Shehzada climbs out from the cupboard after a long day with Hazrathji. He undresses and falls down on the bed and goes to sleep instantly.

"Akhi! Akhi! Wake up! It's time for Isha!", says Shehzada Firoz Shah as he tries to wake his brother.

Sher Shah sits up shocked.

"I overslept!" He jumps out of the bed and runs to freshen up. 

"Ali!", he calls after returning.

"Yes Shehzada Sher Shah"

"Hasn't Saeed come yet?"

"No, she hasn't"

"Looks like she might be late today. Let's go for Isha Salah at the Shahi Masjid. She can wait for us if she returns"

Shehzada Firoz Shah looks at his brother bewildered.

"Even you know Saeed?", he asks open mouthed.

"Do you know her as well?"

"Yes, she saved me when I fell in to the fountain. Did she save you as well?"

"I guess, you could say that", says Sher Shah as they walk to the masjid together hand in hand.

"Is she coming here?"

"Yes, she will"

"Can I stay back and meet her?"

"If you want to", says Shehzada Sher Shah.

"Yay!" Firoz Shah jumps up and down with happiness! 

After salah both the brothers settle themselves comfortably in Shehzada Sher Shah's bedroom.

"Why isn't she here yet, akhi?"

"I don't know Firoz. She must be caught up somewhere. Tell me how she saved you while we wait"

So he tells him the entire story with his cute gestures.

".......and Malak dropped me off near the tree after giving me the locket. From there I ran to Maa and told her what had happened. But she didn't believe me, nor did anyone else"

"Do you still have the locket?"

He nods pulling it from below his vest to show Shehzada Sher Shah.

"Didn't your Maa ask you from where you got it?"

"She did and I told her Malak gave it to me. She thought I was making stories and that I had picked off the locket from somewhere in Harem"

"Have you used the locket on anyone yet?"

"No I haven't".

Firoz Shah climbs on his brothers shoulders and sits there fiddling with his elder brothers hair and giving him funny hairstyles while Shehzada Sher Shah rests his back on a cushion.

Sher Shah's stomach grumbles loudly.

"Akhi, are you hungry? Your stomach is very loud today", observes Firoz Shah.

"Yes, I am Firoz. I have been living on water the whole day"

"What a naughty boy!", says Firoz Shah sliding down from his brothers shoulders and standing in front of him with his hands on his hips. "Don't you know it is a bad habit to stay hungry? Do you want to fall sick?"

Shehzada Sher Shah smiles at his adorable speech which he was copying from his mother. Firoz Shah walks to the fruit bowl which has some custard apples and places them before his brother. "Eat! Or the monster will carry you away during the night"

Shehzada Sher Shah suppresses his smile and starts eating the fruit. Satisfied to see his brother eating Firoz Shah once more climbs back on his shoulders and continues to style his hair using water to make them stay in place.

"Do you want to know what we did to vahash the other day?", asks Firoz Shah giggling.

"Yes, Of course I want to know"

"I and Rehan tied a string a foot over the carpet in the passage that connects vahash's office with the durbar hall. We placed a plate of eggs exactly where he would fall when his foot would catch the string".

Sher Shah smiles thoroughly enjoying the narrative.

"He walked out of his office all high and mighty, nose in the air. His foot caught the string and crash! He fell face forward in to the eggs"

"And?", guffaws Sher Shah.

"A fine sight he was, screaming for the guards with eggs gliding all over his face and head".

"Allahu Akbar!" Sher Shah laughs so hard his brother falls from his shoulders to his lap. Firoz Shah upset at the tumbledown squirts some water on him that he had been using to style hair. Sher Shah squirts back. Soon there is a water fight with both the brothers rolling over the rug laughing.

"Firoz, next time do not prank anyone that way", advises Sher Shah lovingly cuddling him in his lap. "It's not a good thing to do".

Firoz Shah nods as Ali enters.

