You've got to think about what you'll do after this.  You don't have a life time visa here. Besides you got other things to do home. 

"But aren't there other people who can do that? Why me?" I begged.

"Listen. We've done everything we possibly could to give the life and dream which is good for you. We're just looking out for you. We want what's best for you."

"Mom. I can't... I ... I love him." I sobbed.

"Don't be dramatic you're just blinded by his wealth and his colour. There are other men who could do all of that for you back home." Her father added.

"I don't want anyone else."  I refused vehemently.

"Aisha,... as much as you had like to stay here you need to think about your future too. You initially came just to study." He said.

"Admittedly I came here to study but I ended up having feelings for him. But you've been the same person who always asked me if I had found someone special-  now that I did, I just have to opt and leave. He's going to be devastated.  You have no idea what you're asking me to do." She pleaded.

"Ai let's be reasonable here.  You very well know that international marriages don't work out so well. They may be fine at the beginning but eventually, their differences tears them apart. I'm not wishing you ill but you know no matter how you look at it you'll have to come back home." She explained.

I didn't answer. I remained adamant to the possibility of loosing him.

"Besides, he won't agree to come with you back home even if you begged him to and you know that.  Not even for the relationship you both have now. So think about it." Her mother reasoned.

That was the last conversation she had with her parents before they left- after the summer holidays. 2months later, and she could hardly get any sleep at night. Many times, Michael had come home and meet her awake or feel her look up to the ceiling wide awake.  He knew she was bothered about her visa but she still had time until winter was over. Perhaps,  it was her parents? It troubled him so much to see her so stressed up.

"Hey. I was thinking, what if we actually get married for you to be able to prolong your stay? " he proposed over dinner one day.

"What?" She asked puzzled.

"Marry me and stay with me. We practically live in together anyway." He reiterated.

"Michael we can't just opt and get married out of the blue just to make me stay. Marriage of convenience don't always work out well you know. " she tried reasoning.

"Well ours wouldn't exaclbe of convenience because we're already in a relationship right? " he said holding her hands in his much larger ones.

"We can't just do a marriage immediately after my parents left. Do you want them to curse our progeny?" She said appalled. (She sounds positively dramatic, I know)

"So it's about them then? " he asked folding his arms against his chest.

"No." She sighed and stood up to sit on his lap. "I'm sorry."she apologized running her hand through his hair lovingly. "As much as I love you and I want to stay. I'm not ready for marriage yet. Just give me some time to think about it. ok?" she said kissing his cheek.

Well she was thinking about it till she received that daunting call in the middle of the night from her cousin- her father had had a seizure and was at the hospital. That unfaithful call which sent her in a total frenzy in her room. Kim and Toni rushed to her room on hearing her screams to meet her curled up in foetal position on the floor of her room in tears - her Qur'an opened on her bed, the duvet on the other side of the bed on the floor, her various prayer books scattered all around her. She was inconsolable-  literally crying  till dawn. They had proposed on calling Michael but she'd refused,  requesting for Jacob instead.

When he arrived, he met her still sobbing. Fortunately, he had succeeded in calming her till she fell asleep.  They had called in sick for her, because in her state, she literally couldn't walk given the emotional wreck she had been through coupled with the physical exhaustion from crying for that long.  She barely spoke and looked haggard. 

Fortunately she recovered not long after-  going about her activities like every other day. But now her decision was quite clear on what to do. She had already spoken with Jacob, Toni and Kim and they said they were fine with whatever decision she takes as long as she's happy.

She had called Michael over to meet at a resturant in China town. She had gone with Toni and Kim but they sat at the far end where they could not be seen. Their meeting was long overdued. He couldn't wait to see her again: he was completely over the moon. With how the discussion ended last time, he feared he had lost her. Perhaps she had finally given his idea a shot.

She sat by the window looking out to the cold streets as people moved about with fast strides in coats of different forms and color. The temperatures had considerably dropped due to the imminent winter. The first snow fall wasn't there yet but it was cold enough to almost lose sensation in your toes. She wished her tears could actually turn to ice so he wouldn't notice how much she had been crying. She tried reining in the tears-  praying to God for the strength to be able to go through with this.  She loathed this kind of situation because she felt like she had betray one person to keep the other but she couldn't back out now.

His entry was signaled by the chiming of the bell at the door. Immediately, her gaze moved to the door and their eyes met. He smiled. God! He was even more dashing than she remembered: his long coat over his suit slightly accentuated his looks coupled with the bouquet of roses he had in hand- he was exquisite.  His cheeks and lips had a slight flush due to the cold from outside. He reached her in long, fast strides and didn't even give time or space to think before she crashed into his robust chest, and felt his arm tighten around her.

