Souls Together In a Cursed Castle

Souls Together

Soul Together In a Cursed Castle - A Short story by Noorah Omar

Noorah Omar

It was a clear sunny day. Once there's a great kingdom was ruled by most lovable but adamant king named Omar bin Hamzah, lived in Zyamiah. The kingdom had twin princesses named Annah binth Omar, the youngest, Safwah binth Omar, and the eldest. Annah was having the habit of wandering around the forest 'cause she loves to be alone more than being with someone. But Safwah was completely contrasted to Annah though they're identical twins. Safwah would like to be with her parents especially with her first mom thought she was born for the second one. Annah cozy with darkness and nature. She'd like to introduce herself as a self loving person. She was matured to know how to behave herself to others. Every one of them had good Islamic disciplines. They never forget to salah for five times. The king was so conscious about this even with his country people. He built a masjid, the place where Muslims used to do their prayers. He even followed the rules that sentenced in Qur'an for crimes. Once in a while Annah was wandered in the forest as singing and picking flowers, eating fruits and climbing trees. Up there from the top of the tree she saw a young boy, named Azman bin Aarif crossing by. She noticed this for few days without intentions and for the very next day she sounded weirdly. He was afraid of that sound in the middle of the forest and started to run. She laughed to death at him. She continued this for a month as sounded him like a lion, bird, and wolf and sometimes as a weird witch that prophesying for his future. It was continued for a while and one day he figured that it was someone who is mocking him. But he continued acted as he was afraid of those sounds. On that day he was caused to go earlier for his sword practices, he went and returning on his way to castle. By that time he noticed a girl wondering in the forest, enjoying herself admiringly. She was singing a song and lying on the grass field. He was mesmerized by her song and he was wondering at her the way she cozy with loneliness. He hid himself and watching over her. Mean while she suddenly woke up and rapidly climbed a tree and searching. He founded that she was mocked him for past days. So to be getting clear he passed by the tree as usually. Then he heard terrific laugh. He got confirmed that she has been doing it. He stopped by the tree and asked who that was. She sounded like a witch and asked from where he got the courage to stand like this. He answered that was met with an angel and got vivid knowledge. So he needs not to afraid these anymore. Also he revealed that he knew who it was. It made her feel so embarrassed. Then he took his leave. She jumped to the ground and ran behind him. She couldn't reach him. He reached his castle and was so thoughtful about Annah. He became caught love sick. He started to smile by himself as if he was thinking something. Even talking to himself became one of his habits. He found solitude was so cozy. He proposed this to his dad, king of neighboring country, Azyroph. King was not ready to accept because he already hostile with Zyamiah. So he thought that was a golden opportunity. The king was planned to be pretend as he was accepted to this marriage in front of the prince but he was actually wanted to betray him. The prince trusted his dad and planned to be well prepared as a groom. He wantedly stopped using that way to his practice to make her miss him. He took long time to go back. So he planned to learn everything that a prince should know to rule his country. He thought that was the only thing which helps him to confess her. By the way he wants to make her surprised by revealing that he's the prince of neighboring country. Her behavior and activities were slightly changed which made her parents suspect her behaviors. She kept maintaining herself literally alone and had spent all day at forest. Her mom were scolded her for her attitude for many times. They expected her to be a perfect princess. She should know all the culture, tradition, some of the family rights and restrictions. On the whole, the kingdom and the country people expected her to take her responsibility for their country. Annah never felt that way in her heart. She felt that soft and gentle red chamber like heart was wiped up its happiness and poured with damn reality. She started hating the reality that taken her happiness and made her to behave as she had grown up. By nature Annah was a single spirit who loves solitude. Annah was so down on that day and as usually she went to the forest and sat under the tree which she used to play these days. She kept thinking all about the expectations of her family and country people. She chewed all the happenings in her mind. It drove her to unconscious state of thinking. She didn't even know what was happening around her. Azman return to the forest after a long day to meet her. He was so intended to confess his marriage proposal to her. He found her in that same place where they