The Elahim Brothers

DAR-AL-MAQAMAH

The sound of the breeze was intensely loud, Fateh had been changing from his light blush cheeks to deep red. I wrapped his muffle around his head. We boarded the train with much difficulty. Grandmother kept rotating her positions hardly. The silence absorbed into my soul. I heard nothing. Every now and then I'd look at Fateh. Would he too turn like the rest of my brothers? I shouldn't care if it would be the case. I kept enclosing into the blanket but nothing worked. Like the cold was out for killing. I checked father over and over.
The journey was a long one. For even a moment I did not blink eyes. The night changed on a foggy morning. We stepped out of the train.
The station was like an abandoned horror house. No one could be seen. We took ourselves outside the station.
My eyes were tired of turning at all side to see if everyone was fine.
There was a carriage outside. We boarded the carriage. Why a carriage at this age? Where are we going? It seemed immensely haunting. The way ahead was a deserted forestry. The trees were dark with little mist and flakes of white snow. The breeze roared along like wild animals chasing the speed of our carriage. The thought of the elderly people and the amount of danger that I saw around, I gulped.
The thirst for water grew thorns on the insides of the throat. To halt was a grave danger. The journey was longer than the one we just had completed. I do not know when but my eyes fell into sleep and I slept for good hours. When I returned to my conscious, the light was still breaking from the skies.
"Are we there yet?" I asked Dad.
He shook his head. We were in that carriage for almost twenty and one hours now. Fateh wanted to go to the bathroom and so did I. The man said another hour. We were exhausted beyond words. More pity I had for poor grandma who had been stuck with her chair at one side. I was sure dad had not slept even for single minute Guarding us.
Finally, an eternity like long journey came to an end. A large garden with a beautiful fence beheld my sight. We still had a long way to cross to reach the Manor. A large stone beside the Gates was craved exotically with the words. 'Dar-al-Maqamah'

It was a large Manor. At first, I rubbed my eyes. Was I dreaming? A castle-like house. I always had fancied seeing one we stepped out mesmerized.
Fateh even though he was held by the cold, was excited. Dad took us inside, an old man attended us, he was a helper of the house. We then were allocated rooms. The Hall Of the house was built like a fairy tale. The tall flexing pillars were carved with such exquisite talent. The vases, the curtains, the smell...I never could even dream this sort of perfection. Dad did not tell me ever he had a friend who owned such a royal fortune. The stairs were grand and the positioning of every masterpiece there was so true an art. I could not take my eyes off everything held me, as we moved from the hall to our rooms everything was finer than the post. It was an old pace I could tell, but who is the fool that doesn't love the vintage.
We had slept the night in our rooms which were bigger than our living rooms back home. The windows were endowed with marvelous craving and below the scenery had beautiful gardens and pretty flowers to adore. And then above was the Almighty's strongly sky, jeweled with his charms.
I slept better than I have slept for years now. The next day we were shifted to a small cottage which was not grand but yet the prettiest thing I've seen. It was a wooden cottage with small fences around. It had two rooms and a living room with a small garden. That was our home. It was more than enough. I was happy we were granted a place outside the mansion. We did not belong there. Somehow we saw no signs of the people of the manor until the next few days. The servants would set food for us and would provide us with everything that was necessary and more. I was overwhelmed. This was a favor now, one that was a burden on us. Dad requested them to not be so generous but they seem to love serving us. One day the man, Mr. Rahim the helper, informed us that Mr. Elahim who was on a business trip had returned and had invited us for lunch. I was partly delighted and partly anxious to see the man who has been so kind to us.
That day I dressed Fateh and grandma in their best clothes, I myself groomed and we were taken to what they called a dining hall. I was so frustrated by being surprised at how beautiful things were in that house.
We sat on the chairs, it was a long table. I am sure there are not many people to fill them. My heart was thumping, why? Perhaps I am intimidated by the man who has helped us. A young man walked inside, he swiftly adjusted himself at the table, took no notice of us and like a statue he remained so till another young man joined him doing the same. They greeted my Dad and then my grandmother but they did not greet me. Fateh was greeted later but yet I stayed unnoticed. I went outside to wash my hands and the same young who first entered appeared to moving from the opposite direction approaching the lunch room. I walked backward. I saw him walking towards me.Is this place haunted?
How can he be outside when he is inside!!!! I ran inside and  I clasped the table spotting him again but at the table. I look back and he is there too...
"They are identical brothers," A voice said behind me.
I sighed relief. How silly! I turned and there was no one behind me. Oh good god, it is going to be hard.
We sat at the table. I saw another man join us. How many men live here? Three men have already joined us. None of them spoke after greetings.
Later another man came in and my breath turned inside me. An unsubtle silence but tumultuous sensations ran in me. I stared the being with my mouth slightly open yet no air passed through. A tall frame, an entire ocean was trapped inside his eyes. His eyes looked scornful and he had a very proud nose something that could be told by the sharpness, white lily-like skin layered his bitter bones. He had a full mouth and his strong jaw complimented it well. I thought I owe him an apology for having stared him for so long. He sat beside the other men. Then, at last, an elderly man with an unexplainable aura entered with another man sharing some of his grandeur. That was Mr. Elahim and the table was filled with Mr. Elahim and five sons. Mr. Elahim was in his sixties, an old mystic man with grey hair and straight back, his stick with the silver end hit the Ground announcing his supremacy. Something About them was so intimidating that I couldn't lift my head. The entire lunch I felt perpetual pangs of anxiousness. I heard names attached to the faces but I was unable to lift my head. Mr. Elahim wasn't a man of much words, he talked little but in little, I heard a rough and a strict voice.
The rest of the men did not speak, behind each of them was a servant serving them with an assistance they did not need. Mr. Elahim asked of me in a scornful tone. "who is she?"

My dad explained his bad fortune before my name to him. He shook his head. Just like my dad, he hated me.
The rest of the young men did not ask any questions, did not inquire nor introduced themselves.
They were strange. Extremely strange. When the lunch was over I looked up.
Mr. Elahim said 'Dismissed'
All walked out. My father was asked to stay and we returned to the cottage. I wondered the whole day about the awkward meeting.
Little did I know that those meeting would happen every day. Every single day we were invited to lunch in that mansion-house. Nothing different happened, every day was the same.