𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟎𝟏

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

FARAH

“Lubna, are you sure you can look over the bakery while I’m gone?” Zoya asks.

“Don’t worry, Ammi Jaan. I won’t burn down your bakery.” Lubna says with a smile.

“Okay.” Zoya says, quietly, “be careful.”

“Don’t worry. Have fun!” and she shuts the door of the bakery.

Zoya blinks then turns to us, “she’s not going to get in trouble, is she?”

Taimoor bhai shrugs, Hassan and I exchange a glance but no one says anything.

Zoya releases a sigh then we start making our way towards the hospital.

Festival week is coming to an end. Which sometimes upsets us because the rush in our bakery would die down. However, this year was different. We got more attention than expected even after Jamaal tried to lure people away from our stall.

Something tells me that Zoya is finally going to get the recognition she deserves. Especially after the Sultana said her sweets are her favorites and even took some back to the Palace.

We’re not putting up a stall today. Zoya always takes sweets and warm goods for children and elderly in the hospital.

The hospital which is also an elderly daycare.

As soon as we enter the building, Hina- the in charge- meets us.

“Assalamu Alaikum, everyone.” She greets.

“Wale Kum Assalam,” we greet back.

Hina smiles then leads us towards the hallways. We split it to visit the elderly and children. Taimoor bhai and Hassan make their way towards where the children are while Zoya and I visit the elderly.

The hospital is smaller than it should be. It has few rooms. In each room, there are more than ten patients. Some orphan kids also use this hospital as their home.

There was a time where there was a separate orphanage, daycare and hospital. But then the orphanage and daycare got torn down because they had to make new shops in that place.

That incident took place after Sohail became the governor.

The building he got made sits empty till to this day. The staff tried reasoning with him but of course he denied. They tried contacting the Sultan but he shut them out.

That was the first time I started losing respect for him.

Slowly by slowly our town was being destroyed and he didn’t do anything to stop it.

And now I fear his son might do the same.

We hand warm goods to the elderly and make small talk with them.

Some of these are refugees of the lost kingdom- Yamareik- before the war.

They were able to escape before they got massacred along with their kingdom. Some lost their parents, their partners, their children, their grandchildren during it.

Some of them lost their only family in the war against Komier.

Even after losing so much, they still hope for the best. Pray for the best.

“Thank you, beta.” An elderly woman says with a motherly smile as I hand her a sandwich and a cup of tea.

I smile back as I say, “you’re welcome.”

“Let us know if you need anything,” Zoya says to everyone.

“May Allah bless you both.” One of them says making both of us smile.