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My head spins and my heart threatens to spill out all over my lap. “I can’t reply to that unless I give him a chance.” All that I am doing is fooling myself, but if this marriage is the only option, then so be it.
“Not at the cost of your happiness. Please, Princess, don’t do this,” Dad urges.
I shake my head. “I am not changing my mind. Please, Dad… please let me be your rock.”
He laughs softly, sadness evident in his voice. His eyes crinkle with affection, while tears well in the rims. Though he is trying hard to be strong, he is close to breaking down. If he shatters, I would too. “You are as stubborn as your mom. But Princess, I will never agree to this marriage when I know you are putting your life at stake for us.”
I barely hear him. I can’t let go of our house.I can’t, I won’t let that happen. My chest is squeezing, as if someone is crushing it mercilessly to the point that I can hear my heart cracking. I should respect Dad and not go against his decision; that’s what I have always been doing. However, this time, I can’t help it.
“I am not stepping back,” I cry out. I’ll never forgive myself if I see the house taken away from my parents.
“Listen, Princess, I have some savings, which will help us find a new house on rent. We will start afresh there.”
He is talking like he has already given up hope of saving our house, like there is no chance left. But there is a ray of hope, and he needs to see it and accept it.
“Dad, you always taught me that to attain our goals, we need to take risks in life. This marriage is exactly that.”
“I also taught you to never compromise on your happiness.”
“Trust me, this is my happiness,” I assure him, but my words fail to relax his tense shoulders. “I can’t let our house go,” I whisper, a promise that I will go to any extent to keep this house which holds all our memories.
Dad merely sighs. “Yet marriage is not the price to be paid.”
My chest fills with heaviness. Not wanting to break down in front of my parents, I excuse myself. “I need a minute.”
I finally get up and sprint upstairs. My father calls out my name, but I ignore him and shut my room door. I sit on my queen-sized bed as my eyes move around my room – my favourite place in the house. It’s small and cosy, with a big teakwood side table, a table lamp, and two huge bookshelves, taking up almost the entire wall on one side. The table lamp, though old and rusty, still brightens up the entire room. There are two oil paintings embedded on the two opposite walls of the room and a wooden dresser which I had designed so lovingly. How can I let all this go?
In life, at times, we all have to make decisions, big and small. One of the most important decisions that we can ever make is to always stand by the ones we love. That’s what I want for my parents. I want them to know that they can count on me when times get tough. I want them to know that I am not a porcelain doll that will break apart when it falls.
“Is this what you really want?” Mom asks as she walks into the room. Her voice is choked with tears, making me feel guilty for putting them in this position.
“Mom, please trust me on this,” I urge, giving her a pleading look. My heart breaks when I see tears run down her face.
“You need to think about… yourself,” she barely manages to say.
“I can’t,” I whisper as a tear slips from my eyes, which I am not able to hold back any longer. “I can’t lose this house.”
“I know, Baby…” She pushes back my hair and cups my face.
“Please… let… me do this,” I say between sobs.
She keeps staring at me and then manages only a nod, after which she gets up and walks out of the room. I remain sitting on my bed, thinking about how to make this work. After some time, the door opens. It’s Mom again.
“Dad wants to have a word with you.”
“Okay,” I reply. She walks to me and hugs me, patting my shoulder as she tries to pacify me. I feel her kiss me on my hair, the way she always does when I am inconsolable. This makes me break down even more. It’s a while before I can get some hold on myself.
“Princess,” Dad calls out my name from down the stairs. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“Time to have our talk,” Mom says, and I nod my head.
Walking back into the living room, I see Dad sitting in the same spot as earlier. Mom, too, takes her seat next to him, while I sit opposite them.
Before Dad can speak, I inform him, “Mr Seth has invited us for dinner tomorrow.”
Dad regards me with a stumped look for a couple of seconds and then sighs, “Okay, we will meet him for dinner, however…” he starts to say, but I shake my head.
“And you will agree to the marriage.”
