No Choice || H.S.

Chapter 8

Harry's P.O.V

Like a daily routine, I stood at the schools gates, waiting for Tahira to show up. I still haven't figured out as to why  Tahira was the only one I could find myself being kind to. I just met her two weeks ago due to this stupid programme but it feels like she's my childhood best friend who knows everything about me. I was dwelling in my thoughts when a car suddenly pulled up but what surprised me the most was that Tahira was sitting in the backseat.

The man, who I assumed was her father, was trying to talk about something to her but she kept on shaking her head. The other man in the car didn't look more than a few years older than her. But I couldn't really be too sure of it because of the light reflecting on the windshield of the car. Tahira's father shook his head once and then for the first time in two weeks, I saw Tahira's face going red. But this time it wasn't her usual blush, it was anger.

She slammed the car door shut once she got out of the car. "Hey, yo-"

Before I could complete my sentence, she brushed pass me but I saw a small tear sliding down her cheek.

During our periods together, Tahira didn't show up for Chemistry or Biology. I knew she had another period after Biology while I was free and she was going to ditch that class as well. Liam was there giving me awkward glances. When the bell finally rang signalling the end of my biology class, I was already out the door but another teacher caught me and dragged me out to help her.

It wasn't until the school was over when I got the chance to find her. I had a guess as to where Tahira could be so I headed towards the school track and field and sure enough, I found her sitting under the shade of one of the trees. Her arms were folded around her knees and her chin was resting on them. Without a word I sat down beside her.

It was after five minutes when she cracked and tears started falling down her cheeks. I knew better than to say anything, so I let her cry for a bit before her hiccups started. I gave her a bottle of water I had taken from home and gave it to her.

"Tha-*hiccup*-nks." She chocked out but I just nodded. A few minutes later she was calmer than before, so I thought I could now ask her what was wrong but she beat me to it.

"Dad wants me to get married. Not now, but sometime soon in the future."

All I could do was stare at her in shock and she chuckled a bit when I didn't say anything.

"It's okay for us, you know. Getting married young. Mum got married to dad when she was just twenty-three."

"But you are just seventeen!" I protested. She was just two years younger than me. "They can't force you to get married." I continued and she let out a small 'Ha!'

"As if they could. We woman got the right to say yes or no to a marriage proposal fourteen hundred years ago. In the end, it's my decision."

I got confused then. "Why are you crying then?" I asked and a few tears fell down her face.

"Zubair, the guy who wants to marry me, he's the boss's son." She croaked out while I grew angry.

"He's threatening your dads job?" I asked but she shook her head in a 'no' gesture.

"He's threatening to frame my dad for theft." 

I rested my back against the tree in disbelief. "He's the other lad from the morning?" I asked and she nodded.

"You haven't even heard the best part yet." Tahira said bitterly and I wondered what could be worse than that.

"I'm a bit afraid to ask that but curiosity did kill the cat." I said and she let out a small smile through her tears. "It did indeed."

I leaned forward a little to see her face better. "So, what's the best part about it?" I asked and she took a deep breath.

"He's already married to someone else. He wants me to be his second wife."

"What th-"

"Don't cuss. Please."

"Don't- what the hell is wrong with him!?" I shouted. It was common knowledge that a Muslim man was allowed four wives but that actually happening? I shook my head and she smiled at nothing.

"A man just can't marry a second time. There are rules a man has to follow before he can get married again."

"And what might they be?" I asked.

"Well, first being that the first wife must be okay with it. She doesn't know about it though. Second being that he could be a divorcee, or a widower to just marry someone else. He could also get married to a widow with kids if she can't support them all but that's not the case with me."

"If his first wife doesn't know about it then why don't you tell her?"

"Can't." Was all she said.

"What does your dad do in his company?" I asked after a thought occurred to me.

"He's the marketing chairman of the company."

"Where would he be right now?" I asked.

"At the local mosque in a while." She said looking at her watch. I quickly got up then.

"C'mon, I've got an idea!" I said and she rubbed her eyes a bit before getting up.

I told Tahira to go to my car and wait for me while I went into the coaches office where Niall and Louis were passing the football to each other.

"You lads are walking home." Was all I said before leaving them and heading towards the parking lot. 

Tahira was standing there beside my car. I pulled my keys out before opening the passenger door for her and she got in without a word.

"Everything is gonna be fine, okay? You won't have to marry that butt. Not while I'm around." 

She chuckled a bit and I closed the door. When I looked up, I saw the lad, Zubair, as Tahira called him, sitting in his car. I took my glasses off and pretended to clean them while I let out my old smirk. He glared at me before pulling his car out of school.

"Tahira? Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" (What are you doing here?) Her father asked when he saw her sitting in my car outside the mosque.

"Papa, this is Marcel." She said and her father looked at me and smiled.

"Thank you for helping my daughter. It's nice to finally meet you." He held his hand out and I shook it. "Nice to meet you too, sir." I felt a bit intimidated by him. He was a tall man, but an inch of two shorter than me. His eyes and hair were dark brown and he had a slightly long beard with a moustache on his face.

"Tahira, explain what are you doing here. Now."

"Sir, if I may, I think we should go to your house and talk." I said and tilted my head towards the car I could see had been following us since we left school. Her father thankfully understood what I was trying to say.

"Tahira, go sit in my car. Marcel, you can follow us home." He said and I nodded and got back into my car after giving Tahira her school bag.

I'm not letting him destroy her life.

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AN: okay, before saying... against on what happened in this chapter, please read the next one. Comment, Vote and Follow :)