See us at chapter 30 💃, thank you dear readers, I wouldn't have come this far without you guys ❤❤
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Batuul
I lay on my bed, tossing, turning and thinking of everything and nothing. It's been exactly a month after Yaya's wedding and my life had fallen back to its normal boring self. All I do all day is wake up in the morning, pray, take my bath, dress up then eat and pray again, then maybe sleep and the routine goes on till evening. Sometimes I go over to Umma's chamber and chat with her, or spend time with Khalil, or just sit in the garden all day or ride horses within the Palace.
Above all however, I had found peace of mind and solace in reading the Quran. Ever since the day of Yaya's wedding that I slept in Umma's room, and she advised me to pray. I had prayed the first time and felt relieved, so I decided to continue. I continued the next day, and the day after and it became a habit. It was my new therapy. I spent my nights praying and my mornings reciting the Holy Quran, and prayed to Allah to remove Yaya's love from my heart. Alhamdulillah it's finally going, or I can proudly say it's all gone already.
This new found peace and solace made me scold myself for wallowing in worry and spending my days sitting in the garden and my nights crying, when in fact I could turn to Allah and pray. Prayers sure does wonders to one's life. It was prayers that made me have the courage to go out that faithful day to unveil Khairi, I saw the shock on Yaya's face, he clearly never expected I would come, but then he gave me a grateful smile, which I just shrugged away. Yes, it intentional, I wanted him to know that I was so over him.
It was also prayers that made me welcome Khairi the next day when they came to greet Umma, not that it didn't hurt me then, to see them together hand in hand, and also it didn't escape my notice the new look on Yaya face, that look... That look of happiness and satisfaction. I masked my pain away and asked for her forgiveness for I had wronged her in different ways, and if I really needed to change, I had to put all my past behind. I must admit the fact that I miss her though, even though I pick at her at every given opportunity, but I guess when you stay with a person for long, you are definitely bound to have that bound.
She comes around often to greet Umma and we were kind of getting along slowly. Now that I look back, I sometimes laugh at how stupid I was for insisting that I wanted to marry Yaya. I mean right from childhood, my top wish was to be free. To be able to live a normal life like every other girl my age, to be able to go visit friends, make as much friends as possible, go to the market, bargain the prices of things, drag water from the well or from a running stream stoop over a burning fire to arrange the woods. Just, be free.
Royalty never offered me that freedom as a princess, what more if I became a queen. Not that I dislike royalty, no, I was born in it, I grew up in it but it's formalities are way too much for my liking. Marrying Yaya wouldn't have been the right answers to my prayers, marrying someone not royalty will be. So maybe me not marrying him was a blessing in disguise, and maybe, just maybe, it was only a crush that I had not love, maybe it was the idea of me being his wife that I liked.
I was startled by the sharp knock on my door, and after asking and giving the person permission to come in, in came an angry looking Khalil as he stood over me stroking his premature looking beards that he just recently started developing. He looked like an over pampered baby. I stifled a laugh and put on my best big sister face
"What's it again this time Khalil?"
"One man, who said he's a King is standing outside with his people, he said I should call you" he replied, his nose flaring in anger
"Now Khalil, did the man say he is a King or he actually is a King? I asked amused
"He's a King"
"Tell him I don't want to see him, and that he should please go away and never look back"
"Great, just great" he replied then immediately left. I just shook my head at brothers and their over protectiveness. Sometimes I wonder how Khalil would have acted towards my suitors, if I were to be his younger sister, when even like this he gets mad whenever a suitor shows up.
It's been two weeks since they started coming, three kings and two princes... I just couldn't bring myself to listen to any of them, it's to early if you ask me. Falling out and then into love within days. The least I needed in my life right now is a rebound relationship, I advise my humble self to take my time. I didn't finish gathering my thoughts when Umma barged into my room, fuming.
My Allah! Today must be an angry people's day
I quickly sat up and grabbed my headscarf to tie, before she starts her long sermons on how I liked leaving my hair open rather too much for her liking.
"What was the meaning of that Batuul?" she raised her voice at me, which she hardly ever did.
"What did I do Umma" I answered her question with a question, acting all innocent and totally feigning ignorance.
