Angel in the Courtyard [Book 2]

Chapter 11 - Khaleel

I was able to avoid the nosy aunties at the Shaadi but it was almost impossible to dodge them at the Walima. They were everywhere. Anytime I tried to make a move away from my age group, they intercepted me with questions about my plans for the future and offered their daughters' hands in marriage. If Zander was around, he would tell me to stop complaining about my first world problems but that was not the way I saw it. I had zero interest in marrying someone from my family's community. It was too much pressure. What if things didn't work out? What if I wanted a divorce? The aunties would have too much ammo against me.

It was hard to maintain a straight face while I listened to them spew nonsense but I forced myself to push through it. "Don't waste your talents on just anyone," a plump woman said to me. I forgot her name the moment we made eye contact. "You should be with a girl who can properly support you and your career."

I forced a smile. "Maybe I want to be the one who supports her career."

That made the other two aunties gush. If I met them anywhere else, I would have loved to rip into thier dumb priorities. The only reason I didn't was because of my dad. If he found out I was anything but charming to his guests, there would be hell to pay.

"You would love my daughter then," a taller, and thinner aunty appeared from behind me. Her presence caused some irritation for the others. Afsha Nahim was a formidable woman and I was sure she was the reason the rest of the desperate housewives felt like they had to win me over. Her daughter Isha was popular with a lot of the boys, which meant she had wedding proposals to spare. I had a thing for Isha when I was younger too. It was hard not to be attracted to her when she was both pretty and really nice. I never did anything about it because her mother terrified me.

"I haven't seen your daughter around," the plump aunty commented. "How could he be interested in someone who can't be bothered to attend Yusuf's wedding?"

Afsha Aunty glared daggers. "Isha is busy earning an education in the UK. When she's done with that she will be studying law at Yale. What is your little one up to, Mona Madam?"

"Maryam has a lot going for her too!" came the heated reply. The other aunties nodded in unison to provide support. I cautiously stepped away from the heated discussion. "Look at that, you're scaring him with all your boasting!"

"Yusuf's son does not scare easy," Afsha Aunty scoffed. "He probably feels uncomfortable because you three have been harassing him all evening."

"How dare you!"

I slipped away while they were distracted. I exited the hall and made my way into the men's bathroom. I would be safe in there for a few minutes. I passed by a couple of familiar faces in front of the entrance and greeted them with a smile. I couldn't wait to get back to my normal life. At least there, I didn't have a plethora of aunties trying to force me into becoming their son-in-law. Outside the Pakistani community, all I had to worry about were my boys, school, and my unrequited feelings for Arisa Hoffman.

I washed my hands and snatched a couple of paper towels from the dispenser to dry them. Then, I moved out of the men's room and took a left to get some fresh air in the courtyard. To my surprise, I found my date standing at the bottom of the steps. She looked over her shoulder and spotted me, a big smile claiming her face. "I thought I'd find you out here," she said, walking up to me. "I saw those women cornering you and wanted to make sure everything was okay."

I laughed. "Aren't you thoughtful?"

"I can be."

Arisa and I walked through the courtyard to the side of the venue. There were beautiful hedges and stone paths leading to a garden. It was nice spending time with my date. I felt like we hadn't really had a moment to ourselves. "I hope you're having a good time," I said.

"No, this is a lot of fun," Arisa beamed, going to stand by a bed of flowers. "I would do it again."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Really? I fucking wouldn't."

"I get that too," she chuckled.

I took a second to really looked at her, to admire her effortless beauty and charm before reaching out my hand to hold hers. Arisa's smile faded. "Why do you keep doing this?" she asked.

"Doing what?"

"This," Arisa said, lifting our hands up. "It makes me nervous."

"Why does it make you nervous?" I asked, facing her. "Are you still scared to date me? What can I say to convince you that we would be good together?"

Arisa's sweet expression captivated me.

"Because we would," I told her. "We would be fucking amazing together."