Dancing To Your Tune

Compromise

Akk was sweating buckets at the moment. It felt like his fragile peace was shattered even before he could enjoy it. He came back from Ayan's place in good spirit but it disappeared the moment he saw his parents waiting for him at his place. He somehow dodged all the questions pertaining his whereabouts the night before. His mother thrust a suit in his hand and pushed him to get changed because they had to be somewhere important. As he pulled on the suit ahd styled his hair, Akk could feel the dread settling in. He could guess where they were going. To meet Gulf's parents. Million times he almost said no, but one look from his parents silenced all his protests. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to marry Gulf but when has what he wanted mattered?

Sitting across from Kanawut family was a sobering experience. His soon to be in-laws looked just as unrelenting and hard to approach as his own parents. As if that wasn't intimidating already, Gulf kept playing the role of besotted husband a little too eagerly. All Akk could do was sit there like a perfect doll, waiting for his master's commands. The car ride back home was as unpleasant as the lunch itself. Akk rushed to refute any talk of marriage, trying for the last time to make his parents change their mind. His father exploded in anger but his mother changed her tactics. She could see sheer anger and stubbornness won't get the work done this time so she opted for Akk's weakness, love.

"Son, I know this all must be hard for you. I can see why you're refusing for this marriage but Gulf is a good man. He would love and cherish you." She said.

"But mom-"

"Darling, we love you. You know that, right? All we want is best for you. We just want you to be happy."

"This won't make me happy."

"But it would make us. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Don't you want us to be happy?"

"Of course I do."

"Akk, we would never do anything that would hurt you in any way. We would never try to jeopardize your future for any reason. You mean world to us. We may not mean much to you but your everything to us."

Akk bit his lips in guilt, "Mom, I love you guys too. Please don't think otherwise."

"I know we have been very hard on you since childhood but it was all for your sake. We only wanted to see you succeed and built a future for yourself." His mother caressed his face softly making his eyes water.

"Mom, I would never hate you for that. I know you did it all for me."

"Marry Gulf. That's all we will ever ask of you."

"Mom....."

"Please son. Can't you do that for your parents? Have we ever asked for anything all these years?"

"I....please-"

"I know we aren't that important that you would feel the need to do anything for us but son, I'm- I never wanted to tell you this. I didn't want you to find out but I've cancer."

Akk felt like someone had dumped bucket of ice cold water on him. Cancer? His mother? And he didn't even know. Now that he was looking closely she did look a bit pale.

"Mom, wh- Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to burden you."

Tears streaked down his face, "How long have you known? You should be resting. Why did you come here?"

"It's okay, son. I'll do anything for you and your future."

"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't know. I didn't even ask about your health all these months. I should have been here for you." Akk was sobbing by now.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I just want to see you settled down before I die."

"MOM. Please don't say that. Don't ever say that. I will marry him. If that's what you want. I'll do it. Just focus on getting better, please. Take care of your health. Have you already started the treatment?"

"I- it wasn't on my mind. All I was worried about was you."

Akk took a shuddering breath, "Don't worry about me. Why would even be worried about me in this situation? I will take care of you. I'm moving back. I need to be here to make sure you're okay."

His mother panicked, "Um.....son, you don't have to. I don't want to be burden on you."

"You aren't burden, mom. I want to do it."

"No, your apartment is near your work. It would be too much hassle."

"I don't mind. Should I take leave?"

"No. Definitely not. I don't want you to uproot your life for me. That's not why I told you this."

Akk furrowed his brows in distress, "But mom-"

"Your father is here to take care of me and we'll get the best doctors to treat me. You've nothing to worry about. You can visit me whenever you want." She tried to convince him.

"If you say so but you'll keep me updated about everything." He eventually relented.

"Of course."

His father spoke, "We will get that wedding preparations started soon."

"Isn't it too soon?" Akk asked bewildered.

"What?"

"Shouldn't we be focusing on Mom right now? We can decide the date for wedding later."

"Akk, just do as you are told. I'm here to take care of your mom. She'll be fine. And it's her wish to see you married."

"I was just worried about her." He said meekly.

"I know, son, I know. It makes me so happy to see you being so obedient. Be a good son and just follow our words like always, okay?" His mother said sweetly.

"Yes mother."

"I'm so proud of you. You've no idea how happy you make me. You've always been my favorite." She kept the act in place.

Akk blushed at the love and compliment. He could forget all his reluctance for marriage if his parents kept loving him like that. After all that's what he has always wanted, right? His parents love and acceptance and he was finally getting it. Who cared if he had to marry someone he didn't love? How many people even married their love? And how long did love even last? People eventually fell out of love anyway. And for all he knows Ayan wasn't even interested in him. Should he give up on his parents love for something he wasn't even sure about? That would be stupidity. Ayan could walk out of his life the very next day if he wanted but his parents would never abandon him.

They will be always by his side. That's all he needed. That's all he had craved for since childhood. And as for love, didn't people learn to live with their spouse after marriage? There were people who fell in love after marriage. He could be one of them. And even if that didn't happen, it wasn't that big of a deal. People compromised, adjusted, he would do too. Most of the people in marriage don't love each other yet they made it work so would he. Ayan was too good for him anyway, completely out of his league. They would never be anything. This was right thing to do.