Match Made in jannah✅

CHAPTER 25: BURNING INFERNO

ABUJA NIGERIA

Maha felt ecstatic. Happiness was an understatement to what she felt at the moment. The other night she couldn't sleep because she was too excited about travelling to kano today, she couldn't believe how time flew by so quickly. It has now been ten months since her marriage to Ayman, it all felt like a blur. When her father had told her about the marriage, how Farouk caused a tantrum in her house, the wedding, the Shugabas' and the time that Samira and hajiya babba had come to visit Muhammad. Just as she had predicted Muhammad did not survive the surgery, Ayman was so heartbroken when Muhammad died. What happened to Muhammad had shaken Sufyan and he refused to let Mariam go ahead with her next surgery, he said they would wait until they found a donor. Everyone also thought that was the best, but Mariam didn't mind. She said she would be the happiest if she died now, according to her she had accomplished everything in her life and it was finally time for her to go back to her maker. She was right though, she had lived a perfect and luxurious life, she had a happy and peaceful family so what was there to want again? Only a greedy person would want more. Above all know she knew she could trust Maha with the fortunes she had left, she trusted in her abilities and she knew Maha would lead Nader general to new heights. The incident about Muhammad's death made people ignore what happened between Farouk, Maha and Ayman.
Farouk's mother had told hajiya babba about the incident, Maha and Ayman had denied any of such thing happening though, they said nothing of such happened but the bruises on Farouk's body made people think other wise. The talk died down a week after Muhammad's death even though Maha and Ayman had threatened Farouk again, telling him that the beating would be worse than the first one if he tried anything stupid. Maha didn't know if she was nervous, anxious or happy but she knew she wanted to go to kano. She and Ayman were going to kano to celebrate eid with his family, had she still been unmarried then she would have followed her family to saudi Arabia since the beginning of fasting. The past months spent with Ayman were filled with joy, sadness and remorse but she wanted to believe it had been the best ten months of her life, it was a rollercoaster ride. Though that dreadful incident had happened six years ago in kano, she still felt happy that she was going to kano. What could possibly go wrong? She had kept thinking to herself, he was no longer in nigeria, infact no one in the family knew where he was. She had asked herself what could possibly go wrong not knowing that her going to kano would make everything go wrong. Closed wounds that had healed would open, buried secrets would resurface and going to kano would change both her and Ayman's peaceful life. If they would have a glimpse of what would happen in the future after going to kano then going to kano would be the best decision for them. But since they do not have the ability to know the future then going to kano would shatter them both, it would shatter their already broken hearts, that the broken pieces will burn into ashes and fly away with the wind in the hopes of at least living a life without getting broken over and over again.
"Someone looks happy." Ayman said with a teasing smile, the joy in her green eyes had not escaped his sharp eyes since the day he told her they were going to kano to celebrate eid. It made him wonder what was so special about kano that she wanted to go, he knew her paternal grandmother is from kano but that still cannot be the reason for so much happiness, it might have been the reason for her happiness had her grandmother still been alive and still living in kano. So why so much happiness? They had already arrived in kano and the moment they had landed in Aminu kano airport, a black convoy was already waiting for them. They were now travelling in the middle of many other cars driven by military personnel for the sake of their safety. Maha turned to look at him and then smiled at him, there was something about her smile that always left a warm feeling in his heart, he still didn't want to accept his feelings for her. She had said a year, he just had to wait for two more months and he was sure once she left his feeling for Aisha would return and all the complicated feelings he had for her would vanish. She sat facing the window and he only had a view of the side of her face, she had a serene look on her face. Everything about her told him she was meant to be a queen, the queen of the northerners to be exact. From her squared shoulders to her raised chin. The way she walked with arrogance and confidence reminded him of his mother. The way they both walked with elegance and grace and at the same time with arrogance, it was now he realized that she did things just like his mother. Almost all their habits were the same, he chuckled at that realization.
