The Heart Learns

Ch 1: The past disturbs

edited

Maya was dressed up in her graduation attire and ready to go. Today will be the last day she would see those jerks who bothered her all her school life. Her highschool days are over and this day was a special occasion,her graduation. After this day,she will never see them again or she hoped so. Whatever it would be,she promised to herself she will make a better life when she goes to university.

Maya locked the door and turned to use the stairs. The lift of the apartment was not working.She called a taxi which she saw immediately after reaching outside. She got inside with a sigh.She was not sure of the feeling she has at the moment. Everyone was ofcourse elated on their graduation day. It was a day filled with happiness and abit of sorrow as you bid bye to your wonderful journey in the past. Maya's mind wasn't working that way. She didn't know how to respond. After all, humiliation was part of her life. 

She was a victim of being bullied and hated. She has very few friends but not close. Friends who would not let her sit with them during lunch break due to fear they would be laughed at if they allowed Maya in. No one stood up for her when she was bullied. Her supposed friends stayed away lest they would get hurt too. All they could do is to console by whatever they can say when Maya is left crying. People acted nice to her only when they needed help from her,after that they turned to their cold selves again. She was called funny and cynical names. Often she was kicked and punched by the mean girls leaving her bruised . The boys used to pour cold water on her head. Sometimes, her school notes went missing and found on the next day either torn or dirty.She always sat alone in class. No one wanted her to be in their group work. She did not want to join them either since they blamed her for their mistakes.

Maya did not recognize the tears coming from her eyes. She quickly got tissue from her mini-purse and cleaned her face. Good she did not wear makeup, otherwise her face would look like zombie by now.

Come on,I promised to not mind them any more. Forget them and forget the past too. Allah will make the future better.Trust Him.

The window was open and the warm breeze hit her soft skin. She inhaled the scent of the spring air. Her favorite colour is green. To get over the uneasy feeling she had now,she trailed off to admire the flora standing behind the pavement of the long street on which the car was travelling.

Soon,the taxi stopped at the gate of her destined location. Other students were getting in with their parents. This was not only a highschool but also a middle school starting from standard five. So,she was a bully target since she was 11 years old and now 18. She had gone through a lot of misery.

Maya quickly walked towards the hall where the ceremony will take place. She has to pass through the grass fields where there are many students in their graduation gowns and they were laughing,talking and clicking pictures.

As Maya sped up to avoid anyone's gaze,someone abruptly jumped infront of her. Zaid,her forever rival. That's what Maya knew about him and his friends. Zaid was looking at her with an evil smirk.

"Yo guys, look who came to graduate. The loser! " he was calling for his friends. "Don't you know,losers don't receive the certificate?"he continued, showing his fine set of teeth as he mockingly laughed at her.

"Well,they can give you a certificate for being stupid" said Daisy as she came and stood beside Zaid. Daisy was always wanting to be Zaid's charm. He was well aware of that but kept it to friendship. He never wanted anything more than it. The others came to join them.Poor Maya could not escape as those horrible people were now surrounding her .She was in the middle of the circle they formed.

Maya started shaking a little. She does not want her last day to go bad,at least not on this special day.
"Leave me alone and move" Maya said . She was called loser so many times despite the fact that she was a brilliant student. Her mind even absorbed their ruthless words and she came to believe she was a loser.

"What if we don't move?" Daisy put her hands on her hips.

"I will call the teacher."

"So?!....I dare you to call,so you may face the consequence after." Daisy challenged, she knew Maya will not report if she was threatened. Maya was scared of her mostly. Daisy inflicted enough torture on Maya to make her feel this way.

"Daisy,don't interrupt the majesty,let her go." Zaid told and they all started laughing. They broke the circle to make way for her to move. While she walked to get away from them,someone pushed her with force from behind and she fell down. Again they laughed.

All those bad memories were going through her head now.

Flashback

"Hey,can I sit here? "She asked Zaid.
" Stupid girls don't sit beside me" he said .
"I am not stupid" she said back angrily.
Everyone were banging tables and declaring out loud." Maya is a stupid girl. Boo boo to you".
And then,someone threw a dirty handkerchief at her. Before she could scream at the person, the others raised their voices,rambling words but they were not clearly audible since they were coming from everyone in class . Their words were getting mixed. Lisa and Emma,whom she thought they got her back were silent as usual.

"Silence class !" came in their teacher. Maya didn't say anything to the young lady who just got in.Maya quietly took the back bench and sat there alone. Her hands turned into fists, she lowered her head so no one could see her gloomy face. She heard some whisperings and they were talking about her.

It seems that bullying has become a style which made one smart and courageous. If the senior students don't get its side effects,how do you expect making these middle school children understand. They learn from their elders. They watch weak people being made fun of and hence,they learn how to make fun of others. The young fail to understand how being rude to others is an act of indiscipline rather than smartness.

Maya stood up and held back her tears. When she fell,some other people came closer to have a look at her woe.  She was finding it difficult to control herself from crying. She hurriedly walked away from them and rushed into the washroom.

She looked at the mirror to see her distorted self. Her cheeks were red and she let the grief out in form of tears.

Oh Allah,give me courage. Give me patience. This is too much.

She held the edge of the basin to support herself from falling to the floor. Her throat was aching. She was feeling the kind of pain as if you took in some cold medicine. Maya took time to calm herself and then the bell rang. She washed her face and dried it before exiting the washroom. Her face may look calm but her eyes didn't. They were small and red from crying. She wants to be strong but it's being hard on her. It is not working fast as she thought it should.

This is the first chapter guys, I will update soon. Till then ,take care. Please vote and comment. :)