"Malika Firdaus has sent for Shehzada Firoz Shah"

"Firoz you had better go. It's late. When Saeed arrives I will tell her you waiting to meet her"

He nods sadly having no heart to leave his brother. He walks till the door hanging is head and stops, hoping Shehzada Sher Shah might change his mind and call him back. When there is no response he turns and looks at him with pleading eyes. Sher Shah's heart melts and he walks forward to take his brother in his arms. He gently swipes away the lock of hair on his forehead and plants a kiss there.

"Akhi loves you a lot and wants you to stay with him. But a young little boy needs his mother more than his brother. Once you are old enough kiddo you can stay with me always. OK?", asks Sher Shah.

Firoz Shah nods happily and walks away while his brother looks at his retreating figure with a smile.

Now Shehzada starts to grow impatient. Where was she? How can she keep him waiting this way? He paces the room backwards and forwards.

An hour goes by. Shehzada's anger which had become dormant starts to rise again. His stomach was squeezing due to lack of food and his heart yearned for her company. He didn't mind the suffering of his stomach but his heart.... he was helpless in front of it.

What was taking her so long? Maybe she was not coming tonight! Had she fallen sick? Had her mother's health worsened? He could take it no more. The few hours she spent teaching him were the only ones he looked forward to the whole day. Her calm voice and scolding tones, her innocence masked in courage, her guidance and her presence in his life were the things that were helping him move forward. Allah had sent her like an angel to his rescue and without her his world had been a dead place and will go back to being a dead place if she leaves. No! He had to meet her! Now!

"Ali", he calls.

"Yes, Shehzada"

"I am going to Saeed's home"

"What!!! Why would you do that?"

"What if she is in danger? What if she needs help?"

"Believe me Shehzada, she is quite capable of looking after herself. I suggest you go to bed. I can arrange for some food if you want"

"No! I have to see her"

He prepares to leave with Ali watching him in shock.

"Shehzada, please don't go"

"I have to"

Ali watches helplessly as Shehzada leaves through the tunnel.

Saeed told she lives by the Shahi Jungle. But which side? There was only one suitable place. It has to be somewhere near the river bank. It doesn't take long for Shehzada to spot her hut. He knocks boldly.

"Who's there?", asks Dayima opening the door only a crack.

"Shehzada Sher Shah"

She stands spellbound and turns to look at Haleema.

"Allow him", says Haleema.

"Assalamualaikum", greets Shehzada his eyes searching for Saeed. All that he can see is unplastered brick walls with a curtain covering one corner and a small kitchen at the other. He is taken aback by the condition of the house. Is this where Saeed lived? What a rich heart Allah had created in such a poor dwelling. He turns to face the woman who had let him in.

"Where is Saeed?"

"Gone to meet Hakeem Hamid", says Dayima unable to believe she was addressing the Shehzada.

"Is everything alright? Is she sick?"

"No. She said she has some work with him"

"Where is her mother?"

She points to the curtain. He walks to the curtain and kneels down.

"Assalamualaikum Saeed's Maa"

"Walaikumassalam Shehzada Sher Shah"

"How is your health?"

"Alhamdulillah"

"Saeed mentions you a lot while teaching me. You have a loving daughter"

"Whom you have stolen from me"

"I haven't! She barely spends 3-4 hours with me"

"And for those 3-4 hours she prepares the whole day"

"I am sorry", says Shehzada hanging his head in shame. "I was lost. She became my path. I was in the dark, she became my light. That is why I clung to her for she had given me a new beginning. If her mother does not like it then I will gladly step back to make her happy. My happiness is nothing when compared to yours"

"You have won my heart Shehzada. If Saeed is serving a noble soul like you then how can I, a woman who has almost reached her end stand in the way? I do not have long to live, once I am gone she will be left all alone in this world. I want to leave her in a worthy mans arms. A man who will love her more than himself. A man strong enough to protect her. A man she trusts. A man like you Shehzada"

That is all he had to hear! In seconds he forgot all the pain and suffering of the past hours!

