SULTAN {Preview}

Chapter Eighteen

zeenat01al-farsi,Fiizatuu,salsabeeel...my lawyers, I love you all and  I can now look for trouble anywhere, knowing you guys are here for me 🙌🙌🙌
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"Assalamu Alaykum" she went to the Emir's chamber the following day immediately after dawn. "Waalaykis salaam Zahra'u"
She walked deeper into the room, knelt down and greeted him, after the greetings, she got up and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Are you going out? it seems you are in a hurry" she asked as he was all dressed up
"Uhmm.. Considering that today is jajibere a day to Eid I just want to make sure everything is ready"

"Please spare me some minutes, I have something very important to discuss with you" she said, fidgeting with her fingers. She was nervous. He sat down on the bed too, next to her, ready to listen to what she has to say

"I'm listening"

"Abban Batuul"

"Na'am"

"Are you sure about your intentions of getting Sultan and Batuul married?"

"What do you mean by I'm I sure"

"It's just that" she hesitated "Just that, I want to know if Sultan really consented to it, like is he okay with the arrangement, does he really love Batuul enough to make her his wife?"

"Zahra'u, I don't know where all this is coming from really " he said and stood up also.

"All I'm saying is that, we should be sure of the boy's opinion on this, before delving into things. I saw him yesterday, he didn't look okay to me, something seemed off about him, and then I had a dream... " she trailed off  "You know what, I think you should ask Sultan what's wrong with him, you know this kids of now adays, times have changed, it's not like our own time back then when our parents had a say in everything regarding our lives...times have really changed " she explained. He regarded her for a moment before he spoke

"I never knew a day like this will come Zahra'u, just make your intentions clear" he said in disbelief "What intentions if I may ask?"

"That you don't want Sultan to marry your daughter"

"What are you talking about Abban Batuul, of course that's not what I mean, all I'm saying is..."

"Save me all that woman" he cut her short "Are you trying to question my authority? Now let me tell you, in case you don't know or decide to forget or rather turn deaf ears to it, both Sultan and  Fatima Batuul are my children, I do not differentiate, in fact if anything, I love Sultan more than I love my own children. Sultan is my son, I get to choose a wife for him, same goes for Batuul, and that is final!!"

He spoke calmly but his words really got to her, like a blow from a hefty boxer or a sting from a scorpion, she couldn't believe he was saying all this, after 25years of marriage...but she had to hold the tears, she has to prevent them from spilling

"I can't believe all this is coming from you Abban Batuul" she shook her head "See the hurtful words you're telling me, because he is your brother's son? Well, you of all people know that the bound I shared with Ya Khadijah is more than that of friends or sisters, and before she died, she told me Sultan was my son too " the tears she was trying desperately to hold back betrayed her as they spilled, she began to cry, all her body shaking, however, she decided to continue, in a shaky voice

"I'm doing this for Ya Khadijah, for Sultan's happiness, his happiness as my son and not for any selfish interest, Allah is my witness. Since the day Ya Khadijah died I have not seen Sultan in any other way accept as a son. I thanked Allah for giving him to us, even when I didn't have children I was contented with him as a son, he was more than enough for me. And then Allah blessed me with children too." She paused to wipe her tears then continued
"But today you spelt it out to me that I didn't give birth to Sultan, that he is not my son, that I do not regard him as a son, however Allah is my witness that I do. What would have been the case if I didn't bear children at all, when even now that I did, you still made me feel childless, worthless, and incapable of being a mother, or playing the role of one "