BETROTHED ✓

7°

May Allah spare our lives to celebrate more of this day. Taqaballahu Minna wa Minkum* 🤲

Eid Mubarak, darlings🌹

Momentarily, Larai was taken aback by his words, for she did not expect he would say it at that time.

She searched his eyes for dishonesty, but all she found, was sincerity. "But you left me." Tears brimmed up in her eyes. "You claim to love me, but the moment I pushed you away, you left, without even turning back. What you have for me is infatuation, not love! How could you possibly love a village girl like myse—"
"
I didn't leave, because you pushed me away. My things are still in my house here.."

Larai huffed.

"I left because I had an important business proposal I had to present. I wanted to tell you I'd be leaving, but you were avoiding me like the plague. There was no way I could tell you. My work here is done. I only returned to this village, because of you, Larai. Only because of you. I am not a quitter. I know you love me too and for this one reason, I'm willing to fight the world for you. I don't care if your parents have already decided to force you into getting married to that psycho, they will have to change their decision. I'm here to make sure that happens. And what did you say? What I have for you is not infatuation. From the depths of my heart, I love you, Larai. I always will."

"I'm sorry..." She sobbed. "I thought—"

"I already know the answer to this, but I want you to give me an answer today: I love you, Larai. Do you love me too?"

"Yes, but—"

A knowing smile appeared on Yusuf's face. "That's all I wanted to hear. Now let's go!"

"Where are we going this time?"

"We're going to your parent's house. I'm going to introduce myself to your father as your suitor and his future son-in-law." He proclaimed.

"Wait...what? Are you crazy?"

He shrugged. "I might be, but I'm definitely doing this."

"Baaba isn't just anyone you can barge in on and talk to. He is headstrong. He has given Zakari his words that I will be his wife and Baaba is a man of his words. He never goes back on them. You will only make him furious."

"Are you afraid?" He stopped to ask.

"It's not like that. I just don't want to hurt my parents. I have already accepted my fate, Yusuf. You should as well. Go back to the city, find a nice, beautiful girl, and get married to her. Live your life and forget all about this village girl."

"Our fates are intertwined. I can't do all the things you just mentioned. The next time I leave this village, then that would be me leaving to get my parents over for the wedding formalities."

In as much as Larai wanted to have fate in his words, she couldn't. Her marriage had been predestined to happen. Yusuf could try, but he would never succeed in changing Baaba's words. "I'm not going to allow you see—"

"This isn't right, Larai! You're old enough to stand up to them, even if there are your parents. They have absolutely no right to force you to marry someone you don't want to. It's haram. (Forbidden). It's not allowed in Islam. Don't let anybody force you into a marriage with that beast. Come with me let's talk to your father. I don't know what the outcome would be, but I'm positive it'd be in our favor. Don't be afraid, I'm here with you. We will do the talking together."

Larai vehemently shook her head. "I don't think I can do this."

"Of course you can." He encouraged; a smile tugging on his lips. "This is your future we're talking about here. I won't sit back and watch you ruin it.
Not by your father or by anyone else. Not even by you."