Chapter XIII. The Scold

She walks into the palace garden, arrogant, a lady above all. Seven years have passed, four of which have been since the death of Mrs. Karima, following a health ailment. She took her place, becoming the first lady after Aisha married her cousin and moved to live in Alexandria.

Mahmoud moved to Cairo; to finish his undergraduate studies.

Hatshepsut’s prophecy has been fulfilled, you will be the lady of the palace, Zainab’s confidence in her is great, as she will never let her down, it is necessary to listen to her advice, and she will be fine.

Abdul Haqq and the envoy returned to Istanbul after the killing of Sheikh Omar, in an attempt to communicate with Prince Suleiman. The Union movement did not give them an opportunity. They arrested them, tortured them, but they denied knowing any files and secrets until they executed them after refusing to divulge something of what they knew, in a quick and comical court. The Sufi Zawwyia’s building in Uskudar was closed, confiscated, and completely abandoned, and the page of the Yildiz dervishes was closed, for a while.

They lived great Ottomans and died on the way they lived on.

The page for Prince Suleiman has likewise been closed; he is living a normal life in Ukraine, hidden from prying eyes; no one knows where he is; he is married; he has forgotten who he is; and everyone has forgotten him.

Hassan, preoccupied with work and trade, as well as with prayer and the Qur’an, is an ascetic worshiper, this is his nature, but he has become more religiously committed than before, not only because of the developments that took place in previous years, but for another reason.

Being close to God may be his last chance to escape from someone who sees himself as another god.

He was keen to implement his mother’s will as much as possible, but Zainab did not do so, two years ago, in her sixteenth year, and in his twenty-third year, longing reached its extreme in Hatshepsut’s chest, she could no longer bear patience.

Although he insisted at the time on waiting for her to turn eighteen, before deflowering her, but one night, he found her standing in front of him, completely naked without clothes, asking for her husband, presenting herself to him so that he could do with her whatever he wanted, at his behest, subjected to his desires.

He couldn’t wait either, and ever since that day, he has come to realize that Zainab is the only woman who, if she so chooses, can move his sentiments, make him enjoy herself, and help him forget his worries about the outside world.

She is not beautiful; there are many more beautiful people in his family and the surrounding area. However, this did not stand in the way of the genuine love he felt for her; whenever someone criticized her level of beauty, he would respond with a poetic line such as “Take my eyes and look at Zainab with them, and you will see her the most beautiful girl in the world.”

This before that night, she wasn’t pretty, but in a strange way, after his first night with her, she started to shine brighter, day by day! Everyone who saw her witnessed it.

She is Zainab herself, but something in her face, her body, is changing!

Surprisingly, she became unusually attractive!

Her eyes, her hair, her body, as if within her was a blazing female spirit, which had been imprisoned for thousands of years, collected all the female virtues, and was liberated that night.

He’s like, ‘Oh, you’ve raved about her beauty before, you should see her in the bedroom, her full, smooth brown thighs, her small firm bosoms, her long wavy hair swaying at her slender waist between the silk curtains, in a short blue gown, doing everything else she does.

The fact that this girl is from Upper Egypt shocked him greatly. There, the harshness of women rivals that of men. They are ignorant of the traits that make a woman a man’s object of attachment, desire, and rage.

But perhaps the years that Zainab spent in the palace were enough to change her nature, as she learned how to be a female. This is his only explanation, a logical explanation, considering the environment from which she came.

Smarter than any woman, she knows very well how to make a man seek her and chase her. She does things that make him like a drunk rather than a drunk. Within her is a spirit that shines with femininity.

She satisfied him sexually and spiritually; He loved her and loved staying near her because the beauty of a woman is not only in her face, as Hatshepsut said exactly, as long as her beauty is in her mind, and what she can do, as for Zainab, she knew how to make him loves her, as he waits for the night longing to be in his arms. She does a lot of things for him, things that do not even cross the mind of the devil himself.

She loved to wear a sexy short blue gown, she changed the room’s decor; To look like a pharaonic bedroom, an open balcony, the air breeze plays with its silk curtains, and in the candle lights, her slender waist swayed, wide chest, tight breasts, long black wavy hair, soft thighs, she danced for him as Hatshepsut danced for her husband, thousands of years ago.

