Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 53⛏

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem •

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

Here is another part of the story dear readers. Do tell me how it is. Your reviews make my day and it surely urges me to to write again. So try to review. If not then that's all right too.

The above image doesn't belong to me and belongs to whoever uploaded it on images. I am just using it to explain to you all how I imagine the lake of the Valley of Qamar, along with the waterfall.

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Amiza stood in the middle of the room she shared with Rushi and watched the walls blankly, as she thought about the decision she had taken today. Her very being was burning in the fire of helplessness. In front of the royals she had bravely accepted their proposal, but in the loneliness of her chamber, she shed all her shields and sunk down to her knees, breathing deeply to anchor herself to reality once again. She had been feeling disconnected with herself since her meeting with the royals. Her mind was at war with her heart and she was helplessly watching the battle, even though she already knew the outcome. She knew she would never back out from the deal now. She knew that she would do this for Marwah. For Jehaan. For... Murtaza...

What she was and what she had become in just some months, she couldn't even fathom. But sitting on her knees today, she understood the meaning of sacrifice. She understood what it felt like to do something purely for the happiness of one's loved ones. She knew what Sidra had done many times for her sake and just how difficult it was. Had she in her eighteen years of life ever done something so drastic for Sidra? But now... She was no longer Sidra's little sister Amiza. She was Amiza Thuraiz. She had grown up somewhere between losing Sidra and standing in front of the royals. Today she was fighting her own battle for someone else. Today, just like Sidra had taken the plunge in the Anaziran Sea, all those months ago, so she could survive, she was going to take a plunge in the Anaziran politics so Marwah could survive. Her life had come full circle.

Amiza frowned as she realised that she was crying and huffed out a laugh, before messily wiping her tears and nose. Oh the woes of life... She chuckled before she sobbed and covered her face with her hands and began to rock where she sat, crooning the lullaby that her mother had long ago sung to her. Her voice broke.

Only she knew the strength she had displayed while she exited that small house and made her way back in the dark, towards the mansion. Only she knew how completely helpless she had felt at each step she took, with the heavy knowledge of what tomorrow was going to bring for her. She could hear the footsteps that followed her home, but she felt disconnected. She felt burdened beyond her years. She felt trapped. She felt captured. And had she been a bird, she would have been wingless. Yet she had taken one step after the other and somehow evaded everyone as she made her way towards this chamber that was her haven, her sanctuary and unbelievably her home. Soon, she was going to leave it though. Soon... Couldn't anything in her life be permanent? Happiness had just watched her way recently after such a long time and it had to look away again. Was it so angry with her that it detested even watching her for long? Why was she given such pain in her trials? Why this separations were written in her fate? She didn't know... she didn't understand. She didn't understand anything except the fact that she was going to become someone else's soon. Till now she could boast about the rights she had at least over herself. Come tomorrow, she wouldn't even have that luxury. Pampered and protected Amiza was now going to do her part of pampering and protecting.

Tomorrow... she was going to tie herself to someone else and forget that one man, who she had perhaps loved. She closed her eyes as she clawed at her chest. Where her heart was supposed to beat now laid a throbbing mass of pain. It hurt her. Murtaza... Alas this name belonged to a man who was not written in her destiny. This name was a taboo. This name that had till now struck all the right strings of her heart now sounded like a far away melancholy. She had to learn to let go. Was this how Sidra had felt when she left Muntaha behind all those months ago? Like a chunk of her soul was being ripped apart? Was this supposed to hurt so much? She felt devastated, even though she knew Murtaza never saw her that way. Amiza Thuraiz had just faced reality of her life. Could the earth not open up and swallow her whole before she pledged her love towards another man?