Namal (English Translation) By Nimra Ahmed

Chpt 16: Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

(PART 1)

How many of my subjects must be sleeping peacefully at this very hour! O sleep, sweet sleep! Nature's gentle nurse! How I fear you now, for you no longer weigh down my eyes and push my senses into forgetfulness! O goddess of rest, why do you dwell in the filthy beds of small towns but forsake the royal bed? O sleep, you can be kind to a wet boy on some ship in this stormy hour, yet in this peaceful and quiet night, with every luxury and comfort, you refuse to embrace a king? But is it because...

Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

(Dialogue from King Henry IV by William Shakespeare)

"Khawar... Colonel Khawar killed your father!" As Jawarahat stood stunned, Hashim's ears turned red, and fury rekindled in his eyes.

"And how can you accuse Khawar of such a thing? Wait a minute!" Hashim shook his head in disbelief, speaking with frustration. "Is this some new game of yours? Are you trying to drive a wedge between me and Khawar? You know he's my trusted man! I don't need to prove anything to you. You’ll have to do the investigation yourself." Jawarahat, pale-faced, slumped back into her seat.

"This is nonsense, Saadi. The plea, the money, working for you, it was all a lie just to get me here," Hashim shook his head, fed up. "And my father’s death was nothing more than an accident. What proof do you have that he was murdered?"

"I have a witness!" Saadi nodded slightly toward Jawarahat, who, startled, sat up.

"Saadi, what are you...?"

"Mrs. Qardar is the witness! Isn't that right, Mrs. Qardar? Didn't you tell me two years ago that you had suspicions about Khawar?"

Hashim froze. Jawarahat’s breath caught in her throat. "You... you suspected Khawar?" His tone shifted as he turned to his mother, his voice now grave and focused.

"Calm down, Hashim. Can't you see she's afraid?" Saadi interjected softly. "She confided in me after your father’s death. She had doubts that... well... later, when I came to check on her, she mentioned seeing a shadow outside, emerging from the bathroom, disappearing quickly. She said it looked like her most loyal servant, but she wasn’t certain. I didn’t take her seriously then either, but... being imprisoned gives you time to reflect."

Saadi kept speaking, but Hashim wasn’t fully listening. Shocked, he moved closer to his mother, his voice steady as he asked, "What is he talking about, Mother? Did you really see something?"

Jawarahat lifted her pale face, briefly glancing at Saadi, and then felt the tightening grip of her internal struggle. This was the moment to deny the accusations, to save herself from the impending blackmail. But to deny, one needed a clear conscience, and hers was clouded.

She looked at Hashim through her tear-filled eyes, who was gazing at her with a mixture of concern and anger. "It was just a shadow, I don't recall ever naming Khawar." Her voice was strained as tears welled up in her throat.

Hashim’s expression was as if he had been slapped. "Then why didn’t you tell me?" He shouted, kicking the table with his boot, sending tea cups crashing to the floor. Saadi's smirk froze, and in the kitchen, Mary trembled at the sound.

"I... I'm getting old, maybe it was just a trick of the eyes. I didn’t want to upset you," Jawarahat stammered, repeatedly tapping her face with her fingers. "I had forgotten all about it." She cast a regretful glance at Saadi, who closed his eyes and gave a slight nod.

The noose around her neck had now loosened.

Hashim stood up. "I don't believe it. Khawar is loyal. He had nothing to do with my father." He was shaking his head, pacing back and forth, trying to regain his composure.