Dedicated to binthrazmy, for her support in all my works. I love you and thank you so much❤

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.

On The Day of Graduation.

"Mom, I am not a kid anymore. I know how to take care of myself", whined Jesima as she washed her face with the water coming from the faucet in one of their University Auditorium's washroom sinks.

" I know, I know. Just telling, don't start crying if you failed to achieve the Gold", her mother paused and it gave her the ample time to roll her eyes, "It's totally alright. What matters is you strived hard but if Allah doesn't give you the fruit of your hard work, it would only be for your good".

"Mom, Trust me! I don't bellow when I lose", she started wrapping her Hijab from left to right.

"Jesima, I clearly remember the day when you lost a video game with your cousin and how big of a tantrum you put forth for losing",

" Gosh! I was a nine-year-old girl at that time", Jesima snickered at her Mother's antics, "Now look at me, I am all grown up", she said glancing at her portrait on the adjacent mirror.

" Ugh! You aren't visible to me right now. But yeah! And not to forget, you are a married women right now", her mother's voice echoed from the phone's speaker. Before Jesima could reply to her mother, she threw few more questions her daughter's way, " Did you informed Aashiq about today? Is he accompanying you?",

Jesima clicked her tongue at that, for she hadn't spoken to her husband in ages and not to forget, inform him about today. "I diddddddddn't", she pressed the third d' in did so long and whispered the last part so her mother couldn't hear the n't.

This was a special day of her life. A day, where the result of her dreams would arrive. She couldn't displeasure Allah by lying to her Mother.

The door on her right opened and walked out Samra, " The conversation still going on?", she mouthed looking at the phone screen.

"I know right?", Jesima mouthed back earning a slight chuckle from her friend, " Typical Mom's", she sighed.

A moment later Rafa walked out of the other cubicle, straightening her long skirt. "Mom, listen I am getting late. Do remember to do Dua for me, goodbye", Jesima cut the call as she took her phone and a step back, in order to give space for Rafa to wash her hands.

The two friends were standing near the sinks when the bathroom door opened and in walked in the Casey-Cathey gang of her College. The cliche popular girls having the boy's pining over them, melodramatic Americans who liked gossip more than themselves. When Jesima's eyes landed on them, her pupils immediately dilated for the upcoming amusements.

" Did you heard the announcements? They are blabbering like the Chief Guest would be a Hollywood Superstar", Casey animatedly spoke and her two friends Catherine and Clara followed behind.

"I am sure, with the number of degrees behind his name, a sixty-year-old bald man would make his presence",

" Ew! Then I would be handed my Certificates from his trembling, wrinkled hands", Clara augmented, and the three laughed at their own joke, not even eyeing the other girls who were standing near them.

Samra and Rafa gestured Jesima to follow them and she did as said but the gang pushed them to leave the bathroom first. Jesima couldn't understand why they even lingered to the restroom if they didn't want to use it in the first place and then remembered them, checking their reflection of faces painted with heavy makeup on the mirror.

On their behind, the trio entered the Auditorium in which the Graduation Ceremony has commenced. The Announcer in the mike giving the welcome speech of the Chief Guest for the occasion. The lights were dim and Jesima toed behind Samra to find the three empty seats beside the Casey gang.

They all took their seat, ignoring the loud voice of the speaker in which the announcements were going on without a break.

"I don't understand the nerve of these girls, how can they constantly talk about boys", Samra made a face of disgust. Samra Firdouse is the most religious girl Jesima has ever known. Her face always covered with a niqab. Her piousness in her Deen always got itself rubbed over the people surrounding her.  

On the contrary, Rafa belonged to the tribes of American's and she was a converted Muslim. Samra adored Rafa because of her will to learn Islam in all aspects.

Being there with them, makes Jesima rejoice her own life, as a proud Muslimah.

" I know right?", Rafa snickers.

"Rafa, if you were a boy. I would have definitely married you",

" Why?",

"Because you have all the characters I want in my spouse in you", chimed Samra.

" Ahem! I think Rafa, we should change our bodies so then at least Samra would think of marrying me", came a male voice from behind, and all the three turned around to see Ahmed giving them his famous lopsided grin.

"You scared me, Ahmed", Jesima put her hand over her chest and heaved a breathe out.

" Don't tell me, you were stalking?",   Samra enquired her eyes horrified.

"If you guys sat on my front seat and If I happened to hear your conversations, it's not stalking", Ahmed crossed his hands.

" It's called eavesdropping then", Rafa remarked and immediately everyone laughed except Ahmed who rolled his eyes.

"But seriously dude?", Samra shook her head turning her attention towards the stage.

" She would never even notice me, right?", asked Ahmed vehemently going sad.

"I am sorry, I can't help you with that", Jesima made a sad face and turned herself facing the front.

