Sa'eed - The Warrior

Muhabbah- Love

Shehenshah's POV:

As I walked to my chamber with Nauman I felt ecstatic. It had been tough to send back Firoz to his mom. He kept insisting on spending the night with me and Mayera. I will surely allow it some other time but certainly not tonight. I and she had a lot to catch up with. I knocked at the door to let her know I had arrived.

"Nauman, you can stand guard here"

"Of course Shehenshah". He took his place a little further off from the door as I entered.

"Assalamualaikum Mayera"

There is no response. That's surprising. She is not a shy kind of girl. At least with me she was always direct and bold. I was even more surprised to see she had draped her dupatta all over herself. I sat a few inches away from her.

"Mayera"

No response.

"Are you nervous?"

No response.

"I guess you are. That is why you have covered yourself this way. Or maybe you want to make my seeing you, a special moment. Is that why you are still hiding yourself away from me?"

No response. This was killing me.

"Mayera, I have spent endless hours thinking about you. I missed you terribly when you were away from me. I have counted every second waiting for this moment, yet you continue to agonise me with this silent treatment. Mayera, do you hear me?"

No response.

"If you do not answer now, I am taking the dupatta off. Alright?"

No response.

I reach for the border of the beautifully embroidered maroon and golden dupatta. My heart thundered within and my hand shivered ever so slightly. I would be seeing her for the first time. Her eyes and hands had always told me she was a pretty maiden. I was just about to find out. In one swift motion I pulled off the dupatta and within were..... cushions! I stood up surprised and scared. Where was she? I turned around to search for her and stopped dead in my tracks. There she stood, by the open window, flooded in moonlight. I was thunderstruck! Had I not been aware of the fact I was on earth, I would have thought the woman in front of me was a celestial being.

Her eyes twinkled, her beautifully woven tresses shone like silk, her delicate frame was evident and her lush lips slowly morphed into a smile. Immediately I understood what poets meant when they said smiles shoot daggers.

I stood mesmerized staring at her and the smile slowly turned to laughter. She laughed heartily at my evident enchantment. I walked to her. Glowing behind her, through the window I saw the full moon. I looked at the moon and I looked at her.

"Mayera, you are even more beautiful than the full moon"

She covered the short distance between us. "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder Shehenshah. It's your eyes that see me as beautiful". She smiled at me again and my heart zoomed. How do I tell her how much I love her? Even words would fall short. The emotions swirling inside overwhelmed me and I covered her with my arms pulling her in an embrace. She smelled heavenly. At first she was surprised and stiffened. Slowly I felt her relax and her hands moved to encircle me. My happiness knew no bounds and I tightened my grip trying to portray all my feelings through the hug. She hugged me tighter and started crying.

"Mayera, its OK. I have you. You are safe. You are loved. You are taken care of. As long as I breath I will not let a single harm come near you"

She just wouldn't stop crying. I carried her to the bed and cradled her in my arms and let her cry her heart out. I had seen many painful things during my life but never had my heart squeezed as it did now. I could not bear to see those tears. A small drop threatened to fall from my own eye and I blinked it back. After some time she quietened and raised her head to look at me.