"Dad, I don't want to get married", Khole said quietly as she sat in the backseat of her father's car and buckled up, staring at the passing scenery out the window.
He turned to look at her, taking a moment, before replying, "What did you say?"
She sighed, rolling her eyes and slouching against the door.
"I said no", she repeated, louder this time."I'm not ready for marriage."
He glanced quickly towards her again, trying to see what was going on behind those dark brown eyes before focusing on the road once more. "You have no choice Khole", he said sternly. "If you don't marry this man it will be your life's work to ruin mine."
Her eyes widened and she shook her head immediately, sitting up straight again and crossing her arms over her chest as if she had just been reprimanded by a teacher who was trying to teach her something she didn't understand. "No dad I won't. I don't want this arranged marriage stuff, not when I haven't even met this guy." She said stubbornly.
Khole didn't want the arranged marriage, she really did not. She wanted to find someone she could love with everything that she was and who loved her the way she did, but her father wasn't going to give in so easily. Her family was already set on this, and although Khole couldn't blame them, she also hated how much pressure this all put on her. She didn't feel like she had any say in this marriage, and she certainly didn't want to spend her whole life being forced into a situation where she would never be able to live freely. She wasn't willing to give up her heart.
But Khole knew very well that her father wouldn't relent, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was young, too young to know how to deal with something like this, to decide for herself whether or not to go along with it. And besides, she had her own dreams to fulfill, goals that she had worked hard to achieve. If she gave up now then she would never forgive herself. She couldn't imagine herself living the rest of her life feeling regretful about giving up on something as simple as her freedom. It wasn't fair that her father would try so hard to control her future, she thought bitterly. He was a good person, he only ever did what he thought was right. But no matter how kind and considerate his intentions may seem, no one deserved to live their entire life being controlled like this. Khole wouldn't let him do it, she wasn't going to allow anyone else to have to live like that either. So she would fight for her freedom.
So after several long minutes of silence Khole spoke again, her voice steady and determined. "Dad... I don't want to get married. Not yet anyway." Her voice was soft, but firm. Her father shot her a quick glance, then returned his gaze to the road as he nodded.
" If you disagree with my wishes,then I'll disown you." He replied coldly , causing Khole to flinch slightly. Disowned?
That sounded harsh, almost cruel. Khole looked down at her hands which were clenched in her lap, fighting off a sudden wave of tears. "No" she whispered, barely loud enough to hear herself, her voice wavering slightly. "No, please, Dad, I promise I won't say anything about the arranged marriage thing."She pleaded, tears finally escaping and running silently down her cheeks.
This time, she got a response. A small smile crossed her father's face, a rare occurrence for him, but a genuine grin nonetheless. "Good". He breathed." I'd hate for you to disappoint me". He added quietly.
Khole's lower lip trembled, but she managed to keep her composure. "I won't", she muttered."I won't". Her voice broke slightly, but she swallowed the lump in her throat.
Her father turned his eyes back onto the road before turning his attention to the traffic light ahead of them, waiting for the green arrow to appear.
The light slowly began to change from red to yellow, and then to green. They continued to drive, making their way through the city without any problems.
Khole looked out the window again, watching people run past and other cars fly past in a blur of color. After about a half an hour they arrived at their destination. The house was beautiful, surrounded by large lush gardens and a beautiful lake. It looked as though it belonged in a fairy tale, a place you'd come upon in a book, where everything was perfect and nothing went wrong.There were a number of servants walking around the outside of the house, doing their daily chores. Khole watched them in fascination, taking note of the intricate embroidery patterns on the clothes and jewelry of the servant who were cleaning the yard. The servants were dressed in elegant dresses, and their faces were painted elegantly.When they pulled up to the driveway and parked, she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached into her bag, pulling out her phone and checking the time. 11:55 pm.