Bound To YOU

Chapter 14: Little Hint

I was shocked.

So, a random guy wanted me to marry his son?!

That's dumb and stupid!

I looked at grandma but she didn't say anything.

I expected grandma to protest but she didn't do it. But why? I was literally getting sold to some guy that I didn't know and uncle was making money out of me, and my own grandma who always shields me was not even saying a single thing against uncle?

But why?

"You are getting what you wanted, aren't you?" He mocked grandma.

She ignored him.

"Prepare her for her engagement," the uncle said as he got off from the sofa. "I am not waiting for her marriage interview s**t. She is going to get engaged with him today and get married soon. And only then, I can process my business."

I stood there, shocked.

I was going to get engaged?

Today?

"But . . . I don't even know who I am getting engaged to?" I protested.

Uncle turned to me. "You don't need to know his son. Just go to the engagement and get engage with him. Only then I can get some money . . ."

"But uncle," I protested. "I cannot marry a guy that I have not even met?"

"Silence!" He yelled, throwing the glass beer bottle on the floor.

The bottle smashed into pieces. I looked at him, scared.

"You will get ready now. The engagement is at night!" Uncle said. "Is that clear?"

I nodded.

Uncle left the living room as I went to grandma and sobbed. I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her. I began to sob harder.

Grandma hugged me back and rubbed my back.

"Grandma, please do something," I sobbed. "I cannot get married this soon. And today is my engagement? I have not even seen the guy!"

Grandma didn't say anything. She kept patting my back.

I pulled away from her. I was frustrated.

Why wasn't she saying anything?

I looked at her with tears running down my eyes. "Grandma," I said. "Why are you not saying anything?"

"Because," Grandma hesitated. "I want you . . . To get married."

I was shocked.

She just said what?!

I pulled away from her. I didn't understand.

This wasn't the grandma that I knew since childhood.

The grandma that I knew always thought of me. She fought against uncle's decisions several times to save me. And today, she says going against me?!

Grandma looked at me with guilt. "Honey . . ." She was going to hug me but I pulled away from her.

"No!" I pulled away. "Don't touch me! How could you say such a thing-"

"Yumna," she said, looking at me. "There are reasons-"

"I don't care about reasons!" I sobbed out. "Uncle is planning to get me engaged today. I don't even know his name! I didn't even saw him! How can I randomly just get to engage like that?!"

Grandma looked upset. She tried to come closer to me as I stepped back. "Sweetie, try to understand -"

"No, you try to understand!" I yelled, sobbing. I couldn't control my tears anymore. I was crying, hard. "I didn't know who I am getting married to! What would happen if the guy who I am getting married to is 60 or 80 years old! Or . . . What will happen if he is an alcoholic like my uncle! Or . . . What will happen if he a gangster or a serial killer?!" I burst to cry.

My feet weakened as I sat on the floor. I could feel my body becoming numb. I was crying. Shouting. Yelling. I was in a mess.

"What will happen if he . . ." I curl my feet and hugged it. "If he is a non - Muslim . . ."

I hugged my legs and sobbed.

Grandma walked near me and sat on the floor beside me. She looked guilty but I didn't care.

What happened to all those dreams I had?

Moving my head to my side, I saw a painting on the wall. The painting was with me and my parents. I couldn't remember my parents but I knew I wanted to be like my parents. But I couldn't. Not anymore.

Marriage was like a prison to me.

It was taking away my dreams from me. It was breaking me apart. It was engulfing me alive.

I felt grandma putting her arms around me. I didn't hug her back.

"You know, Yumna," she said as she took my face on her hands.

I didn't look at her.

"My decisions right now might seem like the cruellest decision and unfair decision. However, there are reasons behind it," she said.

The reasons that you couldn't even tell me.

"But, I can promise you one thing," she smiled as she whipped my tears. "The guy who you are getting engaged to is Muslim."

I looked at her with my teary eyes.

He was Muslim?

"And he is not 60," she whipped my right cheek. "Nor he is 80," she whipped left cheek. "He is just 2 years older than you. He is 20 years old."

I looked at her in shock.

"He is 20 years old?" I asked.

Not too old I guess. But that didn't mean that I agree with the marriage.

Grandma nodded. "And he is not an alcoholic like Radi, but, maybe you can say he is workaholic. That boy tries too hard," she said as a smile formed in her lips.

I was confused.

How did grandma know him so well?

"And, he is definitely not a serial killer," she laughed. "But yes, he acts very cold, almost as if he doesn't want anybody to see his true emotions. But behind the cold face, his true kind and loveable nature can be found. Let's just say he just doesn't know how to express his feelings in words."

I stared at grandma for a while. "How did you know all this, grandma?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you that right now, sweetie. But, all I can say is that you are not getting married to a stranger. You know him."

I was shocked.

I know him?

But how?

I mean, I never had any guy friend. Was the guy my classmate? Or our neighbour? I didn't understand.

I wanted to ask more question to grandma but she interrupted.

"I know, honey," she sighed. "You have a lot of questions but all I can say is that have a little trust in me and believe in Allah ( S.W.T.). I am not getting you married there to take your freedom away, rather, I want to move there so you can have a normal life, instead of going through this horrible lifestyle every day."

I didn't say anything.

I was way too confused.

"Now, get ready, alright Yumna?" She said.

I wanted to protest but grandma got off the floor and made her way towards her room, leaving me confused and filled with questions that had I no answers to.