"Assalamualaikum warahmathullahi wabarakatuh", I greet Shehzada Sher Shah who is busy writing.

"Walaikumassalam warahmathullahi wabarakatuh". He continues writing and does not look up even once. I sit opposite to him.

"Shehzada", I call. There is no reply. I peer in to the papers to see what he is so busy with. They are court documents that he is writing a review on. Well, that wasn't something one would be so engrossed in.

"Shehzada", I call again, only to be met with indifference and silence. I put my hands on the papers blocking his view.

"Take them off", he says formally. That hurts. From when did he speak to me like that? Was he upset with me? What had I done to upset him? Oh! Is this because I had not turned up last night?

"Shehzada, I know you are upset because I couldn't come yesterday. It was only because I was busy with my trainer. I even left a note to explain my absence".

"What note?" His voice is still off. And he doesn't lift his head for a second. How I wish I could just look in to his eyes once. Just to see the emotions in there.

"The note I had left with your food", I say.

"There was no note and there was certainly no food!". His cold manner breaks my heart. That's it! If he was so indifferent why should I bother?

"Take care Shehzada!", I say getting up. I open the cupboard to leave when I am pulled back from behind. I turn to look at him. If I am hurt and angry then it is nothing compared to what I see in his eyes. The intense emotions in there can easily drill a hole through my soul. They are filled with anguish, misery, grief and love! Yes love! I can see it as plain as daylight. The look sends a jolt through me.

"Saeed", he says with feeling. Who knew voice could portray so much? 

"Do you remember you had asked me why I hated studying before?", he says. I nod, not understanding how this is relevant. "I used to be a loner Saeed. I craved for the attention of my father. I ached for his appreciation. But he never gave me a second look. I felt when he didn't even care then why should I bother myself with the hard work. All I had was my mother. Though she guided and counselled me, it never filled the void. My life had an empty hole. I lost interest in everything. I gave up even before trying. I had no aim, no hopes, no faith. I was merely existing, just breathing day after day. And then Allah sent you for my guidance. You gave back purpose to my life. You have become a part of it. Without you my life was nothing, is nothing and will be nothing. One night of your absence, and I couldn't take it. Are you understanding me, Saeed?"

This is too much to take in. I feel like I have plunged into ice cold water on a freezing winter night. The sudden shock of hearing all that from Shehzada's own mouth had my heart racing. All my fears are confirmed. I had landed myself into a mess. The mission that was supposed to be purely professional had now become too personal. Wasn't this a trap of Shaitan? I should either be saying Astaghfirullah (May Allah forgive me) and moving away or I should be doing my best to make this relationship halal as soon as possible.

Now the question is, what do I choose? My brain opts for the first option while my heart wants the second.

"You don't want to become the future Malika. It's too much of a responsibility. Your job was just to get Shehzada on track", my brain says.

"But will you be able to live with another man now that you have tasted his love?", my heart argues.

"You are but a commoner. You are meant to live in a hut not in a palace. You are not cut for royalty. Shehzada is blinded by infatuation. What if he feels pairing with you was a mistake later on? Go ahead with a simple life and a simple husband. You will have no fear of being rejected", my brain says.

"That's silly", my heart argues. "You know Shehzada is not under the spell of momentary infatuation. It is true love. Why else does he keep popping up inside your head? Just marry him and you will have an open way to serve the kingdom thereafter".

"What about your Maa? Haven't you ignored her enough because of your services to the kingdom and Shehzada? Your Maa deserves more service than that. Have you forgotten the regret you felt when you read Hakeem Afsar's letter? Didn't your mother herself tell you not to hurry with the wedding? If Shehzada is meant to be in your life no matter what you do, you cannot stop him from entering it and if he isn't meant to be in your life then no matter what you do, you cannot bring him in your life. Leave it in Allah's hands", says my brain and it wins!

