Twist Of Fate

Arranged Marriage And Dad

"No, dad, I am not coming back!" I say for the hundredth - no thousandth - time today.
"But Cookie-"
"Don't Cookie me! Dad, we're having this conversation on every phone call now and I think I'm done. If you call me only to discuss about my marriage and me popping out five children, then I will not speak to you."
"Mus, hear me out." Dad says, his tone pleading.
"I have work to do. Bye, take care." Before dad can get another word in, I end the call and throw my phone on the bed. Huffing, I flop down on the bed as well.
"Do I have to beat the crap out of anyone?" Harry asks. I look up to find him standing in the doorway of my room, looking at me with an amused expression.
"If you want to beat up my dad, then yeah, you can." I say, getting up and slamming into him. Harry's warm, long arms wrap around my body, and I inhale his scent. Harry has a specific scent that smells so delicious and unique that I just want to bottle it up. I pull back and look straight into his green eyes.
"Your dad? Why's he giving you a hard time?" Before answering, I place a quick kiss on Harry's lips and then tug him toward the bed.
"Because that's what my dad does." I say simply and shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. "By the way, how'd you get in?"
"Kate." Harry lies down on the bed, and pulls me so that I'm beside him. Harry rubs slow circles on my back. "She's downstairs making herself a sandwich."
"Oh," I murmur.
"So, Bump, why does your dad give you such a hard time?" Harry tips my chin upward with his free hand, and molds our lips against each other. I cherish the taste of his tongue, his lips and our kiss. These kisses always put me at ease and Harry knows this. I pull back and inhale a deep breath. I hate talking about my father.
"He's a hard time giver, that's why." I say, getting up. I head over to the dressing table and grab my hair tie. "Dad wants me to come back to India and get married. Currently, he's in Dubai and his friend's son is interested in me. I, on the other hand, am not."
"Arranged marriage? Why?" Harry sounds utterly revolted at the mere idea of an arranged marriage. However, it's very common in our community. Thankfully, my mom's an American and she would never let my life go down the drain by getting me to marry a stranger.
"Because it's common in our community and considered appropriate. Dating is not."
"Tell him about me." I turn around to find Harry pouting, his brows furrowed.
"If I could I would, but I can't. Dad will call mom, and mom...will throw a fit that I'm dating when she wants me to focus on one thing only, studies."
"But they're divorced." I roll my eyes, wanting to bang something into a wall.
"Harry, our communities our conservative. We don't get as much freedom as people here and that's the sole reason why mama left India. She wanted me to have my freedom and live a safe life. But my father's always lurked in the shadows. Now, he wants to jump out into the limelight and get me married to some rich ass guy's son."
"I won't let that happen."
"Neither will my mom, but he's my dad and I have to respect him. Therefore, no punching him, or speaking rudely to him if you guys every converse, okay?" I look at Harry and he nods his head. That nod doesn't reassure me much.
"When I was young, I formed this perfect image of my dad. Harry, I only visited him on Saturdays, or Sundays, but I formed a picture perfect image of my father. Somehow along the way, I also began to love him. I didn't love my dad at first because my parents divorced a year after I was born and I never really got to know him and spend time with him like my step-brothers." Harry gets up and comes over to me, taking my hands in his, he pulls me to his chest and passes his hand over my hair. "They lived with him their whole lives and they still do. Harry, I only ever wanted a father who cared and my father did spend money on buying me books and taking me to lunches. However, I don't think he ever truly loved me and I don't think he does now, either. Aunty - my step-mother - says that he does, but I don't know."
"Don't cry, Bump. If your father's a jerk then we can't fix him. But I can keep you away from him and I will. Don't worry, he will not force you into doing anything that you don't want to." I didn't realize I was crying. But suddenly, I feel tears slipping down my cheeks and soaking Harry's white shirt.
"Thank you," I say gratefully. I take a step back and Harry's arms drop from around my body. I wipe my tears and look at him with a very fragile, ghost of a smile. "Want tea, I'm making some?"
"Yeah," Harry says. "I'll be down in a minute." I nod my head and make my way downstairs. Kate's in the kitchen, sitting on a bar stool, eating a sandwich with a glass filled with a pink liquid lying in front of her.
"You've been crying!" Kate exclaims. "What'd the jerk do?"
"The jerk did nothing. But the jerk who's across the ocean did a lot," I say. Realization dawns on Kate's face, as I often refer to my father as a person who's living across the ocean, yet ruining my life bit by bit with each phone call that he makes.
"Marriage?" I nod my head and take out the milk carton from the fridge. "I don't understand why he doesn't get off your back."
"Me neither."
"Does Harry know?"
"Yeah, I told him just a few minutes ago." I told Harry about my father. That must mean I really trust him. Right now, standing here in the kitchen, I realize just how much of my faith I've stored in Harry. Only Kate knows about my father and now Harry. "Wow," I murmur to myself.
"Wow, what?" Harry asks, entering the kitchen. I look at him with a smile.
"Your sharp eyes, and ears miss nothing, do they?" I say, handing Harry a cup of tea. He shakes his head and gives me quick peck on the lips.
"At least not where you're concerned." Harry winks at me and takes a seat beside Kate, on another bar stool. I sit down beside him, and he joins our thighs immediately. "Dinner with the boys tonight, okay?"
"Sure," I nod my head.
"Kate, you're invited too." The sandwich falls from Kate's hand onto the plate and she looks up at Harry, as if he's just smacked her across the face.
"Really?" Kate squeals, her eyes widening.
"Yeah," Harry nods, smiling.
"Fuck!" Kate gets up and throws her hands in the air. "Thank you, Harry! Thank you Mus, for dating this man." Laughing, I receive Kate's tight embrace. "I need to go home and get ready. What time should I reach...wherever the dinner is?"
"We'll pick you up." Harry says, chuckling. He grabs hold of my hand and kisses each of my knuckles slowly. "You and Kate have such diverse personalities." I roll my eyes and nod my head.
"Tell me about it," I mumble.