10 June 2019

Hi, everyone! I hope you're all doing amazingly! Here's the second chapter of 'Arranged or Love?', I hope you like it! Let me know what you think of the chapter, and don't forget to comment and vote! Happy reading! ;]

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and, at times, hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." – Marilyn Monroe

Alayna's POV

"How was work, sweetheart?" Mum asks me with a gentle smile. I'm sitting in the dining room with my family for dinner that evening. The whole family is together this evening, the five of us. It's quite rarely that we're all together for dinner. Sometimes, Dad is at work. Other times, Yusuf Bhai is at the office. And sometimes, I'm working late at the hospital.

I give her a small, tired smile. 'It was great. I'm exhausted, but it was fine.'

"That's great to hear, darling. What did you do today? Was it very busy?" Dad proceeds to ask. He loves asking me about my day at work, it makes him so proud.

I nod. 'Yes, it was really busy Dad. I was busy in the ER this afternoon. Several new patients came in, and they kept me extremely busy. Some of them were admitted, and I did their paperwork. This morning, I assisted with an important surgery,' I say, proudly.

Dad grins at me. "That's my girl! What surgery was it?"

'It was a long surgery to remove a brain tumour, or rather, multiple brain tumours. Dr. Zayan was the surgeon, I assisted him. He's our mentor now. Hanna's brother,' I say.

Mum's eyes widen. "Oh, yes! I had almost forgotten that Zayan was starting at your hospital. What was he like?" She asks, interested. There's a spark in her eyes, that makes me suspicious for a small second, but I shake my head and ignore it. It's nothing.

I shrug. 'He's a great doctor and surgeon, of course. Definitely one of the best. It's crazy how.. talented he is, how he's one of the best, at such a young age. He's not even thirty yet.'

"Yes, Alayna. He's great, he's definitely one of the best. Hanna too, will follow in her brother's footsteps and become one of the greatest doctors. And of course, you too, my dear. There's no question about that," Dad says, proudly.

I grin. 'Thanks, Dad!' I love seeing how proud I've made my parents. The best feeling in the world is making your parents proud. I'd do anything at all for Mum and Dad. They're the reason I am who I am today.

"I hardly see you these days, it seems!" My older brother, Yusuf, says, laughing.

I chuckle. 'That's because you've been extremely busy at the office, Yusuf Bhai! But yes, we never eat together anymore. We should all eat together more often, it's amazing.' I love my family time. My family mean the world to me.

"You're right, I have been very busy lately, with a new business deal. But you're not less busy these days, either!" He says, smiling as he takes a sip of water.

I shrug. 'I guess you're right. I've been on call these last few days, that's why. I'm not on call for the next few weeks though, so I should be getting back home on time.'

"You're so hard working, it's crazy! Sis, you should chill out sometimes and not work too hard all the time! Mum and Dad have high hopes from me too, seeing how great you're doing in your career!" My younger sister, Sara, says with a laugh.

I roll my eyes. 'You'll be just as hard working as I am, Sara. You're so intelligent, I'm really proud of you. Just continue to focus on your studies, and you'll be all good. And not only Mum and Dad, I also have high hopes from you. And I know that you'll live up to all our expectations.' I smile at her, and she chuckles.

"Exactly, Sara! Alayna's right. You're doing amazingly too, sweetie! You both are. Alayna, there was something me and your father wanted to talk about this evening, now that all of us are together for dinner," Mum says, uneasily.

I raise an eyebrow, looking at Mum questioningly. 'What did you need to talk to me about?'

I take a bite of the delicious biryani Mum has made, and then a sip of water. "We.. me and your father, we think it's time for you to get married."

Right as she says the words, I break into a coughing fit, choking on the water I just drank. My parents and siblings stare at me nervously, and then look at each other.

When I recover from my coughing and choking fit, I stare at Mum wide my eyes widened. 'Mum, I think you've gone crazy. Yes, you've definitely gone crazy.' I then burst out into a laughing fit, looking at the faces of my family. However, no one starts to laugh with me.

They're serious.

I can't believe it.

'You.. you guys can't be serious. Mum? Dad?! I'm just twenty-five! I started my dream job at the hospital of my dreams, just a couple of months ago! I can't get married yet. And I'm not ready to get married,' I blurt, frowning.

Even the word 'marriage' seems foreign to me right now.

