Love Arranged by Fate

CHAPTER1

It was on a Saturday morning when Susan arrived home after spending two years in school, only hearing from her parents on the mobile phone and on video calls at times. Mrs. Laura, who was her mother, was so happy seeing her little daughter, who had now turned into a grown-up woman.

"Mommy, what about Daddy?"

"He went to fix his car. He will soon be back because he left quite a while ago. My baby girl, how was school? Stressful? Because I heard that Harvard University has its way of stressing your kind."

"Mum, it was truly stressful, but we're glad it's making us strong women like you."

They both laughed. While they were still laughing, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is that?" Susan asked, but her mother asked her to get the door.

"It must be your father."

"Mum, how sure are you?"

"I know when your Dad knocks at the door."

"Okay, if you say so."

Just when Susan opened the door, like magic, she exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy, I missed you!"

"I missed you more," Mr. Jeson, who was the father, replied. "Look at you; you're now a woman, my goodness!"

"Daddy, what?"

"You are due for marriage," the father replied, as her mother, who was coming down the stairs, echoed, "I said it too, that she has now turned into a woman."

Susan was a little bit confused, so she asked her dad what they really meant. She was shocked when her dad told her that it was time for her to get married since she was their only child, and they were not getting any younger but rather getting old.

"It's not as if we are too desperate, but look at us. Like your dad already said, we are not getting any younger."

Susan was very disappointed and worried because she wanted to finish her studies before getting married, but she had no option other than to do something about the pressure her parents were putting on her.

"Susan," her mother called.

"Mum, I... I..." she stammered.

"Why are you silent?"

"Mummy, very soon I will get married."

"Oh, it's for your own good," her mother replied.

Susan was in her room after her mom and dad had gone to work, thinking about what to do in order to make her parents as happy as they used to be before she got admission into Harvard University. Her parents were becoming something she didn't understand.

"I thought when I finally graduated, I would get married, but my parents won't understand it my way. What do I do?" she thought to herself. She then decided to call her friend, Deborah.

Deborah was a very fair and tall lady who was in her 20s. She was very jovial to everyone she came across with; that was how Susan got to meet her during their first year at Harvard University. It was in the afternoon when they had finished their lectures and everyone was on their way back home. It was as if the whole environment was strange to Susan, and she was hungry and didn't know how to go about it. Here comes a young tall, fair lady walking up to her in her confused state.

"Hi," Deborah greeted.

"Hi," Susan responded.

"Sorry, if I may ask, what is the matter?" Deborah asked her. But Susan was shy to open up, so she said nothing. Deborah, who knew that something was definitely wrong, would not stop, so she said, "I can be of help if you don't mind telling me what the challenge is, so we can sort it out. Please don't be like this; I'm ready to help, after all, we are big girls."

Hearing this, Susan was very happy in her heart that she had found herself a good friend she could be open to whenever she was worried and didn't know what to do.

"Hello," Deborah tapped her. "Seems you're lost in thought."

"Yeah, yeah," she stammered.

"So tell me, how can I be of help?"

"I'm sorry I didn't open up at first. I am looking for a good restaurant where I can get some spicy food."

"It's okay. My name is Deborah, and you are?" Deborah asked, waiting for her to mention her name.

"Susan," she said.

"Wow, your name is cool," Deborah said, as they both walked toward the restaurant, even as Deborah would not stop talking about her name.

Deborah was in her room studying one of the books her dad got for her titled Think Big, written by Benson. She was really enjoying the book because it was very inspiring before her phone started ringing.

"Oh my goodness, who is that? I'm busy, can't you see I'm studying?" she said to herself because she was not ready for any distractions. But her phone kept ringing. She had no option but to pick up the call.

"Hello, best friend, what happened? You weren't picking up your call!"

"No, not like that," Deborah said.

"So what happened?"

"I was carried away with the book my dad got for me," Deborah said.

"The book must be very interesting if it took you this long to pick up my call," Susan teased her friend.

"It is not just interesting, but very inspiring."

"I see," Susan said. "That is not the reason I called."

"So, what happened?" Deborah asked.

"Is it not my parents?"

"What about them? What happened this time?" Deborah was so eager to hear what her friend had to say because whenever her friend sounded like this, there was a serious matter on the ground that needed urgent attention before it got out of hand.

"They said it's time for me to get married," she said, as she was about to cry on the phone.

Deborah quickly understood that she was under pressure. "Deborah, what should I do now?" Susan asked as she was already crying on the phone, trying to tell Deborah how she wished they could understand her, but to no avail.

Deborah, who already knew what to do, told her friend to calm down, that they could handle it and that she shouldn't worry too much. Susan was now a little bit relieved when she heard her friend say, "We can handle it." She then asked, "You have a plan?"

"Yes, I have a plan," Deborah said.

"A plan?" Susan repeated immediately. "How and what plan are you talking about?"

Susan was now totally confused about everything and speechless. After a big silence from both sides, Deborah said, "An arranged marriage will be cool, if you don't mind."

"How sure are you about this?" Susan asked in confusion.

"Trust me, this is the perfect solution to the matter on the ground," Deborah said.

"But I'm not in any serious relationship. How will this work out?" Susan asked.

"Don't worry about that, I'll handle it. But are you okay with the idea?" Deborah asked.

"Yes," Susan said, even though she was not too sure of herself. But Susan was ready to do anything that would relieve her of the pressure she was going through from her parents.

"I love you, bestie," Susan said as she hung up the call.