Winds of Change

Winter 1605A.D. Pari Mahal, Lahore Fort

“The lady Asmat Begum, the wife of Treasurer Ghiyaz Begh, is here to see you, Sultana Begum.” Rukaiya looked up at the eunuch, Rashid, who announced this, still not used to not being called the “Padshah Begum”. This new title seemed alien to her.

“Send her in.” She sat up in a graceful posture, waiting for the lady to arrive. Asmat Begum and her husband had been trusted aides to the Emperor, and she needed some people by her side. She did not overlook the fact that despite the entire Turkish Harem flocking around the new soon-to-be Padshah Begum, pleasing her with gifts, this lady had come to her threshold first.

Asmat Begum bowed before her before sitting on the cushion laid down on the floor.

“Here are some sweetmeats and perfumes for the Sultana Sahib”, Asmat had pointed to the silverware covered in blue velvet.

“Why congratulate me, Asmat Begum?” Rukaiya forced a smile. “Shouldn’t you take this to Mariam Ur Zamani first?”

“No, my queen, this is for the celebration of the birth of a baby girl to my daughter in Bardhaman.” Her words made Rukaiya look up at her smiling face. Had she seen anyone in this harem so happy over the birth of a girl child?

Asmat Begum read her mind as she quickly added, “Ali Quli has sent his regards and is extremely happy to have a healthy baby after the few mishaps they...” She bit her lips. Asmat’s daughter was once the talk of this harem, for her beauty, grace, intelligence and her magic over the young prince Salim, who seemed captivated by her. Rukaiya was well aware of how the Emperor had made sure she was married to a general befitting of her noble status and shifted to Bengal, away from Salim’s eyes. Rukaiya had, however, never had the desire to know the girl or understand why the Emperor acted promptly against his son’s desires.

“Congratulations to them.” Rukaiya Begum promptly took off a pearl necklace from her neck and handed it over to Asmat Begum. “So what is her name?”

“Ali calls her Laadli.” Rukaiya Begum smiled at the simplicity of the choice.

“How many days are you here?” She asked Asmat Begum, offering her some dates and nuts.

“The emperor has ordered my husband to shift back to Agra and settle there.” The lady spoke.

“Agra?” Rukaiya frowned a little “The capital in Lahore...”

“No longer stands.” The voice at the threshold made Asmat get up promptly, bowing to Jagat Gossain.

The lady in her thirtieth year seemed radiant wearing a traditional lehenga and jewellery befitting of her rich Rathore heritage. She stood with a few ladies in waiting with a smile on her face. Adjusting her dupatta over the vermilion-clad mang tika on her head, she stepped inside the room, as Rukaiya sat poised and unmoved.

“Jodha Begum”, Rukaiya smiled at her with a slight nod, trying to hide her surprise at being uninformed about the turn of events.

“I was expecting you at the celebrations, Sultana Begum Sahiba," she addressed Rukaiya Begum without a bow “But since you did not arrive, I decided to come to visit you instead.” She sat down on the cushion beside Rukaiya Begum as Asmat Begum let out a surprised gasp at her audacity “I suppose you haven’t yet blessed me with my new role.”

“Well, I haven’t heard the official announcements yet, Jodha Begum. You have received my gifts from my son, Khurram, though, haven’t you?” Rukaiya spoke, unnerved by her behaviour, “And you are in fact most welcome to visit my palace any time you want.”

“Very well.” Jagat Gossain spoke plainly, “The announcements will come soon. I am here on behalf of the Shahenshah to inform you that he is shifting the capital of the land to Agra with immediate effect, and he will spend only his leisure days in Lahore henceforth. The harem has been ordered to shift immediately.” She stared at Rukaiya Begum, hoping for a retort to her words, but there were none. Instead, Rukaiya looked at her eunuchs as if to order them to do the needful.

Jagat Gossain was happy with the newfound authority over the intimidating oldest of the Harem and got up to leave, giving Asmat Begum one last disapproving stare.

“I am not leaving Lahore, and neither are the ladies who wish to stay with me.” Jagat Gossain had anticipated something of this sort. She turned at the words of the Dowager Queen and nodded approval. “Very well then, Salima Sultana Begum has decided to come with us; she will advise the council and Shahenshah alongside me. Mariam Ur Zamani has decided to stay back here with you. I guess she knew you won’t leave Lahore so soon.”

A faint smile escaped Rukaiya’s lips. This woman, who had no idea of life and politics beyond the Harem, was set to advise the council and emperor. Of course, she needed Salima Begum by her side. Mariam Ur Zamani will never trust her alone to run one of the most powerful of their forts. What if she instigated a rebellion? She knew what Rukaiya Begum was capable of. Rukaiya didn’t mind having her around. They barely talked or crossed each other’s paths unless absolutely necessary.

