Week 3 - In Another Castle
Aliyah's slumber was disturbed by a soft, scuffling sound coming from the entrance of the chamber. She woke to see her son, Isa, standing over her, lower lip trembling and eyes brimming with tears. She sat up and pulled him into a gentle embrace. "What happened, my child?" She whispered softly into his ear, gently stroking his hair.
"I had a nightmare." He croaked.
"Come here." she said with a smile, and shifted so he could lie down next to her. He obeyed and snuggled close to his mother, clutching her hand in his small one. After a moment, when Isa had calmed down a little and was now staring at the ceiling, possibly trying to remember what woke him, she leaned towards him and whispered softly in his ear, "Isa, have you ever heard of the Khwaab-gaah*?" Her voice was low, as if she was about to whisper a secret known to none but her. He shook his head in response, his eyes widening.
"Well, in a land far, far away from Hindustan, in another castle that is exactly like ours here in every way, the doors do not lead to chambers like ours." Aliyah paused for effect. "They lead to beautiful new worlds, the likes of which do not exist on Earth. And this beautiful, far away castle is known as the Khwaab-gaah." Isa, wide-eyed with curiosity, snuggled closer so he didn't miss a word.
"One room leads to a garden full of all the trees you can imagine - apples, oranges, mangoes, cherries - any fruit you can imagine - and you can walk through it and smell the fresh breeze and feel the sunshine on your head. Another leads to a library as big as our palace, with shelves upon shelves stacked full of all the books in the world They say the room is always brightly lit with sunshine or moonlight, always perfect to get lost in a book."
Aliyah's description had the desired effect, and she couldn't help but grin at Isa's reaction, who had just gasped audibly. The little boy loved to read, and could always be found pestering his caretaker for more reading material. "What else is in those rooms, Mother?" He asked in an awed voice.
She leaned close to him, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There's a room that leads to a city made of clouds, and a room that leads to a beautifully clear river brimming with cool, fresh water. Many, many such marvels lie behind the doors of the Khwaab-gaah. But perhaps the best of them all is the golden door that leads to a marvelous palace that stands in the cool shade of night, and is inhibited by pretty little faeries and the masters of storytellers - the djinn. They spend all their days waiting for little boys like you to visit them!" She nipped at his nose affectionately.
Isa looked up at Aliyah. "Mother, can we visit Khwaab-gaah?" He asked.
She leaned in closer to him. "Would you like to go there now?"
Isa nodded, his eyes a window to the excited fluttering in his heart. "Close your eyes." She told him, "And think, Isa, where would you like to go in the Khwaab-gaah? What would you like to see?" Isa closed his eyes, and did as he was told. Within moments, the little boy had fallen asleep, all thoughts of his nightmare forgotten.
"Such a castle exists in all of us, my child." Aliyah whispered as she kissed Isa's forehead. "But sometimes we lose our way to it. We just need to be reminded of it once in a while."
* Khwaab-gaah is Farsi for "Gateway of Dreams."
"I had a nightmare." He croaked.
"Come here." she said with a smile, and shifted so he could lie down next to her. He obeyed and snuggled close to his mother, clutching her hand in his small one. After a moment, when Isa had calmed down a little and was now staring at the ceiling, possibly trying to remember what woke him, she leaned towards him and whispered softly in his ear, "Isa, have you ever heard of the Khwaab-gaah*?" Her voice was low, as if she was about to whisper a secret known to none but her. He shook his head in response, his eyes widening.
"Well, in a land far, far away from Hindustan, in another castle that is exactly like ours here in every way, the doors do not lead to chambers like ours." Aliyah paused for effect. "They lead to beautiful new worlds, the likes of which do not exist on Earth. And this beautiful, far away castle is known as the Khwaab-gaah." Isa, wide-eyed with curiosity, snuggled closer so he didn't miss a word.
"One room leads to a garden full of all the trees you can imagine - apples, oranges, mangoes, cherries - any fruit you can imagine - and you can walk through it and smell the fresh breeze and feel the sunshine on your head. Another leads to a library as big as our palace, with shelves upon shelves stacked full of all the books in the world They say the room is always brightly lit with sunshine or moonlight, always perfect to get lost in a book."
Aliyah's description had the desired effect, and she couldn't help but grin at Isa's reaction, who had just gasped audibly. The little boy loved to read, and could always be found pestering his caretaker for more reading material. "What else is in those rooms, Mother?" He asked in an awed voice.
She leaned close to him, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "There's a room that leads to a city made of clouds, and a room that leads to a beautifully clear river brimming with cool, fresh water. Many, many such marvels lie behind the doors of the Khwaab-gaah. But perhaps the best of them all is the golden door that leads to a marvelous palace that stands in the cool shade of night, and is inhibited by pretty little faeries and the masters of storytellers - the djinn. They spend all their days waiting for little boys like you to visit them!" She nipped at his nose affectionately.
Isa looked up at Aliyah. "Mother, can we visit Khwaab-gaah?" He asked.
She leaned in closer to him. "Would you like to go there now?"
Isa nodded, his eyes a window to the excited fluttering in his heart. "Close your eyes." She told him, "And think, Isa, where would you like to go in the Khwaab-gaah? What would you like to see?" Isa closed his eyes, and did as he was told. Within moments, the little boy had fallen asleep, all thoughts of his nightmare forgotten.
"Such a castle exists in all of us, my child." Aliyah whispered as she kissed Isa's forehead. "But sometimes we lose our way to it. We just need to be reminded of it once in a while."
* Khwaab-gaah is Farsi for "Gateway of Dreams."