Story of the Week - Obedience

Our next 'Story of the Week' is Obedience by The English Master which has been recommended by LSF member, Jefesse

"”This is a beautifully told story. It is a kind of modern fairy tale. It was a top vote-getter in a story challenge, so it is not really obscure. But even if you've read it before, it is worth another look.

The story is about Rukhana Malik, who has recently received her B.A. with honors at Cambridge. The story begins when her father informs her that he has chosen a husband for her. The obvious conflict is here, between Rukhana's desire to live her own life, and her duty of obedience to her family.

There is another element: Rukhana's secret desires of punishment and submission, which are unfulfilled. The ending (which is more like a new beginning) is a happy one. There's also a beautifully described switching."

Synopsis
When Rukhana Malik's father announces he's found a husband for her, she's horrified and protests. A secret submissive, she ventures out in the night to whip herself, and is startled by a quiet stranger who wields the switch for her. When the arranged husband arrives with his uncle the next day to begin negotiations, Ruki has a change of heart.

synopsis by TheEnglishMaster