Hello friends, hello my peers in #micowrite04

Let me give you a bit of context before writing this post (tasks 3 & 4). A reminder. And after that, I’ll explain what the teachers' requirements are for this exercise. Because otherwise, you might not understand my stories at all, or they might even seem completely disconnected.

From the first exercise of #microwrite04 until now, I have explored the legend of Anarkali in different ways — different genres, different narratives, along with some other exercises. But in all of them related to Anarkali, the protagonist has remained Anarkali. After much discussion and debate, in a healthy way, of course...

@joslud said, and I quote:

Delight us with Salim's point of view, who hasn't spoken yet.
Do you agree?

But if you want to bring another character theme, for tasks 3 and 4, you are free.

And I agreed.

For task 3, Prince Salim, who is the lover of our Anarkali, shares his side of the story too.

And for task 4, the main villain, Emperor Akbar, also has a confession to make. Without further ado, let's begin.

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Task 3: The genre that attracts you, but you haven't practiced much:

تاج بمقابل محبت

چاندی رات میں سلیم اور انار کلی ساتھ بیٹھے تھے ـ

"کیا تارے ہم سے حسد کرتے ہیں؟" اس نے پوچھا۔

"میں ان سے حسد کرتا ہوں،" سلیم نے جواب دیا۔ "وہ آزاد ہیں، میں نہیں ہوں۔"

اس کے ماتھے پر بل آۓ۔ "تم اپنے تاج سے مجھ سے زیادہ پیار کرتے ہو۔"

اس نے اس کا ہاتھ تھاما۔ "میں نے کبھی تمہیں دھوکہ نہیں دیا۔ میں نے تمہیں اپنے والد کے غصے سے بچانے کے لیے دور رہنا ضروری سمجھا۔"

اس کی آنکھیں پھیل گئیں۔ "تم نے مجھے بچانے کے لیے چھوڑا؟"

"مجھے کرنا پڑا،" اس نے سرگوشی کی۔ "میں تمہاری زندگی کو خطرے میں نہیں ڈال سکتا تھا۔

اس کا ہاتھ اور مضبوط ہو گیا۔ "تو پھر ہمارے پاس ابھی بھی ایک موقع ہے؟"

سلیم کی نظر نرم ہو گئی۔ "میں نے تمہیں آزاد کر دیا، انارکلی۔ جو طاقت مجھے کبھی نہیں ملی، وہ ہمیشہ تمہارے پاس تھی"۔"

مارچ کرتے گھوڑوں کی گرج نے ان کی گفتگو میں خلل پیدا کر دیا
اور اب کیا ہو نے والا تھا ، وہ دونوں ہی جانتے تھے۔
کچھ بھی ہو جیت ہمیشہ تاج کی ہے۔

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Crown versus Love

Under the moon, Salim sat beside Anarkali.

"Do the stars envy us?" she asked.

"I envy them," he replied. "They're free. I am not."

She frowned. "You love your crown more than me."

He took her hand. "I never betrayed you. I stayed away to protect you from my father’s wrath."

Her eyes widened. "You left to save me?"

"I had to," he whispered. "I couldn’t risk your life."

Her hand tightened. "Then we still have a chance?"

Salim’s gaze softened. "I set you free, Anarkali. The power I never had was yours all along."

The thunder of marching horses broke their conversation, and they knew what followed next. The crown wins, no matter what...

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Reflection/ My Story Writing Process:

Genre: Drama
For this story, I chose dialogue narrative as the subgenre and used a microstory format for its concise nature.

I initially wondered whether to use direct speech marks. After reviewing several examples and considering leaving them out, I realized that doing so might confuse the reader, especially given that it's a microstory. Once I completed my story, I noticed that Joslud also used dialogue in his story of Andripola without speech marks. However, I couldn't achieve it without traditional narration or speech marks. I think that the readers may struggle to distinguish who is speaking, particularly in a microstory where there is little space for clarification.

I chose dialogue as the primary vehicle for this story because it allowed me to convey the characters’ emotions and internal struggles more directly. By focusing on their conversation, I was able to capture their vulnerability and the intensity of their feelings for each other. The exchange between Salim and Anarkali was meant to show the bittersweet nature of their bond.