Mum looks towards Dad, who shakes his head slightly, as if not to tell me something. What's going on? Why have they suddenly brought up the topic of my marriage? This is absolute craziness!

"Yes, Alayna. You're twenty-five. I got married before I had turned twenty. Your brother Yusuf was born when I was twenty-one! Yes, your education and your career is extremely important, but now you have all that sorted. Marriage is equally important, sweetheart," Mum says, gently.

'I know that marriage is important, Mum. But it's also important to be ready for marriage, before thinking about it. I'm not ready at all yet. You and Dad know this, too. Yusuf Bhai, Sara? Can you believe this?' I look to my siblings for help.

"Alayna, I've been planning your wedding for years! I've already decided what I'm going to wear, on all the functions. And I can't wait to play with my nieces and nephews! Just think about it!" Sara says, grinning at me. I glare at her in response. Of course she would say something of the sort. Oh, I can't wait to tell Hanna about this. She'll be just as shocked as I am.

'You're crazy. Nieces and nephews? You've all gone bonkers! Yusuf Bhai, please explain to Mum and Dad. I'm not ready! I'm not getting married yet.'

My brother gives me a small, reassuring smile. "You know I've always been on your side, Alayna. I agree with Mum and Dad that you should think about the idea of marriage, but in the end, I'm with you. If you're happy with the decision of getting married, then I'm happy for you. But if you're not ready, I'm right by your side. Always."

I give him a small smile, before turning to my parents and frowning. 'Why do I feel as though you guys have even found the guy?' I look at them suspiciously.

Mum turns to Dad, and they both stare at each other uneasily. They can't be serious!

'Okay, I've had a long day. I'm exhausted, I'm off to bed. Please get this idea out of your minds. See you in the morning,' I stand up and give my parents a small kiss on their foreheads. Then, I rush out of the room before they can say anything, and I head upstairs.

When I reach my bedroom, I close the door behind me and sigh. I knew this topic was going to come up soon. I knew it. But, I'm not ready for marriage and all the responsibilities that come with it.

I don't know if I'll be ready anytime soon. Mum, Dad, Sara.. they're gonna have to wait. A long time.

********

The next day is even busier at the hospital. I'm on my feet all day long, checking up on patients in the paediatric, oncology and cardiology wards. I also admit several patients from the ER, two have had traumatic injuries, one elderly man has had a stroke, and one younger male is showing the symptoms of a serious infectious disease.

I don't know how I manage to find a spare five minutes to grab a quick lunch and coffee, but I don't see any of my fellow residents that day. I don't see Hanna at all, either. She must be busy, too.

********

The day after, I reach the hospital half an hour early, because I need to speak to Hanna. I didn't get the chance to talk to her yesterday, and I need to catch up with her. She's told me that she will be reaching early too, that morning.

Sure enough, Hanna's waiting for me in the doctor's lounge. She's sitting at a small desk, tapping on her phone. When I enter the room, she stands up and beams at me. Then she gives me a hug.

'Hi, Alayna! Yesterday was so crazy, by the time I reached home, it was nearly 8pm!' She says, yawning. She looks tired, but beautiful nonetheless. Her dark brown hair is tied up in a messy bun, and she's applied the tiniest amount of makeup which brings out her facial features.

"I know, I was super busy yesterday too, and I also reached home late. When I got home, I just had dinner and went straight to bed!" I tell her.

She smiles at me. 'Same! You seemed worried the other day, babe. Is everything okay? What did you need to talk to me about?'

Just then, the door opens and in walks Dr. Zayan. He's dressed in his scrubs, and his stethoscope is hanging around his neck. His hair is slightly messy, but it definitely suits him. He looks good. He glances over at me and Hanna, and acknowledges us both before sitting behind a computer. 'Dr. Hanna. Dr. Alayna.'

"Oh, hi Dr. Zayan! Fancy seeing you here!" Hanna says, her voice laced with amusement.

I fail to hide my smile. 'Hi, Dr. Zayan. You've been working early?'

He nods. "I started at 5am this morning. By all means, continue talking. You girls have twenty minutes until your shift starts."

Me and Hanna nod, before Hanna turns to me. 'Tell me, Alayna! I'm worried,' she whispers, a bit too loudly.

I give her a look, telling her to quieten down. "Mum and Dad are just.. being crazy. And annoying."

She chuckles. 'Why? What did they do? Hey, don't call them annoying. Aunty and Uncle are lovely!'