"Of course! What could be better for me than to wed a girl who has given purpose to my life"

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes it is"

"Say nothing to Saeed of my visit or of our talk. I will do so myself at the right time"

"If you say so"

"Take good care of yourself. I will leave now. Assalamualaikum"

****************************************************************************************

We sit in ear splitting silence waiting for Hammad Chachu. It feels like ages after which he finally appears.

"It looks like an office of some sort. There's no one inside. It has been closed for the night", he whispers.

"Pass the lamps ahead Saeed"

As Hammad Chachu holds the lamps I and Hakeem Hamid enter.

As soon as we see the interior design of the room in the light of the lamp, we all shout "The palace!" together.

"Shhhhhh!"

"So this was another tunnel to the palace!", Hammad Chachu says.

"As far as I can say this has been excavated recently. Say somewhere in the last 10-15 years. That is why it has not been plotted in any of the palace maps"

"Exactly when the rumours started!", I say.

"And the tunnel is not the work of professional masons. It has been crudely done"

"So someone from the palace has secretly done this work for their own personal benefits"

"Let's find out who that someone is"

"Mir Jafar", we all say together as soon as we spot his signature turban on the study table.

"So, Mir Jafar has excavated a tunnel from his office to the Jungle"

"Why?"

"To enter and leave without being noticed obviously"

"Why would he want to do that when no one questions him. He can enter as many times as he likes from the palace gates itself"

"Maybe he uses it when he wants to enter the palace at night", Hakeem Hamid suggests.

"There is no need for that. Meher told me he even sleeps here. If he wants to enter the palace at night he can simply stay back during the day", I say.

"And remember how the trapdoor creaked? It is not regularly used"

"Mir Jafar is so scared that Shehzada might win, he has already planned his get away", says Hakeem Hamid as a joke.

"Exactly!", I and Hammad Chachu say at once.

"That was a master stroke Hakeem Hamid. Whatever might have been Mir Jafar's initial intentions for excavating this tunnel, now he is surely going to use it to escape in case he is trapped"

"Lets have a look around"

"Leave everything the way you find it. We don't want to arouse his suspicions"

We prod around the chamber with two lamps. There are a lot of royal decrees and court documents on the shelves and table. Some personal stuff in the cupboard with clothing and jewelry.

"He has turned it into his second home", vies Hammad Chachu.

"And soon planning to convert it into his first home"

"Here, look at this document. He is planning to stop the next trading consignment from Waraqi Sultanath from coming over"

"The beast! There will be a loss of 10% income to the traders. How will they manage to shell out the taxes he has imposed?"

"And........ This is something you are never going to believe!", I say shaking a parchment on their faces.

"What is it?"

"It is a plan.  He has still not completed it yet. He is going to give 3 tests to Shehzada and Mir Faseeh on the crowning day. The one who wins will be the king"

"But, people will never agree to it! They already want to see Shehzada as their Shehenshah"

"Since he has already announced that Shehzada is incapable and uneducated, it is for the best if he takes on Mir Faseeh in front of the whole kingdom and proves who is more worthy of the throne. It can turn out in our benefit"

"I don't think so! Do you really believe he is going to play this fair and square? No way! Mir Faseeh will already know every question"

"How I wish he had already framed the three tasks. Then even we could have warned the Shehzada before hand"

"Then what would be the difference between him and us? No, Shehzada is going to ascend the throne honestly with his own power and intellect without any shortcuts and cheats"

"Well said"

"Others are just normal court documents, nothing of interest", says Hammad Chachu going through a bundle.

"Don't you think Mir Jafar being who he is will record his everyday life? Maybe at least his plans or appointments? Shouldn't there be a diary or a journal somewhere"

"Even if such a diary does exist, it will be well hidden"

"Lets search for it"

"It's good if we find it. We will not even have to gather evidences or witnesses against him. His own diary will be a proof against him"

We search every nook and cranny but with no success. Close to dawn we give up.

"Either such a diary does not exist or if it does, it is not in this chamber"

"And if it is still in this chamber then we have been unsuccessful in finding it"

"I propose we head back. The muezzin will call the fajr azan any time now"

Hakeem Hamid enters first with a lamp, followd by Hammad Chachu. I make sure everything is back in order and enter the tunnel myself, pulling the wooden plank back in place to secure the opening.