I reach my decision. It is a tough one. But I have to do it. Stay as far away as possible from the Shehzada. Leave him in Hammad Chachu's hands. Let Allah decide what is best for me while I spend all my time taking care of Maa.

"I understand Shehzada. Please do not let such feelings grow. We don't know what the future holds for us. Let things play out by themselves. I am here to teach you politics please allow me to do so. And my trainer will be joining us soon".

He is not happy with the way I cut him off. But hey! It is for the best. 

There is a knock at the door. 

"Come in", orders Shehzada.

"Tasleem would like to meet you. I tried to send her away for I know you do not like to be disturbed when Saeed is teaching you but she says it is important", says Ali.

"Send her in", he says while I hide myself in the cupboard.

"What was so important that you had to disturb my peace?", he asks Tasleem.

"Mir Tabrez stole the food and note that was left for you here yesterday afternoon. I heard them discussing about it. Now Wazir-e-aala knows for sure that you are not eating palace food hence safe from poison. He is going to try other means to stop you from ascending the throne. They also know the person guiding you is called Saeed".

Though I knew I would be seeing this day sooner or later I wasn't expecting it to be this abrupt. 

"Thank you for the report. Keep your ears open and inform me if there is any development. You may leave", he says.

There is commotion as I feel more people enter the room. I stay put.

"Sher Shah! Why haven't you eaten anything since yesterday? Firoz told me you had a custard apple last night and nothing after that!", I hear a woman scold him. 

If anyone was addressing Shehzada with his name it had to be his mother. Malika Mariam! Good I had hidden myself. I was not in a position to meet her.

"No more excuses. You are eating now and in front of me. I had these dishes cooked in front of my eyes so you can be sure they are not tampered. Aiza, uncover them", she commands.

My heart stops for a second. Aiza! She was Shehzada's secret admirer according to Shehzada Firoz. With a lot of difficulty I open the door just a crack to see her. She is breathtakingly beautiful. Malika Mariam serves food while she holds the tray. I feel a pang of jealousy. The food I had brought was forgotten in a corner. I had gone into a lot of trouble to make meatballs for him today.

"Maa, I know your love for me is boundless. Please do not worry yourself, I will have my dinner right now", says Shehzada. He looks at the cupboard and he knows I am watching. He looks at the tiffin I had got for him.

"I am feeding you myself", says Malika Mariam sitting beside him on a chair. She puts a morsel in his mouth.

"How is it?", asks his mother.

"It tastes really nice Maa", replies Shehzada.

"Aiza made it especially for you", says Malika Mariam.

"Jazakumullahu khair Aiza", says Shehzada giving her a wide smile. The feminine monster in me breaths fire burning my heart. She mirrors his smile and it leaves me shattered. I am this close to tears.

"Aha! Didn't I tell you to take him while you had the chance?", my heart sneers.

"This is exactly why I told you stay away from him. The sooner you cut off the better", my brain says.

"Maa, do you mind passing me that tiffin?", says Shehzada.

"Is this the food Saeed got you?", asks his mother.

"Yes. Please serve that as well", he says.

Malika Mariam opens the tiffin. "Let's see how Saeed's cooking is", she says.

Serving some for herself she tastes it. "Why! She is quite a good cook after all Sher Shah". I smile to myself as Shehzada looks at the cupboard. He eats equally from both my tiffin and Aiza's platter.

Once he is done servants clean the table and Aiza leaves.

"Do you still have the same view of Aiza?", asks his mother.

"Yes Maa"

"No chance at all?", she asks.

"No chance at all", he replies.

What did that mean? What view did Shehzada have of Aiza?

"Take care son", she pats him as she leaves.

I breath a sigh of relief.

"Assalamualaikum". I jump as a voice from behind startles me. I turn to see Hammad Chachu standing behind me.

"What are you doing standing in the cupboard? Isn't the Shehzada in his room?", he asks.

"He had some visitors, that is why I hid myself", I say opening the door and entering the chamber.

