***
Although it was a happy moment to be back with her family and help her sick father, who survived miraculously, her heart ached to remember her husband. His words echoed in her mind.
“Promise me to come back, please!” All throughout her stay at their palace she only heard him roar like an angry lion. The day he had been kind she saw the hidden gentleman in him. He had been a bad person. He was misled by his friends and power. But now with God’s mercy he was walking toward the light. Remembering him she wiped her glistening eyes.
“You aren’t happy living with him. You sacrificed your life for our sake.” Her father’s faint voice embraced her. She shook her head with a smile.
“I’m happy, father. Happier than ever. He’s kind to me. He loves me.” She said assuring her father that she was happy. But the Imam had seen him. He could imagine how difficult it would be to live with him. It was his fault, the Imam blamed himself. If he had never signed the bond she would have never been given to a monster-like man. Although the King and the Queen were very kind and gentle he was angry with the young prince. He had left no choice for his poor daughter except agreeing to marry him.
With the help of the kind king the older daughters of the Imam were given married to good men. But they were not wealthy like the prince. The sisters were not happy to welcome Jameela. Not when she was dressed in rich clothes and drove home by a royal carriage. Both sisters exchanged secret glances from time to time.
“You look prosperous, Jameela,” Jhaan said envying her sister.
“Alhamdulillah!” Jameela said preparing a hot cup of tea for her father.
“But I feel sorry for you,” Jazeela said, she looked everything other than being sorry. Knowing her sisters well Jameela drew a smile.
“I’m happier than you can imagine of, sisters,” Jameela happily said. The two elder sisters smiled scornfully.
“We can assume how happy you are little sister. Beauty and the beast, what a combination!” Jameela was hurt to hear their sarcasm.
“If beauty is the essence to be happy none of us would be living happily for none of us are beautiful. The most beautiful is Allah alone.” Jameela’s voice drenched with ache. How can her own sisters hurt her like that?
“He is a beast I agree, a lion in the battlefield and a stallion in a race. And a loving man in front of his wife.” She whispered almost to herself. The two sisters laughed hearing her.
“Every citizen, even the unborn will know who the great Akbar was…the untamed savage Prince Asab,” Jhaan mocked. Jameela’s eyes veiled.
“You have no rights to judge another. Allah alone will pardon or punish,” She snapped at them and walked away from the kitchen, a big teardrop rolled down pleading Allah to forgive her husband’s past sins and accept his repentance.
***
The days looked longer without her or her lessons of Islam. He sighed painfully. How long will it take for her to return? Will she ever return to him again? She hadn’t replied to him. She hadn’t said she loved him. He had never felt so gentle before. Within a few months, she had changed him completely. He saw the cruelness in him that became the reason for many losses. He felt ashamed of himself. He felt sorry for himself.
“Allah is so merciful that he gives chances to realize their mistakes.” her words echoed in his mind.
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return" They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”
Al-Quran 2.155-157
He remembered the verses of the holy Quran she had recited again and again to heal his wounds in his mind. They were like a soothing balm for his aching heart.
***
Meanwhile, the word about the Prince and him refusing to rule his country spread all around the world. Those who were defeated waited for a moment like this to revenge him. They planned to make him pay for what he did for them. Rulers from few kingdoms gathered and planned to attack the Blessed Land. The news about the war reached the ears of every person in the land. The old king wasn’t a good match for his son. But the prince refused to wage war against his enemies. Fear spread from every nook of the country.
***
“I have to go, father. He will never fight back. I have to return to him,” Hearing the bad news Jameela plead to her father. The Imam disliked the idea. He did not want his daughter to suffer alone with the ungrateful prince. Understanding his thoughts Jameela knelt down.
“Father, trust me. He’s a good man, I love him for the sake of Allah. If there was no love between us, will I ever wish to go back to him?” Her father saw her eyes sparkle with love for her husband. Allah fills the hearts with love, the Imam believed that the God is the changer of hearts. He trusted his daughter. She was blessed to bring the wicked young prince into the light and now it was time for her to stay beside her husband. She was right. The prince needed her, his soulmate for, they were made for each other. The Imam smiled granting permission for her to leave.
“Oh! My Child, good that you returned. He refuses to fight back. He refuses to walk out of his chamber. We need him, everyone here needs him. He was cruel, yet he was a warrior. He is the rightful king for our kingdom,”
As she entered the castle the good old queen plead. Jameela nodded agreeing to the queen. She ran to his dwelling wanting to see him first. She had missed him. She couldn’t see her life fade before it began to bloom.
Jameela paced quickly towards the closed door and pushed it slightly. His room was in dark as always. Her heart pounded in her ear as she walked through the door.
“Go away! I don’t want to see anyone” He growled. She skipped a heartbeat as she heard his voice after so many days. It has been just a few days yet, it looked as years had passed.
“It’s me,” She whispered. The thick silence draped her. She could hear his breath. But he didn’t spill a word.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t come sooner. But now I’ve come as I’ve promised you.” Jameela whispered. He remained silent. The lump in her throat felt heavy.
“I,”
“Go back, you are free!” He said in a faint voice. Jameela took a step back, startled. What had happened to the brave man she saw a couple of weeks ago? Regaining her strength she strode toward him. That wasn’t what she had been expecting from him.
“Go back? Go back to whom?”
“I’m not in a mood to talk to you. Please, leave me. Your life is in danger.” He said avoiding her eyes.