For eight years, since the first day he met her, Zainab was polite, friendly, loving, devoted, obedient, and her only concern was to please and comfort her husband.

That night, in addition to this, she proved to be a playful, naughty girl, a nymphomaniac, insatiable with him, and not letting you be satisfied with her.

Actually, this is her first half, she’s not always like this! This wife has another face! You will live your life avoiding it, running away from it, you will do anything, in order not to see it.

A polite, educated man, who memorized the Qur’an, of great morals, an aristocratic descendant of princes, rich, humble, handsome in the flower of his youth, radiating brilliance, and a promising future awaiting him, as it was supposed to be!

His sleep is disturbed every morning by the sound of a sharp-tongued woman screaming, uttering the ugliest insults and epithets, in a vulgar manner, without shame, without any regard for the sanctity or dignity of a person.

He seeks God’s forgiveness, calls him to guide her, gathers his nerves and dignity, then performs ablution and hums in his prayers.

As soon as the mother died, and Aisha and Mahmoud traveled, Zainab tightened her grip on the palace, with everything in it, and after robbing his heart and mind, another face appeared to her that he was ignorant of, and everyone became her slaves.

She treated them with contempt, enslaved them, and reviled them with the most abominable words, which the dirtiest and most despicable of men would be embarrassed to utter.

His entire life became centered around her, in the evening, an obedient, loving, dedicated wife, as if she were a slave he owned since ancient times, and in the morning, he ran here and there; to fix what she spoiled, and to cover up her scandals, how many times did she hit a male or female servant with something heavy or sharp, causing them to bleed that required medical intervention to treat?

She abuses them, degrades them, and never fails to remind them that they are her servants, her slaves.

Liar, deceitful, accusing servants of what is not in them, accusing many maids of honor issues, and having a relationship between her and another servant, breaking things and accusing others of that, making up false stories about them, making them all the time under the microscope of accusation.

Sometimes he believed her, but soon it was discovered that she manipulates, lies, deceitful, there is no credibility in what she says, and most of her stories, made up of her imagination, especially those related to the honor of maids, are all lies, she has a problem with servants, she likes to accuse others of sexual issues, and even insult them with words that degrade them.

It is not strange to hear her insult a maid, such as telling her, “You whore, are you having a relationship with this or that servant,” and if the poor woman tried to defend herself, Zainab would severely beat her, sometimes with a whip, or whatever her hands would fall on, causing deep wounds.

He tried a lot with her: O Zainab, do not do this. Stop making the issues of servants the center of your life. They are there for our convenience, not to disturb our lives. If it is not for the sake of these poor people, and not for my prestige, then do not do it, for yourself. It is not appropriate for a woman like you to do what you do, or to utter what you utter!

In the beginning, she would accept criticism from him, listen to him, and try to work to become a more mature personality, but recently, Hassan himself is no longer an exception.
Her loud, provocative voice, her sharp tongue like whips of dirt, she no longer restrained it from him, she began to use it as a weapon against him, she began to get used to cursing him, and calling him with various words that detract from his worth!

like the devil, arrogant, tyrannical, unjust, spiteful, there is no salvation from her except by going along with her, and fulfilling all her desires; To avoid the moments of her anger, those moments that will end with the one in front of her with a loud scandal after a torrent of insults.

On the contrary, as soon as evening falls, and she is alone with him in the room, Zainab returns, whom he wants and loves, an ideal wife, an elegant dialogue, a luxurious dinner, an evening of fun and love, which ends, of course, with a naughty playful pharaoh, tossing and turning in his arms on the bed.

She paid careful attention to what he said, obeyed his commands to pray, memorize passages from the Holy Qur’an, and take part in scientific discussions when he wanted her to.

But all of this did not change her character in any way. For her, religion, prayer, and fasting are mere tools to control him. He is religiously committed, and must be kept up with him in this aspect in particular.

A hypocrite who does not hesitate to use all permitted and impermissible methods for the sake of control.

