Match Made in jannah | (jannah series #1)

CHAPTER 19:GRADUATION

MALABAR HILL MUMBAI, INDIA

For some unknown reason the sun shone brighter than every other day, even the night before the moon had been so bright that people didn't even need to use the electric light to see things. Not only was the sun and moon shining brighter but even people's mood was brighter. Unlike the gloomy mood people had about a month ago because of the stressful exams. It was graduation day! The medical and nursing students were the most happiest because even though they were treated as though they were some fragile eggs that could break at any moment, their exams and test questions were always the toughest, especially the medical students. For as long as Maha could remember 40 of them had gained admission into malabar university in their year one but since in that year one 3 students had repeated the class. Along the line some were expelled, while some repeated classes and in total only 31 students among those who were admitted managed to graduate, for one to pass a medical school such as malabar university one had to be brave, hard working and intelligent. What made Maha happy was that she had passed with not just a simple pass or distinction but she actually sailed through with a honours degree. All the medical students, all had pass and only three had distinction, she was the only one with a honours degree. For a person to pass with honours degree then that person has to have a robot brain, for as long as she could remember up till date only one person had passed with a honours degree in medicine in the year 2016. She was so proud of herself when she had seen her result, of course she always knew she would pass with a distinction, everyone around her knew that since they all knew she was intelligent but honours? Never in her wildest dream had she ever dreamt about it, well maybe she did in the past but with what had been happening recently in her life she knew she couldn't get that honours degree. She was shocked, she didn't study as she used to because her mind was always clouded with thoughts about Ayman, Naf was always the one who literally forced her to study when she kept crying and wouldn't read. Fun fact was that even when she was reading she would read for a few minutes and it would get stuck completely in her brain so it didn't come as shock to her when she got that honours degree, maybe a little but still not that much shock.
A week to her graduation she had texted Ayman informing him of her graduation, she kept waiting for a reply but non came so she knew that he was not going to come. The annoying part was that non of her family members were here, yes they haven't come yet. They were suppose to be here since yesterday but all of them brought their excuses so now their plane would land in mumbai around 8:00 in the morning, she just wished Ayman would come with them. It was only 6 in the morning but she couldn't sleep, it was only right, right? Today is her graduation and she would take her hippocratic oath today, popularly known as the oath taking and induction. She just sat beside her window staring at nothing.
If only Ayman would come.......

