She eats the food with a lot of happiness, enjoying every bite with a warm smile on her face. After that, she lingers there for a while. As she stays behind for a moment, Qasim slowly distances himself from everyone else, quietly moving to a corner. He looks around, scanning the surroundings carefully, making sure no one is watching. Then, he takes out that letter and begins to read it.
Just as he reaches the line — "Just like I said…" — suddenly, Hashim appears out of nowhere.
Startled, Qasim quickly hides the letter, slipping it out of sight with nervous hands.
Hashim walks closer with a casual grin and says jokingly, "What are you doing here all alone? Don't you think you're spending too much time by yourself lately?"
Qasim replies, trying to sound normal, "It's nothing… I was just thinking."
He pauses for a moment, then continues softly, "I was thinking about how peaceful and right life feels when you are with people who truly understand you. But the moment you're away from them… it creates this strange restlessness inside."
He lowers his eyes slightly and speaks with emotion, "Sometimes, those who truly understand you — they aren't necessarily your parents, or your siblings. They might not even be someone from your family. Sometimes, it's just a friend. Or even a complete stranger… someone who becomes so important to you that being around them brings you peace."
He looks up, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"When someone truly understands you… you feel comfortable. You feel alive. You feel like you can actually enjoy your life without pretending — just being yourself."
Hashim chuckled and said, "You're getting way too deep today. Looks like you're really missing someone special "
He nudged Qasim playfully.
Both of them laughed heartily, but behind Qasim's smile, something stirred.
She's not my wife… not yet. But I could give up everything just to make her mine. That's the only prayer I ever whisper to Allah… to make her mine.
His heart spoke in silence, even as he laughed with Hashim.
Hashim smirked. "I know you haven't gotten married yet. But on this journey, you're our Akbar now, so I'll just call you that."
Qasim grinned, replying sarcastically, "Yeah, go on, have your fun. But hey—"
His tone dropped to a hush, "Keep your voice down. If he hears anything, my secret's out."
Hashim laughed under his breath. "Got it, Romeo."
Then he added, "Anyway, we should get moving. The Shehzadi's finished eating."
Qasim nodded, and the two walked over to the Mask Man.
Hashim leaned in and asked quietly, "Should we go now?"
The Mask Man gave a slight nod. "Let's step aside."
Qasim followed as they moved away.
"She's eaten," said the Mask Man, "but she hasn't moved since. Just sitting there, looking at the view. Peaceful… smiling. She's enjoying it all like it's an adventure. Honestly, I think she finds this whole journey thrilling."
He paused. "But how do we even tell her it's time to move on?"
Hashim and the Mask Man both turned to Qasim. "You should talk to her."
Qasim raised an eyebrow. "What? Why me?"
They both smiled knowingly.
"She listened to you before," Hashim said. "She will again."
Qasim sighed. "Just because she agreed once doesn't mean she'll always listen. She's not bound to me."
He hesitated, then added, "One of you can go too. Just ask her… nicely."
Mask Man chuckled, "Alright, I'll try. But if she refuses… you're doomed. I've never spoken this sweetly to anyone before. Let's see how it goes."
Hashim laughed. "Look at him. Thinks he's some fairytale hero."
The Mask Man walked toward Shehzadi Maryam.
She sat quietly, eyes fixed on the golden sands, her hair dancing with the wind, her face calm and glowing.
He stood still.
For a long while, he just watched her—her eyes, the breeze brushing against her cheek, the peace she wore like a veil. It almost made him forget what he came for.
Then suddenly, she turned to him.
He snapped out of his trance, startled. "Shehzadi! I… umm…"
She looked at him, amused. "Yes? You were saying?"
He cleared his throat. "I was saying… maybe we should get going. It's going to get hotter soon. And there's still a long road ahead. We should… we should continue the journey."
Instead of frowning or complaining, she smiled.
"Let's go."
He blinked, surprised. "You'll travel in this heat… on this rough path?"
She nodded, confidently. "Of course. This was always my journey. I wanted to explore the world. I used to read about these roads in books… now I get to walk them. To feel them. And I won't waste that chance."
She smiled wider. "There's still so much left to see."
The Mask Man looked at her, genuinely moved. "And I'll be with you… every step."
She tilted her head. "With me?"
He nodded. "To walk beside you. Wherever this road takes us."
She looked away for a moment, then whispered, "Well… I guess that's just my broken fate...
The Shehzadi stepped out of the cave, brushing her hair back as the golden sunlight touched her face. They brought the horses forward and began walking along the long, empty path.
The heat was intense.
They traveled for hours under the scorching sun. Slowly, their water began to run out. The desert wind was hot, and the sun showed no mercy. Beads of sweat glistened on the Shehzadi's face—so much sweat that it looked as if her skin itself was melting under the sun.
But still, she smiled.
Because this… this was her dream.
To wander places like these.
To travel on horseback.
To ride from Kabul to Baghdad—
And from Baghdad, perhaps even further, to explore the world.
As they walked on, evening slowly fell. Yet even then, not a single drop of water was left. But they didn't stop.
In the evening, the heat softened just a little, enough to breathe without burning lungs. They kept walking—sometimes on foot, sometimes riding the horses.
At times, Qasim led the way.
Other times, it was Hashim or the Masked Man.
A few soldiers who had come along with the Shehzadi began whispering among themselves, their eyes occasionally turning toward the Masked Man.
"Why does he wear that mask?" one of them murmured.
"Is he a thief? Or is there some secret behind his face?"
"If he has ugly face, does he even have a name?"
"Do any of you know who he is?"
The others shook their heads.
"No idea."
Then one of them smirked. "Shehzadi could ask him… and I bet he'd answer her."
"But who's going to tell the Shehzadi to ask?"
That question hung in the air—until an idea struck one of the men.
"I'll go tell her," he said, "that since this is her first real journey—one she's dreamt of for so long—why not turn it into a memory? She should write down the names of all the people who were part of it, so that she never forgets who walked beside her… and how she felt during this adventure."
Everyone nodded. It was a good idea.
He walked over to the Shehzadi and gently said,
"Your Highness… you always wished to travel like this, and now that you're here… why not make it unforgettable? Write down the names of everyone in this journey. So that no matter where you go in life, you'll always remember who was by your side the first time… and how you felt."
The Shehzadi's eyes sparkled.
"Oh! I hadn't even thought of that… I'm glad you reminded me."
She smiled and began asking each one their name.
When she reached Qasim, he smiled and replied warmly,
"Akbar.
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Leave a comment for Suggestion and tips for me and rare this ch how was it
Written by
Sabir Ali
Thanks For reading