"My son is a sensible and responsible person. He runs his own business in London and is living a good life."
This is what a lady said to my mother when she came to ask my sister's hand in marriage for her son. We were seven siblings and my parents were already worried about our marriages. So this proposal brought happiness to my parents. They got happy and asked the lady to come with her son.
"All we want to see is our daughter living a happy and peaceful life. We would decide after meeting your son." My father said to her.
"I would bring him with me next time, so you all can meet with him." She replied.
She also took our phone number and left after a while. After two days, she called my mother and informed her that she would come with her son on Tuesday. We made all the preparations to welcome them. Finally, the day came and they were at our place.
Her son Akmal came out of the car. He was looking very handsome in a black coat with glasses on his head. He had a slight beard and a white complexion. We all were amazed at his appearance. We welcomed him and his family inside and after lunch we had gossip.
"Now, what is your decision? " his mother asked my parents.
"I would ask my daughter first and would inform you on a phone call tomorrow. " My father replied.
When they were gone, my father asked the whole family to gather in his room. He asked our suggestion about the proposal.
"I don't see any fault in this proposal. Haven't you noticed, how handsome he is?" My mother said.
"All that glitters is not gold." My father replied.
"But he and his whole family look sensible too. So we shouldn't reject this proposal." She further said.
We siblings also agreed with our mom as we were also impressed by his appearance. So my father decided to say yes. After the simple engagement at home, the wedding preparations began. It was the first wedding in our family, so we were excited and we went shopping for her grand function.
Finally, the day came and my sister got happily married. It was hard for us to say goodbye to her. After her wedding day, we went to their house for the reception ceremony. We all were amazed to see their beautiful home. There was a swimming pool in the backyard. My sister and I took some shots of the pool, and just then my brother-in-law came and asked us.
"Did you like my home?"
We hesitated, but he said kind words.
"You both are like my sisters, so you don't need to be shy. I will give you the whole home tour."
He was so nice to us. He showed us his whole home and there were separate rooms for everyone. Apart from this, there was a large room which was reserved for the guests. So he invited our family to stay at their place for the night. Till yet everything went well, but they showed their true faces after the wedding.
In a few days, they took my sister's phone and restricted her from contacting us. They also burdened her with households and she was not even allowed to go out to meet her friends and family. She didn't come to us for many days and didn't make any contact. We were worried for her, so my mother asked my father to go to her home.
"Something is wrong! We should check on her."
When my father visited her, she burst into tears and told him everything they did to her.
"They are opposite of what they seem." She told him.
This was unbearable, so my father talked to them, but they were not ready to accept their mistake. So he took her home. We all were in pain to see her situation, she married with thousands of dreams in her eyes, but they broke her dreams apart.
"I can't live in this toxic relationship, where he doesn't care about my emotions. I want a divorce from him."
My father respected her decision and promised to support her thick and thin. After her divorce, we realized that all that glitter is not gold.
Thanks for reading. Image source https://unsplash.com/photos/groom-beside-bride-holding-bouquet-flowers-5BB_atDT4oA