Mahmood Hassan stood watching as the rain fell. He marveled at the beauty of nature as each drop fell pitter patter on the dried sand.
The whole kingdom was rejoicing welcoming the first shower of the season. As the rain washed away the grime and dirt of the past year, he hoped that it will also wash away all the evil and injustice with the crowning of the new king. The soft drops reminded him of an ayah from Quran. He slowly recited it to himself.
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And among His Signs in this: you see the earth barren and desolate; but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. Truly, He Who gives life to the (dead) earth can surely give life to (men) who are dead. For He has power over all things (41:39)
It is a beautiful kingdom, he reflected. There were 24 provinces in all. The capital city was situated in the north, right at the border, surrounded by forest on one side and vast empty wilderness on the other three sides. It was through this wilderness travellers had paved their ways to connect with the neighboring kingdom.
"Surely the rains this year will yield more than just good crop", he said as his eyes followed a drop that was slowly sliding down the petal of a rose in his front yard. He had continued to stay in the Shahi housing even after all that he had been through. His peace was not derived from the huge house or its lawn or its furnishings. It was drawn from the fact that he knew his son was somewhere close, that he could keep an eye on his enemy and his every move and that he could assist in the rebellion that the other vaffas had cooked up. He had been waiting for this for a long time. He knew it wouldn't be long before Allah sent someone to uproot evil, and he had decided that if he should see such a day he would do his best to help. And just like he had expected there was a silent uprising and he was sure Hammad Khan was behind it.
He remembered the good old days when all the vaffas enjoyed each others company and worked together as one in the interest of the Kingdom. Khan Baba used to be the soul of such gatherings. He had an amazing sense of humour and could easily put a smile on anyone's face. Then there was Abu Fazal, the bravest of them all, his best friend Hammad Khan, who was more loyal to Abu Fazal than to the Shehenshah. He recalled one particular incidence when they all had sat down for lunch. One of the servants spilled curry on Shehehshah's tunic. He lost his temper and before he could react Khan Baba quickly poured a spoonful of curry on every ones tunic. All of Shehenshah's anger evaporated as he laughed and praised Khan Baba for his presence of mind.
The heavy pouring reduced to a drizzle and he noticed lone figure of a man walking towards his house. He squinted to see who it was, even as the man came closer he wasn't able to recognize him.
"Assalamualaikum Mahmood", said the stranger as he extended his hands for a shake. The voice sounded familiar.
"Walaikumassalam. Do I know you?". They shook hands.
"It's better we talk in the cover of walls". His dress was damp from having walked in the rain. Mahmood led him in.
The man removed his brown beard and brown eye brows to reveal black ones beneath!