I shake my head. "They're lovely, but they're crazy. They told me, they think I should get married soon."

I accidentally say the words out loud, and Dr. Zayan's head snaps up to look over at us from the computer. My cheeks redden, and I look away from him. I'm such an idiot.

'What?!' Hanna's shocked.

I nod. "Exactly. I was shocked, too. And, Han. I don't know why, but I feel as though... as though they have someone in mind."

'What?! Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I can't believe it! What did you say to them?' She asks, whispering loudly.

Dr. Zayan's eyes are still on us, but right now, I don't care. I'm annoyed.

"I wanted to tell you in person. And, what was I meant to say? I was shocked! I obviously said no, I'm not ready. Then I rushed to my room before they could say anything else. Hanna, what am I supposed to do? Mum and Dad have been giving me nervous looks ever since, and I.. I don't even know what to say to them. I've been avoiding them. Yes, they're not forcing me in any way, but.. I just can't believe it. I'm only twenty-five, for god's sake. I have a headache." I rant.

'Aww, I'm sorry, babe. Just explain it to them, though! Tell them not to think about your marriage yet, but say it in a nice way. Don't say that you're not ready, and that you won't be ready anytime soon. Instead, tell them... that you don't want them to talk about it right now, but maybe in a few months, in half a year or in a year, you'll be ready,' she tells me gently.

I shake my head. "I.. can't. I don't know. Can you believe it, though? Imagine if they've found a guy, what am I supposed to do? There's no way in hell that I'm marrying someone of their choice. Ew! They've probably found... a weird businessman! He's probably old, as well. I don't want to marry a businessman. He'll probably be too... arrogant and cold. And evil."

Hanna laughs loudly. 'They didn't tell you about the guy? How do you know that they've found someone? They most likely haven't, Alayna!'

"I just... know they have. Damn it, I know they have someone in mind. Why don't they get Yusuf Bhai married first, and then me? He's older than me!" I groan.

'Because he's a guy! Zayan Bhai's gonna turn thirty in a few months, and he's not married yet. But I'm so glad that Mum and Dad haven't mentioned my marriage yet. Hopefully he'll get married before me,' she whispers.

"Hanna? I'm right here," Dr. Zayan says, frowning at his sister.

'Are you listening to us?! Focus on your work, Bhai!' She scolds, glaring at him. Aww. It's cute how she calls him 'Bhai' even at the hospital, when no one's around.

He shakes his head at her, before glancing at me for a short second, confusion evident in his eyes.

'This really is crazy, Alayna! But, Aunty and Uncle only want the best for you. You know that, right?' She says gently.

I nod. "Yeah, of course I know that. But they shocked me. Anyway, I don't want to talk about this right now. Our shift will start soon."

She gives me a sympathetic smile. 'I understand. We'll talk about this later. Don't stress, okay?'

Nodding again, I stand up. "I'm not stressing. They've gone crazy. I will just pretend as though the conversation never happened. Anyway, where are the others? We always meet here before shift starts, they're not here yet."

'They must be reaching soon. I hope today won't be as long as yesterday. I'm still tired,' Hanna says, stretching.

I nod, chuckling. "Same."

********

'You will all be reporting to me at the end of the day again, and giving me a report of what you've done the whole day. Dr. Hanna, please report to neurology. Dr. Zain, you will be assisting Dr. Michael with a hip surgery this morning, and then you will be working in the paediatric ward. Dr. Anum and Dr. Hina, you will both report to cardiology. Four new patients have been admitted to the critical cardiac unit. And Dr. Alayna, you will be working in the ER. A&E is already full this morning, several different patients have come in, and you'll be working with the emergency and trauma teams. Your shifts start in exactly two minutes,' Dr. Zayan explains quickly, before dismissing us.

If I had thought that the previous two days were busy, they were not at all busy compared to today. I'm on my feet from nine o'clock on the dot, seeing several patients who have all come into accident and emergency with different problems.

My first patient that morning is a young man who has suffered from a large, third-degree burn to his hand. A third-degree burn is one which goes through the upper layer of the skin (dermis), and affects the tissues underneath. The young man's arm has blackened at the site of the burn, and it has turned numb. Upon first inspection, it's evident that the man requires strong antibiotics to help with the pain and to stop an infection, and skin grafting, as too much damage has been caused. I admit him to the short stay ward, before moving onto my next patient.