“Khurram Baba is staying back with me.” She smiled. Jagat Gossain’s sparkling eyes seem to dim down at those words.

“But... but... the Shehzade is required to be present at court to...”

“He is still in his learning years and under my guardianship.” Rukaiya Begum looked firm “I know what is best for my son.”

She watched Jodha Begum stomp out of her palace. Rukaiya Begum sighed. She had made enemies in this place without realising that for long. Power indeed is blinding to the truth. Asmat shook her voice a little awkwardly.

“Well, you see, Asmat Begum”, Rukaiya smiled faintly, "Choose your side wisely.”

“My Lady, we had always been...” She stopped as Rukaiya shook her head.

“Times are changing, Asmat Begum. But you know what, it will be ever-changing yet still.”

The confused lady bowed to her quickly before taking her to leave.

It is not clear how much power Jagat Gosain held as the unofficial Padshah Begum before the power unofficially again shifted to Sahila Begum in 1608 but given that the heir to the throne and her only son was raised by Rukaiya as her own, not only in guardianship (elderly ladies being a guardian of Princes was the norm in the Timurid House) but as her son, it is assumed that she did not have a liking towards the former Padshah Begum. Asmat Begum, the wife of Ghiasuddin Begh, father of Meherunissa, was a perfume maker and hence had close contact with the significant ladies of the Harem much before her daughter stepped into the harem politics. She played an active role in making her daughter’s role in the harem prominent as well.

Purnota: Chapter Eleven

Bondita opened her window to find Thamma and Jyatha Moshai missing from the lawn. The chairs were empty. Was she sleeping till late? She checked the clock and shook her head. Taking the towel, she hurried towards the bathroom, countering Kalindi on the way. She was reading the newspaper with her rimless reading glasses on. “Umm… why are you here? Where is Jyatha Moshai?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly and sighed without putting the paper away. Her lack of response puzzled Bondita as she made her way to take a bath. When she came out in a pair of jeans and a shirt, rolling her sleeves up, Kalindi observed her keenly. “Will you be going somewhere?” She enquired. Bondita nodded. “Ah, yes, the District Office, some of my paperwork for the Bar Membership needs to be signed by a Gazetted Officer. Jyatha Moshai knows someone…” “Don’t go by their house… he is in a bad mood.” Kalindi placed some Chirer Polao in front of her and spoke as Bondita rubbed her wet hair with a frown. “Why?” “Oh...

Purnota: Chapter Thirteen

Aniruddha eyed Trilochon, sitting at the desk in his room, attending to some paperwork. His reading glasses were on his nose, and he appeared engrossed in a financial document. He stood at the threshold, a bit unsure and glanced over his shoulder at Somnath, Batuk and Bondita. She gestured at him to go on. Aniruddha cleared his throat. That prompted Trilochon to look away from his document at his nephew. “Jethu, if you are busy, I can come back…” He suggested unsurely. “Come in and close the door.” Trilochon glanced over Aniruddha’s shoulder at the others who walked away hurriedly. Aniruddha closed the door, and Bondita tiptoed to place her ears on it. Batuk and Somnath stood at a distance. “So you met her?” Trilochon spoke while cleaning his glasses. Aniruddha nodded. Somnath had introduced them to Ashalata. Bondita, Batuk, and he had met them in a Dhaba off the highway. Although Bondita did most of the talking, initiating a friendly gesture to put the nervous Ashalata at ease, he had...

Purnota: Chapter Twelve

Bondita woke up to the alarm clock ringing as she struggled to get her hand out of the quilt wrapped around her. She sat inside the mosquito net, rubbing her eyes and staring at the clock, trying to remember why she had set the alarm at 3.45 AM. Then her eyes shone in delight. It was Mahalaya. She remembered that during her days in Dehra, she had educated her roommate on the tradition of starting pujo with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra echoing through the air. She was uninterested, and Bondita had borrowed her headphones to hear the program and deeply missed home. She remembered that as a child, while her father was still alive, he would gently wake her up, and take her on his lap to the huge Banyan tree near the Panchayat where people gathered near the Pradhan’s radio, putting flower garlands and lamps around it and folding their hands as they heard Mahishashur Mardini killing the Asura. When she arrived in Kolkata to get her law degree, she thought things would be different. B...

You Deserve More

Ajabdeh woke up with the song of birds as she felt something warm on her hand. Her eyes went wide. Her hand was on the pillow in between them, between his hands, clasped as he slept. She thought of removing it slowly, but he was holding on to it so tightly. Ajabdeh's heart beat faster and faster. What do I do now? How do I not wake him? What if... why is my hand in his? She was utterly confused. " Am I...In love?" Pratap was staring at the sleeping figure on the bed as he stared back at the rain. Then he frowned as he noticed that she shivered. He closed the windows of the room to make it cosy, then sat on his side of the bed. A lamp flickered on her side like always, and he stared at her sleeping figure as he put his blanket over her as well. She shifted a little in her sleep to make herself cosy again. Her payals and bangles made a rhythmic sound, breaking the silence of the room. Her hand was out of her blanket and on the pillow in between. He tried to slowly put it ...

