Match Made in jannah✅

CHAPTER 21: SMILE

MALABAR HILL MUMBAI, INDIA

Ayman woke up alone in bed, touching Maha's side of the bed he realized it was cold so he realized she must have left for quite a long time. Memories about last night came flooding back to him like a memory reel. Sighing heavily, Ayman got out of bed to get ready for the day, after all they were leaving india today. He seriously did not know how his life had taken a 180 degree turn. Oh! He was forgetting that his marriage to Maha had changed his life, this marriage didn't only change his life but it was also starting to change his mind and heart. He felt a painful tug in his heart when he remembered Maha's trembling figure that had been crying last night. Is this love? No! It can't be! This isn't the same feeling he had towards Aisha, the feeling of wanting to go to above and beyond for her, the feeling of wanting to exchange his life for her own, the feeling of protection, the feeling of wanting to snatch all her tears so she could never cry again. With Maha? He didn't know what he actually felt for her. When it comes to Maha his emotions becomes too complicted for even him to understand, or maybe he was the one confusing himself? Walking out of the room, Ayman went towards the living room but suddenly a figure jumped in front of him trying to startle him.
Ayman stayed right were he was, his both hands crossed and placed on his behind, he didn't even move when Zayn made that suddenly attack to scare him. He stood unmoving, not even blinking his eyes as he stared at Zayn with nonchalant and indifferent eyes. He watched as the huge grin on Zayn's face slowly turn somber and then Zayn hit him hard on his shoulder, but the man didn't even move, he didn't even stumble nor did he show a sign of losing his balance! He was just like a living stature, if not for the steady rise and fall of his chest then someone would really confuse him for a stature so perfectly carved out by the most talented artist. Zayn tsked before he said with a bored look on his face,
"You're no fun! Couldn't you have at least pretended to be scared?" Ayman said nothing and only raised one of his eyebrows, Zayn rolled his eyes and turned around and started to walk away. Ayman followed beside him silently, it was really a shock how the two of them who were so opppsite became friends. Ayman always likes to run away from people who talk to much; to be more precise he chases them away with his cold and indifferent behaviour. Anyone who knew Zayn would say he is a talkative but somehow his friendship with Ayman is going really great, too great to be more precise. But the duo do have a deep understanding for each other even without the other speaking so it might be the reason for their close bond, not to speak of the fact that they were friends when they were kids.
"Tessie isn't picking up my calls." Zayn said, finally breaking the silence. Ayman turned to look at him and hoisted one of his eyebrows as though to say 'so? What is my business?'
"Will you stop that?" Zayn said as he stomped his feet on the ground and crossed his arms over his torso as though he was child, sulking because he didn't get what he wanted. Ayman couldn't help but roll his eyes at the manchild in front of him, he truly is like Maha.
"Maybe you should use the advice you gave me just yesterday and find out what you did to her." Ayman said, by now he was used to his younger sister's bantering with this childish grown up man she calls a boyfriend.
"But-"
"Don't disturb me, let me think. You are not the only one having a relationship problem." Ayman said, from where he stood he had a perfect view of Maha sitting down in the living room. She was sitting down all alone on a sofa, she sat down hugging her knees as she placed her head on her knees but Ayman could still see her face. She had a faraway look yet her face looked so serene and peaceful. She sat there like a lost angel, who had been wronged. Ayman felt so bad because no matter how he tried to push the thought away it still came back to him, he knew he had hurt her.
Zayn followed Ayman's line of sight and he noticed the man was staring at Maha, it didn't take a genius to know that the two were fighting. Today Maha had woken up unusaully early, even before anyone woke uo. She had been sitting on that same couch for the past two hours and she was refusing to stand up. To make matters worst she hasn't even eaten.
"You guys are unbelievable, you just met yesterday but you guys already got into a fight?" Ayman said nothing and only kept on staring at Maha, Zayn shook his head and left Ayman. He knew they needed space to sort out whatever issue it was that they were having.
Maha didn't even notice when Ayman arrived until she saw him sit next to her, no one spoke as both the two of them were occupied with different thoughts. Ever since she woke up and heard him calling that name.... Aisha? She had left him alone on the bed and came down stairs. At that time no one had woken up so she had sat alone, just staring into space. It looked as though she was thinking about her current predicament but in reality she was actually thinking about things that had happened to her all through her life. For as long as she could remember, whenever she had a problem she would always sit down alone and try hard to think about it but always memories about event that had happened in her life always seem to interrupt her from thinking and today also was no exception.
Then she saw Ayman's hand move towards the table in front of her and then he picked up a drug that was kept there.
"You still use the drugs?" Ayman asked after staring at the drug for quite a long time as though the drug had wronged him in some way.
Maha didn't know why but she felt obliged to answer, she felt like it was some kind of responsiblity for her to say it out loud and so she said the words that were at the tip of her tongue.
