Chapter 9

After her surgery, she grabbed all her belongings and headed home not before dropping her best off.

Why was she feeling so insecure at the moment? Since the day her mother spoke to her about marriage she hadn't been able to shake it off despite all her efforts. As she drove home that faithful evening, she took a detour to a nearest eatery and ordered a take out then drove back home.

"Hey you are back princess, welcome home" her father said giving her a hug. Not that she wasn't used to his affection or something, she just felt a little bit off by his behavior. Something wasn't right with her, she thought.

Gifting him one of her best smiles, she said,

"Of course daddy, and guess what, I am so tired that I can fall any minute from now" she joked. But in the real sense of her statement, she was avoiding whatever was to come out from anyone's mouth in her family.

"Well too bad for you, love, because I have great news I would like to share with you" he disregarded her lame attempt to excuse herself. He practically dragged her to their living room where her mother and brother sat, probably waiting for her to show up.

"At long last, the baby of the house is back. How was your day babysis? Have you eaten yet?" Her brother asked. Someone who doesn't know their relationship status would automatically assume they are love birds because of how close they are.

Probably close enough that she doesn't share her most important feelings with her mother. Is she a bad daughter for doing that?

Of course not!

It is not her fault that she loves her brother more than she does their parents.

"Not yet brother, but I bought a take for the two of us to share, hope you don't mind?" She smiled sheepishly. She definitely knew that he wasn't a fan of her eating outside, especially when she was on her way home but nonetheless, he reluctantly agreed, flashing her a smile.

"This thing that you both have is really one of a kind. I have never seen a brother- sister relationship like this one, I am so jealous of the both of you. I really wished I had a brother like yours princess" their parents praise. Who wouldn't be happy seeing his children get along with one another?

"Okay good, but food first before the good news right?" Her brother started dragging her to sit beside him while he fed her.

"We can still talk about it, am so excited it can't wait!" Her father exclaimed. His usual happiness made Kulthum's heart slow down out of fright. She was unnecessarily afraid of something she hadn't even heard yet.

"So princess I have this great news that came from my friend about two weeks ago when I was away on my business trip," he started joyfully. She nodded, opening her mouth to eat what her brother was feeding her.

"So he wants to ask for your hand in marriage for his first son, that is if you are okay with it" he said and she spat out what she was chewing coughing hysterically.

Saddique her brother, immediately handed her a glass of water that appeared from nowhere and she quickly gulped its content down. She knew it, her instincts were always right even though it wasn't a 100% she was 80% sure that something was off that evening but she wasn't sure what it was.

So all her insecurities were proven right, she had thought about the possibility of her marriage being discussed but she shoved it away thinking she had already cleared that with her mother earlier so there wasn't really a problem anymore.

Now that her father was talking about it, she felt constricted and clueless.

"Are you alright?" Saddique asked, patting her on the back gently. She nodded and grabbed the tissue to wipe her mouth off and concentrated her attention back to her father.

"Are you alright dear?" Her mother asked. She cleared her throat and answered,

"Yes I am fine, I am sorry for what happened just now. I just wasn't expecting such news that's why" she smiled faintly.

"It's alright"

"Father, what were you saying?" She asked.

"Sorry for saying it like that princess, I was just too excited about it"

"It's really alright daddy, so what did you tell him?" As much as she didn't want to hear his answer she still asked not to appear insolent in front of her family.

"I told him I will get back to him after speaking with you of course". He smiled broadly.

Judging by his energetic behavior, she knew he was expecting a positive response from her but what to do? She neither knew the guy her father was talking about nor did she intend to know.

With a dejected heart, she smiled softly and said,

"If you are happy and also trust the man I am going to marry, why waste my time in finding the perfect person right? I accept the alliance father"

His smile broadened as he stood up to hug showering kisses and praises on her.

"So when is the wedding?" She asked dryly

"They wanted it to happen two weeks from now but I said otherwise until I ask you first and if you agree then it will be a month from now" he replied.

So soon? She thought.

"Okay," she started, "I guess I will become the most beautiful bride there has ever been in a month" she feigned enthusiasm. She excused herself and went to her bedroom to have some rest but neither did she rest, nor did she intend to do so.

Sitting on her bed, she had no idea when the water works started flowing down her face wetting her cheek.

She was going to get married in a month to God knows who while her supposed lover lived a life of bliss? She was supposed to get married to him, not some stranger she had no idea about. How frustrating!

She just wished her father was pranking her and she was actually getting married to Neil.

Seeing her distraught features, Saddique knew she wasn't going to rest but to cry her heart out and followed her to her room. He knocked on the door and granted for him, it was unlocked so he pushed it open and went inside.

"Hey" he started gently coming close to her bed. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She sniffed, wiping her face with her hand then turned to look at him.

"Yes" she croaked as a few tears escaped from her eyes.

"Hey hey, it's alright! You can just say no to the alliance and nobody will question you, okay?" He scooped her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

Feeling his warm embrace, she let herself cry into his comforting arms until she cried no more.

"Am I really getting married?" Her hoarse voice asked gently. "I really don't want to, but I also can't disappoint daddy for my convenience. What do you think I should do brother?" She asked, placing her head in his lap.

"Whatever you think is right for you baby sis, you are the one staying with him after all, it is your life not theirs. You have the right to choose whoever you want to get married to even if that person is Neil"

"Don't you think I made the wrong choice in choosing the person to love? What if I make the same mistake again? What if I make the wrong choice once again?"

"Dear sister, you think too much. Leaving you was his decision to make but not loving him again is your decision to make. Everyone makes mistakes so don't be too hard on yourself just because of someone else's mistake okay?

You have seen one side of love you had never experienced before. It is okay to make the wrong choices sometimes because you learn them, without them you are incomplete, and you wouldn't know how it feels when someone you love decides to shut you down suddenly.

Tests are also a part of daily life. Without them you can never move forward.

So don't think too much about your choices, they are good enough, the people who don't acknowledge that, are the world's biggest losers".

"I have prayed and wished for him to come back so that I can finally ask why he left without any explanation or reason whatsoever but all I have done so far has proven to be rendered useless".

He could feel her pain, because he was once in her condition. Having your heart broken by the one person you think is 'the one' is the most painful and heartbreaking feeling you don't want to ever go through.

At his own time, he had no one to confront him so he dealt with it his own way which he was probably now regretting and owning up to his past mistakes.

Now his cute little sister is going through the same pain, maybe even worse than his but he won't leave her alone. What kind of brother will he be if he does? He will be by her side till the day she gets over that scrawny little punk of a boyfriend she once had even if it means after her marriage.

"Don't think too much about it and sleep okay? You have pending surgeries you have to do and a surgeon will sleepless nights is as good as a skilled killer" he joked running his fingers through her hair.

"Thanks brother, I wouldn't have known what to do without your support. I love you brother" she said, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled softly

"I love you more baby sis, now don't think about anything anymore and just sleep okay?"

She nodded and wished him a good night while she closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a brand new day for her and the starting of her life counts down to her wedding.