Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 58⛓

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem•

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

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Daarim sighed as he watched Nazlee and Sehrish with pained eyes. Revealing to Muntaha about Sidra's departure might have been easy, but stopping him from uprooting his very mission and moving them to the sorcerers land would be the most difficult task he would have ever performed.

"The chief overdid it this time." Daarim mumbled. "The only thing Muntaha had requested, was to keep Sidra safe and yet here we are." He ranted, irritated beyond belief at Hudhud. He wanted to lecture Sidra on her choices too but that could conveniently wait till he could rant about his chief. He rubbed his face with the both of his hands and turned to see the two women watching him sympathetically.

"I am sorry for being the harbinger of this bad news brother dear." Nazlee apologised. He waved his hand at her. She sighed at his rude dismissal, turning towards Sehrish.

"We will be waiting for your news soon Ya Daarim. The chief has demanded us to stay till we know of Muntaha's decision for certain." Sehrish told him gently. "We will be in the female chamber at the end of this corridor, when you are ready with your news."

"I don't think that will be anytime soon." Daarim mumbled dejectedly. Nazlee patted his back and turned away. Daarim made eye contact with Sehrish. He felt his heart leap weirdly at the gentleness in her eyes. He had seen her mischievous and unfiltered. For the first time today he watched her as she appeared to be genuine in her care, and that swirled his already confused heart terrifyingly. He looked away from her, forcefully bringing Vareesha's cheerful face to his mind to replace the image of the tenderness personified.

Within some time, the room went back to being empty of their presence, leaving him in dejection as he looked away in space, trying to think of a solution to the immediate problem that loomed before him. Unbidden, the image of a broken Muntaha from some months before, swirled before his eyes, as he began to think of ways to reveal about Sidra's possible suicidal mission to Muntaha. Muntaha had lost his reason for some moments and had been daggered and almost lost to them in that chaos. He couldn't risk Muntaha losing his calm, while the latter was so precariously perched on the border of friendship and enmity of a kingdom. If that happened, then it would ruin all the hard work that they had accomplished in this kingdom. No... he would have to think of something else. Something to help him keep his friend in check.

Sidra wasn't just another woman in his life. Sidra was an almost sister to him. Someone he was protective of and couldn't bear to see hurt. The news of her foolish hotheadedness had actually pained him too much. He hadn't taken her for the type to put herself in such a jeopardy, when she knew exactly how important she was to Muntaha and how she could affect him by being in danger. She had thrown all the caution to the wind and dived headfirst into the sea of troubles, the moment she had gotten the chance. This was plain folly. And now he was going to be the one who served this news to his friend on a hot platter and watch as his normally calm and collected friend, fly off his handle and try to do something ridiculous to counter her. Hudhud might as well have invited Muntaha to take all of his armies and march straight into the sorcerer's land. But now his chief had dragged him in this whirlwind and he had to steer his friend through the winds of rage towards the shores of sanity, if he wanted to preserve all of their hard work. He nodded to himself and straightened up. He was Daarim... If anyone could pit themselves against Muntaha's rage and come out alive then it was he himself. He had to do this or risk his chief's wrath. With that conclusion, he sighed and awaited his friend's return.

•••••

Muntaha was tired beyond belief by the time he had done his part in the Palace and retired for the night. He had been introduced to many important people, before he could even think of slipping away. He genuinely sympathized with Daarim for enduring the women days ago, as Umme Dukhan. He felt exactly the same and made sure to keep his feelings tucked deep away, so as not to let Daarim ever find out about tonight and it's aching similarity to Daarim's earlier predicament.