Believe Me

Zaria (month later)

I sit in the living room switching through channels. "Zaria, Samir and his family are on their way to discuss something," my mom says. I get up and run upstairs to grab a scarf. I wrap my hijab and head back downstairs.

"Salaam," I say seeing them already there. "Salaam," they say. I sit down beside my mom. I just look at them waiting for them to speak. "We have come with bad news," the father says. I look at my parents and then them waiting for them to speak. "I... don't think we should carry on with this wedding," Samir says nervously. I stare at him in shock. "What happened?" My dad questions. "I just don't think we are a perfect match and I feel like Zaria belongs with someone else," he says.

"Who else would she belong to?" My mom questions. I stare at my parents, I felt tears crawling up. I take a deep breath "It's fine I understand," I say getting up. "Ma, just call people and tell them it's cancelled," I walk out. I'm not crying because he doesn't want to marry me, it's just that my parents are so desperate to get me married. I lock my room and pull out my Kitab. "Zari are you okay?" I hear my brothers say. "I'm fine thank you," I say to them. "Can we come in?" Jamal says. I get up and unlock my door.

"They left," Amir says sitting beside me. Jamal sits on the other side of me. "Aren't you sad?" He asks putting his arm around me. I look up at him "not really, this just means he's not in my destiny," I mumble. "I'm sorry though," Amir says. I smile "I was somewhat looking forward to getting married shockingly," I laugh. My phone beeps. "That's probably God answering your prayers," Amir says. I laugh as I look at my phone to see it was a snapchat from Xavier.

Don't cancel the wedding yet he sends. "Who is it?" Jamal asks. "Xavier... saying not to cancel the wedding," I tell them. Too late it's cancelled I'm not getting married. I reply. I'll explain in fifteen minutes he replies right away. I stare at my phone. I show my brothers confused and they were as confused as me.

After a couple of minutes my mom calls us down. I drag myself downstairs. Xavier, his mom, and Jazlyn sit there. I walk in confused. I look at my mom who had a smile on her face. "What's going on?" I ask. "Your wedding for next month isn't cancelled," my dad says. I stare at him confused. " Samir just..." I start but am interrupted. "Forget about Samir... Xavier wants to marry you," my dad says. I stare at my father in shock. "So I don't get a say in this?" I question. "Don't act like you don't want this," Jamal says. I glance at him.

"So I don't get a say in my life decision," I say. "So you don't want to marry Xavier?" Amir questions. "I never said that," I mumble. "What do you want?" Xavier questions. I stare at him. " I don't know," I mumble. I sink into the seat. I just sit there and everyone was staring at me. "I'll decide... you two get married cause I say so," Amir says. I stare at him. "I'm your older brother and you wanted someone to decide," he says. I smile "that's what older brothers do," I say. "So is it a yes?" Mrs. Daniels asks. "Amir," I say looking at him. "It's a yes," he says.

"I knew this day would come from the first day I met you," Mrs.Daniels stands up in tears. I stand up to because she was trying to hug me. "Congrats," everyone says. I sit back down. "If you guys don't mind my show is on," I say grabbing the remote. Everyone laughs as if I was joking.