The Whispering Walls of Lahore
In the heart of old Lahore, where the aroma of spicy food mingles with the echoes of centuries past, there stood a forgotten haveli on a quiet lane near Delhi Gate. Locals called it Waqt Haveli—the Mansion of Time. Most believed it was haunted, abandoned for over a century. But to twelve-year-old Arman, it was the most exciting mystery in the world.
Arman was a curious soul with messy hair, ink-stained fingers, and an old bicycle he named Badshah.
His grandfather, Baba Jaan, often told him stories of Lahore's golden days—when poets walked the bazaars and music flowed from every rooftop. But none fascinated him more than the tale of Waqt Haveli, a mansion said to hold a secret that could bend time.
One humid afternoon during the summer holidays, Arman decided to find out for himself. He packed a flashlight, a notebook, and a half-eaten packet of nimko, then set off on Badshah. The old mansion loomed behind a rusted iron gate, vines coiled around its crumbling walls like sleeping serpents. Its wooden doors creaked open with a ghostly groan.
Inside, dust blanketed the floor like snow. Cobwebs hung like chandeliers from the high ceilings. But what caught Arman’s eye was a grand mirror in the central hall—tall, cracked slightly at the edges, and framed with golden roses. It shimmered faintly, even in the dark.
As Arman stepped closer, his reflection blinked.
He froze. It wasn’t just his imagination—the boy in the mirror wore different clothes:
a long sherwani, embroidered shoes, and a gold amulet around his neck. The mirror vibrated softly, like a heartbeat, and before Arman could react, he was pulled inside.
He landed with a thud… in the same hall, but the walls were no longer faded. They were vibrant, lit with oil lamps, and echoing with laughter and music. The air smelled of rosewater and kababs. Servants moved swiftly, and noblemen in silk robes passed by him without notice.
A girl his age approached him. “You’re late, Prince Ameer! The ceremony is starting!”
Arman blinked. “Prince… Ameer?”
Before he could explain, she dragged him along to a grand courtyard where a celebration was underway. Dancers twirled, musicians played sitars, and a man with a kind face—Ameer’s father, apparently—addressed the crowd.
Arman soon realized the truth: he had traveled back in time and taken the place of Prince Ameer, the heir to the haveli. While he marveled at the past, another thought tugged at his mind: how would he return?
He began exploring the mansion secretly, searching for clues. That’s when he found a hidden library filled with scrolls, maps, and a diary belonging to the real Prince Ameer. The diary spoke of the mirror—a magical heirloom passed down by a Sufi mystic, which allowed travel across time only if one’s heart was pure and purpose strong.
Days turned to weeks. Arman began to enjoy his life as a prince, yet he missed his family, his friends, and even Badshah, his bicycle. On the eve of Eid, while fireworks lit the sky of ancient Lahore, Arman stood before the mirror once more.
“I want to go home,” he whispered.
A shadow stirred behind him. It was the real Prince Ameer, standing in the reflection.
“You’ve cared for my people, protected my secret, and honored my name,” Ameer said. “Now, I will guide you back.”
The mirror glowed brighter than ever before. With a final wave, Arman stepped forward—and in a blink, he was back in the dusty haveli, clutching his flashlight.
The mirror was now silent.
He rushed home, his heart pounding. His mother scolded him for being late, unaware that her son had danced in the royal courts of Lahore centuries ago.
Years passed. Arman grew up, but he never forgot the mansion or Prince Ameer. He wrote about it, drew sketches of the past, and even tried to revisit the haveli—but the mirror never glowed again.
Still, on quiet evenings, when the sun sets over the minarets and the call to prayer echoes across Lahore, Arman sometimes feels a soft whisper in the wind—like a thank you from a friend in another time.
And deep in Waqt Haveli, behind its whispering walls, the mirror waits.
You must be logged in to post a comment.