Anger was not enough to justify what she felt at the moment, first they were suppose to arrive around 8 but now it was already 12 but she couldn't even see their shadow, and the worst part was that none of them were picking up their calls, she felt as though they had abandoned her. She looked so beautiful in her golden ball gown and the frown on her forehead made her look adorable, what was confusing was that her mother is a special guest and she is suppose to give the students their oath but she still isn't here. This year's graduation was going to be the best because the role model of the medical students is going to be there; Mariam Nader. For the past years the school had been trying to invite her as a special guest but after much calculations, Mariam realized she wouldn't get any financial benefit so she had declined. This year was different though, whether she liked it or not she had to come because her daughter is graduating and the school couldn't let this golden opportunity slip so they had send the invitation again and this time she actually accepted.
"Maha cheer up and stop sulking, your family are going to come." Maymun said, she had been obeserving her since morning and she realized that the girl was sulking because her family were still not here, Maha said nothing and pouted her lips. There was an emotion in her green eye that Maymun couldn't quite understand, was it anger? Hatred? Or was it confusion? She didn't know but all she knew was that the girl had a deep frown on her forehead which had been there since morning and is refusing to leave.
"Cheer up, aren't you happy that you are finally going to meet your husband again?" Maymun said as she nudged Maha and wriggled her brows mischeviously, it was no secret that Maha is missing her husband in the hostel because she was always crying and her eyes were always puffy, she always had eyes bags under her eyes and whenever anyone asked her what the matter was, she would say she missed her husband. That wasn't a lie though, but people deduced that from the way she was behaving they were madly in love with each other. Maha couldn't help but burst into laughter when she heard what Maymun said, she wasn't laughing because she was happy or because she found what Maymun said amazing, instead she was laughing because she knew that Ayman would never come.
The graduation party was lively and some time later Maha began to loosen up and enjoy herself but then she saw him....
He had his back turned to her and it looked like he was on a phone call, his other hand was in his pocket but a moment later he brought it out and massaged his temples, it seems that whatever the person on the other end was telling him was frustrating him. He wasn't the only one who had his back turned to her but even if she didn't see him in a million years she would still recognize him if she is to to see him again. He was wearing casual clothes, blue jeans, a white shirt and an ash jerkin. Since she saw him she knew that her family members had arrived but she ran towards him instead, she had missed him the most and she had only spent 2 months with him, imagine how she would miss him if she was to spend a year with him. She didn't even consider the fact that she might just be hallucinating because she missed him badly, no! She didn't even want to think about that. She ran towards him while he was still on a phone call and she wrapped her hands around his waist hugging him from behind. Oh, how she had missed him warmth and his strong cologne.
Ayman frowned his face when he felt the fragile arms wrapped tightly around his waist then he hung up, even without turning he knew who it was. He didn't need to turn to know who would hug him like that, what was he even doing in india? He didn't know. He knew he was upset with her, he had seen her message telling him that her graduation was in one week but he had ignored it and went with the excuse that he had a meeting on the day of her graduation. He didn't know what happened to him but all he knew was that at the last minute he had decided that he wanted to attend her graduation. He missed her! As much as he hated to admit, the house had been boring without her, his life had always been boring ever since Aisha left but he had never minded but then she came and made him happy and he felt devastated when she left.
"Oh, Ayman! I have missed you so so much." Slowly Ayman turned around and hugged her for a few seconds before he let her go, he was telling himself not to commit the same mistake he did when he first met her but his body was saying otherwise. However, before letting her go he whispered into her ear,
"You wouldn't have left if you were truly going to miss me." He could see the deep frown between her brows and if he is going to be honest she looked adorable. He would have totally ignored her but people were around them, to be more precise her family were around, no matter what he still had to keep up the act of being a nice husband.
Ayman placed his thumb in between her eyebrows and then rubbed the spot that had crinkled, her frown softened a little even though he could see the sadness in her eyes.
"Stop frowning so much, you will get older much quicker if you keep frowning." Ayman said. To passerby it would look as though they are two couples who are madly inlove with each other, even Maha wished that was the truth but she knew this is only a facade. She gave him a tight smile and then she went to hug her other family members, when they had first been married she was willing to fight for him. In fact she had won his love, she is sure about it but then things suddenly changed, he has become much colder than he usaully is, oh! What has she done?!
She felt horrible, she felt pain all over her body yet she couldn't pinpoint where the pain was coming from.
"Congrats." Ayman whispered into her ears, they were now sitting beside each other but the silence was awkward, well Ayman didn't seem to mind. Even if he did she wouldn't really know because he face had been blank and aloof ever since they sat down together. The graduation ceremony had been going on but for some reason she felt to weak to participate in anything, in other words she is too heartbroken and disappointed.
Ayman looked at the girl sitting beside him with an unreadable expression, for the pass three months he had taught his heart how to live without her. It wasn't that hard though since he is still in love with Aisha, he didn't blame anyone but himself for what had happened. How could he even think about replacing Aisha? Is it because this girl is beautiful? Even if that is the reason is a beautiful face only what it takes to change his mind about Aisha? He felt really disappointed in himself. Now he felt nothing for her, absolutely nothing! He didn't even know what he felt for her but it definately isn't anger.
He watched as she raised one of her eyebrows indicating she didn't understand what he was congratulating her for. She looked more quiet and timid, the usaul Maha he knew was someone cheerful and quite annoying but the cute kind of annoying though it didn't afftect him anymore, well maybe a little.
"It's not everday you see someone with an honours degree in medicine, a neurosurgeon for that matter." Ayman explained as a matter of fact, he didn't even smile as he said that. His fact was just.....blank as though he was talking about business matters. He didn't lie though, he was impressed, utterly impressed. He knew her area of specialization is neurosurgery which is a brain doctor, that kind is considered as the hardest field of study in surgery. Maha said nothing and only giggled shyly, her cheeks turning crimson red. Ayman hoisted his eybrows and subconciously a smile appeared on his lips because of her reaction, what even he didn't know was that he couldn't control his body's reactions towards her, even more she was still deep inside his heart, he just needed to acknowledge his feelings for her but even he didn't know that.
Before any of them could say anything, her name was called up to the stage. Ayman watched as she walked gracefully towards the podium. Claps filled the hall as she was being annouced as the only one with a honours degree in medicine. Even George Bram, the german gynacologist who got a honours degree in the year 2016 was present and even he was stupified because he knew he would only be able to escape with a distinction if he was to specialize in neurosurgery. Finally Maha stood in front of the podium and after Dr. George Bram who is another special guest congratulate her, she had to give a speech.
Maha chuckled nervously not knowing what to say, she hadn't really prepared any speech.
"Ehm." Maha cleared her throat awkwardly, Mariam glared at her with a looked that said; don't you dare disgrace me.
"Well i haven't really prepared a speech so here goes nothing." Maha said and chuckled nervously again, the people in the hall laughed at her reaction but their eyes and ears were open waiting to hear what she would say.
"Well, i have my father to thank and my brothers and my mother, she is really a strong woman and i appreaciate all her efforts." In reality she didn't appreciate her mum's effort because she had never put any effort so what effort was there to appreciate? But she knew since her mother was a renowed doctor everyone would automatically think she played a huge role in making sure she studied hard and got the best result so she just had to say that last part. From the side of her eyes, Maha saw her mom giving a proud and arrogant smirk to all the others around her and Maha just rolled her eyes, if she was being honest her father and Zayn had played the biggest role and Ayub also before he died.
"School life was sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating. I had to cry many nights just so i could get this honours degree. It was not easy but now i'm proud of myself! Wearing that white labcoat and a stethoscope hung around your neck is the best feeling ever! At first i didn't want to go for medicine but now i know i would have regretted it if i had not went for medicine." Maha said.
"Well this is all i have to say, i said i didn't prepare a speech." Maha said when no one spoke and people kept looking at her, immediately she said that claps and cheers erupted everywhere. Her speech was nothing special but it was her result that made the speech special.
The school gave her a gift, 3 million cash reward and if she was to ever come back to further her studies in malabar university it would be totally free. Deep down Maha knew she would never come back, just coming back to finish her degree had caused a lot of chaos in her life. Soon it was time for the oath taking and induction, Mariam was the one who gave her the speech she repeated everything Mariam said.
"I shall do by my patients as I would be done by; shall obtain consultation whenever I or they desire; shall include them to the extent they wish in all important decisions; and shall minimize suffering whenever a cure cannot be obtained, understanding that a dignified death is an important goal in everyone's life." Mariam smiled, at her when the oath was completed, that smile was a smile that she rarely saw coming from Mariam. Then Mariam placed a pink stethoscope around her neck and suddenly she pulled her into a warm hug. Maha felt awkward and immediately her entire body stiffened, Mariam patted her back lovingly but because Maha could not even remember the last time she hugged her mother she felt uncomfortable and it was after a long time that she managed to hug her mother but Mariam could feel that the hug was forced.