Purnota: Chapter Ten

The rain clouds gave way to the scorching sun the following day as Bondita woke up as the first rays of the sun hit her face and disturbed her sleep. She cursed herself for keeping the window open and sat inside the mosquito net with a sleepy yawn. She eyed the alarm clock on her desk that said 6.30. Bondita scratched her head and pulled the mosquito net up to search for her slippers. She heard the bell ringing from Thamma’s room and the chanting of mantras. A smile came involuntarily to her lips as she realised that she might have come after ages, but everything in Chandannagar seemed to have been at a standstill. She grabbed the Kurti from the chair to change from the top she was wearing and wondered what she could do for the day. For the first time in a long time, she was free from the routine of boarding houses. Her eyes fell on the mess around her room since she had not unpacked the day before. Bondita decided to spend the morning unpacking her belongings. She opened the door of h...

Dreams and Wishes

At dawn, the Bhil women took the girls to the Kalika Mata Temple and the Jal Kund. Dressed in white, a nervous Heer followed everything Ajabde knew and did, trying to explain the significance of the rituals to her. They prayed to Lord Ganesh. Kunwar Shakti and Kunwar Pratap were staying at Punja Ji's place, as they were not supposed to see the brides before the wedding. Ajabde was dressed in her mother's lehenga, a mang tika Jaivanta Bai gave her as a family heirloom and the simple nosering Pratap had gifted. They made their hair into a simple bun with wildflowers before putting on their dupatta. Heer was dressed in traditional Bhil jewellery of silver and beads that the women had gifted her. They made her wear a red and white saree draped as a lehenga and a red chunri with it. She looked like a pretty, colourful Bhil bride. Kunwar Shakti was a nervous groom dressed in a traditional bhil dhoti, kurta and cap. The bhil shawl hung from a side, making the white attire colourf...

Purnota: Chapter Sixteen

It had been a month since Bondita had started working in the firm. With Somnath’s wedding date being set for winter, many things were keeping Trilochon and Kalindi busy as they took charge of the smooth running of things leading up to the wedding. They needed to shop for everyone, buy gifts and choose jewellery and sarees for the bride. Despite his attempts, Trilochon found Binoy reluctant to participate in his son’s wedding arrangements. Somnath took him and Kalindi to places they wanted to go, especially Kolkata for shopping, and Trilochon made arrangements to make sure that the first wedding of the generation was grand enough. Bondita tried to help as much as she could as she noticed Aniruddha being oddly aloof from the entire thing. She assumed it was due to Trilochon’s reactions to his lack of interest in marriage. Trilochon kept pestering her to enquire into his reasons while she kept stalling him with excuses. Bondita also failed to know more about Kalindi and Trilochon’s past, ...

Towards You

The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...

Confrontation

Maine kahan tha saath rahunga Banunga main tera saaya Par tere saath kuch kadam bhi Main nahi chal paya Bondita got out of bed and left the room before Aniruddha woke up. She went about her chores and decided to ignore his presence until she found herself a logical explanation for her impulsive behaviour, good enough for him to forgive her mistake. She made breakfast and told the cook to note down who preferred what for when she would leave. She waited in the kitchen long enough for the breakfast to be served by the house help and eaten. His routine was fixed. He would go to the study room and leave for work in half an hour. Then, she wouldn’t have to put up with this hide-and-seek till late afternoon or evening. But things rarely go as planned in life. “Bondita? Bouma!” Trilochan’s call made her shake her head. She pulled the ghomta above her head and walked out to the dining area. Eyes met briefly as she looked away and spoke to Trilochan as if dismissing his presence altogether....

Purnota: Chapter Fifteen

A week was all it took for Bondita to get used to work and the new routine. She would wake up early and hurry through her chores, helping Kalindi prepare a tiffin of either Chirer Polao or bread jam and then proceeding to the Roy Chowdhury house. She would arrange the day’s paperwork before Aniruddha arrived at the study room. Occasionally, she would hear him call out to Koeli for breakfast and pack her things, knowing he was almost ready to leave. He would walk into the chamber, check his list, and they would go to work. She would follow him from courtroom to courtroom. She would be sitting in the audience and learning. She would follow him to conferences and client meetings and take notes. They would discuss complicated cases. She would share the tiffin she brought from home. He would at first take a reluctant bite, then eat more than her. She often gave him her share of food discreetly. They usually stayed back after everyone was gone and ordered food for dinner. Some days, he woul...

RAABTA

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