Silent Ties: Fusion Of Hearts

Chapter 10

Zia's POV:

After about an hour, I realized I wanted to tell my friends about it. I opened the group chat. It has the most ridiculous name possible: "The Chipmunks". All credit for the name goes to Aarya, the clumsy and forgetful idiot. She's known for forgetting things everywhere. Sometimes, Tessa and I make jokes about what might happen if she were to forget who she was. My best friends are incredibly supportive and understanding individuals who have been there for me through thick and thin, offering unwavering support and valuable advice in every situation such as academic concerns or life uncertainties. Even though they might not provide you with the ideal answers, they always have some suggestions for solutions, so we just work it out while talking. They greatly inspire me in various aspects, and I am incredibly grateful for them.

I chose to message them, but I'm unsure of how to begin. I decided to drop the biggest bombshell of all-the possibility of my impending marriage. What a way to start a conversation. I didn't want to rewrite the entire incident, even though I knew this was coming much sooner. They start barging me with questions about when, where, and with whom as soon as I leave the message. Aarya's ecstatic screams in her voice message perfectly capture the intensity of her reaction to the news.

As soon as I started writing, they called me. I picked it up, curious to know the reason for the call. Aarya yells at me, telling me that we ought to inquire as to "what happened?" I calmly reply, "Do you need more time to react more dramatically, or should I start explaining?" "Yeah, come on," is Tessa's quick response. I begin to explain the situation, how things have progressed, and how I may be getting married.

After my explanation, a heavy silence lingers, and I find myself reflecting on the weight of my words, allowing them the time they need to absorb the news. After about a minute of contemplative silence, Tessa breaks it by asking a crucial question. Tell me, what have you decided, Zia, and are you prepared for it? What else can I expect from my clever friend? She understands the magnitude of the influence it will have on my life and asks me the right questions. As I consider what to say, I hear Aarya ask if the guy is attractive.

I laugh at the moment because I expected this from Aarya. I respond to Tessa's question first, as I know it's very important to me as well. "I'm not sure whether I'm ready, but I can't run away forever because I'll never be ready for such a significant change. My life will drastically alter, and I will have a lot of factors to think about. I truly don't know when I'll be ready to embrace the change because I currently feel like a free bird, but later on, I'll have to carry a lot of expectations, responsibilities, and duties. Right now, all I want to do is follow the situation as it unfolds; if the meeting goes well, I'll make a decision".

After hearing my responses, they both quieted down for a while. "That's okay; you can go with the flow but stop when you feel tired. Take things at your own pace," Tessa responds. I grin at that very moment because I truly do have some very special friends.

When Aarya asks the same question again, I tell her that he's quite adorable. As she hears my responses, she begins to bug me for the picture. I answer that I will, but she insists that she needs it now. I decided to send the picture when I opened WhatsApp and then abruptly stopped. I'm not sure why, but I just want to send the biodata-which contains the second picture-instead of the adorable photo.

They began to tease me after checking the message. "With which eyes do you find this guy cute? I mean, he is handsome but not cute," asks Aarya abruptly. Her observation perplexes me because she doesn't seem to care about stuff. I tell her that's how I view him anyway-that I do think he's cute. She begins to argue, telling me what makes someone handsome, to which I say, "It's okay, I get it."

After a lengthy conversation, we decided to go to bed because it was becoming late. I don't feel drowsy after hanging up the phone; instead, I am deep in contemplation. I choose to read something, but I'm not thinking about novels at the moment. After a minute, I pick up my phone to browse WhatsApp and find myself hooked on reading his profile and viewing more of his photos. I am frustrated and turn it off because I think this behavior is inappropriate. I need to see some attractive men to uplift my spirits because I can't be romantically interested in that manner. I decided to watch a Korean drama with a captivating lead character to distract myself and lift my spirits. I received a notification on WhatsApp as I was viewing the episodes; it was my mother, and she had sent me a message.

I looked it over and saw that I needed to send her my photo and biodata. I sent my biodata, but I now don't know what to do with the photo. Which one should I send-the one where I appear sufficiently pious or the one where I appear somewhere between cute and sexy? I look through my collection, but none seem to meet my standards. My Mamu's marriage proposal has made me aware that every detail will be examined, so I know I must send the greatest one. He used to closely examine every detail of the image, commenting on any modifications or enhancements made. How they stand or sit is judged; therefore, I must exercise caution. I sent my mom a voice message along with some pictures I think are great. I instruct her to thoroughly review each detail to ensure my photos are flawless and avoid any potential criticism.