used to meet. She seems so down, he was so doubtful whether it was she or anybody else. He gone closed to her. He found that she was weeping. He was very shocked and can't see her crying. He approached her by touching her shoulder. She turned and saw his face very closely. It makes her weep more 'because she was so sobbing and broken. She doesn't know what to do, how to behave, to which personality she should be adapted either a girl who loves to be alone or a perfect princess whom the country people were expecting. Annah was in her ecstasy. She doesn't even know either to accept his solace or to avoid. She just keeps seeing his eyes with eyes full of tears. By the vision Azman could sense the pain that she had. He could understand that she was so confused. So he said, "I'm sorry to left you alone, I'll beside you, don't worry, let me know what happened". Those words were made her lean on to him. Those were such a comfortable that no one gave her though they knew her well. She wondered that how a man can cherish her without knowing anything about her. She accepted his solace and lamented everything that happened to her from how she was to how her family needs her to be and her confused stage too. Azman smiled so warmly at her by seeing her teary eyes. She gets quick angry about why he is smiling in sudden? She asked him, "Does my pain is that much hilarious?" He kept smiled at her and patted her head and said, "No, I thought you were a common girl by your attitude, are you a princess? Do not lie to me". He said that so intentionally because he thought that will make her feel that she should be responsible as a princess. As he triggered her she became angrier and asked him, "Tell me what I should do to prove that I'm a princess". He smiled again and challenged her to win him. He showed every skill that he learned as a prince. She was so amazed and asked him his true identity. He well used this opportunity and confessed her. She couldn't reject him but she didn't show that to him. Instead she asked him to teach those skills that he was good at. He agreed to her and he taught one by one. Also he convinced her that the role of a princess was should be respected and she should cherished to born as a princess. He encouraged her by explaining what will happen if she rejects to behave as a princess. She got clear and became more affectionate with him. He felt that for these days she was yearning for an affectionate person. She was seeking a person who can understand and cherished her as the way she was. Day by day she learned those well. As much as she learns everything quickly she feels that she already in love with him. Mean while her dad, king of Zyamiah recognized the changes in her attitude and he let her be improved without asking her anything annoy. But to test her he arranged an occasion for battle with Annah and Safwah. Annah was so talented and she proved it. Safwah was so happy about her. She never stood against Annah. She then realized that no one stood against her and everybody wanted her as a princess. She felt so grateful toward Azman and ran toward the forest to meet him. So that she can show her love for him and accept his proposal. She waits for him until dusk but he didn't come. It continued for few days. She felt so bad about this. She thought that he doesn't show him because of her rejection. The most she worried and suffered by love sick, she keeps practicing. Because he asked to never forge practicing. Annah get ready her to find him in his country. She informed her father as she was ahead of voyage to learn more. As she knew that he was a prince of neighboring country she rides her horse towards. She found him with a young girl. She was so upset by seeing him there with her. That girl approached him so affectionately that no men will neglect her love. She afraid of her what if he falls for her. She screamed his name by saying "never think other girl, you rascal". They both get shocked of her arrival. He ran towards her and asked, "What are you doing here? How did you come here? What brings you here?" Annah scold him for being with her. They both laughed at her anger. She got more anger and felt bad. Then Azman introduced that girl was her cousin and they were bosom friends from childhood. Annah feels sorry for her behavior. That girl approached Annah and became so cozy with each other. Then she told many things to Annah that Azman did so funny. Those three were laughed and enjoyed still Azman asked that girl to stop because he felt so embarrassed. She is damaging his respect in front of his future wife. Then Annah and Azman had space from that girl for a hike with their horses. She proposed her affection on him and explained how far it caused her to come to meet him. He affectionately smiled at her and he explained about his proposal to his dad for their marriage. She was so surprised and became so passionate. Then she made sure for her proposal to her dad for their marriage. He walks her to her country and retuned by his horse. Next day morning, she proposed her dad this matter. But the king