Serenity

Seeing

Shaista leaned forward on the open rooftop, as far as the high wall allowed her, she was perched on gathered bundles of hay and twigs. The task her mother had set her long forgotten. Batuhan too leaned forward from his spot on the tree, not out of eagerness to see the girl but rather for the news she would bring. He felt the news was not good from the look on Shaista's face.

'So have you managed to create a rift between Sakina and Zalmai?' While he took pleasure in saying her name, the name of her spouse was pronounced with disgust, everything about Zalmai was unpleasant to Batuhan.

'I did and then Zalmai was injured'

'He was injured?' The Mongolian feigned ignorance.

'By an arrow meant for a wild animal supposedly'

'Were his injuries serious?'

'Yes, but then Sakina's uncle came and aided him in his recovery'

'Sakina's uncle?'

Shaista paused before she spoke that name, his humiliation of her still fresh in her mind 'Sardaar Zaraar Danaii Khayl'

His grip on the branch slackened and he stumbled momentarily 'Sardaar Zaraar?' He felt as though someone had reached inside his chest and clenched his heart at the mention of that name 'Sardaar Zaraar is her uncle?' Suddenly he didn't think taking revenge on Zalmai seemed like a good idea, he didn't think a woman like Sakina would go without a fight. He didn't want the Danaii war lord as an enemy. 'Does he care for her?'

'Oh yes, he would kill the one who laid a finger on her' The words were bitterly spoken 'He cares so deeply for her you would think a thing more precious than her didn't exist, that she was the most significant thing on earth'

'How will you get your revenge then?'

Shaista smiled 'Oh that I will carry out in such a way she won't even realize I did it.'

She was foolish, for revenge was carried out to let the enemy know the initiator. The bitter girl thought she had a plan that would break the Danaii pride so badly she would never rise again 'Sakina is having a child'

Batuhan trembled all over, shaking like a leaf, he did not know if it was rage or jealousy 'How can you be sure?'

'I overhead her and Zalmai speaking about it. We must find a way to get rid of it, that is my revenge, to make Sakina childless'

Batuhan regained his composure 'A cup of acacia will do, I will make sure you receive it'

Across from the settlement lay the neighbour's house, Salma nudged the visitor 'Sakina isn't that Shaista on the roof?'

Sakina dropped the shirt buttons she was sewing and walked over to Salma, there was no denying the girl standing on the rooftop conversing with a man. Salma clutched her chest, terror in her eyes 'I thought I had been mistaken, Sakina if that is Shaista communicating with a man... --' Salma paused ' -- there will be consequences, that is one thing the scholars do not forgive'

Sakina stared with a blank expression at the scene before her but deep inside, her heart screamed at how unfair Zalmai had been to dismiss her words and defend his sister. Putting the button in place, her fingers viciously stabbed the needle right through the shirt.

Salma gasped 'Sakina you've sewn the buttons right through! You've closed off the collar'

'Don't worry Salma this is fit for him,'

When Zalmai had attempted to pull the shirt over his head, he had found no opening, in confusion he stared at the material 'What have you done Sakina? I can't see a thing'

She laughed 'I didn't do anything Zalmai, you were always like this, you chose to stay blind'

Her did not understand anything from her words, when the material threatened to suffocate him, he ripped it apart, it lay in shreds

'And when you finally see, it will be too late Zalmai, your heart will be torn like your shirt'