Unorthodox

Chapter 1: Biesmielah ma leka

"salaam Ashiq" Boeta Amien, the father of Imaan, greets Ashiq as he exits his car.

"wa salaam, sorry man you know how it is when you have a thought and have to give it a try mos" laughs Ashiq as he shakes Boeta Amiens Hand.

"lets go inside" nods Boeta Amien towards the door,"the wifey made some nice bisuits last night, we can have some while you deliver this thought to us."

"Ashiq you must learn to not make people so excited over phone" says Mrs Davids as she hugs Ashiq who has to bend a little so her arms can reach around him.

Ashiq wastes no time in getting to the point before Mr and Mrs Davids can even take a sip of their tea. Both holding their mugs just short of their mouths, looking almost through Ashiq yet at the time looking as if he had delivered a death notice. Ashiq had blurted out that he wished to wed Imaan, well not wished, the word he used was should. Realizing how it must have sounded he took a deep breath and calmly explained what he had meant. Ashiq was worried about Imaans studies seeing as how she did not qualify for financial aid from the university and each time she applied for bursaries her category of majors were not listed as those who would recieve the bursary. In the past year Imaans mother had held various functions to raise money for Imaans studies and while this tactic worked (barely making ends meet) it was very taxing on the family as a whole. When Ashiq was a 1st year student he recieved financial aid and knew he could do so again, and the very bursary which Imaan cannot get, he does recieve and the with the amount he gets he could pay for three years of study each year. Ashiq had previously volunteered to pay Imaans studies for her but he ended up getting the silent treatment for two weeks straight. Imaan probably felt pitied or offended, but from Ashiqs view she shouldn't have felt either because they were really good friends for a lengthy period of time now and he felt that it was the right thing to do.

Thus Ashiq thought that if he married Imaan it would be alright and she wouldn't have a problem with her 'husband' payig for her fees. The only problem here was that she wouldn't marry him because she does not have those sort of feelings for him. Ashiq then thought of convincng the parents that this would be a great idea and in turn help him convince Imaan. Ashiq had also mentioned that it would not be a muslim wedding, they would get married in court and that they would not consumate the marriage after all it would only be two years that they will be married, and as a married couple she could recieve financial aid or he could pay her fees from his bursary. Ashiq stressed the importance of it not being a traditional islamic wedding because in his mind he knew that Imaan didn't love him in that way and this way when they get divorced she could go on to meet her ideal man and hvae her traditional islamic wedding with him, the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

 By the end of his wild idea Ashiq was feeling very hot and flustered, his mind was numb making him feel paralyzed from the brain down, all he knew was that he had to apologise and get out, to his suprise Mr and Mrs Davids were very calm and relaxed, laying back into their couch enjoying yet another biscuit.

"I give you my blessing Ashiq," came the soft smooth words of Boeta Amien with the hint of a smile,"and i will tell you why...because I trust you, your plans sounds reasonable and I trust you"

"I knew this family was very um....halaal but to be so calm i cannot believe this" replies Ashiq.

Mrs Davids gets up from her seat and reseats herself next to Ashiq," we understand how you feel my boy and we know our daughter, even though she is most times quick to jump the gun she is very reasonable and who are we to denie your help, we have known you for a very long time now and our families are so connected that it would be outright rude to refuse your help."

"Don't look so relieved my boy" says Boeta Amien with a grin," you are a man of your word and I will hold you to it but first we need to get through with the hard part."

"What did you have in mind?" asked Mrs Davids

"To be honest I didn't think it would go this far but non the less I thought that I should tell her alone....away from home, maybe by the ocean seeing as she loves the ocean,"

"not a bad idea, just remember to speak with your brain and not your emotions" added Mr Davids.

"and when will this be so we can be prepared" laughs Mrs Davids

"This weekend for sure, got something nice in mind and if she agrees then it's just my parents left", Ashiq gets up a little shaky at first but finds his feet and puts one in front of the other as he leaves the Davids household, gets into his car and puts his custom rock music compilation cd into the player with the sound a little louder than usual. Now that that is sorted he can focus on his assignment that is due 4pm today.

Mr and Mrs Davids head back into their house, Mrs Davids with a frown and Mr Davids with a yawn, neither saying a word to each other so that they do not talk one another out of what just transpired. Aisha, the youngest child in the Davids household walks into the kitchen while giving her parents the once over and ignoring the silence between, still in pajamas she opens the cupboard at her mothers head and retrieves a bowl for some rice crispies and asks her father to warm some milk. Mrs Davids tells her to sit at the table as she will make the porridge and her father will warm the milk. Aisha has a split secind thought of the unusualness that has occured but just shrugs it off as she takes her seat at the table. As Mrs Davids places the bowl of rice crispies before Aisha, she takes her daughters hand and says," my child I have a favour to ask of you,"

Aisha looking completey dumbfounded responds in her low, melodious voice,"um...as long as it doesn't inlove me doing hard labour"

"please don't get married, stay and look after your parents forever ne" pleads Mrs Davids as Mr Davids bursts out with laughter along with Aisha.

"What brought this thought about?" enquires Aisha

"Nothing in particular...just a slow morning i guess" says Mrs Davids as she tries to play it off as a joke.

Aisha then raises her spoon into the air in triumphant manner and whispers,"someone in this house is getting married ne."