Chapter 5 SHATTERED DREAMS

As the sun began to rise over the forest, Anarkali and her mother, Shazia, were jolted awake by a rustling in the bushes. Anarkali's heart racing with fear, she sat up straight, her eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any sign of danger.

Shazia, too, was awake, her eyes wide with fear. "What was that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of birds chirping in the trees.

Anarkali shook her head, her eyes fixed on the bushes. "I don't know." she whispered back.

Just then, a figure emerged from the bushes, followed by several others. Anarkali's heart sank, and she grabbed her mother's arm, pulling her close.

But as the figures approached, Anarkali saw that they were not the enemy soldiers she had feared. Instead, they were a group of Mughal soldiers, dressed in the familiar uniforms of the imperial army.

One of the soldiers, a tall, imposing man with a scar above his eyebrow, stepped forward. "Greetings, ladies," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "We mean you no harm. We are soldiers of the Mughal Empire, and we have been sent to protect the people of Azadpur from the rebel forces."

Shazia's face lit up with relief, and she reached out to touch the soldier's arm. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling with gratitude. "We were so scared. We didn't know what was happening."

The soldier nodded sympathetically. "We understand," he said. "The rebels have been causing chaos throughout the region. But we are here to protect you, and to help you get to safety."

Anarkali's eyes widened with curiosity. "Where will we go?" she asked.

The soldier smiled. "We have set up a refugee camp not far from here," he said. "It's a safe place, where you can rest and recover. We will provide you with food and shelter, and we will do our best to help you get back on your feet."

Shazia nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you," she said again. "We are so grateful for your help."

The soldier bowed his head, his face serious. "It is our duty to protect the people of the empire," he said. "We will do everything in our power to keep you safe."

The soldiers helped Anarkali and her mother to gather their belongings, and then they set off towards the refugee camp.

As they walked, Anarkali asked the soldier who had first spoken to them about the rebel forces. "Who are they?" she asked. "And why are they attacking our village?"

The soldier's face turned grim. "The rebels are a group of disaffected nobles and soldiers who are dissatisfied with the rule of Emperor Akbar." he said.

Anarkali's eyes widened in surprise. "But that's not true," she said. "Emperor Akbar is a wise and just ruler. He has brought peace and prosperity to the empire."

The soldier nodded in agreement. "You are right, young lady," he said. "Emperor Akbar is a great leader, and he has done much to improve the lives of the people of the empire. But these men do not see it that way. They are blinded by their own ambition and greed, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals."

As they approached the refugee camp, Anarkali saw that it was filled with women and children, old men and young boys, all of them seeking safety and protection from the rebels.

The soldiers led Anarkali and her mother to a large tent, where they were greeted by one of the villagers.

"Anarkali, Shazia," he said, weeping. "Everything is destroyed, we are ruined."

Anarkali and her mother, Shazia, sat outside their tent, watching as the other villagers cried and complained about the after-events of the assault

Just then, an elderly man from their village, Faruq, approached them.

"Assalamu alaikum, Anarkali, Shazia," he said, bowing his head in greeting. "How are you."

Shazia returned the greeting, a frown lingering on her face. "Wa alaikum assalam, Faruq," she said. "We are well, thanks be to Allah. But we are worried about our village. Have you heard any news?"

Faruq's face turned serious. "I have heard news," he said. "I spoke to one of the Mughal soldiers earlier today, and he told me that there was a clash between the Mughal army and Khan Uzbek's men."

Faruq continued. "From what I understand, the Mughal army was able to drive Khan Uzbek's men back," he said. "But not before they had inflicted significant damage on the village."

Shazia's face fell, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh no," she whispered. "What will we do?"

Abdul's face was grim. "We will rebuild," he said. "We will work together to restore our village."

Anarkali nodded. "We will," she said. "We will rebuild and we will make our village even better than before."

As Abdul finished speaking, a group of Mughal soldiers approached the tent. They were led by the same soldier who had spoken to Anarkali and her mother earlier that day.

"Assalamu alaikum," he said, bowing his head in greeting. "I hope you are all well."

Shazia smiled and returned the greeting. "Wa alaikum assalam," she said. "We are well, thanks be to Allah."

As the day wore on, the soldiers began to organize the villagers to start the process of recovery. One of the soldiers, a tall and imposing man with a scar above his eyebrow, stood on a rock and addressed the crowd.

"Friends, we need your help," he said. "We need to check the casualties and identify the dead bodies. We also need to start the process of rebuilding and restoring our village."

The villagers nodded in agreement, and began to disperse to start the task. Anarkali turned to her mother, Shazia.

"I'll go and check, Mother," she said. "I want to make sure that everyone is accounted for."

Shazia nodded, her eyes filled with worry. "Be careful, Anarkali," she said. "We don't know what we might find."

Anarkali nodded, and set off towards the destroyed huts. She walked slowly, her eyes scanning the ground for any signs of life. As she approached one of the huts, she saw that it had been completely destroyed, the walls reduced to rubble.

Anarkali's heart sank, and she felt a sense of trepidation. She didn't want to see what was inside the hut. But she knew that she had to be brave, for the sake of her family and her village.

She took a deep breath, and stepped inside the hut. The air was thick with dust, and Anarkali could barely see. But as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a figure lying on the ground.

Anarkali's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a sense of dread. She approached the figure slowly, her eyes fixed on its face. And then, she saw it. It was her father, Junaid.

Anarkali's world went dark, and she felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't think. All she could do was stand there, frozen in shock.

As she stood there, Anarkali felt a sense of numbness wash over her. She couldn't believe that her father was gone. She couldn't believe that she would never see him again.

But as the reality of the situation began to sink in, Anarkali felt a sense of anger and determination. She knew that she had to be strong, for the sake of her mother.

She took a deep breath, and began to make her way back to her mother. She knew that she had to tell her the news, and she knew that it wouldn't be easy.

As she approached her mother, Anarkali could see the worry in her eyes. "Anarkali, what's wrong?" Shazia asked, her voice trembling with fear.

Anarkali took a deep breath, and tried to find the words. "Mother, I found Father," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shazia's eyes widened in horror, and she reached out to grab Anarkali's arm. "No, Anarkali," she whispered. "Tell me it's not true."

Anarkali shook her head, feeling a sense of tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mother," she said. "Father is gone."

Shazia's face crumpled as Anarkali's words hung in the air. She stumbled backwards, her eyes wide with horror.

"No, no, no," she whispered, her voice trembling with grief. "This can't be happening."

Anarkali tried to grab her mother's arm, but Shazia shook her off. She stumbled forward, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

"Mother, don't go!" Anarkali cried, but Shazia didn't listen. She kept walking, her feet carrying her towards the destroyed hut where Junaid's body lay.

As she approached the hut, Shazia's legs gave out beneath her. She fell to the ground, her body wracked with sobs. She crawled forward, her hands grasping for something, anything, to hold onto.

And then, she saw him. Junaid's body lay on the ground, his eyes closed, his face pale. Shazia's wails echoed through the air as she threw herself onto his body, her arms wrapping around him tightly.

"My love, my love," she whispered, her voice barely audible over her sobs. "Why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to go?"

Anarkali approached her mother slowly, her eyes filled with tears. She knelt down beside her mother, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Mother," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Shazia's wails continued to echo through the air, her body shaking with grief. Anarkali held her tightly, trying to comfort her, but she knew that it would be a long time before her mother would be able to find peace again.