Untouchable

Chapter 16

The next day: On the way home...

My friends and I were walking home to me. I felt so nervous. I had never felt so scared in my life before.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Krish asks.

"I want to Krish!" i say, and lean into him while walking.

"What do you think you're parents will say?" Krish asks and smiles at me. 

"I don't know. I just hope they'll accept him. I guess." I say, looking down at the ground while walking.

"They will!" Krish says and hugs me from the side.

After some time we stood in front of my door. I was so nervous. My heart was beating like never before. I had always listened to what my parents had said. This just felt like I was betraying them now.

I layed my hand on the door handle and gently opened the door. I saw my parents in the living room on the couches watching TV. 

We slowly walked inside the living room. My parents changed the gaze towards me, and then they looked behind me. 

As soon as my parents saw Harish they got up and sat properly on the couches. 

"What is he doing here?" my dad shouts. 

Arjun gets scared and hides between Harish's legs. 

"Wait...., please!" Sneha says and calms my dad down. 

"Dad I know how this looks, okay? I know I should have told you, I just couldn't. I know it's against our rules, but please! I'm happy with him... dad, please!" I say, and start crying silently.

My dad starts to get frustrated. 

"I can't accept this Divya! He's a dalit. People will despise us!" my dad shouts. He couldn't even look at me. 

"Dad, please..." i start sobbingly. 

I walked over to him and sat down in front of him. 

"Dad please, look at me!" I shout. 

I take a glimpse at my mum realizing she had started to get tears In her eyes. 

"Dad....don't you want me to be happy?" i say cryingly. 

"I....." he let's out. 

"Dad...I have never liked anyone as much as him. I'm happy with him." I say drying my eyes. 

I could hear people sobbing behind me. I tried to ignore it as much as possible, but I couldn't. It made me cry even more. 

"Dad, i love him...." I whisper. The tears make it hard to talk. 

I turn my head to Harish who looks surprised at me. He has tears in his eyes. 

"You love me?" Harish asks trying to keep his tears back.  

"Of course i do silly," I say, and try to let out a smile. 

Harish let out a smile and dries his tears away. 

I turn my head around to my dad agian. 

I take my dad's hand in mine. 

"Dad, please..... he makes me happy! Don't you want me to be happy?" i ask. 

"Of course i want you to be happy." My dad's voice cracks. 

"He makes me happy. I have never felt this way about anyone before. Please...." i beg my dad. 

My dad gets up from the couch. It makes me back away. 

I quickly get up. My dad looks at Harish. 

"You! Come here!" my dad says raising his voice. 

Harish walks toward my dad. He comes and stands beside me. We both stand in front of my dad. There's a silence.

"If you ever hurt my daughter. I will kill you!" my dad says crying. 

As i hear those unbelievable words out of dad's mouth i run over to him and hug him really tightly. 

I cry of happiness. 

"I love you!" i whisper in his ear as I'm hugging him.

As I let go my dad dries a tear away with his hand. 

"I promise. I will. I promise!" Harish says. 

I turn to Harish and hug him tightly, while my tears are running down my cheeks. 

"I love you too..." Harish whispers in my ear as we hug. 

As he says it gives me chills down my back. 

A couple of days later...

I felt amazing. These couple of days had been amazing sharing them with Harish. Harish was allowed to come to work with us again. I was very happy. It was actually more kissing than working, but you know I was fine with that. 

My parents finally saw him as one of us and after all, he was. 

No matter which background, ethnicity, how we look, or how we act, etc. were all alike on the inside. You should never judge someone you don't know. You never know their full story.

And also...

*Love always finds away. What is meant to come will come to you. Just believe.