The journey back feels shorter as we reach the underground enclosure.

"What do you think is in that trunk?"

"Things Mir Jafar wants to hide"

"Shall we take it back with us?"

"No way! If he comes back looking and does not find it then he will be on his guard. We don't want that. We want to catch him unaware"

"Right"

We climb the rope up and close the trapdoor and walk back to the matab.

"Here Saeed, do not forget to carry back Kasini and Suranjan with you. Add it to the herbs you are already giving Haleema and make a decoction out of them".

I nod and enter his home. Seher Khala hands me warm water to make wudu. I leave for home after praying my fajr salah.

*************************************************************************************************

A/N

The ties of siblings in islam

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah says: 'I am al-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful) and this rahm (tie of kinship) has a name that is derived from My name. Whoever uphold it, I will take care of him, and whoever severs it, I will cut him off"

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1907; Abu Dawood, 1694; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 520).

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever would like his lifespan to be extended and his provision to be increased, let him uphold the ties of kinship."

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1961; Muslim, 2557)

How to be a good sibling?

*Be respectful to each other.

*Work hard, whether it is in your work or studies. Be a reason for the pride of your sibling.

*Use good language with each other.

*Avoid violence and abuse of physical strength.

*Be protective 

*Value each other and compliment each other

*The elder one should shower love while the younger one should be obedient. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, "One who doesn't love his youngers and doesn't obey his elders is not amongst us".

*Let go of silly childhood hurts.

*Show up for each others small and big events. Ex: Convocation, Prize distribution, wedding etc

*Treat each other as equal. Do not be dominative.

*Do not discuss the opinions of other relatives. (Ex: Uncle said you are worthless etc)

*Do not make physical distance become the reason for emotional distance.

*Stay out of the family drama. (Ex: Do not partake in parents arguments and do not openly side with anyone)

Why is it important to have a brother?

*His presence reminds you  of the importance of the family.

*He will fight for you even if he is fighting with you.

*He will not judge you.

*Brother loves his siblings kids like his own.

*Brother gives the best opinion with regards to a sisters proposal as he is of the same age group.

*He will always defend you.

*He will always make you good look in the eyes of your parents.

*He is the only person who speaks your language.

*He makes you laugh.

*He keeps your secrets.

*He values your advice.

*You can pick up with your brother any time in your life (in case you have cut off due to shaytan).

*Brothers break your ego.

*He will go out of the way for you.

A Punjabi poet has said: The person who has a father has his head covered and the person who has a brother has his back covered.

Love of a brother in the light of Quran:

When Musa (as) went to Koh-e-toor, Allah asked him to go to Firawn and call him to worship one God. Musa (as) feared that his speech wasn't clear and he may not be able to convey the message eloquently. So, he prayed to Allah:

قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي

[Moses] said, "My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance]

20:26 وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي

And ease for me my task

20:27 وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي

And untie the knot from my tongue

20:28 يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

That they may understand my speech.

20:29 وَاجْعَل لِّي وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِي

And appoint for me a minister from my family -

20:30 هَارُونَ أَخِي

Harun, my brother.

Whom did Musa (as) remember at his time of need? His brother Harun (as).

Its not just in this world, even on the day of judgement when man will be running around deeply disturbed, he will remember his brother first! Then his parents, spouse and children. This sequence is mentioned in Surah Abasa (80:34,35,36).

The above information has been intercepted from the lecture of Hazrath Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshbandi (db). The full audio can be found below: 

http://tasawwuf.org/misaali_bhai/

There is a beautiful story in the above audio that will bring tears to your eyes! You guys must listen to it!

PS: I do a lot of research to write the last part in the author's note with the hope that sometime, somewhere it might help someone catch on to deen. May Allah give us the taufeeq to incorporate at least a teeny tiny bit of what is written into our lives. That is the goal after all. To become better Muslims.

Lots of love,
Dr Mystic