It Was Destined to Be by Mergina Anwari

"No way!" Natalia screeched. "I'm not getting married!" "I have my whole life ahead of me and this is what you planned for me?" "We are only concerned for your well being and we both agree that the boy we chose for you is perfect." Her father said rather calmly. "How can he be perfect when he wasn't even my choice?" "Now don't be so judgmental Natalia, your father is right and we have already set the date with the boy's family." Replied Natalia's incredibly beautiful mother. "An arranged marriage!" Natalia retorted and I thought you of all people took so much pride in living in the twenty first century.             "You don't need a man sweetheart, you are an independent woman who needs no one but herself for support." Natalia mimicked in what was supposed to be her mother's high-pitched, soprano, of a voice. "I don't understand why you try so hard to be different when the truth is that you are both exactly like your parents, who by the way you contradict all the time." " Natalia this conversation has come to a close." Replied her father quite coolly. Natalia bolted up the massive staircase of her family's mansion with tears streaming down her delicate face. As Natalia cried herself to sleep night after night, she thought of one way to get out of this mess. She decided to runaway to America. At least there she could further her education without being forced into marriage. For the first night in weeks, Natalia fell asleep with tears of joy lingering in the corners of her eyes. Natalia Ali was an Egyptian princess of her time; born from royal blood she had everything she so desired. She lived in the heart of Italy in a colossal mansion. She was the only girl in a generation full of boys. Her parents therefore, adored her and succumbed to her every wish and demand. She had everything she ever wanted beauty, money, and most importantly brains. Her parents only wanted one thing from her, which was to be married to their close friends who were also very wealthy. This was the one area where Natalia had no say and her parents were the ones who would trace the path of her future, whether she liked it or not.   Dean Vassari was your typical, everyday hunk. He was twenty years old with jet-black hair and crystalline green eyes. His gaze was intense, his body even more so. He was standing in the middle of the Italian airport as he had just gotten off the plane from America. "Yes mom I ate something on the plane." Dean told his mother over the phone." Yes I have my passport and everything." "Everything is cleared at home and school." "No I'm not worn out." Dean said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Has your plane already landed, are we late? Replied Dean's mother hastily. "Yes it did and yes you are, as usual." "Wait until you get home Dean, your father and I have a big surprise for you." "What is it?" Dean groaned. "I can't wait for you to meet her." his mother gushed. "Meet her?" "Oh no mom tell me you didn't, you wouldn't, not again!" Dean said irritably. Natalia Ali was an Egyptian princess of her time; born from royal blood she had everything she so desired. She lived in the heart of Italy in a colossal mansion. She was the only girl in a generation full of boys. Her parents therefore, adored her and succumbed to her every wish and demand. She had everything she ever wanted beauty, money, and most importantly brains. Her parents only wanted one thing from her, which was to be married to their close friends who were also very wealthy. This was the one area where Natalia had no say and her parents were the ones who would trace the path of her future, whether she liked it or not.   Dean Vassari was your typical, everyday hunk. He was twenty years old with jet-black hair and crystalline green eyes. His gaze was intense, his body even more so. He was standing in the middle of the Italian airport as he had just gotten off the plane from America. "Yes mom I ate something on the plane." Dean told his mother over the phone." Yes I have my passport and everything." "Everything is cleared at home and school." "No I'm not worn out." Dean said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Has your plane already landed, are we late? Replied Dean's mother hastily. "Yes it did and yes you are, as usual." "Wait until you get home Dean, your father and I have a big surprise for you." "What is it?" Dean groaned. "I can't wait for you to meet her." his mother gushed. "Meet her?" "Oh no mom tell me you didn't, you wouldn't, not again!" Dean said irritably as a pearl. As she glided a waft of freesia came from her dark mysterious locks that cascaded down to the center of her back. The scent hypnotized him and sent his mind reeling.  He stood in some line that she was in and when she was next he heard her angelic voice say something audible yet not clear. He realized he was next and while still in his stupor he hastily turned around and half sprinted as he accidentally collided face to face with her. Her touch left a tingling sensation as he looked into her eyes. She had come knocking on his door yet he was too dazed to answer.             