Un-Arranged Love

Chapter 44

Alex POV

I helped Alaya with putting on her new bracelet. The solar lights around the tree trunks gleamed brightly, allowing me to see her smiling and glancing at it every now and then. 

She insisted on swinging back and forth on the old car tyre that had been made into a swing, as if she were in a playground. Each time I pushed her, she burst out laughing, and it was like music to my ears. This is how I always want to see her, happy and smiling.

The day was drawing to a close, and the night was approaching. My girl took a step in front of me, and I slung my arms over her shoulders, with my chin resting on top of her head, so that we could both enjoy the sunset. Watching a sunset was a wonderful way to express gratitude to mother nature for her beauty, but experiencing it with the one you love was far more magical. The sun, which seemed like an orange ball of fire, was partially obscured by the clouds that lingered. The vibrant and rich colours of pink, crimson, and even streaks of purple and yellow filled up the sky, in the night's calm. As the orange sun dropped behind the epic landscape, glimmers of light reflected off the motionless lake. The sun fell behind the foothills, tucking the fading light behind them.

I was happy that we were able to end the night on such a bright note. We strolled up to our cabin hand in hand, swinging it back an forth,  glancing at one another. Alaya went into the bathroom to shower and prepare for prayer time as soon as we arrived at the cabin. As she began to pray, I went into the restroom to freshen up.

Alayas POV

I can't believe how wonderful my birthday was today. Alex loves me, and I love him back. Yes, I confessed my love for this guy whom I have only known for a few weeks, and I have no regrets. I do feel a little guilty for kissing him, though. It wasn't something I intended to do, but the moment overtook me, and my lips were on his the next thing I knew. I know I should exercise self-control, but I love him so much and intend to spend the rest of my life with him.

I'll have to tell my parents now that we've announced our open love for each other. They won't be happy, but my happiness is what they'll want, and Alex is the source of my happiness. It's not like I'm planning on marrying Alex on the spot. We still have our studies to complete. My mother and brothers adore him and can tell he's a wonderful person. My father, on the other hand, will need to be worked on. Why can't life just be simple? I know my parents won't be able to get over Alex's non-Muslim status, let alone the fact that he's white, but if he loves me and will always take care of me, that's all that matters, right?

I sat in my bed, pondering how I was going to tell my parents about Alex. "What's wrong, Peanut?" Alex asked as he walked up to me after his shower and sat next to me on my bed, interrupting my thoughts.

"It's nothing," I responded, my voice gloomy.

"Please tell me. I can tell something is bothering you. You're not having second thoughts about us, are you?",  he inquired, his voice anxious.

"Alex, no. I'm contemplating how I'll tell my parents about us. I haven't even told them about my changing of majors yet, and then I'll have to tell them about you. I don't like sneaking around like this. They won't like either of the situations, and I don't enjoy lying to them",  I stated to him, still concerned about how I would bring this up with my family when I returned home.

"Why don't you tell your parents about your changing of majors, and then tell them about me later? At the very least, they'll only have to deal with one change, which will relieve them of any unnecessary worry. I'm also certain that I've won your mum and brothers over. It's the Scott charm I possess ",  he added, proud of himself and smiling.

I couldn't help but give him a warm smile. "That isn't the case, Alex. It wouldn't have been a problem if I had told my parents that I'd found someone, but the truth is that you're not Muslim. They will have a difficult time accepting that their daughter has chosen to be with someone who does not share their beliefs. As I already stated, my religion means so much to me." I told him, and his expression changed to one of sadness.

"Oh. But I don't understand Amar has never forced your religion on my mum and he didn't mind that she did not believe in God. They got married. Why is it different for us?" He inquired, the question sparked his curiosity.

"It's because Alex, if we get married and decide to have children, the expectation is for the child to embrace the father's faith, not the mother's. By the way, do you believe in God? I've never asked you that question," I explained, curious about him.

"Well, I attended a Catholic primary school. My mum was never religious, and I'm not sure if my father believed in anything because he was never around. I remember going to church for Mass on Sundays, but that stopped when we moved to a new city." He explained. "Aren't I enough Alaya?" he asked, his insecurity evident.

"You are more than enough for me Alex,"  I replied, laying the palms of my hands on both sides of his face. "I'm sorry I made you doubt yourself. I just know my parents. They would hate to be the talk of the neighbourhood. A few years ago, a Pakistani girl who used to live on the neighbouring road had married a Bengali guy she fell in love with at university. The gossip trolls were out in full force ridiculing that girl's family. It wasn't enough that she married a Muslim man. He just wasn't Pakistani, to put it bluntly. That couple are so happy by the way. Even at that age, I recall thinking how dumb my mum sounded for wanting to please the gossipers. She even said that if I did something like that, she would never be able to show her face in public again due to the shame. I just wish my parents weren't so preoccupied with what society considers to be correct."

"Surely, we can persuade them to change their minds. I mean, I finally won you over. How difficult could the other Khans be?"   He replied, winking at me, with a smirk on his face. 

"Oh, Alex, you think you're such a charmer, don't you? Are you certain you're ready to marry me someday? I'll warn you ahead of time that if you marry me, you'll be marrying my entire family. We're a little insane "  In my response, I attempted to be humorous.

"One day, Alaya, I will marry you. Just try and stop me! I'll marry you right now if you want, but you said you want to finish your studies first."  He said it with a bit more zeal than I expected.

"Okay calm down Romeo! Let's try to solve one problem at a time. Shall we go to sleep? We have to get up early the next day for our journey home",  I exclaimed, smiling heartily.

"Alaya Khan, are you inviting me to bed? That's something I never expected to hear from your mouth." He raised his eyebrow in a bashful yet amusing manner.

"Alex, you're hilarious! You are perfectly aware that I was referring to separate beds ", I stated matter-of-factly.

"But, we slept in the same bed yesterday and regrettably nothing happened,"  he said, a bit dismayed.

"That was a one-time thing that will not happen again. I admit it was a moment of weakness on my part. So go back to your own bed."   I reacted with a wave of my hands towards his bed, as if I were giving him instructions.

Alex went back to his bed, as if he was a kid being punished at school. I couldn't help but feel guilty, so I approached him and kissed him on the cheek before sprinting back to my bed. We remained in separate beds, holding hands and chatting the night away. So much for getting a good night's sleep.

Hey Lovelies,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter-S