I haven’t had much experience with this style before. While I’ve used dialogue with direct speech in previous works, I’ve never written an entire story in this format. In writing Salim's side of the story, I aimed to explore his internal conflict and the complexity of his relationship with Anarkali.

Task 4. The least favorite gender:

اکبر پشیمان ؟

١٦ نومبر ١٦١٥
میں، شہنشاہ اکبر، مزار کے کنارے پر کھڑا ہوں۔ آہ! چاندنی سرد مکتبے پر سائے ڈال رہی ہے۔ انارکلی۔ کہتے ہیں کہ میں نے تمہاری موت کا حکم ١١مئی ١٥٩٩ کو دیا تھا، لیکن وہ سچ نہیں جانتےـ

میں شرمندہ ہوں لیکن میں اور کیا کرتا ؟ ہمارے درمیان جو کچھ ہوا، اس کے بعد میں تمہیں کسی اور کا ہوتے کیسے دیکھ سکتا تھا؟

بالآخر میں نے تمہیں زندہ دفن کردیا۔ تمہیں خاموش کرنے کے لیے نہیں، بلکہ تمہیں ایک ایسی دنیا سے بچانے کے لیے جو تمہیں اس تقدیر سے کہیں زیادہ بے رحم طریقے سے تباہ کر دیتی۔ اور شہزادہ سلیم؟ وہ بھی اس سچائی کو کبھی برداشت نہ کر پاتا۔ تو، یہ میری سزا ہے: تمہاری مزار کی گونجتی خاموشی میں اکیلے رہ جانا۔

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Akbar's Remorse?

16th November 1615. I, Akbar, stand at the edge of the tomb. Ah! The moonlight casts shadows on the cold stone. Anarkali... They say I ordered your death on May 11th, 1599, but they don’t know the truth.

I am ashamed, yet what choice did I have? How could I bear to see you belong to someone else after everything that transpired between us?

In the end, I buried you alive - not to silence you, but to protect you from a world that would destroy you in a way far more ruthless than this fate. And Prince Salim? He could never have endured this truth either. So, this is my penance: to be left alone, surrounded by the deafening silence of your tomb.

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Reflection/ My Story Writing Process:

Genre: Confessional Narrative

I adopted Monologue for this microstory. The main genre remains tragic drama. Since this is a personal confession from Akbar’s point of view, it can be viewed as a confessional narrative, where the character reveals deep emotional or moral dilemmas to the reader.

I am not a fan of confessional monologues. They don't always resonate with me and can sometimes feel overly introspective or self-centered, limiting the broader narrative by focusing too much on the character's internal struggles. I find them emotionally heavy and repetitive, as they tend to dwell on guilt or regret without offering the relief of resolution or external conflict. Additionally, I am drawn to stories with richer interactions between characters or a more dynamic plot, so confessional monologues often feel restrictive and less engaging.

This kind of narrative might work in a microstory or a small segment within a story or novel, but in a series or novel? No way. I would be bored to death before turning or writing two pages.

As for the story itself: The revelation that Akbar’s actions were driven by love and a desire to protect Anarkali — rather than power or revenge —
offers a surprising twist. It challenges the reader's initial assumptions about Akbar's character (who is still a villain) and adds layers to the story.

The final twist is in Akbar’s acceptance of his punishment - being left alone, haunted by the silence of the tomb. This self-inflicted penance brings an unexpected conclusion, where the ruler’s power is stripped away, leaving him vulnerable and regretful!

What do you think @solperez

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_{For reference:}

_{A Brief summary of one of the versions of the Anarkali legend:}

_{The legend of Anarkali centers around a beautiful courtesan in Emperor Akbar's court, who falls in love with Prince Salim, Akbar's son. Their forbidden romance ignites a fierce conflict, as Akbar disapproves of their relationship due to her lower status. In a fit of anger and betrayal, Akbar orders Anarkali to be buried alive in a wall to punish her for her love.}