"The drug isn't mine." She watched as he nodded his head slowly and then he kept the drug back on the table before he retracted his hand. The room fell silent again until Maha spoke again.
"You must really love that girl alot." Maha said, her voice was hoarse, as though her throat hasn't had any contact with water for a long time.
"Yes." Came Ayman's reply. Just three words and it was a enough to shatter her world, she felt as though her heart had been broken into a tiny million pieces and the pieces had been spread out and couldn't even be found and placed back together. Why?! Couldn't he at least lie? Couldn't he pretend not to hear her question?! Why?! Why?! Why?!! Why is it that she hard to fall so hard for a man who clearly doesn't love her? Why is it that her heart is refusing to stop loving him even though her mind and body are screaming, telling her to let go? Why can't she just have a normal happy life like everyone else? Is her fate that bad? Who had she ever offended that her lucky stars seem to dwindle. Despite the emotions going through Maha's body she managed to nod her head as her grip on her knees tightened, she dug her nails into her knees that it began to hurt but she didn't care. A stubborn tear then escaped her eyes but she wiped it off harshly and turned her face to the other side so Ayman wouldn't see. But all her actions had all been seen by Ayman since he had said that 'yes'.
"She's dead." Maha froze in her spot, she could hear the pain in his voice as he said those words, she's dead?! Maha couldn't believe what her ears were telling her, the selfish part of her took over her and relief washed through her when she realized the girl is dead. Turning around to face Ayman the relief that Maha had felt just moments ago vanished into thin air as though it was never there before. The sight of a man as powerful as Ayman looking so downhearted and heartbreaking was something that no one would be able to endure. His eyes were red as they glistened with unshed tears, it was clear that he was try so hard to stop his tears. His calm and unfathomable facade broke and it was replaced with the look of a man who had given up all hopes on life, why hadn't she ever realized this before? That she had married a walking dead? It was clear this man was also just waiting for the day he would also follow his beloved but then how could she notice it when he was always wearing that unfathomable blank look on his face? Even with his current situation, he was still trying to pull up a strong face but Maha could still see the slight trembling of his hand. He must have loved that said Aisha alot! Loved? Who was she kidding? It was clear that he is still in love with her and he had already confessed.
"She died on our wedding day, she should have at least wait to enter our new home before she died." Ayman said, the emotion he had bottled up for three years were now threatening to break free. He felt so good after he told Maha those words, he had kept them bottled inside him that he didn't realize they were becoming a burden, he didn't realize he was carrying a heavy load on his shoulder. He didn't realize telling someone what he felt would make him feel better but it did, it really did! He didn't realize that he was actually going insane behind that calm and blank facade of his. He had always asked himself why she did not die out of all the days and instead died on their wedding day, why couldn't she die a week before their wedding or a month? Why didn't she die a month or even a year after their wedding? Why?!
"She's in a better place." Maha said as she reached out and gently patted his shoulder, she held his shoulder as she drew soothing circles on his shoulder with her thumb.
"Why did she have to die so soon? She promised me she would be with me through thick and thin. She said we would grow old together with our white hairs and our grandchildren running around the house so why did she leave me?" Ayman said, he had now covered his face with both his palms and Maha could guess he is crying.
"Please Ayman, don't talk as though you are not a muslim."
"What should i do then? You have no idea how much i miss her, you have no idea how much i have yearned to see her, to hear her voice and to see her beautiful smile." Maha tried to swallow the lump in her throat and instead forced out a smile, how could she not feel sad when the man whom she loved so much was busy confessing his undying love for his deceased wife in front of her. It would be a huge lie if she said she wasn't jealous but she decided to push that thought aside and instead focus on calming Ayman down and supporting him as best as she could. Letting go of his shoulder Maha held his head before placing it gently on her shoulder as she rubbed soothing circles on his back.
"It's okay, let it out." Maha whispered softly into his ears, she had noticed how hard he was trying to not to break down in front of her and when she said those words he gripped her waist and hugged her close to him as though afraid she would run away if he let go. He didn't make any sound as he held her but the wetness she felt on her neck and shoulder told her he really was crying, he was finally letting it out.
"I don't know what to do, i just want to see her one more time even if it is just for one minute, i want to hear her voice again, i want to see her beautiful smile again." Maha said nothing as she continued rubbing circles on his back even she was crying now, she felt bad for both herself and Ayman, they both were in love with people they could never have. That kind of love is the worst kind.
"What did i do to make her leave me so soon?"
"It's no one's fault Ayman. She wouldn't have died if it wasn't her time." Maha said and Ayman nodded his head vigorously.
.......