On her last visit, Aisha told him, Hassan, that she is a scold, like the one you hear about in the popular neighborhoods of Cairo, with a sharp tongue and not ashamed of shouting in public places with vulgar words and adjectives.

when she uses her sharp tongue against someone in the street, she drowns him in a torrent of insults and derogatory attributes, which leads to passers-by gathering around him, and the goal is to humiliate and expose him.

Zainab does this to you, she always makes you afraid of her, and you have no concern but to fulfill her desires. We are a distinguished, generous, polite, aristocratic family, and she blackmails you in this way. Don’t assume that she thinks like you and me because she is not ashamed to expose herself in this way in front of servants and everyone else, and she appears to be a vulgar woman with no morals. It’s as if she’s saying, “If you don’t do everything I want, I will expose you in front of all people,” she has no problem doing that. Neither shyness nor upbringing exists. Regarding us, we refuse to accept this for ourselves.

A scold, Hassan, it is a scold in the literal sense of the word. You have to understand and be aware of this.

As for him, he knew this in advance. For two years, since that night, Zainab began to change more, and the more she got used to the place, and the more she mastered it, the more her tyranny increased, but he was tempted by hope, as she used to listen to his words, always pledge to him to change. She only sticks around for a few days, before her condition turns around again.

Whenever the fight got tight, he pretended that she was weak, and she cried, and reminded him of what she had suffered in her childhood, her past, and the oven.

-I suffered a lot, they burned my sister in front of my eyes, my brother was killed, they chased me, they wanted me to marry to that old man or burn me, you don’t feel what I do, no pity, no mercy.

Soon his passion and magnanimity are aroused, he forgives her, and goes with her, may God guide her.

He wanted his young wife to be distinguished, so he made sure to bring the most skilled teacher to her. To educate her, he taught her the Qur’an and the principles of religion. He tried to make her a distinguished lady, but she is cunning and malicious. She takes advantage of the goodness of his heart. In moments, she appears as a source of tenderness and reassurance; she loves him, takes care of him, obeys him.

Poor weak, the oven still haunts her in her imagination, she has not yet forgotten what happened to her brother and sister, she looks at him with broken looks, like those looks when she was in the basket of dates, she cries, she sits alone, afraid, waiting for him to apologize.

But if he opposes her in a matter, and all of her tricks fail, her condition will be reversed, and she will become that shameless scold!

She can exploit his sentiments, chivalry, nobility, and chivalry, his nobility, and his fatal weakness to her liking. He is quiet, kind-hearted, caring, and a poet. The moment Zainab, the poor, weak child, returns after the tantrum, the pandemonium surrounding him stops, and everything around him returns to normal; he feels as though the world has bloomed and has become especially beautiful.

It is quite logical, for she made her moments of stillness as if it were a holiday, she made him and all those over whom she has authority live in her hell, and when she smiles, this smile seems like the end of torment, as if they had just come out of hell, it does not matter if they are going to heaven or not,

                                Anything else compared to hell is bliss!

He thought a lot about her condition, perhaps she was mentally ill as a result of what happened to her, and his nobility prevented him many times from separating her, but he soon understood, it is not a psychological condition! Rather, it is an inherent nature in her, she is very malicious, she does not do what she does without realizing it, but rather she is completely conscious, aware of all her actions. She knows when to be the loving, generous Zainab, and when to be that vulgar woman, who uses her voice as a weapon to get everything she wants, which puts you in front of two options that have no third, either scandal in front of servants and people, or obedience and silence over her transgressions.

She refuses to admit her mistake, no matter how obvious it is, and recently she refuses even to listen. If he tries to confront her about what she did, she closes her ears and starts screaming.

-Shut up, I don’t want to hear anything, then a series of insults begins, ending with him on the prayer rug, worshiping God, begging for immediate relief and deliverance from this situation, and after hours, the situation ends with a pharaoh in the bedroom.

He thought a lot about those old dreams, the Ottoman caliphate, the British occupation, the return of Ottoman Egypt! His marriage to her! Abdul Haqq said that this marriage is in their interest, but they did not get enough time to do anything! Instead of the people of the village being of help to him, they have become of help to Zainab only.

