Chapter 31 I Want Him Back.
SHIMMA.
“Let's tell your parents,” He said. I quickly sat up.
“Uhh, no, we can't, we can't let them know,” I mumbled, my heart racing.
“Why? We can, we just have to make them understand,”
“No, I don't think it is a good idea, they won't understand,” I shook my head in disapproval.
There was no way my mother and father would accept Mr Mattias and I being in a relationship. How would my mother take it, knowing that I have been hiding my relationship with Mr Mattias? She won't.
This is crazy, for the past six years or more, the first day I set my eyes on Mr Mattias, the day my father brought him home for dinner, the day he shook my hands and stared down at me. I felt it, I felt love for the first time. And ever since then, I have always wanted to be with him. Forgetting the fact that my parents might not allow it.
Mr Mattias knows this, he knows our relationship is meant to be a secret. Why then is he bringing this up? I don't know how long we have to hide this but atleast, right now, we can't tell them.
“Shimma—Shimma look at me. I love you, I love you deeply. And I hate that we have to hide our relationship from your parents,”
“I know, I hate it too, but, you know my mother will never accept both of us, not to talk of my father,” I mumbled.
“But we haven't told them yet, we don't know that yet, we can just try, make them understand. Shimma, I want to be with you forever, and we both know it is impossible to hide this forever,” Mr Mattias said. The more he spoke, the more tense I became.
He brought his hands to cup my face, as I thought for a second. His voice broke me from my thoughts as my eyes flew open, shocked to hear what he said next.
“Shimma, what if I want us to get married, we would still have to tell your parents right?“ He asked, his eyes staring deep into mine.
I could feel my lungs tighten as breathing became difficult for me. Mr Mattias was literally hoping to take our relationship further, he was seeing a life with me. Whoa!
“Uh—i—yes, but when the time comes. You know what? I need time, please,” I said, laying back down as I rested my head on his chest. I furrowed my brows because his heart was racing so fast.
“Alright, let's wait a little more,” I heard him say. With the rhythm of his heart beat, I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.
“I love you Shimma,” I heard him whisper, and with that, I fell asleep.
“Alarm ringing,”
The sound of my alarm woke me up. I turned off the alarm, stretching and yawning at the same time.
It was five minutes past seven. I turned to my side, realizing Mr Mattias wasn't in bed, but there was a note.
I picked up the note as I read through it.
“SEE YOU AT WORK, MON AMOUR,” a wide smile escaped my lips, but it soon faded away as I heard someone knock on my door. My mother, I guessed.
“Come in!” I yelled, hiding the note under my pillow. I turned back to the door as it gently opened, revealing my father…..
My heart raced as my father stepped into my room, his presence filling the space with a mix of warmth and tension.
I have been waiting for this moment, eager, yet anxious to confront the questions swirling in my mind about his recent mood.
“Dad!” i exclaimed, with a warm smile.
“I didn’t expect you back so soon.” I mumbled, he must have returned just after the rain stopped falling, I'm grateful Mr Mattias left before he came, or else….
My father smiled faintly, but the weariness in his eyes told a different story.
“Hey, Shimma. I wanted to check on you.” he said.
I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You’ve been really upset lately. Is everything okay?” i asked, my father sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just work, nothing you need to worry about.”
“But I do worry! You’ve been so distant. Yesterday, when I wanted to talk, you left before I even woke up,”
I grumbled, my voice trembling slightly as the weight of my concerns pressed down on me.
It hurts to see the one person who makes your night, the one person who read you bed time stories until you came of age, the one person who loves to tell you about his day at work, come back home one day, and acts like you were never in his life, like you hadn't even existed. It hurts.
“I know, and I’m sorry. The rain last night didn’t help,” he said, glancing out the window at the lingering clouds.
“I didn’t want to wake you when I got home.”
I nodded, my thoughts still racing.
“But it’s not just that, Dad. You seem angry. I want to understand.”
My father’s expression softened as i watched him take a seat on the edge of my bed.
“It's complicated, Shimma. Sometimes I let my frustrations get the best of me.”
“Are you mad at me?” i asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Even if I knew I did nothing wrong, it was worth asking. I needed my father back.
“Never. I could never be mad at you,” he replied, his gaze steady.
“It’s just... life can be overwhelming.” as he spoke, I felt a surge of empathy.
“I know things can be tough, but you don’t have to face it alone. We’re a team, right?” He chuckled lightly, the tension in the room easing just a bit. “Right. I guess I need to remember that.”
I took a deep breath, My mind racing back to Mr Mattias.
“Dad, can I ask you something else?”
“Of course.”
“What would you think if I—if I were to date someone you didn’t approve of?” The question hung in the air, my heart pounding as i waited for his response.
My father’s brow furrowed, my heart beat racing even faster.
“It depends on who it is. I just want what’s best for you.” he said.
“Even if it’s someone you don’t feel he's right for me, and yet I do?” I pressed, My curiosity Piqued.
“Unless then,” he replied firmly.
“I want you to be happy, but you have to be careful too. Love can be tricky.”
I bit my lip, the weight of my secret relationship with Mr Mattias pressing down on me.
“I understand, Dad.”
“Do you want to tell me about this person?” he asked, his tone softening…