-Bismillahirrahmanirraheem-
 |
| From the top, now the bottom. Such is the life of a true believer |
"Ookay, how did i end up in this mess?"
I think that summarises what Ghulam was thinking as he lay chained & ALONE, in one of the Emperor's dungeons.
"Never thought a small pebble would cause so much trouble."
What pebble you ask? Well, remember the incident involving that beast which was harassing the cityfolk? Okay, you can go here if you want to recap.
Well, let's just say that people didn't just leave Ghulam alone after seeing him put off a beast with a puny pebble.
Under the impression that Ghulam had mastered the art of sorcery, people came flooding to him with requests, favours and maybe even 'merisik' (Remember, he is young and is going to be part of the ruling administration. Who wouldn't want him right?)
From small complaints such as headaches, fevers, to astonishing almost miraculous feats; a blind man was given the gift of sight.
And this man was no any old Abu or Osman, but the minister of the kingdom.
The story of Ghulam going here & there made headlines that even the elite cannot escape from noticing. Normally what happens among the commonfolk is considered petty in the eyes of those associated with the Emperor -le dubious god-. What with the things that play with, the elite won't make much of an amusement of what those slaves were chattering about.
But a child of miracles? Who grants any request? Even of a man deprived of seeing a slither of light since who knows when?
Eeeh, i see no harm in that.
"Summon him to my quarters!"
Thus Ghulam, now the Sorcerer as people call him, was escorted to the minister's quarters.
He now was seated in front of him, the blind minister.
Up till now only traders, farmers, housewives, 'the Rest' came to him for help. Right now at this moment, the minister of the kingdom is humbling himself in front of Ghulam.
"So i've heard that you were able to cure epilepsy and leprosy. Very impressive. I must say that the old sorcerer had found a very worthy successor."
"Yeah right."
I could imagine Ghulam rolling his eyes right now.
"My exalted minister! It is not I who gave them the cure, but it is Allah the Exalted who cured them. If you believe in Allah, I will make supplication and surely He will cure you."
The minister was taken aback.
Astonished maybe.
Or he was already expecting such a call to be made.
Nobody really knows, but one thing was certain.
The minister got his eyes back.
Just as the people who complained about their headaches, fevers, rashes had their problems solved.
All due to the words Ghulam whispered when he threw the pebble at the beast.
"Oh God! If you favor the old man teachings than the sorcerer, Kill this beast and let the people commute in peace!"
The exact same words also landed him in the predicament he is in right now.
You see, before this, Ghulam was held up in the dungeons together with his teacher, the old man & the minister. It was quite surprising really, one thing led to another. It started with the emperor being surprised seeing his Minister walking merrily without needing any help to walk in the palace.
"Who gave back your sight?"
"My God."
"What? There's another God beside me?"
"No, my God and yours too."
The emperor became infuriated with his minister's reply. Cue first prisoner. After some intense 'persuasion' by the prison staff, the minister finally spilled the beans on who's been infecting people of the belief of Tawheed.
Cue second prisoner, Ghulam himself.
"So i've heard your mastery of sorcery has reached such heights; you can now even cure leprosy eh?"
(okay, the eh might sound funny. But eh?)
Again Ghulam asserted the words he conveyed firmly to the Minister.
"It was My God & your God too who took away their suffering."
So the prison staff got another hectic day trying their hands on Ghulam. They knew there was someone behind this. Their perfect puppet was never meant to have a mind of its own. Someone impregnated him with this strange idea & belief.And that someone is going to face the wrath of the emperor.
Cue third prisoner, the old man.
So now the three individuals who posed the greatest threat to Kingdom were in the Emperor's court, begging for his mercy, or so hoped the Emperor.
The old man. This was the guy who derailed his plans. He still needed Ghulam. Ghulam does not want to follow his wishes.He follows the old man. So he puts 2 and 2, and decided to 'persuade' the old man.
What did the old man say?
"NO!"
You are not my God. Our God is Allah.
A saw was put right on top of Ghulam's beloved teacher's head. The handles were pulled and pushed, all the way to the bottom.
Two halves of flesh dropped bluntly on the floor. Blood spattered. It was not known whether hair-raising shrieks of pain accompanied every drop of it.
And then the minister, also posing a problem to his majesty;
"Can't have him in my council, he'll influence everyone else with his position and testimony of Ghulam's word."
The same question.
The same answer.
Two halves of flesh dropped again bluntly on the floor. Nothing was known if an old man's flailing voice pierced the castle that day.
The emperor's attention now was on Ghulam.
Two hindrances were put to eternal slumber. He must be smirking right now.
"You've seen the fate of those who oppose me. You know the slow & sweet misery i've served them for their departure to 'their' lord. Why don't you be a smart kid & just admit that I am more powerful, suitable, all deserving of Godship?"
Ghulam knew, or maybe even saw as the jagged blades slowly lacerated the scalp and then the brain, going lower and lower between his teacher and the minister eyes, bulging with pain & terror and everything conceivable to portray their ordeal.
But what did Ghulam say?
When the whole world was closing in on him, the world which was under the tyrannical rule of this repulsive, twisted man?
'NO!'
The emperor was not pleased. He was not pleased at all. This is not what he expected. He turned to his allies, people who have been behind him in everything he does.
"Take him to the mountains! If he opposes and remain with his faith, throw him from the top."
There's only Ghulam now. From all the men, women & children in the empire, only one Ghulam is asserting the true God.
Chained & escorted, Ghulam is about to make the best show in his life.
-To be continued-
0 comments:
Post a Comment