Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 51🏕

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.
Remember me and mine in your dua.
This chapter may make you uncomfortable. It surely made me uncomfortable while I wrote it. But I hope it conveyed what it was supposed to. Jazakallahu khair.

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Layla stood near a a cluster of wisteria trees, gazing into a stream flowing through the garden. Her family was far away, sitting in the set up tents or moving in the garden and laughing around, enjoying Eid, while she cajoled her broken heart to let go off the bitterness that had taken roots, at least for today. Her heart was too stubborn though and refused to stop the murderous thoughts she had, regarding the woman who held his heart.

They had reached the garden some time ago and had proceeded to have food in an already set up tent, before everyone had decided to take a walk around the garden. The family had then started spreading in all the directions in smaller groups. The older ladies had proceeded to a group of open tents set up by the bedouins, just for the eid, displaying variety of wares. The men had decided to go to the piers and try their hand at fishing. The servants had been left behind to make sure that their tents were well protected.

The garden was swarming with so many people, all of them who had arrived here in hopes of having a good time with their loved ones on the blessed day. The women were laughing boisterously while gossiping around and the men were all either laying down watching around or were in various manly activities that the day had to offer. The children were weaving in and around the various groups of people that had taken temporary residence in the garden.

Rufia and Fareez had cajoled her into walking around the garden, after they all had breakfast of 'Niman', a dish prepared by soaking the rice and then grinding it finely on the mortar, then adding the jaggery and cooking on the fire. It was then cooled and soaked in sweet cold milk before eating. It was an eid specialty of Aileen. Every year Layla and Rufia used to help prepare the dish but this year, Layla had refused to come out of her chamber.

Fareez had sweetly pulled Layla and asked her to walk with them around the garden and Layla couldn't refuse the girl. She had smiled painfully at Fareez, feeling her heart ache at the emotion and had stood up from her place near the window of the tent. She had pushed herself to walk and then followed Rufia and Fareez as they chattered animatedly, while walking towards the Ware-tents. She had taken one look at the loud people and had felt suffocated. She hadn't paused to think anything else after that and had ran silently from behind Rufia and Fareez, without informing them about her departure.

Sitting at the stream now, gazing at the water flowing cheerily, she sniffled. The tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away forcefully. Her pale hands hidden beneath her loosely clad outer robes, shone in the dull sunlight filtering theough the wisteria. The bangles she wore tinkled as she moved her hands. Her kohl had now spread all around her eyes due to her tears.

The place she had chosen to hide at was at the upper portion of the garden, where the trees were in large numbers and the people less in numbers. The picnickers seldom picked the spots from the upper garden and therefore this was the perfect place for the couples, who wanted to meet in secrets. The tree she sat under was like a tent within itself with drooping leaves shielding the area around her as the stream flowed from within it's shades. All around the tree were other such similar trees, giving the sense of perfect privacy to her.

Long ago her father had brought her here to calm her down, after a fight she had had with Rufia. He had sat with her for hours as they threw pebbles in the stream and she vented out all her anger to him. Ismayeel had listened to her with utmost attention and then spoken words full of wisdom and care to her, walking her through her anger and making her see where her fault was. She had then linked this spot with peace. She had made it a habit to come here everytime they visited the garden and the only one who knew was Ismayeel.