It wasn't meant to be ✔️

Chapter 5

Ughhhhhh! I hate him. He's making my life hell, purposely or not, he was doing it. I looked at my phone to check the time I had 6 minutes left so I might make it. I jumped into my car and made my way to the college. I made it in time. I sat at my desk with my notebook ready to learn. It felt nice having my interest in studies back. My mum was recovering slowly but surely.

10 minutes into the lesson, my phone starts ringing. At first I think it's him but when I check it's the nurse.

I'm scared.

What is she going to say now?

The bad news always reached me when I was in college, like when I was told she has stage 4 cancer, when her chemotherapy stopped working and when she had less than 2 months to live.

I took a deep breath and started to ask the teacher if I could answer. " Hey, can I-" she cut me off "Of course you can. Take a step outside and take all the time you need." She smiled softly probably to reassure me that it would be nothing bad after seeing the panic plastered on my face. I returned her smile and walked out of the room.

I composed myself again and was about to answer it when it stopped ringing. I looked at the screen blankly. Maybe it's not important if she isn't ringing again. I kept staring and my phone buzzed again 2 seconds later, I picked it up immediately. "Hello, Ayla is that you?"

"Yes" I replied.

"Your mother has passed. 11:20am. Her breathing started to eradicate when you left."

"Well, why wouldn't you call me back?"

"We tried to - but you weren't paying attention to your surroundings as were so absorbed in your thoughts."

"Why didn't you call me then?"

"We did that as well but it would go straight to voicemail and I was then asked to assist the doctor who was helping your mum as her condition had deteriorated extremely in such a short period of time."

Tears building up in my eyes, the news was finally settling with me. She was gone. My mum, my world, my life, my everything. I was all alone in this horrible duniya now. Everything I did was for her. My hot tears ran down my face. What am I going to do now? What was I going to do with my life and myself? She was the reason I lived.

"Uhmm Ayla? Are u still there?"

"Huh? Um yeah. Sorry... Umm I wanted to ask whether she got to read her Shahada before she took her last breath?" I asked her cause this nurse was Muslim and would know what I was on about.

"Yes Alhumdulilah she did get to read it before she passed" her voice heavy as if she was going to cry as well. "She wanted me to pass on a message to you..."

"Go on" I urged her.

"It's a, um... a voice recording. Is that OK?"

I broke down. My tears rolling down my checks faster as she didn't know how she had helped me. I'll actually hear her voice one last time, I was so grateful.

"Yeah, that's ok. Please play it now" The voice recording started playing.

"Ayla, meri beti I love you, I love you with all my might. You were the reason I lived this long but now it's my time to go, my Lord wants me back. Don't cry at my funeral. Sure I'm leaving you in this zalim duniya but it's my time to go. It's my time to return to her creator. Meri guriya never lose faith in your religion nor your lord as it is he who gives life and takes lives. Live your life to the fullest you've sacrificed a lot for me. Focus on your studies be the best you can be and aspire to be the person I'll always be proud of. Your the only child of mine who stayed by my side during my worst. I'm not going to get a chance to repeat this again but you are my best child. You were the one who helped me when I was suicidal. You were the one who didn't let me lose faith in my religion nor in myself and you were the one who gave up everything up to help me, but never gave up on me. Thank you for this. I know you're probably going to reply with 'it's my duty' but beti you could have given up on me like the rest but you didn't, you didn't stop believing in me. I love you with all my might for this. Please don't stop your life cause I'm gone, but begin living. Begin living a new chapter without me. I know you don't want to but please do, for my sake. So I can lie in my grave in peace. Knowing I didn't burden my beautiful daughter with my responsibilities and stopped her from living her life..." there's a break as if for her to catch a breath, it was ironic as she would be taking her last breath in a few moments of time "there's one more thing I want to tell you. Marry that boy. His heart's pure, intentions clean and he is very respectful."

That khota had been to see my mum. HOW the HELL didn't I know?

"I won't be able to see it but I know that your happiness lies with him. Please just marry him, meri jaan." She stops talking for a while. "My times up now. Just remember I love you, with all my heart and please accept every test from Allah wholeheartedly, he tests those who he loves, meri jaan." She then read her her Shahada and the recording went silent.

"That's all." The nurse stated, it was clear from her voice that she was crying as well. "Thank you... thank you for recording it. You don't know how much this meant to me." I forced the words out.

"Your welcome. Your lucky that you were given the chance to repay your mother by taking care of her in darkest times. You are a wonderful daughter. Don't forget that."

"Can..C..Can you please send that to me please?" I requested.

"Of course. I'll do it now. You need to come in and see the body if you want no one is forcing you. Sign a few papers and we'll give the body then you can start preparing the funeral."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. Don't lose hope you will get through this just have faith in Allah, ok?"

"I know. Thanks again. I'll come within an hour cause my lessons still going on. Is that ok?"

"Yes that's fine. Bye for now."

When she cut off the phone, my body gave up. My legs didn't want to support my steps anymore my hands didn't want to wipe my tears but my tears wouldn't stop coming. No! Get a grip on yourself. It'll all be fine if I just have Allah by my side and keep all my faith in Him.

******

So, that happened. Who expected it?

What's going to happen between Ismail and Ayla?