The Game called Love

FAMILY

"Family gives you the roots to stand tall and strong."

Today is the day, the day I run towards the future that I want.

Both Amaira and I have decided to spend this last day with our families collecting the final pieces of memories before everything changes and hopefully for better.

Family, the word itself carries so many emotions and responsibilities with it. They are the only one that you can fall back on when everything is going wrong. They are the ones whose love is always supposed to unconditional. They are the ones who teach you everything and they are also the one who test you on everything.

They are the ones that give you the base for you to grow into whatever you want.

Leaving your family behind for good is very hard. 

Sure, my family is not perfect, both my parents are workaholics but is any family perfect? Flaws are the parts that define us and it is going to be super hard to forget about this flawed family. 

The flawed family that did their best to give me the best.

I am going to miss all those morning fight about what is going to be in breakfast or the fights about how unhealthy it is to miss lunch just because it is something we don't like. I am going to miss planning all the vacations we all know we are not going to take because business always comes first.

Or how my father would react as if it the best thing he has ever eaten every time I cooked something. Or how my mother would make sure to bring me coffee when ever I am staying late to study. Or how my father made sure that I had enough money to pay for anything I ever need. Or how my mother would purposely put all the dresses in front of jeans hoping I would wear them.

Or how my mother would always replace my bike keys with the cars hoping that I would stop driving that 'death trap' and start driving like civilized people.

Or how my parents would never forget to bring me something from every country they visit. Or how my father would always teach me something completely random about business whenever we talked saying knowledge is power. Or how my mother would always teach me new hairstyles whenever she had time. 

I did not ever think I would say this but I would also miss those late night dinners we had because my parents came home super late or my mother shouting at me while my father is trying his level best not to laugh because they just walked into a party I had thrown without their permission. Or the random side taunt my mother would make about me for not choosing to continue the business. Or those random fashion books that always ended up in my room teaching people to dress elegantly. 

Or those high-class events my parents would force me to attend. Or all those random business man my parents would invite to our house hoping I would like at least one of them enough to marry him. Or those privacy invading news reporter who some how know where we are every time. Or the complete clickbait headlines and articles that were publishes just for some publicity.

Or the fights my parents had because they were not on the same page about a business decision. Or the blame game they played with each other when anything ever went wrong. Or the passive aggressive comments they made when they were in front of me. Or the loud discussions they had when they would think I am asleep.

I never realized how different my life is going to be without them in it. How different everything is going to be without their help. How drastically  everything will change when I leave the Asthana heritage behind.

I never realized how significant these small things are in my life both the positive and negative ones. 

The question, 'is it worth it?' always comes to my mind when I think about all these things. Id leaving everything I have ever known behind just for one girl is worth it but then the Amaira comes to mind and suddenly everything becomes worth it.

It would be really great if I did not have to choose between the love of life and my family but choosing Amaira is always worth it.

"What happened Riya, you seem a little lost," my father asked.

"Nothing dad just a little stressed out about the admission process now that I have graduated," I lied.

I feel so bad lying to my father but I just can not help it. 

Sometimes I think what if I just came out to my parents, I mean is there even a slight chance that they may accept me or will they really just abandon me or will they really force me to marry someone they know I will never be able to love and be happy with.  

"Do not worry about the admissions I know you will get it. Listen, I have actually talked to a our priest and he has some great guys in mind for you, all from very well established families. I have a few favorites too. When can we go over them?" my mom asks

I knew this was coming, sooner or later I would have to face the subject of marriage and marriage talk. 

"Soon mom, soon. We will go over all of them soon," I lied.

I hate lying to her but I am afraid that I do not have any other choice. I know for a fact that my topic of marriage was going to come up. I do not blame my mom for it, it is the time to start looking into eligible grooms as it will take some time to finalize someone and then a year or half to actually get married. 

I am already late to the game, all my friends have been looking for grooms for a few months now and I know that people have been approaching my parents about me for some time now.

 It is not hidden that most of them are interested more in my father's business than me, especially since they know that I will not be taking over my dad's business but I know very well that my father has some men in his mind who are best for both me and the business and he will try his level best to marry me off to one of them.

Sometimes, I do question how hard can it be to love someone that I know I have to spend my whole life with. I mean we both will be strangers and it can not be that hard to learn to like my husband. And I have no doubt that my father would choose the best man he can find for me so will it really be that hard to learn to love and live with a great guy who is smart and successful too.

And honestly, if Amaira was not a part of my life then I would have married the best guy still available in the market but the thought of loving and committing to someone other than Amaira breaks my hearts to pieces. 

I can not imagine a future where I do not have Amaira by my side. I can not help but hope for a future where I live in a cozy little house with Amaira by my side and no expectations and fears just pure love. 

"Do not worry about the admission process at all Riya, you know we can afford to make any amount of donations to any college you wish. Do not worry about that at all, just tell me when the acceptance letters come in," my father assures me.

"I still have to apply dad, after few days the admission forms will open. Do not worry I will not need a donation seat," I say and that part is absolutely true, I definitely will not need any donations for the seat. 

"Good night father and mother," I wish them for the very last time. 

I can not help but think what will be their reaction when they read my letter and get to know that I ran away with Amaira, Who will be the first ones they call?  What will be their immediate thought? How will they feel when they get to know the truth? Will they question the letter or will they just accept it? Will they question themselves for my actions or will they just blame me?

And most importantly what will they do when they learn about the truth? Will they just accept it or Will they try to hide it? Will they involve the police or just use their connections? Will they try to find us or just accept it as fate? Will they be willing to harm us or will they protect us?

And is there a even a slight chance that they may accept us and support us. Will they still be able to love us after knowing the whole truth? Will they be able to forgive us for the path we have chosen.

I hope and wish everything goes well on the run towards my future and I pray that this run leads us to the future that we have wished and hoped for so long.

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-Rhea