SULTAN {Preview}

Chapter Thirty-one

From Jabir : The Prophet (SAW) cursed the receiver and the payer of interest, the one who records it and the two witnesses to the transaction and said: "They are all alike [in guilt]." (Muslim, Kitab al-Musaqat, Bab la'ni akili al-riba wa mu'kilihi; also in Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad)

From Abu Hurayrah : The Prophet (SAW) said: "God would be justified in not allowing four persons to enter paradise or to taste its blessings: he who drinks habitually, he who takes riba, he who usurps an orphan's property without right, and he who is undutiful to his parents." (Mustadrak al-Hakim, Kitab al-Buyu')

                         ~~~

"Here we go, I'm done" she patted my beards and turned to leave after wrapping my turban, which had become a daily routine. I encircled my arms around her waist and drew her back so that she landed on my laps.

"Where are you going to, stay here with me" I whispered into her ear which made her giggle.

It's been a month since we got married and Alhamdulillah, things have been moving on smoothly. We got to know each other more, our likes and dislikes. She was also a very supportive, respectful and understanding wife. She never complains whenever I was busy and got to spend only little time with her, she never complains about our private life being almost not private, she was also warming up to my family which were of course no strangers to her and she was impressively adjusting into the new marriage home, a royal one that is.

I enjoyed every moment spent with her, from reciting Quran together every morning, to horse riding, to our late evening stroll around the Palace and laying in each others arms in comfortable silence at night.

"You will be late for the Palace, in fact you're late already, let me see you off" she said and abruptly stood up after a while of sitting in silence.

"Why are you such a spoiler Shahla, can't a man spend time with his wife again?" I pleaded but to no avail, my wife was a no nonsense woman.

"Not when that man is a King and is already late for the Palace, now come on" I reluctantly got up and followed her to the sitting room leading outside and stopped just before I open the door.

"What's it?" she asked from behind me "Did you forget anyt..." she didn't get to finish what she was saying as I gently pulled her closer and was about to do what I loved doing best, when someone interrupted

"Ya Khairi, Ya Khairi where are... " she stopped in her track when she saw us in a compromising position, Khairi in my arms, and and... Her mouth form an O shape and then as if registering in the scene before her, she muttered an audhu billahi minalshaitanir rajim and quickly retreated into the house. It was Batuul.

I signed and turned back to continue with my business only to be met with a totally mortified Khairi who looked like she just wanted to disappear from where she was, I gave her a confused look while she in turn scowled and gently pushed her way out of my arms and stood at the far end of the sitting room.

I shook my head and opened the door to leave turning around to communicate to her with my eyes that she should wait for pay back time. She shrugged and stuck out her tongue and I knew that I just had to leave then, if at all I wanted to be in the Palace that day.

It wasn't fair that she denied me my morning kiss, okay the fifth that morning actually.

***
"Good morning Sarauniya" the new Jakadiya, who was also the former head of female servants greeted, interrupting Khairi's thoughts