What a swindle!

‘No Aunty Bint, you are too rich a wife for me to give money to.’ He replied walking into the sitting-room. ‘In other words, you are too mean a husband to want to bring me housekeeping allowance.’ I jokingly accused. ‘Anyway that doesn’t make me too mean to give you something to drink. What can […]

‘No Aunty Bint, you are too rich a wife for me to give money to.’ He replied walking into the sitting-room.
‘In other words, you are too mean a husband to want to bring me housekeeping allowance.’ I jokingly accused. ‘Anyway that doesn’t make me too mean to give you something to drink. What can I get you, fruit juice, water or tea?’ I asked.
‘Fruit juice will be fine Aunty. Thank you.’ He answered taking a seat.
‘Where is my uncle?’ Young Tahir asked as soon as he collected his glass of juice from me.
‘He’s still at work. You know it’s that time of the month when things get really hectic at the office.’ I explained.
‘I hope he’s really at work, not somewhere trying to get you a young assistant.’ He joked.
‘Last time I checked it was you who was trying to get me a young assistant.’ I replied laughing. ‘How are the wedding plans coming? You’ve lost so much weight one would think you are slimming to fashion. But it’s your bride who is expected to slim down, either through fear of the unknown world of matrimony or in order to fit into all those tight bridal wears that are so much in vogue today. I can’t see why you should lose such weight unless you are already getting scared of marital responsibilities.’ I observed.
‘I can’t be losing weight because of the wedding, there isn’t going to be a wedding.’ Young Tahir answered unambiguously.
‘What? So what have we been agonizing over these last several months, is it not your upcoming marriage to your life-long sweetheart?’ I asked.
‘Yes it is or was.’ He replied reluctantly ‘But all that is over now in fact Larai is getting married soon, to somebody new.’ He declared, dejectedly.
‘To somebody new, why didn’t you ever tell us about the break-up?’ I demanded. 
‘Maybe because there was no formal break-up or maybe because deep down I’d been entertaining the hope that what went wrong could right itself somehow.’ Young Tahir explained.
‘If there was no formal break-up then what went so wrong that it could destroy a courtship that dated way back to your teenage years?’ I asked again, perplexed.
‘It all began about three months ago when her uncle sent for me. I went there expecting to hear that a final date had been fixed now that she is in her final semester at the university. But to my surprise he simply said to me that he had some bad news for me. That Larai had returned from the campus the weekend before and said she was no longer interested in marrying me. That they tried all they could but all she kept saying was she will not go ahead with the marriage because she no longer cared about me.
But when they insisted that she had to give them a reason otherwise they will force her, since I’d been her only known suitor, she confessed that she had met somebody else and he was the only person she would settle for. While I sat there dumbfounded, he continued that I should know how young women are these days they will only do what they want to do and nothing else. He wished he had a daughter sensible enough to be married, he would have arranged that without delay, just to make it up to me for all the years of love and attention I had spent on Larai.
Alas, all his daughters are very young and still in school. I rose to leave without saying anything about his consolation prize, but I only asked where Larai was. He said she was at home. So I went straight to her father’s home which was a few doors away but I was told she wasn’t home. I tried to get her on her phone but she wasn’t available, which was surprising, considering she never puts off her phone until she’s about to sleep. I kept trying in the days that followed but her line was always unavailable, until it occurred to me that she might have changed her number.
That was the point at which I told my parents what was happening. My first impulse was to forget everything and nurse my heartache in peace, but my mother said we should try to get to the bottom of the mystery. At what point did she meet and start a courtship with someone when all along they have made it seem like she sees no one because of me. Mama reminded me of all the sacrifices I made for Larai and said I shouldn’t give up without a fight. You know her parents were ready to get us married as soon as she finished secondary school, I was the one who said no, she should further her studies since her result was good and I was still an undergraduate myself. I bought her an application form, pursued her admission, got her a scholarship and generally took responsibility for her tertiary education. Her father actually said he will have no hand in it since it was a mutual decision between us. I took that to mean he didn’t want to shoulder any burden regarding her university education. I gladly took control, all the while telling myself that it was a worthwhile investment since it is in my future life partner. Now out of the blues she backed out.’ He concluded.
‘Was there any indication at all in the last few months that she had lost interest in you?’ I asked.
‘No, not at all, in fact ever since she started her last semester all we ever talked about was our wedding. We were always making plans concerning our future. That was the only reason I agreed with my mother’s suggestion that I shouldn’t give up easily, because I wanted to know what went wrong. At what point did this man come into her life, and what did he do that was so magical as to turn her off me? So my mother’s sister went to see Larai’s mother, who more or less repeated everything her uncle said. We couldn’t make headway there.
But on an impulse she branched at Larai’s uncle’s house. Apparently his wife wasn’t happy with the decision to jilt me. She told my aunt everything. It transpired that an aging army general had seen her recently and shown interest. On being told she was betrothed to me, he moved fast, showering the family with gifts and making all their wishes come true. Right now the two parents are going to Hajj, he has paid their way already. Larai herself is going for Umra, the lesser Hajj, and will be branching to Dubai with her younger sister to do all her bridal shopping. And the car he promised her before the wedding had arrived last week. In the light of their newly-found good fortune, they had to get rid of me. Hence the story I was told.’ Young Tahir ended his narration.
‘I’m truly very sorry to hear this Little Hubby but inshaAllah they will regret their decision. How can they do this to you after all you’ve done for their daughter? Larai herself will pay for all your love’s labour one day. I’m sure that retribution will catch up with her sooner than later.’ I said angrily.
‘There is no need to worry about that Aunty Bint. I’ve heard that the man was married and divorced twice before. What guarantee has Larai that he will treat her differently?’ Young Tahir asked rhetorically.
‘Indeed she has no such guarantee. But don’t worry Little Hubby, I promise to get you an educated, well-mannered, beautiful and God-fearing wife from among the many eligible young women whose parents I know. There is nothing wrong with matchmaking if you have the best of intentions. Just forget that Larai and her swindling parents and regain your lost weight. You will inshaAllah get a wife who deserves you.’ I advised him assuringly.
‘Thank you Aunty Bint, I know I can count on you to wipe away my tears.’ He said with a smile.