Ahmed was their Batchmate. Jesima, Samra, Rafa, and Ahmed were the only Muslims in their batch. When their Professor paired them at the start of the year into two, Jesima was paired with Rafa while Samra with Ahmed.

In the Medical world, there is no subdivision called opposite genders. Though how much Samra cringed at the thought of mingling with him in all of her studies, she hadn't had another choice but to stick with him. Eventually, Sparks flew from Ahmed's side, and he fell for the one who didn't reciprocate his feelings.

Jesima knew that Samra had a soft spot for Ahmed, but she knew very well about Samra to know that she wouldn't ever agree to him on his face.

" Oh Em Gee! I can't believe what I am seeing", squealed Clara, and Jesima's gaze turned to eye the girl warily, " Now, I don't want anything but to go and get my Certificates from him".

She whirled her head to the spotlight which had turned on the Entrance gate and in walked in the man clad in a black suit and everyone's eyes were on him.

"He's freaking yummy to look at", Casey squirmed.

" Yuck! I can see he's handsome and all but look at these stupid girl's, they are eating him with their eyes. Don't they know how to lower their gaze?", Rafa looked away disgusted.

"And did you heard his name?", Samra asked.

" No, sorry I didn't",

"He's a Muslim. I feel bad for the poor guy. If the girls in western countries fall this low by just the sight of a man. Then I probably wish we could lend our fellow Muslim brothers, Abhayas", joked Samra with earnest orifices.

" I think I should make him wear one then", Jesima murmured still mesmerized by the man in question.

"Are you related to Him?", both the girls swiveled in her direction.

" Yeah", She bit her bottom lip, her face getting colored, "He's my husband".

....

Literally, a year was gone after she tied a knot with Aashiq yet when she thought about their marriage union, she remembered all the incidents that took place, crystal clear.

After their meet at the cafe, both of them replied affirmatively to their parents, and eventually, it led to a small Nikah with only close family present.

Jesima still could hear the loud beatings of her heart when she was left alone in a bed dressed in bridal style and the door opened with a creak making her clutch the soft mattress digging her fingers deep inside them. She had previously imagined that Aashiq would have forgotten the deal which he agreed before marriage and she was mentally preparing herself how to remind that she wasn't ready. She closed her eyes in exasperation and heaved a breath out beneath the blood-red veil covering her face.

Aashiq had kneeled down in front of her, lifting the heavy veil which was covered with rhinestones and when she opened her eyes, their gaze met, freezing the time.

His lips twitched the slightest and she thought about the worst-case scenarios, that would bound and happen, panic taking a residence in her stomach.

Without any words exchanged, his hand reached the top of her head and he silently murmured some prayers, his sight never leaving her. Once finished, he had leaned in to kiss her forehead. It was a small feather-like kiss filled with warmth, a pinch of care, and moreover love, which glinted in his eyes and she failed to notice due to her reverie.

" Jesima, I remember what you asked from me and I am giving you the time. I would never disturb you or prod over your personal space as far as I can and I would only contact you in case of an emergency, Allah khair kare. But never forget, in case you need me or my help, I would always be a phone call away, alright?", His voice soothed the storm inside her being and she had nodded with moisture filling her vision.

"That's good", he ran a hand through his beard thinking, " Will you be okay if we pray two rakah together?", he asked a moment later.

"Sure", she had gotten up immediately complying and felt tranquility seeping her soul, praying behind him.

That was the ending to their small chit-chat and they both had exited the hotel suite because it didn't suited their marriage style. Aashiq took her to his home.

It was an modern looking bungalow that took Jesima's breath away. She knew he was rich but his richness mesmerized her eyes. They strolled through the concrete floor lining with hedgerows towards the stairs which lead to the entrance.

His face didn't hold an ounce of pride over what he owned as he lead her inside and she thanked Allah for blessing her with, him.

One foot inside, she was welcomed with the mesmerizing beauty of the indoor living room. The white and purple touch excited the lost spark in her heart. The luxurious purple-colored L-shaped sofa sat in the middle aligning with soft and silky cushions and the long lavender curtains hung from the top to bottom, hiding the windows added a pinch of serenity.

Did he really knew, purple is my favorite color or is this mere coincidence?

As they crossed the hallway, there lined in, a spectacular rectangle kitchen along with a humungous dining area whose opposite were huge sliding glass doors. And furthermore in, they reached a spiral staircase made of metal and glass.

Jesima withheld the fleets of her heavy ghagra with her palm and climbed behind Aashiq. It was okay on the start but when it turned around, she stepped on her own dress material and instantly was pushed back but Aashiq was quick to react to grab her elbow. They locked gaze as she stood while the upper half of her body leaned back, hanging to reach the floor.

