𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤

EPISODE 2

The next day, I decided it was time to talk to Amara. Enough was enough. The whole situation had been driving me crazy, and I needed to get some answers. With a deep breath, I stepped out of my room, determination fueling my every step.

Just as I reached the hallway, I saw her walking away.

"Amara!" I called out, my voice echoing through the corridor.

She turned briefly, her expression unreadable. "Sorry, Jay. Not now. I'll be back later."

I sighed and nodded, feeling a pang of frustration. This had been the pattern all day. Every time I tried to talk to her, she'd find some reason to be busy, slipping away before I could get a word in.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and night settled in, I'd had enough. Patience wasn't my strong suit, and I was done waiting. Without a second thought, I marched over to her and grabbed her wrist, gently but firmly, pulling her into the kitchen.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Jay, I—"

"Shh," I whispered, ignoring the electrifying closeness between us.

"Since morning, I've been trying to talk to you, but you just keep getting busy," I said, my frustration evident in my voice.

She stammered, "I-I..."

"Anyways," I cut her off, "I just want to know how long this thing is going to go on, huh? Because right now it's going smoothly, but I am sure they won't leave us alone until we get married. And you know that I am not getting married."

Amara's eyes softened, and she nodded. "I know. I have thought of something, so don't worry. By tomorrow night, we'll be out of here."

"We?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Obviously. Once you leave, Papa won't waste time getting me married to that ugly ass dude."

"Fine. Whatever you are planning, I just want to get this over with by tomorrow."

She nodded again, determination matching my own. Just then, the door swung open, and Amara's mother walked in.

"Amara—oh, I see," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

We quickly pulled apart, but her mother was already smiling.

"Mom, it's not like that," Amara stammered, her cheeks flushing.

"Sure. Surely nothing was happening when you both were standing inches away from each other," her mother teased, laughter dancing in her eyes.

We both stood silent, caught red-handed. Her mother chuckled softly. "Anyways, come. I have some jewelry to show you."

Amara nodded, relief evident on her face. She was about to leave when her mother looked back at us, her gaze sharp. "Jay."

"Y-yes?" I stammered, feeling oddly nervous.

She pointed subtly. "Her wrist."

I looked down and realized I was still holding Amara's wrist. "O-oh," I muttered, quickly letting go, my face burning with embarrassment.

"You guys aren't married yet, so you have to wait," her mother said with a playful wink.

"I-I... uhm..." I stuttered, at a loss for words.

I glanced at Amara, who was just as flustered as I was. "Mom, let's go! C'mon!" she urged, her voice a bit too high-pitched.

As they walked away, I couldn't help but chuckle. This whole situation was ridiculous, but somehow, standing there in that awkward moment, I felt a strange sense of warmth.