didn't seem to be agreeing with. He seemed so furious. She was so afraid. She sent a dove tied up a piece of a paper as a letter that consist the opposition of the king to Azman. Mean while Azman comes to found that his dad too opposing his marriage and pretending to be favor of him. His cousin helped him to know this and both discussed an idea for eloping. On the other hand Annah in her house was house arrested by her dad. It was dawn time she keeps weeping in ecstasy until the sky gets its own dark shades. Annah wipes her tears and stood in front of Allah by salah. She prayed to help her. Then she ended up with a wider Du'a. She keeps lamenting to her pillow, the one who knows Annah the most. Even about her darken sides. She would say that her pillow is her cozy friend that she ever finds in the world and she said myself is next to it. "If pillows would have human aspects, I may have ever best comfortness" (noorah quotes). Very next day, when she opens her eyes from sleep she was in an island besides Azman. She was so surprised and at the same time she regretted that after realizing that she was escorted from her castle in a single night. It means that she was eloped with her dream prince. It seems that she was escorted far away from her country. Meanwhile in both the countries were stand hissy fit. They both blamed each other countries, cultures etc. It became turned so awfully. They ended up in the war field. It cast the lives of the soldiers. Annah felt so bad for that. These entire things, she could sense by her intuition. Even it helps her to see what happening there. She amazed by that sense and felt so weird. She stood speechless. Azman called her name out from the moment she woke up. She didn't even recognize that. Azman grabs her shoulders and shacks her. She come to her sense and simply said, "It is awfully weird". He patted her head and said, "everything will be alright, get yourself together". She asked Azman to salah together for forgiveness as well blessing. They both did salah together. It was lead by Azman. Also it's one of her very passionate wish to be happened. They both felt somewhat relaxed after salah. Azman and Annah, both were hiking into an island forest. Walking by Annah let him know the sense that she felt through her intuition. They both recognized that the forest was getting darker more than before and the conversation between them was also led them fight each other. Both got felt that behavior, character and the manner of approaching each other's were changed. They both started blaming each other. They had chosen separate way for each other to go on. At first it was quit harder to them to walk in the dark. But later on they could see things clearly even it is dark. There Annah met with a goblin which was so ugly and looks terrible. She was terrified and screamed. Its appearance looks so awful. Its head was so broad, with pulu fern like hair; its sweating was saliva, colored attractively with royal blue in color with sky blue dots. Seize was too short, nails were uneven and dark gray in color. The goblin said, "You're entered in a wrong place. This island was cursed by a witch". On the other side Azman was the person who hasNyctophobia. It caused him to feel that it's better to die. He then seemed so depressed and fainted. Then he was carried by some of the goblins. He didn't even acknowledge it. They left him under a giant tree which having the power of getting so terrible as much as the person under it scared. Meanwhile the weather was changed from the warmth to cold. The river in that island was frozen. It was that much cold. Annah was so shocked and the curiosity hits her fear. She became interested to know, what happened to them. She asked for more. Goblin explained everything very briefly. As there were a king lived in that island before a generation while ago. He was so handsome and was so courageous. He won every war he went for. He lost his parent at his infancy. As aged gone he was very mature and was well behaved. He was a perfect king who ruled that island. At the age of twenties he fell in love with a girl who disguised as a poor girl to impress king. She was actually a witch who longing for gold and jewelleries. Only for that she made the king fall for her and finally betrayed him by theft. The king fooled for his true love. Though he was betrayed, his love towards her made him longing for her. He sent soldiers to find her. Hey couldn't. Then he went by himself to find her. He himself fooled him badly by loving her soulfully. Those pains killed him inside as he is alive but not let him die. The witch was appeared in front of him in her original identity and said, "A king can't marry a witch also a born witch will never fall for love even if it's true". The way she let him know the reality and behaved very sorry. Then she laughed at his true love and eludes him. She was overjoyed for her success. So when the witches being overjoyed, the weather will be terribly changed. So the sky turned its darkness with downpour. The king was in ecstasy. He cried a lot and suffered a lot