters quiet but that proved impossible. Shobha had made certain that everybody she knew (even the remotest acquaintance) was invited to come and give their blessings to her son and his bride.
    Uncle Rajbir had been waiting for him at the airport and apparently had the next few days pretty well chalked out. Rihaan was allowed no say in any matter whatsoever and found