The air instantly turned eerily silent and she sucked in her breathing, gazing back at him was not a good decision of her.

" Who in their sane mind builds staircase with glass?", she puffed to clear the fog which was beginning to form on her braincells.

Aashiq's vision blurred into amusement, as he helped her stand straight.

She said an Alhamdulillah when they reached the first floor safe and sound. As she stepped ahead, she was awestruck on the lawn waiting for them in the end, with an indoor pool.

Aashiq directed her to the side and opened the door to her room and she was taken aback for an instance from the mere look inside. It was a mixture of navy blue and white. The walk-in closet was colored blue while the floor was marbled white. The plush carpet near her love seat was dark blue and her comforter above her bedspread was the blue color of the night sky filled with stars and galaxies.

At once, she held liking for this room. It was made perfect.

Jesima went inside a smile grazing her lips, touching the doorframe and Aashiq lowered his head biting his lower lip in a boyish way anxious whether she would like the room or not.

"This is your room",

" Mine? You aren't staying here?", she asked turning around while he shook his head, "No, as I said earlier. There wouldn't be any sort of disturbance from my side".

Her heart soared to no bounds and her face blushed with joy.

When she thought he was going to leave he called her name and she looked up, " I am sorry for being insane",

Her eyebrows perked up in confusion and realization dawned on her, " Don't tell me you designed this house?", her eyebrows shot up in pursuit.

"I did", his hand went behind his head and he bit his lower lip and she didn't bat an eyelash staring astonished as his posture went backward and vanished in the corridor.

" I am in love with the room", she whispered to him, but it was too late, for he was already gone.

....

After their wedding, Jesima continued her University as if nothing had changed over the weekend, she would most of her days stay in the dorm room of Rafa and sometimes would go to Aashiq's house.

They did not get a chance to meet or even had a casual talk. She would lock herself inside her benevolent room and immerse herself into dive deep in her studies.

The only times she had seen Aashiq was when he would go jogging on their garden's brick pathway in the mornings. When she wakes early for fajr, she would start reading new chapters as that time would be the best of times to memorise new things with fresh breeze of the start of the bright day. She would seat herself cocooned on the hammock on her attached balcony, and when she sips her morning coffee getting to stand leaning on the railing, her eyes would fall on him jog with headphones plucked in both of his ears. She would shook her head to not stare at him long because he would become a huge distraction for her with his looks, so she would retain her footsteps back to the swing.

" What? Is he really?", Rafa asked bewildered making Jesima knock out of her small reverie of flashbacks and she nodded in reply.

"As in the Aashiq?", Samra put forth earning a glare from Ahmed but of course, she couldn't see it because he sat in the seat behind her.

" Yeah! But what is he doing here?",

"I am delving in the same question too",

" Me three",

"Me four", Ahmed joined in, as the quadra group of friends gaped at Aashiq walk along with the spotlight and on reaching the stage, he climbed the stairs graciously smiling at the cheering crowd and took a stand in the middle of the stage giving his boyish smile and attaining a chorus of applause.

Jesima glanced at her husband, her mouth hung low not at all believing the sight in her front.

" Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen", he spoke,  his voice beaming the crowd, at once after a fellow student wired a mike around his ear which fell in place near his lips.

"I am Aashiq Ahamed from Ahamed Group of Architectural Industries, which is spread all over the world. As you may have known, being a CEO of a Multinational Company, at just the age of 27 is very much surprising, but yes it's true. I am 27 and I am the CEO", his eyes raked the crowd and received swooning from almost all of the girls seated there.

" The Success I have reaped was not presented to me on a silver plate. I have been an intellectual student from the start, attained a double degree of my University within my teenage. And when I stepped into my twenties, I was welcomed with my brilliant ideas of building low budget homes in slum areas. There begun the commencement of my career. From a small city of Mumbai, I emerged bit by bit to trudge to architecture the biggest of buildings in Dubai. I even got to intern the Burj Khalifa project. So, here you see, me", he pointed his finger to himself, "  A hard-working Man swimming in the waters of achievement.

"My conclusion for victory is simple. It takes only two steps to win, One", he showed his index finger on the air, " Always have a destination to match for and two, "he added his middle finger making it into two, " Strive hard to achieve what you aimed", his gaze finally rested on Jesima and his lips twitched the slightest.

"OMG! This isn't happening for real", Rafa squeezed Jesima's hand which was turning ice-cold each passing minute.

" She got herself lucky", Samra cajoled.

"Sam, if only you know that when I wear a suit like him, walk back and forth on the stage with a spotlight on, I am sure almost all the girl population of the world will come to fall on my footsteps",

" Aw! Amy, In your dreams", Samra mocked back.

"You didn't call me that stupid name again", he grunted in his seat.

" Amy, she sure did", Rafa chimed making Samra giggle.