by the terrible downpour. He went to his castle back as enduring all the pains on his way. The king was so frustrated by his love for that witch. As he remembers her and regretting his love, he wants to hurt himself more. He was that much depressed and became went conscious mad. He hates everything that he sees. At a point he cursed he Whole Island and also the witches to be stay still. Not to move an inch for future. Even if it moves that should be painful. As the side cause the people and the forest got cursed by the king. The people went goblins; the forest lost its fertility. Also the presence nymphs and angels were stopped along with the growth of forest. After hearing all these, Annah feels for the king. She feels that the king had endured ample of pain that no one can endure this much. Also she accepted his hissy fit. Then she asked for the solution. That Goblin told her, only the true love will be the solution for this curse. That should be ready to go far as it seeks to go and should endure all the pains that have to. She was so thoughtful after that. Back Then she again started thinking all the happens. Then she gets to know that she could be the solution with Azman. So she started searching for Azman. She searched for the Goblin but that was already disappeared. Then she realized that Goblin was often disappeared even while talking to her and she had to hear its sound only. So she took herself to go search Azman. Unfortunately she couldn't find him. She felt so exhausted. She found a giant tree there and rest under it. Though she was exhausted she sang a song. She thought by the sound her song Azman could find her. Within these hours, Azman has fallen asleep. He often woke up by himself and found it is still darken. So he fell asleep again. It continued. At a point he found that the darkness never gets a bit light. He got confused a lot and afraid. He planned to not to move anywhere. But he badly needed Annah besides him. He missed her a lot. He even called out her name. After a few minutes he realized that his dress was tored and was dirty. He gets so confused a lot and a lot continuously. He didn't even know what is happening around him. Where he was, why he looks like that, what happened to his dress. He was screamed and cried. That Goblin watched everything and feels pity for him. So it decided to appear in front of him. He does appear too. The Goblin patted his shoulder gently. Azman thought it was Annah. He stared weeping at her arms and said he missed her a lot also he claimed that he made a mistake. Then he felt that gel like saliva. He worried something could happened to Annah as something happened to his dress without his knowledge. Then he tried to lift his head to see her face then he find it was a Goblin. He scared to death and screamed with teary eyes. Goblin disappeared naturally as he started to scream Goblin scared of is sound and face. When a Goblin gets scared of something it'll be naturally disappear. Then the Goblin decided never to be appeared in front of him. Azman now opens his eyes slowly. Then he finds the goblin was not there and he dusted his sleeves, acts courageously. But he was not ready to move from the tree. He decided to wait until Annah finds him. Goblin left a sparkling blue ring on the frozen river which is literally located in the place of giant tree. It'll appear when the thoughts of true love spread in the air. As Azman decided to let Annah find him, he became so thoughtful. He kept thinking from the beginning of their love. He even smiled, laughed, cried, felt so shy and somewhere he felt so loved by thinking his past. He then recognized Annah's in depth love towards him and felt so sorry for his behavior. Then he ready to do anything for her so took himself to find Annah. That time by Annah's love he gathered all the strength. The river does appear instead of the giant tree. Then he saw that sparkling blue ring on the frozen rive in its centre. The river was so white and resembles its purity. He was mesmerized by the river and went on it. At the moment he went on it he felt so hungry. His intuition tells him that he had been almost like a goblin without food until sheltering under the tree. It made him became feel himself as a human. Even his dress became normal. Then he made a little hole on the river carefully to drink some water. There he found fishes too. He was regretted eating without Annah. He saved some for Annah. Then he was so concern about that ring without any intentions. His intuition keeps on telling him to get that ring. He gets that automatically. On the other side Annah was wake up from her sleep. She feels very fresh as she has taken rest. Again Annah starts to sing a song and wandering around the area where she was. She sang a song by her own with the memories of her love for Azman as lyrics. It made her see the giant tree disappear and turned into a beautiful frozen white river. Here I would like to ask her, "You both were near under that same tree and now on the frozen river. Then why you guys can't see each other?" But I couldn't ask