Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 7 🌳

Bismillahi Rrahmaani Rraheem•

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu•

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Two months had gone by since they began their journey. Adara had become much better at sword fighting and archery. Even Amiza had progressed well. Amiza had lived a sheltered life. She hadn't had the need to learn any of these. So she had been forbidden to touch the weapons. But Adara wanted her to learn. She wanted her sister to not be helpless and weak in any circumstances. So Amiza learned.

Every day, after finishing their assigned duties, Adara, Rushi and Amiza used to search for a suitable place for their practice and spend some time there. Farasha, another girl from the caravan, joined them sometimes, searching for herbs around the arena. She was interested in healing. They had become good friends in the months.

At night, Jasim still dueled Adara to teach her whatever he could. He was warming up to the sisters. After her regular lessons with Jasim, Adara would sit with Rushi and ask her questions on Islam.

"A mother's place is incomparable in Islam. Serving one's parents is one of the best deeds and have been directed by our Rabb in the Quran." Rushi told her one day when she had asked about it. Rushi had fallen silent for some minutes. Adara thought her question had hit her hard. But Rushi smiled shakily after some time and looked at her, answering her. "The heaven lies under the mother's feet."

"Even if she hasn't been the mother that you expect her to be?" Adara questioned.

"Yes. She carried you for nine months and suckled you after that and then fed you till you could do that yourself. A mother's love can not be repaid and neither can the father's love be repaid either." Rushi told her. Adara's heart lurched as she remembered everything.

She might have been five. She had been moving around the house in boredom. Her brothers treated her like she was non existent and a nuisance. Her father was usually not in home and when he was, he would try to teach her things that she was not interested in, resulting in punishments. Amiza was very young then and used to be attached to Ratfa's hip and Ratfa had no time for her.

"Mother! Mother!" Adara called out for her attention. "Mother! I want to eat. I am hungry."

"Wait Adara. Your sister is crying. Wait for sometime." Ratfa had ordered. Adara had helplessly lowered her head. She wanted to eat. Her stomach was making grumbly noises. After an hour, when Ratfa emerged from her closed chamber, Adara had already slept on her door step, hungry. Ratfa had placed her in her room, without much thought to her condition.

Adara remembered that she hd learned to feed herself early. Her mother didn't have much time for her. She used to afore Avik, Arvan and Amiza. Yet, for Adara there was nothing to offer.

Adara had fallen down when she was playing outside. She held her elbow and came to her mother in tears. She might have been seven.

"Mother! I fell down." She sobbed to Ratfa, who wiped the perspiration from her forehead as she cooked.

"I am a little busy Adara. You wash it. I will look at it later." Ratfa had told her without a glance at her or her wound. Adara had felt more tears flowing down her cheeks. She tried one more time.

"Mother. It hurts." She had pouted. Ratfa had waved her off.

"It is not a big deal."

A week later when Arvan had fallen down the threshold and bruised his knee, Ratfa had came out running and lifted him in her arms. She had taken him inside and fussed over him.