Varun
Strategos
This one is a story that I wrote for my Lit. class. Hope you enjoy! 
The story is completely fiction and based off my imagination. Feel free to do CnC
The smoke, the fire and the accident, they all happened in a flash. A car had collided with a stationary truck. The brakes of the car had failed. I was in the car and my father was driving. I remembered the heat and then I passed out. I woke up in the general ward of the hospital and fortunately had survived and had escaped with minor fractures and bruises. I expected to see my father beside me in the same state. However, all I found out was an old man and he was surely someone I did not know. I blinked around in confusion, dimly aware that I was not at home but not fully conscious of the fact that I was in the hospital. The old man beside me said softly, ”Mr. Ahar can you hear me?”. I nodded vaguely and the man smiled. He then laid me back down and told me to rest. I shut my eyes and promptly fell asleep.
The next I woke up I saw several doctors milling about me. I found myself fully conscious and the first question was, “Where is my father?” The doctors looked at me and their faces were deathly pale. I prepared for the worst. They must have noticed the tension on my face and then they assured me that he was alive. However, the old man who had sat beside me said, “His legs are badly mangled. We have to amputate them. The operation is urgent and we do not have the time to ask your mother. Since you are a major as well, we will need you to sign the operation papers immediately in order for us to proceed with the operation.” I asked, “Where is he now?” “The ICU ward”, he said. I asked for them to bring for the papers. When they did, I read the disclaimers and clauses and signed in the space provided. Everything was happening in a daze. My heart was screaming that it was not possible while my head was making the logical and rational decisions. Then they sedated me and I promptly fell asleep.
Later, I woke up and found the doctors beaming over me. I was alright and ready to be discharged and then they added, “Mr Ahar, congratulations! The operation was a success.” I found myself inadvertently smiling and thought that everything would be alright. I had no idea of the catastrophe that fate had in waiting for me. I asked the doctors about the medico-legal expenses. The doctors gave a reply that shook me. “1 crore”, they said. My head was spinning. I exclaimed that it was not possible since no one else was injured other then my father and me. The doctors explained calmly that the truck was privately owned and that the owner had sued the car owner for damages. I accepted the fact with indignation and called the insurance companies. The agent agreed to forward the case to their head office for immediate recovery of money. I told the doctors that I would pay the money in a week and that they continue treating my father. They agreed. I asked whether I could see him but they replied in negative since his condition was still critical and that he needed complete rest. I left the hospital with tears in my eyes. Still fate had its dice rolling and it was certainly not in my favour yet.
Two days later, I got a call from the agent. He told me that the company had refused the insurance claim on the grounds that it was a suicide attempt by my father and that I was the unknowing victim. I was shocked. I argued that the brakes had failed and my father was not in any kind of depression. The agent replied that the company could not verify that the brakes had failed from the garage which had taken our car in. I called the garage immediately. They replied that the brake mechanism was completely shattered and as a result there was no visible proof that the brakes had failed. I once again called the agent and asked him to reconsider the claim. I received one short and curt reply and that was a no.
I was shell-shocked. My father was in ICU. We only had around 50 lacs in the bank since the rest of the money was in an investment, it could not be taken back until the next month. The hospital wanted the payment in full since it was a very acute and delicate condition, failing which my father would surely die of cardiac arrest due to shock or seizure. I contacted my friends but none of them could arrange such a huge amount at such a short notice. I prepared for the worst and I broke down crying.
Four days had passed. I had wandered from the insurance company and back to home and then back to the insurance company. I pleaded them my case but they stubbornly refused due to lack of proof. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My mother was in tatters and she hardly spoke. The entire mood of the house was a gloomy one. We were still not allowed to see him.
On the sixth day, I received a call from a foreign number. Considering it as a spam or an advertisement, I did not receive it. After 5 minutes, the call came again. I snarled, already in a bad mood and was prepared to rant out on whoever thought it was alright to bug me repeatedly. I was about to utter an abuse when I heard, “Yo Ahar! How are you?” I did not recognize the voice. I asked, “Who is this?” The voice replied, “It’s me, Rehman” I remembered Rehman from college. He was a very good friend who had gone abroad for management studies and had ultimately settled there. I was elated but still my emotions could not be checked and my voice broke when I replied, “I am fine.” “What happened”, he asked. I did not reply. He understood that something was wrong and told me, “Tell me about it when I come to your house. I am in your city currently.” Before I could make up my mind to refuse he cut the call.