The next patient is a 17-year old male who has come in with a fractured foot. I order x-rays, and tell a fellow nurse to run some tests.

That morning, I have three more patients. A child brought in my his parents who has been suffering from an earache and a fever for the last three days, an elderly female with shortness of breath, and a teenage boy with a nasty cut to his arm. I'm busy and on my feet all morning, but thankfully, I manage to find a spare ten minutes for a quick lunch.

None of my friends are free at lunch, so I have lunch alone.

After lunch, I'm even busier in the emergency room. I see a patient who has suffered from a stroke, another who's having severe bleeding from a large gash to his leg, and a young female who has severe abdominal pain which started suddenly.

It's nearly four when I'm sitting in the doctor's lounge, writing some patient notes. I check over the bloodwork of my patients from this morning, and just take a moment to relax for a minute, when my pager goes off.

I'm being paged from the ER, so I head down right away. When I reach the emergency room, a nurse fills me in about a new patient. A young girl aged twenty-one has come in with cramping and bleeding. She thinks she may be having a miscarriage. I go to meet her.

'Hi sweetie, I'm Dr. Alayna, a first-year medical resident and your doctor today. What's the problem, love? Why have you come in today?' I look over her notes quickly.

She looks very nervous as she speaks. "Hi, doctor. I'm Sophie. I think I've had a miscarriage. I only recently found out that I'm pregnant, but I've been having bleeding and the worst ever cramps."

'I see. Did you give the nurse a urine sample?' I enquire.

She nods. "Yes."

'Okay, sweetie what was the date of your last menstrual period?' I ask.

"It was exactly two months ago."

'So, you would be eight weeks. You said you've been having bleeding? How heavy is this bleeding?'

"Extremely heavy. It started off as light spotting and I thought nothing of it, but last night it turned very heavy, and the cramps started too. They're so bad, doctor. I.. I don't know what to do." Tears rise to her eyes, and I gently pat her arm.

'Have you done a home pregnancy test?' I ask.

She nods, laughing humourlessly. "Only about fifteen. All positive. I'm definitely having a miscarriage, though. It's not similar to period bleeding. It's so much worse, and there's clots."

'Clots? Okay, if you lie down for me, Sophie. I'll have a quick feel of your tummy if you don't mind, and tell me where the pain is.'

She lays down on the hospital bed, and I close the curtains around us. I feel her abdomen, and it's evident that the pain is worse in her lower abdomen. It's not worse to the side and she's not having shoulder pain with it, so I rule out an ectopic pregnancy.

After doing a quick examination, I ask her some more questions about the pain, and especially the bleeding. It does seem as though she's having a miscarriage, but the gynaecology team will confirm that. It can't be confirmed without a scan, so I tell her that I'll call gynaecology to see if they can come and visit her.

'Sophie, I'm sorry sweetie, it does seem as though you're having a miscarriage, or you will soon miscarry, but we need to confirm it. I'll phone gynaecology to see if a doctor can see you for an internal examination, and also if you can have a scan. Your blood pressure is slightly low, so you may need to stay overnight. Was this your first pregnancy? Planned?' I ask gently.

She nods. "Yes, it was our first, and it was very much planned. We got married three months ago." She gestures to her husband, who has come with her.

I give her a sad, sympathetic smile. 'Get some rest, sweetie. I'll be back soon, hopefully with the gynaecologist.'

I know it's not my first day, or my first week, as a doctor, but in situations like this, I never really know what to say to a patient. As I'm very interested in gynaecology, and as I would love kids of my own one day, I find cases like this extremely upsetting. I've only seen one other patient who has had a miscarriage at the hospital, and they're difficult to deal with. The other patient who I saw a few weeks ago, was inconsolable. Sophie's calmer, but I know how upset she is.

At five, I head upstairs to the doctor's lounge, where we will be reporting to Dr. Zayan. I'll report to him, but I won't go home just yet. I first want to make sure that Sophie's fine. Well, as fine as she can be.

********

'It's not been too busy, Doctor. Two patients were admitted to the cardiology ward this afternoon, but it was mostly quiet. The patients are stable,' Hina says.

Dr. Zayan nods, before gesturing to Hanna.

'I've not been too busy either. I had more than enough time to get my notes finished. All the patients are stable, except for one elderly man who was transferred to the ICU, as his condition is worsening. Apart from him, all the other patients are as stable as they can be,' Hanna says.