"Where did you find such stupid feminist names?",

" Wattpad", the girl's cooed in unison.

"Oh! That app again", Ahmed slumped behind.

" As Doctor's, you should not stop yourselves from dreaming. Dream big, achieve big. The world is waiting for you to save their lives and treat their wounds, grab the opportunity with open palms and add a tinge of humanity in your service", Aashiq continued with his speech and surprisingly the messy crowd kept silently listening giving him all their attention.

"My Appeal through this speech is, never stop yourself from marching towards your destiny. Hip hip", he munched and everyone shouted, " Hurray".

"Hip hip?",

" Hurray", laughed out the audience.

Jesima's eyes trained as he took a seat among the Correspondents and Principals.

"I can't believe you are married for more than a year to this man, and you haven't consummated until now", Rafa snickered.

" Rafa", Jesima whirled to her friend, horrified.

"Looks and background doesn't matter Rafa. All you need is a pure heart, I am sure he does have one for our Jessie and that's what would keep you going", Samra gleamed.

" In shaa Allah he should", Jesima breathed in and out to make her heartbeats fall back in rhythm.

Nick Parker, one of the Senior Student who was doing the announcements walked in on the stage, " So everyone the most awaited moment is here, let's buckle our belts and calm our hearts to know the results",

"Can I request Mr. Ahamed to come again on the stage, please?", Aashiq nodded before standing up, buttoning his coat and walked around to the stage.

" Let's begin with the one who settled for bronze and won the third place on our finals", he said opening one of the envelopes in his hand and presented it to Aashiq, reading the name made his lips twitch up the slightest and it worried Jesima what if she just got the bronze. Her heart started drumming in her chest.

"Albert Flemming", he readout and a round of applause went through for the College nerd who walked on the stage wearing his black graduation coat, and she sighed in relief.

Aashiq congratulated as he handed over the certificate to Albert with a wide grin and pulled a bronzed medal over his head.

" The Second place silver medal goes to", Nick glanced at Aashiq who opened the envelope, "Paula Smith".

The girl rushed to the stage clasping her hands together, tears shining in her orbs and received the Silver medal.

" And the one who came first winning the gold medal is", Nick bellowed loudly, patting Aashiq on his back and for a spare second his gaze traveled though the crowd and found solace in Jesima's face which held clear anxiousness.

He opened the envelope and she felt like he had opened the chambers of her heart, she clutched Rafa's hand tighter and she held her other hand's fingers crossed.

It felt like an entirety for her, seeing him open the cover and to pick the card, his sight was on her making her heart completely stop beating, " Clara Watson", hearing the name roll out his lips she felt her spirit torn, her vision blurred.

"Ugh! Clara, How can we forget she exists", Rafa gritted her teeth heaving because the girl was too good when it comes to her studies.

" Told you, I am gonna ace it and told you this too, I am gonna get my certificate from him", smirked Clara at her friends as she crossed Jesima out of her seat.

She felt disgusted to be there that moment, having to see her husband give the medal she wished for to someone else, who had vile thoughts about him. He was her's, can't she see?

She closed her eyes shut and her throat clotted as a tear rolled down.

"Jesima, girl", Rafa pulled Jesima towards her chest and she gratefully wrapped her hand over her friend's shoulder, trying hard not to break into a sob.

" Rafa, I think I need to go use the bathroom", she said with pain gnawing her insides.

She wouldn't have felt this much loss if she wasn't married to him. He gave her time and space but she failed him.  She felt ashamed to be called a his wife when she knew about how successful he was. She cringed at the thought of how he would reprimand her, after knowing she hadn't achieved what she aimed.

She grabbed her clutch and wiped the tear away standing up and strolled with heavy steps to the stairs in the middle of the seatings, to lead to the entrance and exit doors.

"Guys wait this is not the end. We have a special mention for someone, who aced all records exceeding over all the expectations, who ranked the first place in the California University as well as ranked first among the Harvard rankers. Not knowing what medal to give her, the University has decided to present her with double Gold Medals", Nick cheered and the crowd roared with amusement, Aashiq's voice reached her ears making her steps to freeze.

" Her name is", he stretched and the atmosphere turned quiet, Jesima could literally hear her heart thumping on her chest, "Jesima Nilofer", his lips twitched like all the time he had mentioned her name and she swiveled around to lock gaze with him.

She stood there, in the middle of the stair pathway hidden in the dark, but all she felt was to run to him and hug him to herself. Like the waves reach the shore, he came from nowhere and stood on her shore, making all her waves strode towards him. All her maps changed directions, making him as their destination.

***

[Note: In my society, girls don't change surnames after they get married]

How is it?

I so badly want to know your reviews on this, you are liking or not?

If yes, then it's our start into this romantic journey.

Please hold onto me till the end.