Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 95

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem•

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

Sorry dear readers, I have been very busy plus I have been battling a writers block. Forgive me for the tardiness.

I hope you will enjoy this.

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Sehrish's heart hammered in her chest as she walked with Nazlee towards Daarim's tent. He had barred himself from the whole world post his pledge of allegiance to Muntaha. Apart from Nazlee, Muntaha and sometimes Hudhud, nobody encroached upon his self imposed time out. He was in grief, mourning the woman whom he loved crazily. He was nursing a fractured heart and wasn't interested in the world outside. It had been weeks since he had lost her and yet this pain didn't seem to ebb away from him. Sehrish doubted that it never would.

She wasn't someone who hadn't experienced loss before. She knew the pain and the disbelief that surrounded one's soul when a loved one departed for the afterlife suddenly. She wasn't a stranger to that loss. She had lost Taqdees months ago and even now it felt like that wound was fresh and bleeding. Her heart was full of grief and even now she couldn't remember her sister without trembling under the onslaught of feelings that shattered her heart. Daarim was going through the same loss and she respected his need for privacy. She respected his need for grieving.

She felt her heartbeat increase to a crescendo when they reached the entrance of his tent. Just as Nazlee gently grabbed the flap to enter inside, they heard footsteps approaching them. They turned to find Sidra.

"Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu..." Sidra greeted them with a wan smile. The air around them was somber. Nazlee let the flap go and walked towards Sidra, grabbing her and hugging her tightly.

"Walaikumassalam." Nazlee whispered. "What are you doing here? Did Jibreel finally let you out of his sight?" She joked as she separated from Sidra. Sidra chuckled softly and smiled towards Sehrish.

"He doesn't know I am here." She responded softly. Nazlee groaned.

"Why do you love to torture us like this? Don't you know how he gets when he finds you missing? He tortures his men and all of us alike to get to know your whereabouts!" Nazlee complained. Sidra blushed.

"I have found that instead of making him agree to let me go somewhere is much harder than placating his ruffled feathers after my return, so I choose this approach." She told them. They chuckled as they shook their heads, amused by her confession. Sidra smiled at them and then when her eyes moved behind them towards the closed tent, her face lost her smile. "Is he okay?" She enquired softly.

"As much as he could be." Nazlee replied. "Although I very much doubt that he would have destroyed himself with grief if Muntaha and Hudhud hadn't been there to keep him in line. Her memories burn his will to live each second and even when I try as hard as I can, he still move towards heartbreak."

"His grief isn't so light that he would become normal within some weeks. A lifetime wouldn't suffice." Sidra whispered. Her heart was breaking for him and for herself. Vareesha was her teacher, her mentor and the one who had pushed her so hard that she had left the word 'impossible' behind. Leaving Vareesha's memories behind was not possible though. She gestured towards Nazlee to lead the way. Nazlee nodded and turned once again, lifting the flap and entering the tent, followed by Sehrish and Sidra.

Daarim was sitting upon the mattress with Quran in his hands as he was reciting it softly and crying. His face shone with grief.

"Assalamualaikum." Nazlee greeted her brother softly. In this whole world the one who was the most beloved to her was Daarim. She loved him to bits. He was her only family and watching him like this was very hurtful to her. He lifted his head at her soft voice and then spied upon his visitors before greeting them back. First he watched his sister softly. She had been a permanent presence by his side in these weeks. She didn't realise it, but she was the thread that tied him back to life. Her presence was a balm to his soul. He then shifted his sight towards Sehrish, who appeared wan and pale. He frowned slightly at how weak she appeared. She gulped misunderstanding his frown for disapproval at her presence. Before he could say anything to her, she nodded to him softly and smiled a hurtful but gentle smile, before rushing out. He sighed and watched her go, unable to stop her due to lack of words.