The wind howled over the high mountain ridge as the last traces of smoke from the masked attacker faded into the thin air. Tension settled in like an iron cloak.
Suddenly, Hashim walked forward. His steps were slow, deliberate. He looked at Fatima, then turned to face everyone present—Qasim, Nayab, Yousuf, , the soldiers, all watching silently.
Then, without warning, Hashim bent down—his knees touching the rocky ground.
"I have sinned," he said loudly, his voice echoing through the quiet mountain. "In front of all of you, I confess every crime I committed."
Gasps spread across the crowd.
"I lied. I betrayed. I let power blind me," he said, looking up at Fatima with tear-filled eyes. "my love, I never deserved your loyalty. But you never left me."
Fatima's lips quivered.
Hashim continued, "I tried to manipulate the court. I joined hands with the enemy to gain what was never mine. And I let the innocent suffer. I poisoned trust. I—I was wrong."
The silence was now thick with emotion. Some soldiers lowered their swords. Even Nayab's gaze softened for a moment.
But Nayab's eyes were sharp.
"No," she said, stepping forward. "You're just trying to gain sympathy. You were always this clever, Hashim. Maybe Fatima's playing along. Maybe this is all a setup."
Fatima turned to Nayab. "You think I'd risk my life and my honor just to save someone who betrayed us all?"
"You're his sister," Nayab snapped. "You'll always protect him."
Qasim stepped in. "Nayab, stop. Can't you see the truth now?"
But Nayab's eyes flared. "Truth? From you? I still haven't forgotten what happened to my father. And somehow, everything seems to lead back to you."
Yousuf raised a hand. "This isn't the time—"
But the spark had already lit the flame.
In a blink, Nayab drew her sword.
Qasim barely managed to raise his blade in defense.
Steel met steel with a loud clang, and the air exploded with tension.
Yousuf jumped in to separate them, but Fatima stepped forward, her own blade drawn. "You want a fight?" she shouted, "Then let's end it once and for all!"
Nayab's guards drew their swords too.
In seconds, the mountaintop became a battlefield.
Qasim and Nayab's swords danced with fury. She fought with anger, her strikes sharp and relentless. He defended himself without attacking back—each time dodging or blocking, refusing to hurt her.
"I never hurt your father!" Qasim shouted between clashes.
"Then prove it!" Nayab screamed, spinning and nearly landing a strike on his shoulder.
Fatima blocked Nayab's soldier, turning and parrying like a storm. Yousuf tried to stop the chaos, but even he was pulled into the brawl when a soldier charged at him.
Swords rang through the cold air.
Dust rose under their feet.
The ground shook with their movement.
Each warrior was skilled—but emotion made them reckless.
Hashim didn't move. He remained kneeling, his head lowered. Watching. Accepting. Waiting.
"I didn't come here to fight you!" Yousuf shouted, locking blades with a guard.
"Then why are you standing with them?" the guard growled.
Across the ridge, Qasim finally disarmed Nayab, sending her sword clattering to the ground. But she didn't stop—she charged at him with her bare hands.
Qasim grabbed her arms, holding her tight, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"Nayab. Look at me!" he yelled.
Tears streamed down her face. "Why do I feel like you're lying to me?"
"Because the truth hurts more than lies," he whispered.
Around them, the fight raged on.
Yousuf knocked his opponent back with a heavy push. Fatima parried a soldier's blow and spun to protect her brother.
"Enough!" she cried.
No one listened.
Lightning cracked across the sky above. Clouds darkened. The wind picked up.
And then— masked figure appeared.
Welcome back to me
Standing atop a tall rock, overlooking the battlefield, cloaked in black.
He didn't move. He only watched.
His silence was louder than the sword clashes below.
Yousuf noticed him first. "There!" he shouted, pointing.
Everyone paused. Eyes turned upward.
The masked figure raised a single hand… and then disappeared into the mist behind him.
Everything stopped.
The fighting ceased.
Heavy breaths filled the air.
Blood dripped. Swords lowered. Hearts pounded.
"What… what was that?" Fatima asked.
"A warning," Hashim said quietly. "Whoever sent those letters… they're still watching."
Qasim finally released Nayab. She stepped back, her hands shaking.
Qasim looked around at the broken battlefield. "We were all played. We fought each other… while our real enemy watched from the shadows."
A new silence fell.
One filled with shame, confusion, and fear.
The mountain had witnessed their battle.
But the war… was not over yet.
The wind howled across the high mountain cliffs, echoing the chaos that had just unfolded. The battle had left its scars — on the ground, on their bodies, and deep within their hearts.
Swords clashed. Screams echoed. The air was thick with dust and blood.
Amidst it all, Hashim stood, panting, sword in hand, trying to catch his breath. But just then — from behind — a shadow moved too fast. A blur. A mistake.
Qasim, caught in the frenzy of the fight, unaware of who stood before him, turned sharply and drove his sword forward.
Steel pierced flesh.
A gasp escaped Hashim's lips as he stumbled back. Blood spilled from his mouth, and his sword dropped to the ground with a clatter.
"Hashim!" Fatima screamed.
He looked down, his hand trembling as he clutched his side. Then his eyes lifted slowly — to her.
Fatima ran forward, falling to her knees as Hashim collapsed. She caught him just in time, cradling his head in her lap.
"No, no, no! Hashim!" she cried, her voice breaking with every word. "Don't do this. Don't leave me. Please stay awake!"
Hashim blinked slowly, his lips twitching into a soft, tired smile. "Finally… you said it."
"What?" she whispered, shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I really love you," he said, mocking her softly. "That's what you just said… finally… you said it."
"Shut up, please don't say goodbye!" she sobbed, brushing his hair back. "We'll fix this! I'll fix this! Don't leave me like this. Please!"
A few steps away, Qasim stood frozen. His sword had already fallen to the ground. His eyes wide, filled with horror, his hands trembling.
"What… what have I done?" he muttered.
Fatima's face turned towards him, her eyes red with grief and fury. "You did this," she said, her voice trembling. "You say you love your sister? Then is this how you show love?"
Qasim shook his head, stumbling back. "No… I didn't mean to. I didn't know it was him. It was chaos—"
"You could've forgiven him," she spat. "But no. You wanted revenge. You chose rage over reason."
Qasim fell to his knees, clutching his face. "I thought he was the enemy. I wasn't thinking. Everything happened too fast… I didn't want this!"
"You say you love me?" Fatima continued, her voice rising. "This is your love? You kill the man I—" she choked, unable to finish. "You could have stopped. But you didn't."
Everyone around fell into silence. Even Nayab, who moments ago had doubted everything, looked on, stunned, unable to speak.
Qasim looked up at Fatima, broken. "I… I don't know how to live with this."
"You shouldn't," Fatima whispered coldly, still holding Hashim close as his blood soaked into her dress. "You shouldn't."
Hashim, still barely conscious, reached up weakly, touching her hand. "Don't hate him," he murmured. "He didn't mean it…"
Fatima looked down at him, tears falling again. "You always protect everyone else… even now?"
He smiled faintly. "I don't want you to live with hate… just… live."
His hand fell. His chest stopped rising.
Fatima let out a raw, guttural cry, one that seemed to tear the air apart. She held his face, rocking back and forth, whispering his name over and over again.
Qasim buried his face in his hands, breaking down, whispering to himself, "I killed him. I killed him."
No one moved.
The wind blew across the cliff, carrying the sound of heartbreak far into the mountains.
Question for readers
Hashim will die?
Written By
Sabir Ali
Thanks For reading