Both Maha and Ayman sat down quietly inside the airplane, though Maha was still holding Ayman's hand and whenever she felt it tremble she would give it a gentle squeeze as though reassuring him that everything would be alright. The dull atmosphere surrounding the couple had also affected the Al-hariths' and everyone was quiet as though someone had died, they had all tried asking them what the matter was but none of them would budge and they kept telling them that nothing was wrong. It was clear to everyone that they had all cried, especially Maha. Ayman was trying his best to put on his unfathomable blank look but his eyes were still red from his crying.
Ayman stared at their hands that was resting on Maha's lap and then his gaze landed on Maha who was sitting down leaning her head against the window, she looked so faraway and lost that she didn't even notice when Ayman called her name. She only heard him when he called her a little loudly and squeezed her hand a bit.
"You still want to stay with me?" Ayman asked, he was surprised that she was still sitting here and actually trying to console him when most women would have left and never came back. She really is a wonderful woman.
Maha stared at him for a long time with out breaking her gaze, she looked deep into his black eyes as though it held a secret that could be unlocked if she looked deeper and then she chuckled softly, her smile looked so breathtakenly beautiful yet at the same time sad.
"We compliment each other, you know." Maha said, she had turned her gaze back to the window but when she heard no reply she turned to look at the man beside her, he looked so calm that if she hadn't seen him cry with her own eyes she wouldn't believed it if some one told her he was the same person crying and trembling just about 4 hours ago.
"We are both so broken." Maha paused as though contemplating about what she wanted to say next and then she spoke again,
"I will stay as long as you are not the one who wants me out of your life."
"I might never be able to reciprocate your feeling."
"Might? You heard yourself right? So you might fall for me." Maha looked at Ayman before a small smile, so breathtaking and devilishly handsome curled up on his lips. They both became silent and no one spoke but they were still holding each other's hand.
"You stopped smiling because of what happened?" Maha asked, she had been turning around every now and then trying to know the perfect words she could say.
"I could never bring myself to smile again, it felt so hard just smiling." Ayman said and then he shrugged his shoulders elegantly.
"You should try to smile, if i were to tell you the reason why i took those drugs, you would be shocked. I'm suppose to hate myself after what happened but i am still smiling. Try to smile more often, it will lessen the pain. And the burden......" Maha trailed off as she exhaled sharply trying to stop her own tears at the rememberance of what happened.
"You killed someone?" Ayman asked, Maha looked at him but there was no surprise in her eyes, instead she chuckled in disbelief and guiltiness.
"I said it my sleep, didn't i?" Maha asked and Ayman nodded his head.
"I did kill someone...... someone very important to me." Maha said, she was expecting him to remove his hand from her hold and look at her with disgust but none of that happened, instead he squeezed her hand in assurance and his eyes softened and then.... a smile so breathtaking, so sinfully beautiful graced his face. It was a smile that she had never expected to see, at least not now when she just told him she is a murderer and didn't give him a detailed explaination as to why she did it.
"You are right. We should smile, it will lessen the burden."

what actually happened six years ago?
Any guesses?
Is Maha's jealousy justified? Would you also be jealous if you were in her shoes?
Ugh😩 i feel so sad for Ayman, i wanna cry for him😢😭.
Thoughts? Do share it in the comment section.

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See ya in the next 2 years🖐
Yeah, you heard me right 2 years😏🤣🏃‍♀️