Those Honey Brown Eyes (A Muslim Love Story).

Chapter : 13 The Promise🖤

Aliya' PoV

Is this real? Just a few days ago, I decided to stop thinking about him, and now this proposal arrives. Is it my destiny, or another test from Allah?

"I reviewed his bio-data when his grandfather mentioned him to me a few days back,” my father said. “He seems like the perfect match for you. He’s a practicing Muslim and values his family deeply. You know him, right? He was your friend in school."

My father did a background check on him?

"I’ve been so worried about your future," my father continued. "I thought about how difficult it would be to entrust our precious daughter to an unknown person. But now, I feel relieved. You seem to have a good relationship with his sister, and his mother was your school teacher, which reassures me. She even visited our house yesterday while you were sleeping," my mother added, hugging me tightly.

So that's what my teacher’s cryptic words meant.

My heart sank as I watched them beam with happiness over this marriage proposal. If only they knew the real situation between Tahmeed and me.

The most puzzling part of this whole proposal is how he agreed to it.

"Your brother is also in favor of this proposal," my father said, his voice hopeful. "He knows Tahmeed was your classmate and friend. If you get married here, we’ll be able to see you regularly."

I felt guilty for even thinking of refusing them, but I had to say something. "I’m sorry, Baba. I’m not ready for marriage right now. I want to focus on getting into the best business school for my MBA, and for that, I need time to prepare for the admission test," I said, trying to remain firm.

My father gently replied, "Beta, this marriage won’t interfere with your studies. Tahmeed will be leaving the country in 15 days, so it will be a simple wedding. After his return, we’ll arrange an announcement party. You can stay in his house or in...your own apartment after he leaves...it’s up to you. There’s no need to play the role of a typical bride, so you can prepare for your test without any distractions. The reason I want you to get married now is so you can pursue your dreams without any obstacles. Tahmeed’s family is very career-oriented, which is rare to find. And, as your parents, we’re getting older... we’ll only feel at ease when we know you’re with a good person and a supportive family."

So, they’ve already planned everything.

What my father said made sense from a parent’s perspective. But how could I possibly explain the real dynamics between Tahmeed and me?

After a moment of silence, I finally said, "I’ll think about it."

My father smiled gently. "Think it over, and give me your answer soon, my child. You know I have high hopes for you."

His words brought back a memory of the promise I made to him when I was 15.

"Baba, I’ll never hurt you like this. I’ll only marry the person you choose for me."

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Flashback
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Day by day, I found myself falling harder for Tahmeed. Rima kept pressuring me, warning that boys like him, popular and admired by so many girls in school, could move on any day.

Finally, I gathered the courage to confess my feelings. I decided to do it on my 15th birthday, after our final exams were over. Excitement and nervousness overwhelmed me as I imagined his reaction.

Would he reject me? What would happen to our friendship?

The day before my much-anticipated birthday, Rima and Maliha came over to celebrate early. We had so much fun....silly girly talks, playing board games like Karam and Ludo. At one point, Rima asked, "So, will you tell him tomorrow?"