"Oh don't even use that on me, I'm not your mother for nothing. This is the fifth proposal you are turning down, and the fifth suitor you have chased away Batuul, what is wrong with you?" I tried to talk when she held her hand up "Let me finish, don't interrupt me. You think I don't know that all this while you have been conniving with Khalil to send men away? I'm looking at the both of you, I just chose to stay out of it. But Batuul this should be a warning to you, do not, I repeat, do not push your father to the wall. You know him too well, you know how he can be at times, he's just letting you do whatever you want because he still feels bad after what happened, but you're pushing him to the brim and you know that"
"Umma why are you always like this, why do you hardly listen to me, why are you always concerned about how things ought to be done rather than how I actually feel?" tears was welling up in my eyes as I said this, I hate myself for crying at any give away time, I cry too much for my own liking, I hate being vulnerable. I think that touched the soft spot in her heart as her face softened a bit and she sat down and held my hand in hers.
"You see Batuul, it's not my fault the way I act because most at times, that's what royalty expects. Royalty is all about doing the right thing, doing what is expected of you to do, and what ought to have been done. We were all brought up that way, because we're expected to live by example to others. We do not control our lives, in fact we don't even have a say in it, our parents decide everything. When it's time for us to get married, our parents marry us out to who they deem appropriate.
Sultan is the first to be allowed to make his choice, you being the second. That's why I want you to use this chance wisely my dear, don't misuse the opportunity given to you. Because as they say, opportunity comes but once. I'm sorry for the way I behave Batuul am, royalty did it" she said looking at me, as if trying to read my mind
"You see that's it Umma, royalty this, royalty that. I need time Umma, please make Abba understand. Let me get over things first, it's been a month, just a month"
"Batuul don't let Khalil put ideas in your head, that's how brothers are, that's how every brother is. They will discourage you from getting married, then go after other people's sisters and at in the end, marry one and bring her home. The wife will in turn come and start claiming superiority over you, saying it's her husband's house and everything that's his is hers." she laughed
"Never allow your brother to chase your suitors away, even if you will send them away, they don't have to get involved, they don't even have to know. This is because even without your consent, they will still send your suitors away. You know Khalil is senseless, only God knows what he's telling them, what if he's insulting them, they are notable people"
"Umma why do you want to get me married so quick, are you tired of me?"
"Emotional blackmail right? You see, it's not that I'm in a hurry to get rid of you, no. Every woman's joy is her husband's house, every mother's joy is to see her daughter married, and happy. I want to get married now so you can bear as much children as you want, the joy of motherhood, grow with your children, let them be your friends. Don't you want that? Next time when a suitor comes, please go and see him yourself, and if you're not interested, make him understand so. Part ways peacefully, without any qualms. "
"I will do so In Sha Allah, but I still need time, please. Also, I'm tired of royalty as a whole, I need a change of life entirely"
"It's not my fault that you were born into royalty, neither is it yours, be thankful. I don't ever want to hear you say that again"
"I'm sorry Umma" I moved over and hugged her "Umma please can I go see Maryam? I promise I won't stay long"
"No you can't, if you want to see Maryam, send for her to come over" she said with a note of finality.
"Umma please, the last time I stepped foot out of this house was during Eid time, on durbar day, and that's six weeks ago" I whined
"Batuul! Stop being difficult"
"Assalamu Alaykum, good afternoon Your Highness" Maryam who just walked in went on her knees and greeted Umma
Talk about the tiny angel
"How are you Maryam, how are your parents? Get up and sit"
"I'm fine ma'am, my parents are fine too"
"Your friend just finished whining about me not letting her go see you. Thank God you came, you just saved me a whole round of mood swings from our Royal Highness" Maryam laughed at what Umma said "Let me leave you girls now, Maryam make sure you see me before going, I have a message for your Goggo, and Batuul" she said turning to me "Make sure you sleep over what I said, is that clear?" she waited for me to nod then left.
"Gimbiya Batula, how are you?" she asked, jumping on the bed next to me. Talk about crazy, Maryam is crazier than I am.
"I'm fine, not fine."