They became her clan who would not disappoint her after she invested a lot of money in them. She cares nothing about important things, which is an issue. All of her pursuits center on having subordinates, wielding authority, and being strong and powerful. She lavished money on the wealthy and powerful rather than the less fortunate in an effort to win their loyalty and assuage her preoccupation and paranoia. This was done in exchange for their calling her the strong woman and the noble lady.

Her tyranny became great, as she supported herself with tribes and clans from the neighboring villages, and recruited some outlaws to serve her. Everyone became afraid of her, even the Council of Elders, especially after they found the wise old man, burnt in a clay oven.

It is not proven who the killer is, but all their suspicions revolve around the lady of the palace!

The old man disappeared months ago, from his house outside the village, and weeks later, they found his ring by chance, inside a clay oven, and around him a charred corpse.

A clay oven, which has not been lit for a long time, since its flames devoured Fatima’s body.

He got angry that day, he went crazy, confess, Zainab, do you have anything to do with it?!

She didn’t confess anything, she cried weakly, please don’t remind me of that, Hassan, and soon the discussion ended, they were in the bedroom, while the candles were burning.

-What do you want me to do for you today, my lord?

She said it while her waist swaying between the silk curtains, in her short, blue dancing gown.

-All you have to do is to come over here, to this bed, I can’t wait, come to me…

She took off her suit, completely naked, her slender figure taut as if she was a wax statue, and climbed on top of him, her hands gripping his chest hair. Her hair covered half of her face, clutching her thighs, shaking them vigorously, her eyes closed, and she moaned in ecstasy.

She shouted at him: call me the whore maid.

-You are my whore and my maid, Zainab.

-Rather, Hatshepsut, call me Hatshepsut.

He did not, she screamed angrily, bit her lips, and repeated: Hatshepsut, O Hassan, please, I beg you.

-Hatshepsut, oh, what a vulgar whore you are, you can’t get enough of sexual intercourse.

Soon, he began to notice, if he had called her by this specific name, Hatshepsut, her femininity exploded more, incredibly, her temperature rose much more than before, she lost her temper, and her lust almost exploded over him.

At first glance, he thought that the name coincided with the decoration of the Pharaonic room around them, which excites her more, but soon he began to notice if he called her Hatshepsut, during their sexual relationship, shortly before she reached the stage of orgasm, and during the beginning of her body trembling, something in the features of her face changed as if it was a mixture of Zainab’s face and the face of another woman, a woman he did not know, a gorgeous woman of great beauty.

As if a charming soul inhabits her, another unusually beautiful woman inside her, nothing of her facial features appears, except in those moments, moments of climax of ecstasy, when Zainab completely loses control of herself, or perhaps, when Hatshepsut does so.

-Why is this happening? I feel like I’m having sex with another woman!

-I don’t know, my love, maybe it’s the effect of ecstasy, don’t you notice that I’m getting more attractive and prettier since I married you?

He now recognizes that there is something abnormal about her. Recalling what Aisha had previously mentioned regarding the curse, is it plausible that Zainab was genuinely possessed by the curse? That day, and up until lately, he had refused to believe.

However, recently, he has come to realize that something else is inevitably inhabiting Zainab!

But who is his beloved wife, and who is the powerful ruler between them?!

He soon became accustomed to having Hatshepsut in the bedroom, and even asking for her, wanting her.

An angel married to a demon.

She tried to turn him into a despot, but she failed. He made an effort to fix her but failed.

They’re still squabbling.

He was unable to kill the devil within her, yet she was unable to kill the angel within him.

One thing remained imprisoned in her chest, the truth of Hatshepsut, she insisted that it was a name she loved, and that there was no other woman inhabiting her, as also something likewise remained imprisoned in his chest, that he never revealed to her about, a secret basement under the palace, and a secret, well-sealed safe, containing a bundle of papers, at least they were once very sensitive and secretive.

What he does not know is that they still are, to this day, major demand, for a secret party, on the island of Malta.

A secret party, wishing that one particular piece of paper would have been burned in a fire or drowned in a river!

Anything, with the exception of the fact that it is still in storage and will one day fall into the hands of a person, at which point many accounts could change.