The Inception

“Silence is a sign of weakness when misinterpreted.”

The Kabul palace was lit up in a festive mood on an autumn evening. Wines poured and women in their fineries chattered around the fountains of the gardens of Babur. It was a happy day for Haram. Bairam Khan had come with the beheaded head of Hemu at Panipat, where once Babur won a war against the Lodis and placed it at Jalal’s feet, declaring him the Lord of Hind. The ladies of the Harem congratulated each other. A letter had arrived from the emperor in the morning, stating that he loved the idea of rewarding Khan Baba with an alliance for his services to the dynasty. He also mentioned that Bairam Khan had no objection to the marriage, but it could only be solemnised after they settled some internal issues at Din Panah.

Hamida Banu decided that Jalandhar, situated between Lahore and ManKot, would be a perfect venue for the summer wedding next year. Also, by that time, the Harem would be on the move to Lahore, where Jalal was planning to shift his base. The women rejoiced at the good news with food and wine, while Gulbadan Begum dressed up her niece in her best clothes for the occasion. Gifts poured in from all quarters. Salima sat under a bright chandelier in green silk attire handwoven in the Haram, with gaudy pearls attached to it.

The newly arrived Salima had dared to be in the bad books of the Padishah Begum. No one knew the cause of the rift, but everyone had their own assumptions. While some believed that the emperor was indeed interested in his cousin, others favoured the fact that it was Salima who grew greedy at the sight of such splendour. But everyone agreed that the Padishah Begum had shown her mercy and had immediately written to the emperor with a marriage proposal. One complaint to the emperor about her behaviour could land her in the Kal Kothris. But instead, the compassionate Rukaiya Begum had spared her a life, a good one too.

Salima believed that it was actually Rukaiya who had addressed Bairam Khan with the letter of consent, and the emperor had nothing to do with it. Salima was also sure that her letter to the emperor had been intercepted midway by the sources of the Padishah Begum. Salima did not expect her at the celebrations. Neither did Gulbadan Begum. For she had rebuked her enough, once the rumours spread like wildfire. Nobody in the harem dared to upset the Padishah Begum.

The Padshah Begum appeared in a gaudy red sharara woven with golden work and the simplest pearl and emerald-studded earrings, rings of colourful gems, on all her painted fingers, and was followed by a long procession of maids, carrying gifts, in trays, wrapped with velvet. The ladies stopped their merriment upon her arrival to bow to the first lady while she walked with slow, dignified steps towards Salima Begum.

“Here is a gift of congratulations from the Emperor and me for you.” She gestured at the maids to keep the trays beside the gifts. Salima stared at them and back at her in silence.

“Phuphi.” Rukaiya addressed Gulbadan Begum with a smile. “Come to my chambers tomorrow morning, you and Mariam Makani are going to select the decorations for her wedding. I want things to be perfect.”

She then left in the same poise and grace in which she had arrived. The ladies continued their merriments. Hamida Banu stared at Rukaiya leave with a proud smile. She had chosen right. Rukaiya was the perfect Padishah Begum.

Back in her room, throwing away the heavy necklace that made it uneasy for her to breathe, Rukaiya sank back on the couch, tired. Closing her eyes, she could still hear Salima’s accusations. She sat down in front of the mirror. The Harem had managed to change her completely on the outside. Inside, Rukaiya’s heart ached at the hatred she saw for herself in Salima’s eyes. It ached every time the Harem ladies feared her. She had wanted a loving home, not a stone-cold mansion of decorum. Being a princess did come with a price.

Her eyes fell on the letter of consent from the emperor. Jalal was too happy with his mother’s idea and had written to Rukaiya with permission for necessary arrangements befitting a Timurid wedding. He had himself offered the alliance to Bairam Khan on Maham Anga’s persistence, and he had agreed to the gift of gratitude. Rukaiya was happy with the letter that arrived with Jalal’s seal as his order. She reread the letter again, and at that moment, Rukaiya Begum changed her mind. Salima needed to know the reality before she started a new life. She had in her mind a different image of events altogether. The silence was for the weak and the wrong; Rukaiya Begum was neither. She stepped out of her room, alerting the maids, and walked towards Salima’s room.

Salima had just entered her room, after a tiresome day, and was checking herself in the mirror. She did look pretty. Had the emperor seen her in this... her thought was interrupted as the door flung open and she turned to see the Padishah Begum standing at her threshold. Taken aback, Salima was speechless. Rukaiya threw the letter on the carpet, prompting Salima to pick it up.

“You said I was insecure about you,” Rukaiya spoke in a voice of authority that shook Salima. “Just because your beauty could attract his attention momentarily. Shehzaadi Salima Begum, you are mistaken. Rukaiya Begum does not get affected by a man’s lust for momentary beauty. She knows exactly how much control another woman can have over her man. And if you think it was I who had stopped your letter or written to Khan Baba, here is your answer, in the emperor’s words. He did receive your letter. He chose not to reply to your false allegations against me. Because he knows his Rukaiya would never harm another’s life.” Rukaiya turned to leave and stopped at the threshold.

“It was also not me, but the elder ladies who found Khan Baba to be a perfect match for you. I was never in a hurry to make you leave my Haram. And as for the emperor, I will always be his Padishah Begum, remember that. And I came here not to give you my explanations. You don’t deserve any. I came here hoping you would come back to reality and accept your fate and choose to be happy.” Salima Begum stood with shaking hands, reading the emperor’s order on her marriage as Rukaiya left her chambers. It was not long since Rukaiya Begum left that she realised that she had made a terrible mistake that needed to be corrected.

Rukaiya walked into her bedroom, closed the door behind her, and sat down on the floor in tears. She knew not why they came, but she felt like she needed to be her old self again, even if it meant just for the night. She sat going through the trunk full of gifts, Jalal kept sending her from time to time. She sighed at a portrait of him, running her fingers longingly over his face. How she wished she were with him tonight.

Rumours had been abuzz in Kabul. Ever since she came back after meeting the Emperor briefly, Hamida Banu and the other older ladies had expected good news. But Rukaiya had not conceived yet. Fear ran through her veins. Wasn’t not producing an heir a sin for the Begum of an Emperor? Her duty was to give him an heir soon. That would secure the blood of the dynasty and the future of the throne. Yet, after almost two years of intimacy, there was no sign of an heir. This disturbed the elders. Rukaiya Begum, in secret, had consulted a fakir baba who reassured her of her perfect health. All she needed was some more time, perhaps. She prayed in secret for an heir, who would ensure her position in the harem and his heart. She had heard some of the ladies suggest a second marriage for the emperor, but Hamida Banu decided to wait instead. This had relieved Rukaiya Begum momentarily, but the question remained, for how long?

The fictionized clash between Salima and Rukaiya has been made up for the sake of the story. No such incident is recorded in history, and the ladies stayed together in harmony in the Haram of Akbar as per official records. However, some contemporary writers often hint at Akbar's growing interest in Salima and the effects it had on both his relationship with Rukaiya Begum as well as Bairam Khan. I have used those references to pen down this incident.

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