On the 25th Night contd ...

Thus we traded for some time, until one day, I took bath, entering my lodging, took my breakfast of a cup of wine and slept. When I woke up, I ate a fowl and went to the shop a merchant, Badr ad-Deen the Gardener. A woman came there and sat beside me. She saluted Badr ad-Deen and he returned her salutation. They talked for a while. As I heard her talking, I fell in love with her. Then he asked - "Do you have a stuff woven with pure gold thread?" He showed her a piece, she asked - "May I take it and go and send you the money?" He said - "It is impossible, because he is the owner of this stuff and I owe him a portion of profit."

She said - "But I have been buying the stuff for a considerable money and giving you beyond your wish and then send you your price." He said - "Yes, I know, but I need its price today." At this she threw that piece upon him and said - "Your class doesn't know how to respect a person of a rank." And off she went. I could not tolerate this, so I called her back. She came back and said to me - "I have come only because of you." I asked Badr ad-Deen the price of that piece, he said, "1,100 pieces of silver." I said - "Your profit will be 100 pieces of silver, wrote a paper for it and gave the piece to her and said - "Take it and go. If you will, bring the price to me in the market; or otherwise keep it as a present from me." She said - "God recompense you and bless you with my property and make you my husband."

Then I said to her - "Let this piece be yours, and now let me see your face." She raised her veil and I saw that she was very beautiful. She went away and I sat there till past the hour of afternoon prayer. Before I left, I asked the merchant to respect her. He told me that she was a wealthy woman, the daughter of a deceased Ameer. I came back to my house. I could not eat food or sleep on that day.

Next morning I got ready in richer clothes than the previous day and went and sat down on the merchant's shop. That woman also came in richer clothes than that of the previous day, attended by a slave girl, saluted me instead of Badr al-Deen and said - "Send someone with me to receive the 1,200 silver pieces." I asked her - "What is the hurry?" She said - "May we never lose you," and she gave me the price. Then we talked for a while. I made a sign to her to visit her, which she understood. She got up and went away, I also followed her through the market street. A slave girl came to me and said - "Answer the summon of my mistress." I said - "Who has summoned me, no one knows me here." She said - "How soon you have forgotten her? She is the one who went to Badr ad-Deen's shop today." So I went with her until we arrived at the money changer's place.

There she was, as she saw me she drew me to her side and said - "O beloved, You have wounded my heart. Since I have seen you nor I have eaten nor I have slept. Shall I visit you?" I said - "I am a stranger here and I have no place of mine to receive you, except the Khaan Masaroor's. So if you will, permit me to go to your house." She said - "Tonight is the eve of Friday, and nothing will be done till tomorrow. After the prayers, you ride your donkey and inquire for Habbaniyaah, and when you have arrived there ask for the house of Kaah of Barakat the Naqeeb, known by the surname of Abboo-Shameh. I live there and do not be late, I will be waiting for you."

I came back home, passed the night sleeplessly, got ready in the morning, took 50 pieces of gold in a handkerchief and came to Baab Zuveleh. There I mounted on a donkey and asked its owner to take me to Habbaniyaah. It came there and looked for the house she told me. I soon found it, and asked the owner of the donkey to take me back next morning to my home. I gave him a quarter of the gold piece and he went away. I knocked the door and two girls opened the door. They said to me - "Our mistress has been expecting you. She has not slept last night because of love for you.."

I entered in an upper room with seven doors.

Contd on 5th Page