"How is that even possible" she rolled her eyes
"Umma wants me to get serious about this marriage of a thing, stop sending suitors away, blah blah blah....arrrgh, I'm tired" this made her laugh and rolled over on the bed "Why are you like this? I'm serious here, and all you can do is laugh at my misfortune"
"Look I'm sorry, I just had to laugh, it's not her fault if she wants you to get married now, you're her first daughter, and you know how eager mother's are to marry off their first daughters. Remember before Adda Sameera got married, how Goggo kept pestering her. It's always marriage this, marriage that. It got to a point that she could no longer sit and have a conversation with Goggo, because she always links everything to marriage, if Adda says she's going for a friend's wedding, Goggo will be like oh how happy the mother will be now, Sameera don't you want me to be happy too? And sometimes she even bursts into tears. That woman is dramatic I tell you, I pitied Adda back then.
You see, what I'm trying to make you understand here is that, it's normal, mothers always get hyper when suitors start coming for their daughters, just keep assuring her that as soon as Mr Right comes, you will be off"
"You don't know how persistent and stubborn Umma can be, especially when she's bent on doing something. How old was Adda Sameera when Goggo started pestering her?"
"Uhmmm.. 19 I guess, because it went on for like a year, and she got married when she was 20."
"You seeee, at least hers was kind of justified. For Allah's sake I'm 17, just 17. Even Mama Jakadiya is not disturbing Adda Qudsiyya on this issue, then why me. It's so frustrating, you won't even understand."
"Of course I won't understand" she chuckled "I have never been in your shoes before, in fact thank God I'm even the last born, and then they are distracted with Ya Sameer now, they want him to settle down" she said settle down with air quotes and continued "Besides why are you lamenting, you would have been married by now, so quit the attitude, young lady"
"Leave me, that case was different, at least it wasn't a stranger, and I would still have being seeing everyone every day. This is entirely different"
"Well don't blame Umma, if the men weren't coming, she wouldn't have raised a brow on it. As for me, hmmm. I was insult any man that tries to talk to me, I will so insult him that he won't even follow my path the next time, not to mention going to see my father about it" she said in a dramatic way
"I trust you now, you this short tiny thing. But why do you think the men decided to start coming now?"
"Are you asking me? They like what they see of course" she winked at me and I threw a pillow at her
"What now, can't a girl state the obvious again, please. That reminds me, how is our new bride"
"Oh Yaya's wife, she's fine" I eyed her, knowing the next question that will follow
"Is she pregnant?" she whispered
"I knew it, I just knew that's the next question you will ask, it's just been a month Maryam gulma ajali gossip, let her breath fresh air"
"Did I hold her? And you saying it's been just a month, you don't know the miracle that can happen in a month"
"You this naughty naughty girl, very tiny something. Someone would see you now and think you're innocent, if only they knew"
"Whatever, and stop calling me tiny"
"Are you not? Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you. I mean see how tall and huge I am, while you're just the opposite" I stuck my tongue out at her
"That's because you can't do without me" she flipped invisible hair off her shoulders "Big baby kawai, big baby that cries over everything, your age is just a number because you act 14" I searched around for something to descend on her with
"What, big baby you want to beat me? Come and beat me now, I will tickle you and that's the end, you will start begging like the baby that you are" and that made me stop looking for whatever I was looking for, because I know Maryam really meant what she said, she was tiny yes, but when it came to bullying, she was the bully.
I was the bully before, always taken advantage of her being tiny to bully her, but since she discovered that I hated tickling, the table turned around and she became the bully.
That was how we spent our evening arguing and gossiping, until Yaya Sameer was sent to call her as it was late already. He needn't say anything as he shot her a glare which communicated everything to her. She left in such a hurry, she didn't even collect what it was Umma said she should collect for her Goggo.
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I know I know😂😂😂this is not the chapter we all expected, we were waiting for a Sultan and Khairi chapter, yeah? Well those two are busy honeymooning, let's forget about them for now.
So now, aren't you all wondering how come the slowest Wattpad writer gave you 4 updates in 9days? 😂😂😂 I was on mid semester break, but it's now over sha, school resumes tomorrow. Back to slow updates? Maybe yes, maybe no.
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