Love At First Chat✔

Chapter 31

     "May I ask why you've come to my home today?" Amira's father asked Hassan's parents.

     Hassan and his family had come to officially ask for Amira's hand in marriage. They were seated in the living room with Amira and her parents where they all had snacks and talked about the proposal.

     "We would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage for our son Hassan." Hassan's father spoke up. Amira blushed when her eyes met Hassan's. He winked at her and she looked away hurriedly.

     "As much as I'd like for this marriage to happen, it can't happen. At least not now." Amira's father replied.

     "Why?" Hassan's father asked calmly.

     "Amira is my only child and she's still in school. Asides that, she's barely twenty. I don't think it'll be a good idea to get her married now." her father replied.

     Amira felt her heart break at his words. There was nothing wrong with getting married at twenty. Some of her classmates had gotten married at sixteen so she didn't see anything wrong as long as her religion permitted it.

     "According to what Hassan told us, she's in her final year. By November, she would've graduated so I don't see any reason why we should delay the marriage. Or... Aren't you satisfied with Hassan? Isn't he a good match? He's religious, down to earth, he has a good character, everything a woman would want in a husband. So why not?" Hassan's father tried to reason with Amira's father.

     "I know Hassan would be a good husband but I do not agree to this."

     After minutes of trying to convince Amira's father, Hassan and his parents eventually left. Amira's father said he would get back to them. The moment their car was out of the compound, Amira turned to her father. She could feel her insides burning and she was going to pour out her mind. She didn't care whether or not they thought she was disrespectful but she was going to give her father a piece of her mind.

     "Dad! Why wouldn't I get married to Hassan? You said it yourself that he'll be a good husband so why aren't you agreeing to the marriage?" Her mother gasped as she watched. She tried to shut Amira up but Amira kept on talking.

     "Don't you know the father of a girl must not delay her marriage if a proposal is received from a compatible man of equal status and sound religion? You claim to know a lot about Islam yet you do not know what the prophet (pbuh) said in a Hadith. Three things must not be delayed: prayers when it is time, burial when the funeral has arrived, and the marriage of a single woman when a well-suited man has proposed. So why then should you delay my marriage? If anything, the prophet (pbuh) has encouraged young girls to get married as soon as they reach puberty to preserve their chastity. Dad I'm twenty and this is the phase of my life where my hormones are on a high. Would you rather I get married or go about sleeping with everything in a trous-"

     Slap.

     "Fath-"

     "Shut up! How dare you speak to me like that?" He fumed, then turned to his wife. "You can see your daughter. Are you telling me you can't bring up just one child? I leave the both of you at home and this is what she becomes?"

     "You have no right to speak to my mum like that. Am I the one who's always in one country or the other attending useless business meetings? Am I the one who doesn't care about his daughter enough to ask how her day went? What do you even think? Because you give me expensive stuff doesn't mean you're a perfect father. You're far from a good father, I don't even think you deserve to be a father."

     Another slap.

     "Slapping me won't change the fact that you aren't a good father. I will get married to Hassan and if you don't allow me, get ready for your name to be dragged in the mud because I'll do all the haram things I never did because of the respect I have for you."

     Her father's mouth hung open as he stared at her in disbelief.

     "What? Cat got your tongue?" Amira rolled her eyes at her father and stormed upstairs to her room, then locked the door behind her. From her room, she could hear her parents quarreling but she didn't give a shit. She had made up her mind on what she was going to do and texted Hassan to see her the next day.

     When morning came, she got ready and went downstairs. Ignoring her father's call for her to not step outside, she left the house and took a taxi to Hassan's parent's house.

     His parents were shocked to see her that early in the morning but welcomed her anyway. She told them how her father had refused the proposal for no reason and using her school was just an excuse to keep her in his house. She assured them he'd agree but with that she needed their help. Hassan's dad was skeptical about the plan but his mum thought it was a good idea. She convinced her husband to agree to the plan and he eventually did. When they were through with talking, they went into the dining room for breakfast. After eating, Amira hung out with Zulaihat in her room for the rest of day before going back home.