NOVEL~*Hiding behind a Stranger*~ THREAD 45 Chapter50

'Having said that, I do understand why she did what she did. And for YOUR sake... I will ensure your Begum does not suffer a humiliating or a painful death... I give you my word... she was born a noblewoman - she will be treated like one till she lives' he stalled, waiting for the message to sink in 'and she will be treated like one during death too!'

'DEA-TH!'

The two syllables rang in his ears like a never-ending satanic verse, over and over - its sounds draining strength from every fibre of his body. 'Dea-th' Its two syllables implied the two darkest gates man had ever known; the doors of which, once shut, never reopened - be it for the young, the old, the good, the bad, the beautiful or ugly. 'Dea-th' Oh yes, he'd faced the skin-melting heat of those gates several times in his life. It was gruesome. But, never once could his core recall thumping from abject fear in the way that it was now. Because, today, as he squinted hard at the blaze of those molten gates, in his hand was nestled the palm of his young wife. His beloved young wife, who'd uttered not a word in complaint so far - but the quivering fingers that clutched on for life told the young man of her steadfast belief in him. A belief that her Sahib would somehow take them away from this ominous place.

'Ai Khuda!' He'd never let her down. He would NOT, if it was the last thing on Earth he did! Yet, there was no road behind them that'd allow them to flee from here. There were no paths to their left, nor right. He'd looked. He'd hunted. He'd scoured the place like a crazy man - for any means of escape.

Alas!

His haunted eyes observed the features of his master. They were gleaming with a coat of satisfaction, as if the Shehzaade were proud of his kindness. After all, he had cleared some of their hurdles along their way - even promised to make his wife's last journey easy. Yet, what real respite was this, when the journey he was sending them on, was eventually meant to end in the burning infernos of hell?

'Huzoor...'

'Akbar...' The tone of the prince slowly shifted, a natural callousness seeping within 'on the other hand, YOU have committed unforgivable crimes... betraying your master... lying, to hide it. You will face your punishment with no leniency whatsoever!'