An hour later, Rehman was sitting on our sofa while I on the other. He inquired about my health and I replied that I was fine patiently and hoped that he would leave. However, my reply must have come off brittle and he noticed it. “What happened? Where is uncle?” he asked. I could no longer hide the truth from him. Therefore, I told him everything from the accident to the refusal of the claim and that the day after was the last day of payment. He listened calmly and then took out his cell phone. He spoke over it softly and then asked me the name of the hospital. I told him the name and he spoke the name on the cell phone and then cut the call. He then told me that the payment will be made to the hospital in an hour by one of his associates. I was astonished. I asked him to reconsider since the amount was not a small one. He replied that he had the means to pay and would not reconsider. I pleaded him not to and that I would not be able to repay him back. He told me not to worry about it and that he was not expecting any kind of repayment. I asked him for the reason. He sat back and pondered then he began.
“Ahar, I lost my father in the same way. The insurance company refused my claim and my father died on the hospital bed in the ICU ward. I do not want you to suffer the same fate since you are extremely close to me.” I offered my condolences but was curious as to why I was extremely close to him. Upon my asking, he laughed and replied, “You were my first and only friend in college. I was into books and such but never had any real friends. You were the one who opened me to my creativity and skill.” I was overwhelmed. He hugged me and said goodbye since he had to catch a flight in an hour. I asked him to extend his stay but he refused and told me that he would come to visit sometime later.
As he walked out of the door, I couldn’t help smiling at the turn that the events had taken. I was devastated in the beginning and couldn’t hold myself together but now I was overjoyed since I got my father and my old friend back. I told my mother the news and she nearly fainted with shock and proceeded to call our relatives and friends to give them the good news. I on the other hand would always remember Rehman for as long as I live as the uninvited guest who was in reality the guardian angel who brushed away all my troubles with a single stroke. Truly, fate works in mysterious ways.
The story is completely fiction and based off my imagination. Feel free to do CnC
The Guardian Angel
The smoke, the fire and the accident, they all happened in a flash. A car had collided with a stationary truck. The brakes of the car had failed. I was in the car and my father was driving. I remembered the heat and then I passed out. I woke up in the general ward of the hospital and fortunately had survived and had escaped with minor fractures and bruises. I expected to see my father beside me in the same state. However, all I found out was an old man and he was surely someone I did not know. I blinked around in confusion, dimly aware that I was not at home but not fully conscious of the fact that I was in the hospital. The old man beside me said softly, ”Mr. Ahar can you hear me?”. I nodded vaguely and the man smiled. He then laid me back down and told me to rest. I shut my eyes and promptly fell asleep.
The next I woke up I saw several doctors milling about me. I found myself fully conscious and the first question was, “Where is my father?” The doctors looked at me and their faces were deathly pale. I prepared for the worst. They must have noticed the tension on my face and then they assured me that he was alive. However, the old man who had sat beside me said, “His legs are badly mangled. We have to amputate them. The operation is urgent and we do not have the time to ask your mother. Since you are a major as well, we will need you to sign the operation papers immediately in order for us to proceed with the operation.” I asked, “Where is he now?” “The ICU ward”, he said. I asked for them to bring for the papers. When they did, I read the disclaimers and clauses and signed in the space provided. Everything was happening in a daze. My heart was screaming that it was not possible while my head was making the logical and rational decisions. Then they sedated me and I promptly fell asleep.
Later, I woke up and found the doctors beaming over me. I was alright and ready to be discharged and then they added, “Mr Ahar, congratulations! The operation was a success.” I found myself inadvertently smiling and thought that everything would be alright. I had no idea of the catastrophe that fate had in waiting for me. I asked the doctors about the medico-legal expenses. The doctors gave a reply that shook me. “1 crore”, they said. My head was spinning. I exclaimed that it was not possible since no one else was injured other then my father and me. The doctors explained calmly that the truck was privately owned and that the owner had sued the car owner for damages. I accepted the fact with indignation and called the insurance companies. The agent agreed to forward the case to their head office for immediate recovery of money. I told the doctors that I would pay the money in a week and that they continue treating my father. They agreed. I asked whether I could see him but they replied in negative since his condition was still critical and that he needed complete rest. I left the hospital with tears in my eyes. Still fate had its dice rolling and it was certainly not in my favour yet.