“I thought you are brave,” she pulled him by his shoulder.
“Not anymore.” He shrugged off.
“We need you; can’t you see the king is not as healthy as you are to lead an army?” not giving up, she said trying to stare back at his eyes.
“I’m not the one I had once been, Jameela.”
“You won battles when your soul was in darkness. Now you are stronger than ever. We have no time.”
He said nothing. “If you are worried about the wounds in you, they have healed and you are perfectly all right.”
“You don’t understand, nobody likes me. I was a wicked ruler. Everyone hates me, Jameela, everyone hates.” He said in a broken voice. The corner of her mouth curled. She walked to the window, a charming smile plastered in her face.
“Who said? Your people love you, your parents love you and I…I love you.” as she said she pulled out the golden drapes apart letting light stream into the dark room. The Prince looked astonished to hear what she just said. Jameela walked to him with her smile stretched ear to ear. Her eyes sparkled with love. He looked handsome. The scar in his face was not a match to wipe off his handsomeness. Jameela held his hands.
“Win a battle for the sake of Allah, this time you are going to defend your nation. Let them know that you are not weak. Nothing c
an destroy your strength except for Allah. Prove them their plans are in vain. Let them know that you will fight to defend your people In-sha-Allah. I love you, for what you are, for God’s sake I love you!” she said looking into his deep brown eyes that glistened with gratitude and love for the very first time in his life. He threw his strong arms around her shoulders ensuring love and protection that she had wished for.
***
He was strong as a lion, handsome like a stallion and brave like a warrior. Prince Asab bravely fought with his enemies and he won the battle as he had always done. But this time he fought against cruelty to defend the innocent. He sheltered the refugees with a kind heart, for his heart was filled with light of deen, faith. Jameela proved that true love is not based on beauty. The beast she met never changed into a handsome prince magically again but the love in her was strong enough to adore the scars and guide the prince into the light. The crown was passed down to the prince and he became one great king that people would never forget. Jameela had always been behind his success to lead a life filled with love and happiness. They loved, they fought, they laughed and they cried but they lived happily ever after.
The Beginning!
Glossary
Allah: Arabic word or God
Alhamdulillah: All praise to the God
Assalamu Alaikum: Islamic greetings which means ‘May Peace be upon you!’
Asr: Evening payer
Deen: Religion/faith
Dhuhar: Noon payer
Fajr: Dawn prayer
Imam: The person who leads prayers in a mosque
In-sha-Allah: God willing
Mahram: An unmarriageable kin with whom marriage or sexual intercourse would be considered illegal in Islam, or people from whom hijab is not obligatory or legal escorts of a woman during a journey.
Masjid: The mosque
Nikah: Marriage
SubhanAllah: Glory be to God
Wali: The Guardian
About the Author
Zeneefa Zaneer is a bilingual writer and her pen plays a major role in inspiring the youth. For many years she has been working with youth who has a passion for writing. She provides assistance for writers, coaching and counseling services. Her experience in writing fiction for over fifteen years has given her a broad base from which to approach many topics. She especially enjoys spreading knowledge about writing, family life and the use of social media
Zeneefa’s website is www.zeneefa zaneer.com and she can be found on Facebook and Instagram at
www.facebook.com/zeneefazaneer
and
www.instagram.com/zeneefazaneer
What to look for in our next instalment
Abeer and the Seven Deadly Sins
Once upon a time in a land most people have now forgotten, lived a King and Queen in their modest yet artfully decorated Palace, popularly known as Bait ul Ajaaib or the House of Wonders.
Seven years before Abeer, their daughter was born the Queen would spend night after night, day after day, silently or pleadingly, she would pursue at her prayers, and the fingers that clasped her board-flat belly grew thinner and thinner.
Zuleikha, she was the older sister of the Queen. She was the oldest and in her heart, she had seen herself marry into royalty and become Queen. Thoroughly beaten and heavily betrayed by her own flesh and blood, Zuleikha sought the help of a soothsayer.
“I am dying. This grief is too much!” she cried her heart out. “He has married that rag, when the most beautiful girl in the kingdom should have been his bride!”
“Here, take this mirror. It will speak to you and assure you of the most beautiful girl in the kingdom,”
“I want power and might! I want the whole country to fear me!”
“The sabaa’ Khataaya,” he whispered, studying her wanton expression. “The seven sins. Use them sparingly…one every seven years when you feel threatened. Each time you release one orb, a jinn will do as you wish, but…”
“Remember, once you join hands with a jinn….you have sold your soul, and your undoing might be your own doing and also any type of magic you undertake has to first pass the judgement of the One before He decides if it should take place or not. So beware, I have warned you!”
She smiled and she had never looked more cruel, more beautiful, more deadly than she did at that very moment.
“My first wish…” she said, unscrewing the lid open and sliding an orb onto her long palm. She closed her eyes and blew. The floating sphere fluttered out of her palm and vanished into several particles that were swallowed by the air.
She watched, still smiling, as the soothsayer started coughing and reached two gnarled hands to his throat.
“What have you done….” he choked, his eyes wide with morbid fear, but his fear did not last long.
With a wave of her cloak, the young woman departed from the shady little cabin, leaving behind the disintegrated remains of what might have once been a human being.
Enchanting stories with Islamic twists for the 'forever young'! A journey with your favorite characters in an all new modest setting like you never had before.
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Roses and Thorns Page 3