her. So I let her continue. Then she said that she found a sparkling blue locket on the frozen river. She dares to go get it. She went there and gets to know it was a little under a layer of the frozen river. Then she found herself hungry as Azman does and made a little hole where the locket was. She grabs the locket and drinks some water. She found fishes and collects some to eat with Azman. The Goblin sees everything that was happening. Also it knew that the ring and locket was belongs to king and the witch. The king wished to gift the locket to his queen, the witch and the ring was belongs to king which was fell down when the witch theft the Jewells from the king's castle. As the Goblin can see true love spreading all over island through the frozen river, it hopes that the island will get solution from its curse by the king soon. And the goblin whispered into Annah's ears that she is nearby Azman. Annah replied, "Is it? I felt the same but I thought it was my intuition." Then she hears goblin's voice said, "It's your right side". Annah tried to speak with that Goblin but she couldn't hear anything as reply. She cried and ran towards her right side on the frozen river... On her way towards him, she was hit on the magical wall which she can feel but can't see but also very transparent. She touched it and can't go through it. She tried everything she can but there is no way to go through. But thankfully they can be comfortable on the river. Azman on the other side, he was walking on the river to go far to find Annah. He sat to rest somewhere on the river and was slept. He found something surprisingly when he woke up. That's he was lean on something while he was sleeping. When he opens his eyes he found nothing there but still leaning on to it. He was scared to death and fell to his back. Then he goes near to that and hesitatingly touched that then he found that was nothing but wall like mirror. He was amazed at that wall. He started to sound at the wall like whoa and tried to break the wall with some logs and stones. Annah heard that sound and screamed Azman's name. Azman also heard Annah's voice and replied Annah. Then he said that how fool he was to leave her alone in the forest like hell. He told her that how much he missed her. He claimed that he made a big mistake and seeks love and forgiveness from her. Annah was extremely happy to hear those words from him and she told him that she was also missed him a lot and said she wants to tell him a lot. As they shared heir feeling directly from the heart, it was so true on the both sides. That true love cased the wall became reveal each of them to each other. Meanwhile they could see something like sparkles come out from them and amazed at it. After seeing each other, they become more affectionate. Both were overwhelming by the love they have for each other. They seems eyes full of tears, heart full of weigh of love, lips full of words, hands full of longing to grab each other. Both goes nearby the wall and placed their hand each other on the wall. While the ring he wore and the locket she wore were touched the wall, it gets cracked a bit with beautiful sound. As much as the wall cracked the sky was also cracked its darkness. It allows the light come through the cracks. Goblins were released from curse. They're slowly became humans. Mean while, Annah and Azman were looks into their eyes as they placed their hands on the wall. They didn't even notice that was cracking. He come closer to her lips on the other side of the wall she touched the wall with her lips and closed her eyes. He kissed on her lips from other side of the wall. Once they touched the wall with their lips as they kissed the wall became disappeared. They both kissed each other. It was their first kiss. Both were hugged and wiped tears for each other. The sky became completely turned its natural as well the island. Goblins were became humans. Everybody gathered there and arranged their betrothal. He gifted his ring to her which he found on the river. She gifted him the locket which she found on the river. That Goblin was become human as every goblin does. She came in front of them and wished them or their future. She was so thankful and spoke her heart out and revealed that she had been the maiden of that king in the past. Annah was so happy. She grabbed her hands and was so thankful because she helped Annah all the time when she needs help. If there was no Goblin appeared, it'll be quite harder to find Azman. Everybody there were celebrated their union and re-life. Annah and Azman were stood in front of everyone to speak a little. All of a sudden everybody got disappeared and Annah was in her chamber. She was very shocked and searched Azman around her chamber. Then she realized she was still locked into her chamber and it was an unexplained magical dream. Annah usually having the habit of telling me everything also asked me to keep it secret. She often tells me one thing. You know what that is. "Dear diary, if you were alive, I'll name you as my living diary." (Noorahquotes).

Saturday, December 5, 2020