"Assalamualaikum Shehzada Sher Shah. Finally we meet!", says Hammad Chachu extending his hand.

"Walaikumassalam Hammad Khan! I should have known you were Saeed's trainer", says Shehzada shaking hands.

We all take our places. Shehzada's eyes catch mine. There is a lot he wants to tell me after what happened. Unfortunately he can't now that Hammad Chachu is here.

"I hear your training is almost complete. Today is supposed to be your last lesson I believe?", asks Hammad Chachu.

Shehzada nods.

"So, Saeed are you done with the lesson?", he asks me.

I shake my head.

"Then go ahead and finish it, we have a lot to discuss after that", he says, oblivious to the awkwardness that had settled in between me and Shehzada. I start teaching him pretending everything was alright between us.

It takes me two hours during which Hammad Chachu listens patiently like he is my pupil as well.

"Do you have any questions to ask me Shehzada?", says Hammad Chachu once we are done.

"Many. Firstly why did you leave my father when he needed loyal people by his side?"

"Mir Jafar killed Abu Fazal, Faizi Mohammed, Maqsood Ahmed and Noor Ali. Khan Baba had disappeared. Mir Jafar had already started to threaten me. I knew it wouldn't be long before I would be dead as well. And of what use is a dead man? If I had to do something I had to stay alive and to stay alive I had to leave the palace. It does appear like I left Shehenshah in his most crucial moments but that was the best option I had back then".

"How did Mir Jafar kill the four of them?", asks Shehzada.

"These four, Khan Baba, Mir Jafar and Shehenshah had gone on a hunting trip. Shehenshah returned early as he felt unwell. Mir Jafar returned a little later telling the rest had challenged him a race to the palace and he had won it. He stood at the palace gates waiting for the others but no one turned up even as night fell. A search was launched and the four bodies and their horses were found lying dead in a huge trench in the forest. Khan Baba was missing. No one knows what happened except Mir Jafar, who will never speak up and Khan Baba who hasn't been found".

I had been controlling my tears from the time I had read Hakeem Afsar's letter. Pretending to be strong though I was breaking within. The unexpected encounter with Aiza had again brought my tears to the surface and now they threatened to break again.

Hammad Chachu continues the tale.

"Though the soldiers who brought back the bodies knew it was a murder, the matter was hushed up telling they had died by accident. Their families were turned out of the Shahi housing and left to fend for themselves. Of them Abu Fazal was my closest friend. His death had shaken me. His widow was not ready to take any financial help. She worked herself to run her home. We went through all of Abu Fazal's belongings and found a letter addressed to me. In it he had asked me lookout for his family in case anything happened to him for he had been anticipating danger. It was he who had highlighted the plan I am following"

Now my tears flow freely. I had lost any restraint I had. Shehzada looks at me surprised.

"We all are very much upset over what happened Saeed, do not cry", he says.

"Abu Fazal was my father", I say.

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

A/N

Assalamualaikum, my dearest readers!

There is a confusion between Mahmood Hassan and Maqsood Ahmed. I am sorry for mixing them up. Maqsood Ahmed is dead while Mahmood Hassan is the court scribe who drew a new passage on the palace maps before giving it to Mir Jafar. Hope this clears it.

Lets discuss cooking today!

Cooking is an art. Everyone can look up a recipe, cut, mix and cook but not all can produce a dish which pampers the taste buds.

In a jungle it is the lioness that hunts and presents food before the lion. This might be surprising for a few but for us it is routine. For even in our homes it is the lioness that serves and the lions that eat first ;)

Allah has allocated this job to women. This is why it is said women get into Jannah through khidmah (service) and men get into Jannah through ibadah (worship).

While cooking add a little more water to the gravy with the intention that if some unexpected guests turn up you have enough to serve them. Even if guests do not turn up, you will be given the reward of feeding guests just because of your intention.