She chuckled. "I take it you're happy to see me."

"Elated is the appropriate word." He replied, nozzling his nose at the crock of her neck. "I've missed you like crazy." He purred.

She pulled away smiling at him, as she stared into his eyes. "So did I." She said pushing away some of his hair that had covered up his godly profile.  God he was so perfect. How she had managed to snag him was still a mystery to her. He held her hand to his face and kissed her palm then her lips tenderly.

"I see this place remains you're favorite." He said.

She blushed at his remark.  He had brought her here once, on a date- and she's loved it since then. "Yeah." She said with a nod

Taking in her crest-fallen contenance he finally asked. "What's wrong? "

Of course he could see past her pretence. Her face was like an open book, it never hid her emotions and it's at this instance that she hated that about herself.

"Nothing." She replied looking away. He sighed and pulled them back to the table at which she was seated.

"The kiss said otherwise. "He retorted with an arch brow and she looked away ashamed.  How he could tell her emotions from a kiss was a wonder? Holding both her hands in his, he kissed them affectionately. "Tell me." He urged but she couldn't utter a word. Her lips trembled. He was making it so hard for her. "I love you. Ok so whatever it is, just tell me so i could help you. I'll understand...."

"I can't stay." She replied weakly.

"What?" He asked confused.

"I'm sorry Michael but I need to go back."

"No. We had a plan. You could stay. I have the connections to do that."

"It's not about the connections Michael. I need to return home. They need me back home."

"What about me? Don't you think I need you too?"

"It's more complicated than just me wanting to stay - my whole family heritage is in my hands. I need to go back to..."

"My goodness." He exclaimed. "You don't need that. there is definitely someone else for the succession, no?"

"I'm the first born. The heir to our legacy. I need to be there."

"Isn't there other legal procedures or they litigate the properties."

"Michael I can't do that.  You can't possibly be serious. " she pleaded

"Ofcourse I am." He insisted.

"You don't understand."

"Yes you're right. I don't because clearly I'm the only person fighting for us." He took in a deep breathe then asked. "When are you leaving?"

She looked down fiddling with her fingers.  "On the 17th." She replied quietly.

"What? That's 3weeks away. " he groaned. "When were you going to tell me? When you're boarding the plane? Clearly you had made your decision and taken action before meeting me today. Perhaps I wasn't even to know so as to avoid the awkward break up..."

"No I was going to tell you. I was just scared you had blow off like you're doing now. "

He scoffed in disbelief. ".... was our relationship some kind of sick game to you?" He asked, his voice laced in fury.

"What? No. Of course not." she replied, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

"Did you even love me? " he asked with glare.

She looked up at me with a pained expression. "Of course I do. How could you even say that? You know I love you and I don't need to fake it. How dare you doubt my love for you?" 

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Really? Excuse me but I doubt that greatly. Because that's not the impression I have right now. You can't be leaving and say you love me but the pressure and decision on you is too difficult."

"Michael please, I explained this to you already. I have no choice. It's an obligation I can't escape from." She replied.

He know she calls him Michael when she's angry but trying to reign it in.

"No. I can't go on with this. know that if you leave now, we're over. " he declared.

"You can't give me that kind of ultimatum" she pleaded but his blank expression told her he was very serious.

"I thought as much."he said shaking his head, with an abysmal look on his face.

"JD please..." she tried reasoning out with him.

"This is fucking bullshit." He growled "Fucking obligation my ass. You know what I'm done with this conversation. If you want out of this just tell me. And you can fucking do what ever you want. know what? Screw this I'm out of here." He snarled, storming off.

"Michael please..." she pleaded trying to chase after him but he never turned back till he was out the door.
And he left her in tears with a curiously watching audience in his wake. Leaving her to deal with everything alone....

"Mich..." she tried calling but her breath caught in her throat and she felt like she was suffocating. Her lungs constricted, as struggled to breath.  It felt like her lungs had been rubbed of every bit of oxygen. Toni and Kim immediately rushed to her side. In the space of one minute it felt like her entire world had vanished along with the man of her dreams. The grief that grabbed her heart was so immense she felt it almost give away. Her legs too weak to carry her that they actually gave out under her weight and she almost fell to the floor if not for her friends. It felt like the flor beneath her had vanished. Everything felt vague : the people, the noises, her breathing. She felt like every system in her body was shotting down. Pain. All she could feel was barable pain and the last thought she had was about him moving out before the darkness consumed her.