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 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, ...

My Everything

Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Seventeen

Bondita opened the curtains of her room at The Park to find the view of Stephen Court and the street below going towards the Maidan. She eyed the double bed and placed her things on one side while lying down on the empty side. The soft bed made her yawn as she sat up, staring at the clock. She needed to change for a quick dinner. They had an early matter at the High Court, and the client’s car was supposed to pick them up around 9 AM. As she changed into a full-sleeve black top and jeans, removed her earrings and adjusted her smudged Kajal, she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Aniruddha standing in a pair of jeans and a grey polo-necked T-shirt, his hair brushed back, as he cleaned his thin-rimmed glasses with the edge of his T-shirt. “Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, putting the glasses back on. As she nodded, she grabbed her handbag. They walked into The Bridge, and Bondita was a little conscious of her environment. Many foreign guests, businessmen and even s...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance. “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...

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...

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing. “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...

RAABTA

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