Always do zikr while cooking. This will earn you reward and increase noor (light) in the food. The person who eats this food will get inclined towards good deeds. Your family will automatically start tilting to deen. This was a blessed habit of the sahabiyaat (female companions of the Prophet). It is said that one shabiyah put some rotis on the tandoor. And when she was done she said, "I finished cooking and 3 chapters from the Quran as well".

Once Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions were on a journey. A group from among the companions were assigned the job of cooking and serving. These people used to be busy the whole day while the rest of the companions did a lot of worship. While returning from the journey, the group that had cooked and served approached the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "Rest of our friends have attained a high status because of their worship while we have been busy cooking and serving". Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Each one of you will get as much reward as the rest of your friends have got through their worship". So a woman who cooks for her family will get the reward of all the worship her family does after eating the food! SubhanAllah!

Need I say more? Enjoy your cooking! This is a super saver pack! Just cook and feed to get the same reward as your brothers, sons and husbands who walk to the Masjids to pray and worship!

Some beneficial tips:

- Wash the vegetables before cutting them, not vice versa for the water soluble vitamins will be lost. However you may have to put potato and egg plant in water after cutting them to avoid discoloration.

- Peel the vegetables superficially to avoid loss of nutrition. 

-  To avoid browning of  apple sprinkle some lemon juice over it.

- Store coriander and mint in muslin bags while placing them in the fridge. They will last longer. Similarly remove the stems of chilies before storing. Wrap vegetables in newspapers before storing them in the fridge.

- Soaking peeled onions in water for 10 minutes before cutting them to avoid unnecessary tears.

- Cutting directly on the marble slab can blunt you knife, use a cutting board!

- To unseed corn, place the corn with the base below and tip above, then use the blunt side of the knife to remove the seeds.

- Freeze the dry fruits for one hour and soak you knife in hot water for 10 minutes before chopping them. It will make this tough  a lot easier.

- Egg white will make your pakoras crunchy! Mix some rice flour while kneading wheat flour for making puris. This will make them crispy.

-  To make omelette extra fluffy, remember this "more air, more fluffy". Therefore whisk well.

-  Garlic 60% and ginger 40% is the best combination for amazing taste.

- To increase the quantity of gravy always add hot water. This will retain the taste.

- Whenever yogurt is added to the gravy sauce make sure to mix well and add it slowly.

- If you are storing ginger, garlic and green chilly paste, add a teaspoon of hot oil and some salt to it. This will enhance the taste and keep it fresh longer.

- While boiling rice sprinkle some lemon juice over it and add a teaspoon of oil to keep each grain separate.

- Potato soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will make baking easy.

- The smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature.

- Store spices in a cool dark place, not above your stove. Light, humidity and heat will make spices loose their flavor.

- Never try unknown recipes while cooking for guests!

- Rub your hand vigorously on stainless steel (probably your sink) before washing them to get rid off odor. 

- While chopping herbs sprinkle some salt on the chopping board. This will stop them from flying around.

- To get best results in baking, keep butter and egg at room temperature overnight.

- Recipes are just guidelines not bible. You can substitute, add and subtract.

- When you sort garlic it is better to slice them than grinding them. This will protect it from burning.

- It is better to blot washed meat with tissue paper before adding it to the pan. If the meat releases moisture in the pan then it will get steamed rather than fried.

The above info has been excerpted from the lecture of Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshbandi (db). Full audio can be found on:

http://tasawwuf.org/kitchen-say-mutaalliq-mufeed-tips/

Cooking is an art and females should try to master this art. There is a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that Allah loves a talented believer more than an untalented one. So, lets instill this talent! 

Who knows we can impress our Shehzadas with super cooking skills as well? ;)

What do you guys think of the story? Any suggestions? Criticism is always welcome!

And Alhamdulillah, we are on #7!!! Jazakumullahu khair for reading, voting, commenting and sharing!

Lots of love!

Dr Mystic.