"You do things just like my mother, i remember saying i wanted a wife just like my mother when i was much younger. Aisha was nothing like my mother." Ayman said whilst looking at her, it was then realization dawned on him. He had always said he wanted a wife like his mother but Aisha behaved nothing like his mother, she was also elegant in her own way but Maha's elegance and grace seemed as though she had been personally trained by Samira herself. What if his wish had actually been fulfilled and Aisha died and then his wife got replaced with a woman who is just like his mother? No, it can't be right? Ayman struggled to get the disturbing thought out of his head, he is a muslim and he was not suppose to think about the reasons why Allah had taken his creation. He forced himself to believe that it was her time and that was why she died but he still sat uncomfortably in the car, the car seemed to become tiny and he became sweaty. Suddenly he heard Maha chuckle beside him, the sound of her laughter was so melodious that he felt himself calming down.
"Are you regretting wanting a wife like your mother?" Maha asked, despite the smile on her face he could still see how she was hurting in her eyes. Her green eyes were like a window to her soul and it allowed him to see everything about her, no matter how much she forced a smile that window in her eyes would let him see what she was actually feeling.
"Then maybe she wouldn't have died and you wouldn't have had to marry me?" Maha asked, she raised one eyebrow and this time she couldn't hide the pain in both her eyes and face. The pain was unbearable she felt like a thousand needles were being pierced through her heart, her smile was bittersweet. No matter how she tried, she could no longer hide the burning jealousy she felt towards the dead Aisha. The jealousy was like a burning inferno that refused to die down no matter how hard she tried, she didn't know love could be this painful. If she had known she would never have tried, everyday it felt like her heart was being torn into pieces and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop it from happening. She no longer had control over her heart anymore, all her heart knew was how to love Ayman whilst knowing the love will never be reciprocated, it was a one sided love and she couldn't change that fact even if she would beg him to love her, even if she would keep screaming her love for him until her lungs dried out, even if she cried until there was no tears left to shed. That was the harsh reality and she knew she had to accept it but her heart was not ready to accept it and that shattered her even more.
"You are regretting your childhood dreams, right?" Maha managed to ask after she had swallowed the lump in her throat, he regretted his childhood dream and along with that he regretted marrying her, he regretted knowing her. What in the world could be more painful that this? The person she loved the most was regretting knowing her.
Ayman couldn't look Maha in the eyes when she asked that question, what could he possibly tell her? He doesn't regret his childhood dream? That would be a lie and both of them knew it, no matter how he tried to put it he was regretting it. Maybe if he didn't want a wife who was just like his mother then maybe Aisha would be the one sitting beside him right now with her beautiful smile but what was the use of crying over spilled milk. He could live the rest of his entire life in regret but that would not bring his beloved Aisha back, she was gone and he had to teach his heart to accept that but his heart was refusing. How could he give his heart something that no one in this world could have? No amount of riches and luxury could bring Aisha back, that was the bitter truth that he had to accept.
For the first time in three years he felt like his heart wasn't weeping for the loss of Aisha, it was weeping because of....the woman beside him? Whenever he was with her he felt as if a hole inside his heart had been filled, her tears were enough to drive him to the brink of insanity. Would he really be able to live without her if she decides to leave after two months are over? He could do it right? If he was able to leave without Aisha then what was so special about her. Yet again his heart and mind were at war, they had always been at war since he met Maha. His heart was telling him that everything was special about her and she is the one filling that empty hole inside his heart but yet again his mind was against it telling him he should stick to Aisha and as always he followed his mind. In a battle between heart and mind, you should always follow your mind right? That was what Ayman did but he didn't know he would have had a lot more peace had he followed his heart this time. The heart was foolish when it came to love and it would never let him rest unless he chose what he wanted. Being with Maha was bittersweet, she would make him feel like the happiest man to ever walk the face of earth and she still make him feel like the world most shameless cheater, he felt like a cheater because he was letting Maha into his life and she was giving him happiness that only Aisha was supposes to give him, doesn't that make him a cheater? His emotions were a mess and he didn't even know who to choose between them. His mother said Aisha was his past and Maha his present and future but doesn't she know that letting go of the past and embracing the present and the future is the hardest?
The car was eerily quiet as both occupants had many thoughts going on in their mind, they could do what ever they want and say what they want because the driver would never hear them because of the partition seperating them. Maha's hand was clutching the hand of her hand bags tightly that it made her knuckles go white, it didn't escape Ayman sharp eyes though because he suddenly placed his hand on hers and squeezed it a bit. Maha didn't react and she was still tighly holding the bag as though it was her enemy, Ayman on the other hand kept staring at her waiting to see what she would do, he knew he had hurt her and he couldn't stop hurting her even when he had the power to and that was what hurt the most.
