The fame of the dashing rider and brave man Soulakh from the village of Ritsa spread widely across Abkhazia.
They also talked a lot about the clever, desperate horseman from the village of Chegem, the Circassian Sharmat.
Soulakh heard rumors about this brave horseman. He wanted to make sure whether what they were saying about him was true, and if it was true, to become his friend.
Soulakh mounted his horse and went with his foster brother Mazlou to visit Sharmat.
Sharmat received them cordially. They immediately became friends, repelled enemy raids together, hunted together, and trusted each other in everything.
Sharmat began to travel with his friend to the surrounding villages to visit relatives and friends. In the village of Amzar, Soulakh met the beautiful Sharizan. No girl had ever won his heart so quickly. He became silent and sad, but hid his feelings from everyone. If anyone asked him why he was sad, Soulakh would say that he was not feeling well. Dzhigit did not eat, did not drink, and finally decided to leave these places as quickly as possible so as not to see Sharizan. With this he thought to heal the wound of his heart.
One early morning, after a sleepless night, Soulakh asked Mazlow to saddle the horses.
“I must return home as soon as possible,” he said to Sharmat, who was surprised by his sudden departure.
- Where are you in a hurry? After all, you were going to stay with me for a whole month,” Sharmat was perplexed.
- Necessary! - Soulakh answered. - I completely forgot - I have urgent business waiting for me.
– Is there anything you didn’t like about me? – Shamrat was worried,
“No, my dear, I like everything,” Soulakh began to assure his friend.
“Don’t upset me, stay,” the owner begged. “I won’t find a place for myself without you.”
But Soulakh was firm and insisted on his own.
A farewell feast was held, and then the horsemen, led by Sharia, drove out onto the mountain road leading to the pass, singing and shooting.
Letting Soulakh pass ahead as if by accident, Sharmat drove up to Mazlow.
“Tell me, Mazlow,” he said, leaning towards him. – Why is Soulakh leaving?
Mazlow did not immediately respond. But, succumbing to persuasion, he admitted to Sharmat:
“Soulakh is hiding the reason for his departure, but I guess it’s all Sharizan’s fault.
Sharmat remained silent, and Mazlow made him promise that he would not betray him.
“I’m looking forward to visiting you again,” Sharmat said to Soulahu in parting. - Definitely and soon.
“Be calm, I’ll get ready again soon,” Soulakh answered, without looking at Sharmat.
Only a few days passed, and then a group of horsemen rode into Soulakh’s courtyard. Welcoming them, Soulakh was happy to see Sharmat among them. Next to him on a horse sat someone wrapped in a cloak and a hat pulled down low.
– I figured out the reason for your sadness, Soulah! – Sharmat said, smiling. - And so I brought you Sharizan. Be happy with her, and wish us luck: we have an urgent need...
No matter how much Soulakh tried to persuade his friend to stay or at least rest, he galloped away.
After his departure, the wedding feast began. They had fun as best they could, drank, ate; dancing gave way to shooting, the clang of crossed blades. The nir lasted for several days and nights. And in the bridal house, the girls tried to entertain the saddened bride with songs.
Finally, on the third day, as night fell, the girls brought the groom to the amhara and, leaving him alone with the bride, left.
Sharizan seemed even more beautiful to him. A thin leather band held her slender breasts together—a girdle of virginity. Soulakh approached her and gently touched her chest with his little finger, lifting the leather band that he wanted to cut with a dagger. But Sharizan screamed and grabbed his hand tightly with both hands.
“Please,” she begged, “don’t touch me!” Better kill with this dagger!
- What do I hear! – Soulakh was surprised. -You don't love me. “You don’t want to become mine,” he said bitterly, barely audible. - Do you love someone else? Tell me - or I will kill you and myself!
“I love Sharmat, and he loves me,” Shari-zan moaned. - He came for me and I thought that he was taking me to his place. Only then I found out...
There was silence, Soulah lowered his hand. Then he bent down, kissed the tip of the scarf that fell over her face, and, stepping heavily, left the amhara.
The guests were greatly surprised when Soulakh returned from Amhara. But he calmly said that he would stay with them and the wedding feast should last until a new guest arrived. At the same time, Soulakh asked his friends to immediately go to Chegem and bring Sharmat.
“Tell him,” he said, “that I will continue the wedding for a day, a week, a month until he arrives.” Tell him that without him. my best friend, I'm not happy about the wedding. I want to become related to him at this wedding, to perform the ceremony of fraternization.
A few days later Sharmat arrived.
– Dear Sharmat, in the name of our friendship, inextricable and pure, I ask you to fulfill my request! - Soulakh said, hugging him.
Sharmat listened, bowing his head as a sign that he was always happy to fulfill a friend’s request.
“I ask you,” said Soulakh, “to take Sharizan as your wife.” She told me everything and I know that you love each other. May she be my sister, and may our friendship continue to be cloudless, like the sky on a clear day! With this little finger,” he continued, raising his hand, “I touched her breast. Let this not even cast a shadow on our friendship!
And, snatching a dagger from his belt, Soulakh cut off his little finger.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru