When Nadia gets back from studying abroad, she has to agree to marry a rich man that her parents have chosen. As the day of their wedding draws near, Nadia decides to test the man she is going to marry in order to fully understand him.
I had no idea I’d be sitting on the ground in that outfit, outside of a restaurant. A blanket wrapped around my shoulders kept me hunched over as I sat there.
As I kept an eye out for the sleek black car that often took my fiancé Danny to and from work, people walked by me without noticing.
People in my culture still get married through arrangements, even though it’s the twenty-first century.
But after four years of learning in the U.S., my ideas about freedom and independence had changed a lot from when I first left home.
At this point, I was fighting all the time.
I had just moved to the United States and was busy with classes on freedom and new ideas when my parents told Danny that I was engaged for the first time.
My mom told me, “Now that you’ve studied and traveled abroad, it’s time for you to get married.”
I tried to say something in response, but there was always quiet.
“Nadia, you have no choice in this case,” my mother said. I looked into it, and so did your dad. Danny is a good person. He’s going to take care of you.
My mom was going around the kitchen mixing different spices while she was making dinner.
“That’s all there is to it?” I asked while I was making tea. “Do I have to marry this guy?”
She smiled and nodded at me.
I got married to your father because we were set up to be together, and everything worked out well.
I had to meet this stranger and his rich family because I was going to marry this stranger.
“He and his family will be introduced to you soon.” They own a chain of restaurants, sweetheart. They always go out of their way to help others.
A few days later, we got together at the table. I didn’t know what to expect because I had never met Danny before.
When I got out of the house, he was waiting for me in the yard. He was dressed in a suit and holding flowers and a gift bag.
It was easy to like him at first glance, but I needed him to be more than that.
I was going to marry this guy. I had no choice but to stay with him. Also, because of what my parents did, I had no say in the situation.
To meet Danny and his parents, my dad brought out a tray of tea and chocolates, which my mom brought out.
She said, “I got everything because I didn’t know what you’d like.”
In a way that made me think of my parents, Danny smiled at her in a nice way. We spoke politely to each other over tea, and when it was time for dinner, we all sat down at the table.
My dad pointed to the head of the table and told Danny to sit down here.
Danny’s family and I got a lot of attention from my mom, who made sure they had lots of food.
She said, “I need you to leave here knowing that you’ve been fed.”
I put juice in a glass for myself. It would take a while for lunch.
“What made you choose to study in the United States?” Danny asked me while frowning over his water glass. “Didn’t you want to stay with your family?”
“When I applied, I didn’t think I would be accepted,” I said. “But then I did it because I wanted to try something new.”
“But being away for so long?” he asked. “I bet you went to the library.”
“Only four years went by.” I did make a couple of trips home, though.
He told her, “Nadia, family is very important to me.”
When I looked at my mom, she turned her head away. There was silence for a short time while I didn’t answer Danny. The only sounds were eating and scraping of silverware.
My dad smiled and said, “Tell Nadia about your kindness.”
“Oh!” Danny’s mother yelled and put down her fork right away.
She kept going on and on about how Danny feeds the homeless all the time and how he had a schedule set up for different places near us.
“If we can help it, nobody will go hungry,” Danny’s mom said.
I thought to myself, “My goodness,” as I bit into my chicken. Do I have to live with this forever?
After dinner, the person I will marry left the house.
“Don’t you love him?” my mom asked as we cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.
I told my mom, “I don’t know him.”
“But you will,” she said as she dried the plates with a dish towel. “He will become known to you soon.”
It was too much for me to handle anymore. After being away and free for a long time, I went to my bedroom and sat down. I couldn’t believe I was giving in to custom.
I missed being free and living in my college dorm gave me that freedom. But I knew I had to let go of that.
I had to wait until the day of my planned wedding instead. As the months went by, the wedding got near, and I became more and more nervous. I needed sleeping pills.
Even though I knew a lot about Danny, I still didn’t know how I was going to get married.
I chose to dress up as a homeless person and wait outside of Danny’s restaurant while I poured myself a bowl of cereal one morning. I wanted to see how he helped someone who was in need.
As the car got closer, I huddled into my mask and spoke in a weak voice as Danny got out of the car.
“Excuse me, Sir,” I said. “Could you spare…?”
Danny paused, and lines started to show up on his forehead.
“Ma’am, what do you need?” I can’t just give you money or food for a day. We need to help you in the long run.
My heart tighten up.
The man said, “There’s a shelter not far from here.” “I can go with you because my mom also volunteers there.” You’ll be safe there. “While you eat, shower, and change into clean clothes, we can talk about getting you back on your feet.”
By taking off my blanket, I stood up and showed him who I really was.
He yelled, “Nadia!” with wide eyes. “What do you have planned?”
It was just a test, Danny, I told him. “I just wanted to make sure you are who you say you are.” That was all I needed to know. What other way is there for me to marry you?”
First Danny looked shocked, but then he got a sarcastic smile on his face.
“So I guess I should also tell the truth.” I’ve been terrible on purpose so that you’ll cancel the wedding.
His honesty shocked me.
“Why would you do that?” I asked.
Dan put down his phone with a groan and ran his hand through his hair.
“Because I thought everything was a joke.” I didn’t want to be a part of a plan. Not really. I knew it had to be done because I was getting old. Love has still been on my mind. I’ve always wanted a happy marriage.
Danny told some things about his past as he sat down on a bench next to him.
“Those are my adoptive parents that you met.” After my mother died when I was very young, they took me in. Helping people who are going through the same things I am is what makes me who I am. This is both a personal and a charitable act.
His voice could be heard in the cold air, and every word he spoke was filled with emotion.
“Yes, I was able to do it.” I didn’t want to use my success as a bargaining chip to get married, though. “I didn’t want my past or my money to make people judge me.”
We talked the whole night and cleared up our family’s problems and misunderstandings. For the first time, we really clicked and got past the ideas we had already formed about each other.
In the weeks that followed, we started dating. On our dates, we told honest jokes and talked about our dreams. Our parents noticed that we had changed; they saw how much we suddenly cared about and respected each other.
I’m okay with the fact that we’re getting married soon for now.
In that case, how would you have reacted?
