Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 97

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

__________

Muntaha watched his Uncle with a smile and then looked towards Hudhud and Murtaza. His eyes which had been filled with mischief and love some minutes ago were now sharp and calculating.

"We have to discuss some things. Call the Shura." He told Murtaza, who nodded. He turned towards Khalid, who was from Taif's men and beckoned him closer. Then he called Dawood towards himself and began to walk away from the clearing towards the safe house. Just as he passed Sidra, he bent down towards her and near her ears, he whispered-

"You have lost so go and take rest now. Do not loiter around..." She frowned at him. He smiled and shook his head before walking away.

Sidra watched him go and then began to walk towards her own chamber that she shared with her husband.

Muntaha led the men towards the chamber where they always held their Shura and took his seat at the end of the table, where he could keep his eye on the door. Behind him Dawood and Khalid entered the room and took their seats too. Soon the chamber was filled with Hudhud, Zuhayr, Murtaza, Ajdaan, Arsalan (who had slunk away towards a wall in the darkest corner of the room), Daarim (who stood behind Hudhud), Suleiman and a few more elderly and younger men whom Muntaha trusted to give him sound advices.

"Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu." He began firmly and watched everybody as they watched him in attention. "Sagr had flown to Khaliber with a message and he has returned with a response." Muntaha informed them. "Hudhud? Do you remember some months ago you had sent Reehans to the Forest of the Sorcerers?"

"Yes." Hudhud nodded. Behind him Daarim had paled. He remembered the battle quite well too. The battle where he had been the reason for a woman's death. He remembered the last plea of Taqdees' again and shook his head. Now was not the time.

"You had gotten information that their motive is to eliminate the princes of Khaliber and place their chosen candidate over the throne. You thought it was Dijar..."

"Yes." Hudhud nodded again. "Dijar is Alvina's son."

"Yes but he isn't Sharr's..." Muntaha told him. Hudhud frowned.

"Then whom does he want to place of the throne?" Hudhud enquired in confusion. "The sorcerer said Dijar was Alvina and Sharr's son."

"The sorcerers and their demons are liars. They are shayateen and shayateen never reveal the truths. They mix it with lies. That sorcerer lied. Alvina never betrayed Aavez after their marriage. None of his wives did. But one prince of the four princes of Khaliber is not Aavez's son." Muntaha told them. "Tabish is not Tabish ibn Aavez Ya Hudhud... Tabish is Tabish ibn Yazeed. Yazeed who is now known as Sharr." Muntaha revealed. Hudhud was shocked.

"Tabish?" Daarim asked in a daze. "But Tabish is the ascetic! The one who isn't interested in the throne. Infact I remember seeing him in Aileen and all he does is go around the city and give sermons. I never saw him as doubtful."

"Also he is a twin... How can he be someone else's son when his twin brother is Aavez's?" Suleiman enquired.

"When we were in Aileen, all I heard from the masses was about the goodness of Tabish. He seemed too perfect. How can anyone not have faults at all? We all make mistakes and have faulty judgements at least sometimes. But this man looked perfect. And I felt his movements were very deliberate and calculated. So I made my men tail him. I also appointed a man to keep an eye on his sermons, on his conversations with the locals. Just sometime ago I received a message from the man I had appointed to keep an ear open for his words. These pages are filled with tabish's sermons and conversations. They reveal about the subtle shift in the masses of Aileen. How Tabish is using his words in the curtains of the religion to lead the innocent people astray. How he is painting the fight for justice as a king's battle. They reveal about his intentions to push the people of Aileen to marry more so that they turn towards their family and forget their brothers and sisters who are suffering in Ghazdaan. Tabish is a wolf in a sheep's skin. His ways are convoluted. He uses his brains to make sure that the masses do not find fault in his words and then reiterate the false beliefs in their brains. He is not using might like the other princes, he is using his duplicity. And he is not alone in this. Sharr is his support."