Trackside Romance

NINE: Falls out

Fareed Rayhan Jarma*

"What foolishness is this, Rayhan?" Dad asked, his gaze piercing through me. A day after he learned about my breakup with Meenah, he summoned me to his living room, and his reaction is nothing short of intense. "This girl's dad called me, and he's deeply concerned for his daughter! She's truly devastated after you ended your engagement with her. Why did you make such a huge decision?" he interrogated.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "Dad, I didn't want this either, but I had to take this step so Meenah could realize her mistakes."

He scrutinized me with a furrowed brow, settling onto the sofa. "You know your problem?" His eyes narrowed. I held my silence, urging him to continue. "You take everything you have for granted. It seems like because you can have anything you desire, you just discard it when it's no longer convenient. This girl made a mistake, yes, and I saw the video. In one way or another it affected me too, considering my position, as my future daughter-in-law that she is. But at the same time, there's a different way to address her mistake, Rayhan. Now, what will the public think? You're a famous racer, Fareed, and I am a renowned politician," I interjected.

"Dad, don't you care about my feelings?" I asked, hurt evident in my voice. "Meenah hurt me with what she did. Yes, I may be a celebrity, but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings. I love her, but she decided to act recklessly, and you just can't imagine how hurt I am," I expressed honestly.

Ammi, who had been silent all this while, watching us placed a hand on my shoulder before turning to my Dad. "My dear, calm down and don't pressure him, please. He's really heartbroken because he loves this girl so much, and I thought she was a good girl too," she added.

"Ammi, I may not know Ya Meenah as well as Ya Rayhan does, but she's a very good person," my sister Ameera stated with confidence, "and I'm sure that video was just an attempt to ruin her and Ya Ray."

"Why did she decide to go to the party in the first place? Or are you telling me she doesn't realize she's marrying into the Sharrif Jarma family and needs to act like a real Shariff Jarma?" Ammi questioned.

"Tesneem, all you care about is our family name," Dad stated.

"And you, all you care about is your political position," she retorted.

"Dad, Ammi, please," I urged for them to stop, expressing my frustration. I'm already dealing with enough, but all they seem to care about is their legacy.

Dad sighed, attempting to bridge the gap. "Look, my son, you've come a long way with Ameena Turaki, and I'm sure you both love each other so much. This is wrong; calling off your marriage was wrong, and breaking apart was wrong. All you need is space to find it in your heart to forgive her for her mistakes. I don't think there's a need for you to break apart. Allah forgives us for our wrongdoings, so who are we to say we won't forgive others? My son, please think about this." He shared his thoughts, and Ammi continued.

"Rayhan," my mother began with a soft tone, "you know I'm your mother, and all I want is the best for you because you are my only son. Deep in my heart, I really like Ameena, and it's because you've shown how much she means to you. As a mother, what matters most to me is your happiness, and Ameena truly makes you happy. So, please, think well about everything. Take some space; you can even fly out of the country to clear your head. Maybe then you'll forgive her and decide to take her back," she concluded, her words carrying a genuine concern for my well-being.

I lifted my head that was buried in palms and sighed once again, "Alright, I'll take your advice. By the way, I wanted to share something with you," I said, and they nodded, signaling me to proceed. "My teammates and I have received an invitation to participate in the France MotorGP Racing Olympics, and we will be traveling there on Tuesday."