Sa'eed - The Warrior

The Plan

I pushed open the door to my home. It was cold and empty. A wave of nausea hit me. The grief that I was bottling up was trying to express itself in strange ways. This nausea had to be one of them. I tried to distract myself from the urge to throw up and opened the trunk. Here in a pouch lay all my life's savings. Before I suffered from another health issue I quickly bolted the door and the left the place I used to call home. Now it was no more than four walls with a roof on top. A home is made with the love of it's inhabitants, without that it is just mud and stones. I made my way to the blacksmith in the market. He was busy pounding iron.

"Assalamualaikum. Do you have gauntlets?"

He grunted in response.

"I want to buy them"

Another grunt. What a grumpy fellow. I stood waiting my patience running out. Finally he put aside his hammer and got up. The gauntlets he showed me had no covering on fingers.

"I need the ones that have covering on fingers as well"

He removed one such gauntlet without even responding.

"I need more"

He pulled 9 more.

"I need more"

He gave me a suspicious glance. "I only have so many"

"Then hurry up and make 10 more by tonight. Team up with other blacksmiths if you like but make sure they are ready. If you do not succeed then we might lose the the war. Take your payment"

I handed him gold coins and the sight of them pleased him. "They will be ready".

I left the place with the 10 gauntlets I had bought. The environment in the city was tense as people contemplated the upcoming war. The families of men who were soldiers in the army were proud and disheartened at the same time. Some people were comparing Shehenshah's reign with his fathers telling they preferred the father's rule as there were no wars. While a few wise men knew this war could end Mir Jafar forever and were happy about it. I pulled Saira and Zakwan with me from Dayima's home on the way.

"Saeed where are we going?", asked Saira still adjusting her veil as she hurried to keep up with my pace. Zakwan ran along us.

"We are going to help in the war"

This earned a war cry from Zakwan who was jumping now and Saira stopped in shock. I had no time to stop and explain so I kept walking briskly. Seeing I wasn't going to stop Saira ran to catch up.

"Saeed! You know I am not a warrior", she complained.

"You don't have to be a warrior to do the job I am assigning you. It's really simple".

By now we have reached Hakeem Hamid's Apothecary. I turned to Zakwan. "Gather as many kids as you can". He ran away at top speed as I and Saira entered inside.

"Assalamualaikum Saeed. What brings you here?". Hakeem Hamid was clearly not expecting me to be up and about so soon after Maa's death. In fact Dayima had tried to pull me back from the door way as I had attempted to leave with Hammad Chachu yesterday. I had to fight my way out.

"Walaikumassalam. I am here to ask for your help. It could bring us victory in the war"

"I am ready to do anything", said Hakeem Hamid as Saira sat on a stool. I placed the gauntlets on the workbench before outlining my plan to them.

"Our army hasn't trained well in a long time. They lack organization and ability to work as a team. Each soldier is a good warrior, no doubt. But strength alone will get us nowhere as the size of enemy's army is three times that of ours. So we need to use something that will injure many soldiers at once and incapacitate them enough not to continue. For this I propose we use the simmi vahash". I indicate to the plant which is still on the workbench though it has dried and shrivelled up. Saira and Hakeem Hamid gave me an eager look.