I paused. “Knowing what you two have, I understand why you’ve been pushing so hard for my own marriage. You want for me what you’ve found for yourselves, and as your daughter, I can appreciate that.”

“But I also understand that marriage is not the only thing that defines our worth. It is a choice. It is one option of how we can choose to live our lives, but it is not the only one. And our worth should not be determined solely by that choice.” I looked directly at my parents as the rest of the room blurred into the background.

“I hope that one day, I can find the kind of love you both share. I truly do, insha’Allah. But I’ve realized that my life doesn’t begin once I’m married. It’s already begun—whether I’m married or not—because my happiness comes from within me as well as those around me, not from those whom I have yet to meet.” I drew in another breath.

“You both are amazing parents, but this has nothing to do with you. This is about me and the life that I want. That is the reason I have decided I will no longer spend my life waiting for someone to come along and ‘choose’ me. Nor can I allow you to choose for me. I choose myself. And that is a decision that I am okay with. I just hope that you can be okay with it too.”

I placed the microphone on the stand and walked back toward the table. The room fell quiet. The only sound came from the clacking of my heels. I stared at the floor, refusing to look up. With each step I took, my heart felt lighter. Freer. Like a heavy burden had been lifted. Despite the silence in the room, there was a thunder roaring in my chest.

As I made my way to my seat, there was a sudden clap in the back of the room. Then another. After a few hesitant seconds, the rest of the room joined in with broken applause.

“Yeah, Leila!” I heard Tania yell from the back.

I looked at my parents and saw pain in their eyes. As I braced myself for all the guilt they would no doubt inflict on me, this time, I felt ready. No tears, no lamentations over cut noses and absent grandchildren would change my mind now. But to my surprise, my mother stood up and quietly took me by the arms and pulled me in close.

“Oh, Leila, we have only ever wanted your happiness,” she whispered into my ear. “How could you think otherwise?”

My father got up and wrapped his arms around the both of us. “Leila, we are proud of you, beti,” he said. “Marriage or no marriage, you are our daughter and we love you.” And with those words, everyone and everything in the room seemed to fade and the three of us just stood there, locked in an embrace.