Sahal Begum P.O.V
I sat in my khwaab-gaah on one of the cushion chairs,my legs felt too heavy to move to my bed as my eyes dripped with tears.The blurred silhouette sitting in front of me on his knees,his warm hand on my leg as he comforted me in silence,knowing that I needed time.
“Who?” I croaked out as I reached up to wipe my eyes, finally able to see Haider’s head bowed,his hair in disarray,strands standing up and to the side.I knew he understood what I had asked in one word.
“Bakshi Bano.”
This name that no one could ever be unfamiliar to,the foresaken child of Masuma Begum.The daughter who had been thrown away as if she were nothing but a toy,given to someone else and never remembered.
She was also the leader of the Black Cavalry,the one whom Haider had praised just days before to me,speaking highly of her character and of her as a soldier.
“Did you feel attracted to her?” I questioned with a hundred swords piercing my chest as I wondered if he looked at Bakshi Bano the way he looked at me.
“No,never,I am only attracted to you.” He shook his head vigorously as he looked up at me,his tone strong and not wavering even once, sincerity dripping and his eyes shinning,”Her loyalty is what made ammi-jaan speak about her.Nothing else,Allah ki kassam,her loyalty is the only reason ammi-jaan spoke of her in this manner.”
I gave a nod of my head,still not convinced.How is that a woman with everything she has would only be needed for loyalty,”Will she be here to satisfy your needs as I do?”
“No.She would be here as a insider,as a protector and as a soldier just as she was on the battlefield.I could never feel for her the way I feel for you.”
I lifted an eyebrow as he continued in the same sincere tone,”If I were to say no?”
Haider reached for my hand,holding tightly onto it,”I would not even think of her again.”
No,I shook my head.I could not think if this as a wife,shrouded by jealousy.It would be selfish for me to put myself before my King,my Kingdom.
I thought back to what had been said in the khwaab-gaah,the fact that our enemies were as close to us as our clothes had made me uneasy,it had made my skin crawl and my hair to stand up.If we were not careful,Haider could be gutted when he roamed the palace or even in his sleep.Allah na karre.
(Allah forbid.)
Would Bakshi Bano be any good within the palace,”Would she be able to protect you within the palace in a way that no one else would be able to?”
Haider gave a nod of his head,”She is an apt warrior,she is skilled in strategy and Mukhtar Jahangir Alla must have raised her with full knowledge of how people are.I believe that along with her Black Cavalry,she would be able to figure out who could be a danger to our family and me.”
Could it really be that our eyes were filled with dust,that we could not recognise the snakes in our midst?I sat up straight,”Are you sure that we could not figure out who it is?”
Haider sat on his knees so that he could be looking me in the eye,”Four of our spies have turned up dead since my return to the palace,those who are alive have reported that the guards of the palace and soldiers are being lured by someone,they are scared of their lives and are unsure if they would like to continue spying for us.Loyalties are changing and our enemies are growing stronger,every time we weed one enemy out another comes our way.I have tried my best,those who follow me have done their best but now,it seems to get harder with each growing year.Someone like Bakshi Bano,who would be underestimated and undermined,someone who our enemies will make mistakes in front of without thinking,will be able to weed them out while keeping us safe.”
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Shahensha's Begum
Historical FictionShe's the daughter who had been sent away for her safety. He's the one who runs towards danger to protect those he rules over. She is now able to handle the royal court matters and protect those who matter. He has realized just how many rebels his r...
