Next Day
The next day, she announced with a sigh that she wasn't capable of getting married. She said she wasn't ready to marry that man. It was too hard for her, and she couldn't pretend to smile when she wasn't truly happy. Her decision made her question her entire personality.
"But why, beta?" her mother asked worriedly. "He is a good boy. He likes you, and both of you would look so good together. Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Call them and refuse," her father ordered in a low voice.
"But… Aria… listen to me. What is wrong with him, beta?"
She stayed silent, standing there. Her father's words were enough—he understood her. He respected her decision. He had always been on her side, always supported her.
Aria quietly went to her room. Her mother stood in the hall, restless and troubled. For her, this proposal was perfect. She had already told everyone in the neighborhood that Mimi was getting married. She was happy… but Aria's sudden refusal disturbed her deeply. Good proposals don't come easily—no one understood that better than her.
~•~
Aria slowly walked up to the terrace and stood outside my room. I sensed her presence and opened the door. As soon as she came in, she looked at me with eyes full of love.
I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her.
Maybe I did it unknowingly, or maybe I knew—but I was happy. Happy that she had refused the proposal. Happy that now no one could take her away from me… no one could separate her from me.
She was mine… she was close to me.
"I'm going back tomorrow. Mom is upset with me," she said softly.
"Should I come with you?" I asked.
"If you want to come, there's no pressure."
"Then… I want to come with you."
There was a pause.
"The things we talked about yesterday… were they real?" she asked quietly.
"I just want to say this—stay close to me. Whether you stay with me or not doesn't matter… just stay near me, around me. I don't want to bind you in a relationship. I just want to be with you. Is there a little place for me in your life? Just a little?"
"I can't promise," I replied honestly, "but I will try. I'll try to keep you close… to not let you go away from me… to stay with you."
She looked down for a moment, then spoke again.
"You know… this world has made me feel like I'm a loser. Like I have nothing in my life. My relationships aren't good, and no one really likes me… I feel like I'm nothing in everyone's eyes."
I kept listening to her. She continued speaking—her words were deep. They troubled her, hollowing her from within. She told me everything… why she feels so different from this world.
"I want to be normal," she said softly. "I want to live a normal life like others… with someone. And even if I find that someone, I won't regret it."
She took a breath.
"It's not necessary that holding hands means truly holding on forever. It's not necessary that love means marriage. It's not necessary to stay together just to fix or control each other."
She looked into my eyes.
"I don't want to be your mom, caretaker, teacher, or police. I want to be your partner… not all those things."
Her voice softened.
"I don't want to stop you from smoking. I don't want to change you into a better person, because I like you the way you are. If I try to change you, it would mean I like someone else and I'm trying to turn you into that person… and I can't do that."
She stepped a little closer.
"Tej… you understand, right? My love is different from others."
Her words were so deep that I had nothing to say. I could only look at her. There was so much truth in her eyes… so much silence in her words.
She really was different… so understanding.
"So… do you want to spend your life with me?" she asked.
I smiled and pulled her tightly into my arms.
She had said the words I never had the courage to say… words I could never have expressed.
The warmth of her body… the fragrance of her hair… the sound of her breathing—I could feel everything. There was no distance left between us. We had come so close, as if we had become one.
Outside, the sound of birds felt like music. The sky had turned from blue into soft shades of color. Somewhere, flowers seemed to smile at us… and somewhere, even the world stood quietly, watching us.
~•~
**[Love doesn't always need to be expressed in just three words. Sometimes it is silent, and sometimes even all the words in the world feel insufficient. Sometimes love begins at first sight, and sometimes it takes years. Sometimes a blooming rose is enough, and sometimes just a soft smile says everything. Sometimes people promise a lifetime, and sometimes they are content with just a moment.
Love does not ask for chains, nor does it demand freedom… love only asks for love.]**
THE END