Natalia gasped for air as she stared into the eyes of the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Her hands were gripped to his shirt to keep herself from falling and her nails dug into the hardness that was underneath. She could have let go a long time ago but liked the feel of the cool stone of his chest. Her own chest lacked the sensation of oxygen and so she took a deep breath and unintentionally inhaled his enticing smell. She almost passed out but could not keep her eyes off long enough to do so. He in turn was staring at her in a strange stupor, as if her ordinary self was something extraordinary. When he finally spoke he said something that Natalia couldn't comprehend, her head and her heart were to heavy to think. He said it again and it sounded like he was apologizing. She quickly shook herself out of her daze and responded.  "No, no it's fine, I'm fine." She unconsciously said.  "Are you sure, you're not hurt are you?" He replied.  "Positive, I'm better than ever." "Where are you headed to?" he asked a little too curiously. "To L.A where I plan to attend college, and yourself?" " The same exact place for the same exact reason." "Will you excuse me for a moment, stay right here I just have to clear something." Dean said nervously. Before she could reply he raced off to where flight tickets were purchased and happened to cut everybody in line.  "A ticket to L.A. please" he said, ignoring all the rude stares and remarks coming from behind him. "Yes, I also plan on attending U.C. L.A. because they have a better business education than my previous college, I'm actually just about to transfer once I get home. Dean rambled on the plane. "Wow what a coincidence, same airport, same destination, same plane seats, and same school." Natalia replied in astonishment. "I don't think it was so much coincidence rather than destiny" Dean said. "It was destined to be." "Don't tell me you believe in all that." Natalia said. "Well why not, if it wasn't destiny than what else brought us into each other's lives so unexpectedly?" Dean complied. So they stepped in to each other's lives and changed each other's pathways. Dean transferred to U.C.L.A. where he spent every waking minute with Natalia. Natalia told him why she really had come to America and Dean said that something similar had happened to him. They told each other about their dreams; Natalia's being to continue her schooling to become a heart surgeon and Dean's to spend every waking moment with the love of his life. They promised each other that they would make sure they would help fulfill each other's dreams and ambitions. "When you become a heart surgeon will you operate on my heart?" Dean asked one day." "Why on earth would I do that!" Natalia asked, surprise and anger both in her voice. "Because you walked right into my life and stopped my heart dead in its tracks." Dean replied.  They loved each other madly and did everything together. Everyday their love just increased more and more for one another. Then after four wonderful years they got married. They were happy as ever until one day when Dean got a call from his parents. "Are you insane?" Natalia bellowed. "I can't come to Italy with you." "Well why not, my parents have been calling and waiting for me to visit them for a long time, and I can't refuse them." Dean frustratingly conveyed. "I never asked you to refuse them, I think it's a wonderful idea and that you should go and have fun." "How can I go without you though, do you know how happy my parents will be to finally meet you?" "I understand that but you also know my situation." Natalia said tiredly." With such a small distance between your parents and my parents house, I just can't take that chance of running into them." "So what if you do, they probably miss you terribly!" Dean angrily accused. "I ran away from home, with what face do I approach them with!" Natalia said in between tears. "With the beautiful face that you have." Dean said soothingly as he went to hold Natalia in his arms. "I have never disobeyed my parents and I can't bear to see their disappointment." Natalia said into Dean's shoulder. "Please, for me will you just go." "For you I can do anything." Dean made clear. "So you're going." "Not willingly, but if you want me too I will." "Oh thank you, I love you." Natalia sang. "I love you too." Dean whispered. Dean sulkily left Natalia alone and went to Italy. His parents were unbelievably happy to see him and were angry at the fact that he rarely called or visited them in the last four years. Before he went into the vast living room of his parent's mansion his mother took him aside and told him that they had guests over. "These are the parents of the girl we wanted you to meet almost four years ago but she ran away." his mother said. Her parents are devastated so be polite. Dean nodded and went into the room to greet the guests. After they left Dean went upstairs and got ready for bed. The next night at dinner he asked about why the girl ran away and if it was because of him. His mother said that know one knew why she did it. She said that she had a picture of her and went into the next room to get it. When she handed it to Dean his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets because the person who was staring back at him was none other than his beloved Natalia.