Salma sat in the restaurant waiting for Ali. She had called him because she no longer trusted herself. She was in no position to. She needed to talk to someone, someone who would tell her what was what and what was the right thing to do.
Ali came in through the door, rushing with his bag flinged behind his back. He spotted her and rushed towards her. "Assalam Alaykum" he said, pulling the chair towards him and sitting down. Salma returned his greetings in a subdued voice.
"What happened?" Ali asked anxiously. He had known Salma for the past two years. They had studied together and had been good friends. They were working in different firms but whenever they need each other's help, both were there for their friend.
"He proposed" Salma started. "He told me he wants to marry me in fifteen days"
Ali looked at her shocked and then started laughing. "And you called me all the way here to tell me that. Isn't it good, I mean it's quite romantic even? You like him and he likes you and he finally realized it." Ali leaned back, his tension finally relieved. He had been a little worried when Salma had called. She would never have called if it wasn't something she could handle"
Salma gave him a sad smile. "Don't you want to know why he wants to marry in 15 days?"
"Why?" Ali asked. Come to think about it, that was rather strange
"Well, he told me he wants to marry me before he changes his mind"
"What!" Ali exclaimed. He couldn't believe it. "Is he crazy or are you?! What does he think marriage is? A choice between a hamburger and a sandwich? Buy one before you change your mind!" Ali was fuming; he simply could not believe this.
He looked at Salma and saw the sad glint in her eye. He knew she liked the guy. He had not met him but from what she told him, he was a good man, a righteous man and he was her friend. What he didn't understand was HIM. What sort of man proposes to a woman like this, 'before I change my mind?!'
"So what do I do?" Salma asked him.
"If you dare enter a marriage with a man who thinks he is marrying 'something' he better marry before he changes his mind, you are frankly stupid" Ali knew his words were harsh but he had to wake her up.
Tears started to glitter on Salma's face as she looked away. Ali was instantly sorry. He spoke in a gentle voice to her. "Salma, you are my dear friend, I want the best for you. Think about it, if you go ahead and marry someone who doesn't value you as a person and who is not sure it's you he wants to marry, and you live your whole life knowing that, what happiness will you truly get? The day you marry him, you know, he is not marrying you for YOU but because he has to marry someone so he picked you. That is not the foundation for a happy marriage."
Salma nodded. She knew he was right. She had the same feeling too. Now that Ali had confirmed it, she had decided.
Her answer would be no. She didn't know what future would lie ahead, whether she would meet someone she'd want to marry or whether she won't, may be she never will and that would be fine. She had many goals in life. She had many things to look forward to.
So what if the only man she ever would have married with happiness in her heart didn't want to marry her.
So what if she really searched for his kind of friendship in all the other suitors
So what that she may never find his kind of companionship
So what if she never felt this way for anybody else
She won't marry a man, unless he felt that she was the one he really wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
She took a deep breath and looked up. Ali was observing her with concern on his face. She smiled at him and asked "Coffee as usual?" and Ali knew, he knew he wouldn't have to worry about her making a wrong choice. He smiled back and signaled the waiter.
"So howz work?"
"Great! I'm working on a new product launch."
"Oh no! you and product launch?! It's going to be a disaster"
"Yeah yeah yeah, who had the silly idea of using a mobile phone as a temperature regulator in our final presentation!"
"Well, hello, that was the closest thing that resembles a remote"
"Of course. That also was the closest thing that made us the laughing stock"
"Oh shut up! At least we won"
"Yeah, we won"
Ali came in through the door, rushing with his bag flinged behind his back. He spotted her and rushed towards her. "Assalam Alaykum" he said, pulling the chair towards him and sitting down. Salma returned his greetings in a subdued voice.
"What happened?" Ali asked anxiously. He had known Salma for the past two years. They had studied together and had been good friends. They were working in different firms but whenever they need each other's help, both were there for their friend.
"He proposed" Salma started. "He told me he wants to marry me in fifteen days"
Ali looked at her shocked and then started laughing. "And you called me all the way here to tell me that. Isn't it good, I mean it's quite romantic even? You like him and he likes you and he finally realized it." Ali leaned back, his tension finally relieved. He had been a little worried when Salma had called. She would never have called if it wasn't something she could handle"
Salma gave him a sad smile. "Don't you want to know why he wants to marry in 15 days?"
"Why?" Ali asked. Come to think about it, that was rather strange
"Well, he told me he wants to marry me before he changes his mind"
"What!" Ali exclaimed. He couldn't believe it. "Is he crazy or are you?! What does he think marriage is? A choice between a hamburger and a sandwich? Buy one before you change your mind!" Ali was fuming; he simply could not believe this.
He looked at Salma and saw the sad glint in her eye. He knew she liked the guy. He had not met him but from what she told him, he was a good man, a righteous man and he was her friend. What he didn't understand was HIM. What sort of man proposes to a woman like this, 'before I change my mind?!'
"So what do I do?" Salma asked him.
"If you dare enter a marriage with a man who thinks he is marrying 'something' he better marry before he changes his mind, you are frankly stupid" Ali knew his words were harsh but he had to wake her up.
Tears started to glitter on Salma's face as she looked away. Ali was instantly sorry. He spoke in a gentle voice to her. "Salma, you are my dear friend, I want the best for you. Think about it, if you go ahead and marry someone who doesn't value you as a person and who is not sure it's you he wants to marry, and you live your whole life knowing that, what happiness will you truly get? The day you marry him, you know, he is not marrying you for YOU but because he has to marry someone so he picked you. That is not the foundation for a happy marriage."
Salma nodded. She knew he was right. She had the same feeling too. Now that Ali had confirmed it, she had decided.
Her answer would be no. She didn't know what future would lie ahead, whether she would meet someone she'd want to marry or whether she won't, may be she never will and that would be fine. She had many goals in life. She had many things to look forward to.
So what if the only man she ever would have married with happiness in her heart didn't want to marry her.
So what if she really searched for his kind of friendship in all the other suitors
So what that she may never find his kind of companionship
So what if she never felt this way for anybody else
She won't marry a man, unless he felt that she was the one he really wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
She took a deep breath and looked up. Ali was observing her with concern on his face. She smiled at him and asked "Coffee as usual?" and Ali knew, he knew he wouldn't have to worry about her making a wrong choice. He smiled back and signaled the waiter.
"So howz work?"
"Great! I'm working on a new product launch."
"Oh no! you and product launch?! It's going to be a disaster"
"Yeah yeah yeah, who had the silly idea of using a mobile phone as a temperature regulator in our final presentation!"
"Well, hello, that was the closest thing that resembles a remote"
"Of course. That also was the closest thing that made us the laughing stock"
"Oh shut up! At least we won"
"Yeah, we won"
