After handing the lunch boxes to the security team, I went toward Sarah. As usual, she had thrown bread crumbs at the birds. I silently went and sat next to her.
From the first day I met her at uni, she has amazed me every day for seven years. Till that unfortunate day, the day everything turned into a mystery.
Three years ago...
I was abroad for a client meeting when my pa -Jason came running into the room.
"Mr.Ben, sir," he said with a very worried and scared look on his face.
"What is it, Jason. You know I don't like to be disturbed when I am in a meeting," I said angrily.
"But...but sir, Mr. Alex is online... it's urgent..." he said stammering. This is something new.
Giving a little excuse to my client, I answered.
"Alex, what's up?"
"Ben you need to come back soon," he said in an almost frightened voice.
I stood up as I was getting so worried by the minute,
"Alex tell me what happened,"
"Hmm... first calm down and listen carefully," he said. "Little bud (Sarah) and Markus met with an accident. Markus is still undergoing surgery, but."
"IS SARAH alright?" I shouted ignoring where I was.
"She is in a coma. Ben... dad has sent the jet to pick you up,,"
"She is in a coma," I sat down on the chair. I felt as if my whole world crashed down on the spot.
"You come here safely, we are waiting for you," said Alex.
"Mr.Ben, please have some water," said my client, Mr. Edward, who seems to have grasped what had happened.
After I was calm a bit, he talked with me understandingly.
"Mr.Ben, it seems you are urgently needed at home. We will reschedule a meeting for a later day,"
"Thank you, Mr.Edward, I can ask my partner Alex to come and have the meeting with you instead," I said as I was concerned about the project at hand.
"Family comes first, Mr.Ben. GO and keep them company. I had gone through a similar situation sometime back and regret my decision. I don't want you to do the same."
"Thank you, sir. The person who is in a coma is actually my wife," I told him, as I didn't feel it was right to keep the secret with him. But no one apart from my family and close relations knew about my marriage to her.
"I guessed so.." he said with a smile and a reassuring pat on my shoulder.
"Sir, the jet is here," said Jason and we hurried back home.
Alex had come to pick me up from the airport.
"How is she, Alex?"
"She is still in a coma. Luckily she doesn't have any internal issues but her body is bruised badly," he said a bit worried.
"And Markus?"
"He had a fractured leg, and a few superficial cuts from the glass,"
I was worried the media might have gotten a clue and be flocked in front of the gates. But somehow my father had managed to distract them towards another goal for the time being.
She looked like a sleeping beauty with all those machine beeps and doctors hovering around her.
"Son, don't worry ok...She will be alright," said my father.
"Yes, Ben.. You go and be with her. Do you want to see Markus?" asked uncle, James.
I just nodded my head.
"OK, go and see her first, then I will take you there,"
After I spend a few hours with her the doctor came in to talk with me.
"Any complications, doctor?" I asked.
"Well from the brain scans I think she might have some amnesia, but to get a better judgment we will have to wait till she wakes up,"
"What about her bruises?" asked my mother, who loved Sarah a little too much than me.
"She is weak, so it will take some time to heal, be patient with her," said the doctor."
"ALEX" we heard a shout from Miss Tomboy - aka Meg, who came running.
"wow... slow down," said Alex catching her.
"How....is ... she.... and... how... did... this... happen..." she asked gasping for breath.
"She will be alright but there might be a slight amnesia situation.." replied Alex.
"Ben, Markus is asking for you," said my dad. I looked at my mother and Meg.
"Don't worry we will be with her. Now go," said my mother.
Markus explained what happened in detail. They had stopped at color lights when suddenly a van from the other side came crashing into them. As he said, they were really targeting Sarah who was sitting on that side. The van that had crashed was not to be found as they had used a fake license plate.
"Sir I think this is not an accident," said Markus. I looked at him.
"There must be someone who wants you to stop from getting the Riverston project, and they might have found out your relationship with Miss Sarah,"
"But it seems they won't let the media know about it. But threaten you indirectly to give up," said Alex.
"But who could it be, dad? I cannot think of anyone this capable," I said getting more and more worried.
Uncle James came to my side and patted my shoulder, "Son, sometimes it's ok to take a step back. You will get more opportunities in the future,"
I looked at my dad, who nodded in agreement with uncle James. While Alex who knew me better sent a message to withdraw from the Riverston project.
Sarah woke up after three days and as the doctors predicted she forgot about two weeks of her recent memory. She couldn't recall anything about the accident, even a clue to figure out who did this. But she was mentally traumatized. Gatherings or loud noises can shut her down completely.
The week after the incident I took her home, a new big mansion a bit away from the city. This had a big garden and a small lake by the side. I told her this was my third-year wedding anniversary gift for her. With time she got back to being normal but became more reserved and panicked when it came to strangers.
Alex with Meg's help got Sarah's team and tried to assist her in case something comes up when we are not around. I specially made it a point to have Alex, Meg, or Markus and his team accompany her. Both Alex and my parents also came to live near us and help me look after her.
Regarding us withdrawing from the Riverstone became a mysterious issue to the media. They came up with many speculations. The business world was making a fuss, we gave a statement saying the reason to withdraw was due to the bidding going on a foreign project with Mr.Edward.
A sudden peck on my cheek bought me back from my thoughts of the past.
"Hi," she said softly with a smile.