You Crept Into My Heart [Rewrite]

|2| Getting To The Good Part

A  F I A  P A T E L

I felt three emotions overpower me in this moment. Confusion. Confused because why would Ubaidullah want to marry me. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. He knows my brother. Anger. Anger because how can my father decide for me. It's me getting the proposal not my father. He's not the one spending the rest of his life with someone he barely knows. Hurt. That's the emotion that stood out the most. Was it so easy for my father to just agree? To say yes like I'm some sort of deal? Like one of his business deals? I couldn't fathom that my father- without a thought -said yes all because he knew the family. 

It's my decision to make. My choice. Not his.

"So, what do you say, Afia?"my father asks with a broad smile that showed his teeth.

"I-I dont know. I don't mean anything bad. I just don't know him. Shouldn't we get to know each other? We barely know anything about each other." I said while using my hands to make a gesture between the two of us. Come on! The only thing we know about each other are our names. The only thing in common that we have is that we both know Ahmad Saeed. My eyes widened. Ahmad Saeed. He knew. My brother knew. That's why when I asked him earlier on he said I'll find out soon.

My father waved it off. "All you need to know is that he's a good boy. Comes from a good background. Is an accountant and will treat you well."

I couldn't believe my father. He just wants to send me off with a boy I barely know. Marriage is a bond between two people who love and care for each other. Who want to have kids with each other, spend the rest of their lives together until they grow old. Not because "he comes from a good background". I looked at my mother for help hoping that she would understand the weird facial expression I was making.

My mother looked at me with a pained expression and i mentally did a air fist bump.

"Abdullah, don't you think we're going to fast? Maybe we should give Afia time to think over this?"my mother pointed out with hopeful eyes.

Thank god! Someone understands me!

"Oh no, no pressure at all. We didn't want a finalized answer today. We'll give you'll some time to decide but don't take to long now." Aunty Mashooda said with a small laugh and a wink in my direction.

I saw Ubaidullah look at me from the corner of my eye. How is he so damn composed. The only sign of his nerves is the messy hair and his twitching fingers.

"Oh goodness! Look at the time! Almost half past four. We have to get going if we want to reach home in time for asr." Uncle Abdullah said while glancing at his watch. He stood up - an indication that they were getting ready to leave, which means another five minutes in the lounge and another ten minutes by the door - and my father joined whilst I stayed seated. Trying not to meet the piercing gaze of Ubaidullah.

The parents exchanged a few last words- and by a few I mean the normal I hope I see you soon and you should come visit us sometimes or oh yes Inshallah I'll come visit you soon which we all know will not be very soon. Almost everywhere my mother goes the same last few words will be that. Either spoken at the door on the way out or when she says she's going to go but in reality they just going to talk some more and she's saying that just to be polite.

When the Ubaidullah and his family leaves, I run up to my room so I don't have to hear what my parents have to say to me.