"I'm sorry." Ayman whispered, he was sorry for everything. He felt sorry for coming into her life and ruining her life though it was not their faults since they didn't arrange their marriage. He was happy she didn't marry that brat though, he would have made her suffer more than he is doing. He felt sorry that she fell in love with him, he felt sorry because he couldn't reciprocate her love. He felt sorry for everything.
"It's not your fault that i fell in love with you." Maha said as she managed to force a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Ayman nodded his head and the car was silent again.
"Can i tell you something about Aisha? Please?" Ayman knew he needed to ask, he had been a fool, telling her his undying love for Aisha whilst knowing she loved him but he had now realized his mistake.
"I just need to tell someone and that someone is you. The burden is too heavy on me that everytime i remember it i feel broken." Maha looked at Ayman for a very long time, the pain in her green eyes that looked like an abandoned green forest couldn't go unnoticed by anyone, she was hurting so much but she wanted to know what Ayman wanted to say so she hesitantly nodded her head.
Even after giving her consent, Ayman was still unable to talk. He couldn't even look her in the eyes and he turned to face the window, she envied how much influence Aisha had over him even when she isn't alive then what if she had been alive?
"I'm starting to forget how Aisha's voice is." Ayman said, his voice was barely above a whisper and what he said made Maha's face soften.
"Oh Ayman." Maha whispered and she immediately went beside him and held his hand to reassure him, she knew how painful it was to forget about the voice of a loved one after his death. When she had also realized she had forgotten Ayub's voice she had cried as if he had died on that day, it hurt alot because she knew she was the cause of his death. No matter what everyone said she knew she was to blame for his death.
"It's okay Ayman, i know you must feel awful right now but look on the bright side. You still have her picture to look at and you will never forget her face." Maha said, it hurt to say that but there were times she had to act as a friend and not a wife and that was why he was so free with her and he could tell her everything.
"You also don't remember Ayub's voice?" Ayman asked and Maha nodded, he now knew that Ayub had died six years ago, for some reason Maha always teared up whenever people talked about Ayub, he knew it wasn't because she only missed him, she cried for another reason and because she missed him. They sat in a comfortable silence until Ayman spoke again.
"Who did you kill?" Ayman asked, Maha was surprised with how he was suddenly interested in that topic but his question made her chuckle.
"I'm afraid you wouldn't want to know who it is, you won't want to stay with anymore." Ayman nodded his head as though understanding what she said but he suddenly spoke again.
"Was it Ayub?" Her hand that was holding his began to shake and her face paled, horror was written all over her beautiful face and she tried to retract her hand but he held it firmly, her reaction made him understand that she had killed Ayub, but why?
"It's okay, we won't talk about it anymore. You can always tell me whenever you are ready." Ayman said and then he placed her head on his shoulder and his hand was softly patting her trembling hands, they were yet again silent but this time it was Maha who broke the silence.
"Why don't you hate me even after knowing i killed my brother? I can also kill you if i was able to kill my own brother." Ayman replied without even blinking.
"And why don't you hate me even after knowing i love someone else?" Maha was dumbstruck, seriously?! Their situation was completely different, she had commited a sin by killing someone whereas he was just inlove, how was loving someone a sin? Before she could even voice those opinions out Ayman spoke because he already knew what she wanted to say.
"All i see is a girl scarred by her past, you have a very soft heart and you can never hurt a fly. Something must have happened and i know you are the victim, you won't kill without any valid reason." Maha was floored by his words, how could he so easily believe she was the victim? She didn't think he would believe her without her even trying to explain. She felt so happy and all she could do was hug him tightly.
Ayman was willing to wait, whatever happened must have traumatized her. She had already started telling him what had happened so he would wait untill she was finally ready to tell him what happen. What Ayman didn't know was that he wouldn't have to wait for long because he was in the city that everything happened and everything would be revealed in the same city very soon.
"We are here." The driver said as he slightly raised the partition so they could hear him. The driver opened the door for them and Ayman and Maha stepped out of the car and into the grand palace of the Shugabas'.

Should we make Ayman fall in love with Maha quickly or make we continue dey drag am🤭?
Maha why you come kill Ayub?! Any guesses about why she did it?
Should i do the double update or you want to stay in suspense?
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