"Okay. And finally, Dr. Alayna. How was it in the ER?" Dr. Zayan asks me.

I give him a small smile. 'It's been busy, but it's not been too bad. There was definitely a range of patients coming in. Cuts, burns, abdominal pain, shortness of breath. I admitted a few patients to the wards, and I've checked all their tests and blood work. I'm.. not going home just yet, though. I need to check up on a patient, who I could see was quite upset. Maybe she wasn't showing how upset she's feeling, but I could see clearly,' I say, thinking about Sophie.

"Oh? What happened to this patient?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. Hanna and the others also turn to me, interested.

'Sophie, a twenty-one year old female. She came in with severe cramping and bleeding. Her lower abdomen is hurting very much. It's most definitely a miscarriage,' I say, sadly.

"Did you rule out an ectopic?" Dr. Zayan asks me.

I nod. 'Yes. It's not an ectopic pregnancy. I've contacted gynaecology, they will be down to see her soon. And they've managed to book her in for a scan this evening.'

"Good. You're staying to check on her?" He asks me.

I nod.

'Alayna, you look exhausted. Go home and rest, I have to admit you don't look too good,' Hanna jokes.

"No, I'm fine. I'm going to check on Sophie before heading home. It won't take too long," I say, stifling a yawn.

Dr. Zayan looks impressed. 'Okay, Dr. Alayna. If you want to. You'll all be continuing in the same departments tomorrow, before changing next week. I have to make another announcement. From next Monday, the five of you will be competing for the spot of the best first-year resident. Everything you do next week, will count towards this. So, I expect the best from each and every one of you. After three months, I will announce the best resident. This person will have the opportunity to travel with me to Kings Hospital London, which as you all know, is the best cancer hospital in the country. You'll be working there for two weeks, with the best oncologists in the country. I assume that you all would like to have this opportunity, but only one of you will be accompanying me. Only the best doctor will get this opportunity, so work harder than ever.'

"Wow! Really?!" Hanna exclaims, making me chuckle.

Dr. Zayan nods, not the faintest of smiles on his handsome face. 'Yes. Does anyone have any questions, before I leave?'

"Doctor, everything will count towards this?" Dr. Hina asks, beaming.

'Yes, everything. If you slip up in any way, your chances will decrease dramatically. For everything you do, you'll be receiving 'points'. You'll be able to see how many points you have, on this noticeboard from next week.' He points to the main noticeboard in the doctor's lounge.

The five of us start to talk about the 'competition', and about the opportunity to work in the best cancer hospital in the UK. It would mean everything to all of us, if we could work there, even if it was for one week. I'm planning to pursue a career in either gynaecology or oncology, so I'm extremely interested in this opportunity. This is the hospital Dr. Zayan used to work at, before he shifted here. All the doctors working in that hospital are on the same level as him, although I know that he's the best.

Hanna, Hina, Anum and Zain head home, and I head back downstairs to the ER to check on Sophie. I'm very tired, but I want to make sure that she's okay before I head home.

I love working at the hospital, I really do. It was always my biggest dream to become a doctor, and it's finally come true. I consider myself so lucky, to have the opportunity to work here, with such amazing doctors and nurses. This job is very rewarding. Helping others gives me the best feeling.

I frown, remembering the conversation I had with my family the other day. My parents know how much being a doctor means to me, how important my career is to me. But still.. still, they talked about the idea of my marriage. They don't understand. I'm completely focused on my career right now, and I feel as though I wouldn't pay as much attention to it, I wouldn't become the best doctor, if I got married soon.

And when I do get married, whenever that day may be, one thing is a must. My husband must be supportive of my job. I wouldn't marry anyone who didn't like the idea of me working. It's who I am. I'm a doctor, and I love what I do. I won't change for anyone.

********

Finally! I have finally published this chapter, and I'm sure that it's full of mistakes and grammatical errors. So please, correct any mistakes, I won't mind at all!

What did you all think of this chapter? The second chapter! I hope you didn't mind how... hospital focused this chapter was!

What do you think of Alayna so far?

And what do you think of Zayan so far? It's only the second chapter, but I want to know!

Guys, I don't know how regular my updates will be. I don't know when I'll update, but bear with me. I'm going through some stuff right now, which is why I've been quite busy and not using Wattpad much.

Love you all loads! Do you miss Zara and Zaid? I do! ;]

Question: What's your favourite movie?

Bye guys!!