Chapter 8
Engagement?
Engagement to a ...
Engagement to a.....
What is he?
My mind wandered off to what just happened fifteen minutes ago. Fifteen minutes ago it was the worst day of my life. Sixteen minutes ago was the most surprising day of my life. Seventeen minutes ago I never really thought that I would actually witness something that I had never wished or imagined could be possible.
A man, a human being disappears right before my sight and reappears right before my eyes like a...like a....
"Just what is he?" my voice rang through my head and I paced up and down the staircase exasperated due to continuous thinking but still not getting the answer. Everyone in my surrounding knew that I was a person who was always unsatisfied. I wouldn't stop until and unless I get a perfect answer for what I was searching or wanted to know. And I would always be the one to search for the answers and in search of it I found myself deeper into the matter and it is how I ended up choosing the law line. My aim was to become a prosecutor but then I doubt I would ever be one with the question that was lingering before my eyes which I failed to solve.
The question of how a person vanishes...more precisely, disappears out of sight and reappears out of nowhere still haunts me. My question is answered and until I get an explanation for what happened I am not stopping, forget about the damn engagement.
Deeply sighing, I made up my mind that I would put this question before everyone and tell them what I saw and get the answer directly from Keith.
Does Keith's family know about this too?
Just What is he?
How can they keep this from the world and me and my family?
They wanted me to marry someone who was not even human?
How could they do this to me?
Keith surely wasn't a normal human being. From what I saw he definitely had some superpowers which could make him different from any other normal human being. I still can't believe this. Superpowers. Keith Devlin. Keith Devlin had superpowers? Just oh my God!
Picking my dress up I ran upstairs towards the convocation hall where all the reporters were still present. I wanted to tell this to everyone and to the world. At that moment, I did not think about anything because the only thing I knew was that I had no intentions of getting married to Keith, and the fact that I was being forced to marry him made it even worse. I thought maybe after knowing the truth my father won't force me to get along with him. Because, clearly Keith was also forced to marry me and he was uninterested in getting into an arranged marriage, just like me. The worst part was when he made this clear to me in the beginning. I still can't believe this. This all thing is just so mysterious and disturbing.
As I hurried to the convocation hall I could literally hear the commotion going on inside the hall. The clicking of the cameras could be heard out of the hall. As I was about to open the door, I heard people cheering and clapping and that made me confused and wonder what was going on.
Confused, I opened the door only to meet with people already looking my way and they clapped and cheered for me as I stood there even more confused with an awkward half crooked smile.
My father was still on the stage and I saw Mr. Aaron looking my way delightfully. Keith was standing next to them and he was looking at the ground. He did not look happy to me and something was weird about it that something inside my head told me to get rid of my heels and pick them up and dash out of the hall out of the building and go out of reach.
All of a sudden, Keith looked my way and I could see he clenched his jaw and he had a displeased look when he saw my face. His eyes were glaring at me and at the same time, it looked as if he too wanted to run somewhere or vanish as he did a few minutes ago.
And in his case, I knew unlike me he could actually vanish. So what was stopping him?
"Here is my lovely daughter," my father extended his hand to me and guided me of the stage. I was really confused about what was going on. We were told that today they will be announcing our engagement to the media and the world. The process was already done. Now we were supposed to head home and live our lives until they decided on a 'perfect' day for the engagement and then for the wedding. I want to go back home but came back to tell dad what I saw. But seeing people's reactions and the way my father was looking at me, which so much pride and love had me confused.
What did I do?
"From now on she is my daughter too!" chirped Mr. Aaron happily as Leila Devlin laughed seeming as happy as her father looked.
"You better call me dad from now on," joked Mr. Aaron and everyone laughed while I just stood there nodding my head and smiling awkwardly. What in the world was going on?
I looked back at Keith for any type of help but all he did was squint his eyes, adjust his glass, adjust his suit, stand straight up and look straight towards the camera.
"Bring the ring, please" Ms. Leila Devlin called someone from the side of the stage and that got my attention.
Ring?
A lady dressed in formal hotel staff uniform came up on the stage holding a tray and as I eyed it through the glare and light of the constant clicking of the camera, I saw two ring boxes. My mind instantly froze on the spot as I looked at that. Ring boxes? Just what in the world is going on with me today?
"Dad, what's going on?" I whispered yelled at my dad. All he did in return was to indicate me to keep quiet signaling with his eyes and took a few steps closer to me and whispered more like commanded me by saying: "Go on with it! Your engagement is today," and looked straight towards the camera smiling and then looked back at me.
But I in the other hand felt as if the ground was breaking, my foot seemed to lose its balance and I felt myself shaking up in shock. This can't happen to me! Why is this happening to me?
My eyes fell on the door from where I had just two an entry. Never had I thought things that turn so negative towards me. Had I known this is going to happen to me then I would have never taken an entry from the door.
I cursed my fate.
Just why did I come here exactly? Why on earth did I come here searching for dad in the first place?
My mind was completely blank.
"I don't want to. Just why?" I mouthed the words frustrated, to my ignorant father. My father seemed to be lost in his own world. It was as if he no longer cared for me or he turned blind when it came to my happiness and to say I questioned whether he was my real father or not, made it even worse. Nothing was helping me at that moment. No supporters, no friends, I don't even remember my mother, nobody who could assure me that 'it was going to be alright!'
No one.
"Don't create a scene. I beg you!" my father literally begged me with his eyes and I felt worse for that. My feelings were not even real. I couldn't really comprehend what my true emotions were in that situation. But most of it was the feeling of getting burdened by something. The burden that I felt on my shoulder was what disturbed me the most and I was not at all ready for it.
I watched as the lady passed the ring boxes to Ms. Leila Devlin and my father. Ms. Leila Devlin walked across the stage all the while smiling like an excited kid towards her brother who seemed to be frozen in his spot by now. My father stood next to me and begged me to put the ring on Keith's finger. And even though I didn't want to do that, I turned around to face Keith as he mirrors my actions and turned to face me. His emotions mirrored mine and we both stared at each other in defeat and sorrow for doing what we didn't want to.
But all of a sudden his facial expression changed as he closed his eyes and looked straight into my eyes with what looked like determination?
It was as if he wanted to tell me that everything will be alright. As if,...he would make it better... for me.
And somehow it gave me confidence as my father handed me the ring that I didn't even look at. I loathed it the moment my fingers touched it. He took the one from his sister and looked for the second time straight into my eyes as if asking for permission. All I did was give him a little nod and then it was done.
We ended up tying our fate with each other.