Two days later, I got a call from the agent. He told me that the company had refused the insurance claim on the grounds that it was a suicide attempt by my father and that I was the unknowing victim. I was shocked. I argued that the brakes had failed and my father was not in any kind of depression. The agent replied that the company could not verify that the brakes had failed from the garage which had taken our car in. I called the garage immediately. They replied that the brake mechanism was completely shattered and as a result there was no visible proof that the brakes had failed. I once again called the agent and asked him to reconsider the claim. I received one short and curt reply and that was a no.
I was shell-shocked. My father was in ICU. We only had around 50 lacs in the bank since the rest of the money was in an investment, it could not be taken back until the next month. The hospital wanted the payment in full since it was a very acute and delicate condition, failing which my father would surely die of cardiac arrest due to shock or seizure. I contacted my friends but none of them could arrange such a huge amount at such a short notice. I prepared for the worst and I broke down crying.
Four days had passed. I had wandered from the insurance company and back to home and then back to the insurance company. I pleaded them my case but they stubbornly refused due to lack of proof. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My mother was in tatters and she hardly spoke. The entire mood of the house was a gloomy one. We were still not allowed to see him.
On the sixth day, I received a call from a foreign number. Considering it as a spam or an advertisement, I did not receive it. After 5 minutes, the call came again. I snarled, already in a bad mood and was prepared to rant out on whoever thought it was alright to bug me repeatedly. I was about to utter an abuse when I heard, “Yo Ahar! How are you?” I did not recognize the voice. I asked, “Who is this?” The voice replied, “It’s me, Rehman” I remembered Rehman from college. He was a very good friend who had gone abroad for management studies and had ultimately settled there. I was elated but still my emotions could not be checked and my voice broke when I replied, “I am fine.” “What happened”, he asked. I did not reply. He understood that something was wrong and told me, “Tell me about it when I come to your house. I am in your city currently.” Before I could make up my mind to refuse he cut the call.
An hour later, Rehman was sitting on our sofa while I on the other. He inquired about my health and I replied that I was fine patiently and hoped that he would leave. However, my reply must have come off brittle and he noticed it. “What happened? Where is uncle?” he asked. I could no longer hide the truth from him. Therefore, I told him everything from the accident to the refusal of the claim and that the day after was the last day of payment. He listened calmly and then took out his cell phone. He spoke over it softly and then asked me the name of the hospital. I told him the name and he spoke the name on the cell phone and then cut the call. He then told me that the payment will be made to the hospital in an hour by one of his associates. I was astonished. I asked him to reconsider since the amount was not a small one. He replied that he had the means to pay and would not reconsider. I pleaded him not to and that I would not be able to repay him back. He told me not to worry about it and that he was not expecting any kind of repayment. I asked him for the reason. He sat back and pondered then he began.
“Ahar, I lost my father in the same way. The insurance company refused my claim and my father died on the hospital bed in the ICU ward. I do not want you to suffer the same fate since you are extremely close to me.” I offered my condolences but was curious as to why I was extremely close to him. Upon my asking, he laughed and replied, “You were my first and only friend in college. I was into books and such but never had any real friends. You were the one who opened me to my creativity and skill.” I was overwhelmed. He hugged me and said goodbye since he had to catch a flight in an hour. I asked him to extend his stay but he refused and told me that he would come to visit sometime later.
As he walked out of the door, I couldn’t help smiling at the turn that the events had taken. I was devastated in the beginning and couldn’t hold myself together but now I was overjoyed since I got my father and my old friend back. I told my mother the news and she nearly fainted with shock and proceeded to call our relatives and friends to give them the good news. I on the other hand would always remember Rehman for as long as I live as the uninvited guest who was in reality the guardian angel who brushed away all my troubles with a single stroke. Truly, fate works in mysterious ways.