No, no, no, your parents aren't you, so you can't tell them to like or love the person you like.
That's very correct. Mike was blinded by his love for Aisha. He couldn't discover that his preference is not necessarily the same that of his parents. I think Aisha only expressed verbal love to Mike. When the time came for her to prove it beyond a doubt, she failed to do so. Mike was in love with himself unknowingly.
Thank you for stopping by.
It was just sad that he had caged himself for many years with that misdirected perception of love he had. Maybe he's not really that in love with Aisha, but instead he's in love with the idea of loving her because that felt genuine for him.
You're welcome @lightpen!