Shroud
"The belief that the dead could grant wishes-, do you know where this belief came from? A long time ago when certain people died, people who in life possessed great wisdom or were warriors, or beloved; to keep some part of the immortal; tombs, shrines and monuments were built in their honour to remember them by. At first, they would go to these places to share their grievances, to unburden themselves. later, the following generations thought that this ritual was a sort of worship, and so they started worshipping the dead as their idol. And so people have been keeping at it, visiting graves to fulfil their wishes. Many don't know that the races of ifrits feed off their desperations. That those creatures who dwell among the dead, fulfil some of these desperate wishes so that they could bring more pain and desperation in. This is common even today.", The Zuffian shook his head.
What desperation could make a person do? oh, how I know it.
"A long time ago there was a woman whose beauty was like nothing ever seen. Her voice and dance could bring any person to their knees. Many were envious of her beauty and the favour it curried her. Kings and Queens of different lands would go to any lengths to have her. And then reached the invading army of Amar to the Wadan isles where she was currently sold into _",
" You sound envious too, buddy. Feeling bad that you didn't get a piece of her, are you?", I interrupted the man. I knew whose story this was. He was talking about Zeenat. It was a children's story. Everyone knew it. What irked me was the way men talked about her beauty, as if being used and handed around for men's pleasure is something to be talked about in this manner.
"What I feel is of no consequence, but what you feel is. For, your actions could affect the world while mine couldn't. You sound as if you are feeling bad for the woman who was used in life when you are more than ready to use her in death.",
" Stay. the .fuck. away. from .my. mind.", I said with greeted teeth, enunciating each word with all the venom I could muster.
His eyes wrinkle at the corner in a hint of a smile. I saw red. Zanoon placed a hand on my knee. He was not looking at me. He was looking at the zuffian with that same wary look on his face. I look between the two. Was some conversation going on between the two?
''It's rude!", I announced when the silence stretched on.No response!
Well. "Since I am no more needed", I begin to stand up.
Zanoon's hand on my knee tightened.
"You want your hand to remain attached to your limb, right?", I asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"You want to hear him out, trust me", He said, the look on his face gave me a pause.
" Fine. But if you are done fondling me, you can remove your hand anytime now.",
"When I am done fondling you, You wouldn't be able to say anything for days", He shot back without the usual Zanoon 's enthusiasm. His mind was on the Zuffian, tracking each of his movements like a hulk.
As if nothing happened, the zuffian jumped right into the tale,"-servitude. She was gifted to the Amar royalty when they signed a treaty of peace with the Wadan isles. And so Zeenat was taken to the subcontinent. During her time there she met Shehzada Baryal and then the legendary love affair started that you all know about. The Shehzada wanted to protect her from the kind of life she had been living. And one way to do that was to make her powerful. He wanted to marry her so she could become the crown Princess and eventually the Queen but fates had different things in store for them. The King didn't want a prostitute to be the next Queen. And so he separated them. At first, he only send Zeenat away but when nothing could keep the Shehzada away from her, the king thought that death was the only way. Zeenat was entombed alive as a punishment for ruining Baryal's loyalty to his kingdom and his family. Her screams resounded in the whole city for months before death claimed her. They say that the Ghilan sect of jinns was summoned by the king to keep her location a secret. But the locals feared that her curse would come back to bite them and so in the place where the two lovers met, the local started offering prayers for her soul to rest. The ritual continued, and over time people observed that many of their wishes were coming true. And Zeenat became their Goddess. And then in that very place deep in the heart of the earth, her tomb was found and stolen. Over the years it has passed through many hands until it vanished completely. For hundreds of years it remain a legend and then suddenly it resurfaced again. It shouldn't have.", he shook his head.", Now what do you think made those wishes come true? Were the different legends that the taboot has made kingdom razed to the ground, that fate has been changed and Destiny has rewritten true? Was it true that it could bring the dead to life?", he looked directly at me," -and if it was, are you willing to pay the price for it?. Has anyone ever thought that where does the power comes from? Was it perhaps an ifrit?",
A shudder went through me at the thought.
"_ did starvation really kill Zeenat? or was she an effect and she still lives. The world still her avid seeker even in the supposed death?",
" Are these speculations, or Are you sure?", Zanoon asked.
" Does it matter? ", The zuffian asked." Would my speculations stop you from going after her? warnings, speculations, visions, foresight, it never stop people but still, I do what I can. I would advise you to stop pursuing this taboot. It will bring only havoc into your life.",
YOU ARE READING
Pleated blasphemy
Fantasy"We were both broken glasses, how could we have touched each other without bleeding?", Shroud ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We were both unfinished stories, getting dusty on this chessboard of life. For a long time, we were in a stalemate, then...
