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Winter 1607-08, Akbarabad Fort’s Harem

Aitbar Khan Khawaja Sara, in charge of the harem quarters for the ladies in waiting, looked up from the accounts book and skipped a heartbeat. There stood a very familiar face this harem could never forget, only older, perhaps wiser.

“Mehr!” He gasped in delight “How are you?” He rose up from his seat and his eyes fell on the bundles of clothes in her hand and the child.

“Is she yours?” He smiled “How wonderfully pretty, just like her mother!” Mehr Un Nissa forced a smile. Her habit of small talk wasn’t the best. His smile faded. “I’m sorry about your...”

“I am the new Lady in Waiting for the Sultana Begum.” She cut his words short and he stood a little taken aback. Surely he was aware that the Sultana Begum had asked for a room for her new lady, but never in his strangest of imagination could he think it was Mehr Un Nissa.

“Why yes! I have been told...” He took the bunch of keys that hung from a nail beside him, which prompted a servant boy to come forward. He dismissed the boy and picked up one of her bundles. “I will take her myself. Follow me.”

Mehr walked through the narrow red stoned corridors, beside the latrine cubicles, covering her nose with her veil, Ladli in her arm.

“There are the latrines you can use to wash your clothes, do daily chores and baths. Right here are the wash basins for the utensils. I hope you brought your own.” Aitbar walked ahead explaining as Mehr kept quick to his toes avoiding the glances that fell on her. Some of the ladies were amused at the fall from grace of the Emperor’s lover, and Chief’s daughter while others sympathised with her condition. Aitbar Khan opened the lock of a door and pushed the wooden knobs. It opened with a creaking sound and a sudden smell of dampness and dust filled the air.

“Sorry Love, this is the only available room now. I know it’s closer to the latrine so keep the door shut, there is a small ventilator... umm... do you need any help?”He looked at her sheepishly, a little unsure if Ghiyaz Begh’s daughter could stay there.

“No thank you.” Mehr smiled putting Ladli down on the dusty floor. “I can take it from here.”

“Are you sure? You probably had help all your life and...”

“I am. Things have changed. I have to.” Mehr looked around and tied up her dupatta firmly on her face. “Can I lend a broom and bucket from someone?”

“Surely.” Aitbar Khan called one of the girls who reluctantly shared her bucket and broom giving Mehr a judgemental look. Making Ladli sit on the stone slab that would be their bed with a toy to keep her occupied, Mehr Un Nissa started cleaning the room.

When Aitbar Khan stepped out into the Harem courtyard it was already divided into two sides, ones that spoke for the poor young widow and her fallen status and another that laughed at her audacity to dream of becoming a queen. He shook his head and made his way to the Rajput Zenana. Jodha Bai was on the balcony and sighed at the sight of him. He walked inside and bowed.

“You asked me to come here once the new lady in waiting arrived.” He now understood why.

“Yes, where is she set up?”Jodha Bai asked rather plainly focusing on a grape she picked up from her silver plate.

“In one of the ground floor quarters, besides the latrines.” He spoke reluctantly.

Jodha Begum seemed pleased. “Very well. Keep an eye on her.”

Aitbar Khan bowed, waiting to be dismissed. He knew if he wanted to be alive, the last thing he would do was to keep an eye on Rukaiya Begum’s ladies.

Mehr Un Nissa finished decorating her room and stood tired and satisfied. She had put all their clothes in the trunk in the corner, set up her utensils, jars and dress materials in another, made the bed on the stone slab, and even put a rug on the cold floor for Ladli to play on. Her toys lay scattered as Mehr tried hard to look at the courtyard through the small ventilator. She made Ladli wear her best clothes after cleaning herself up and made her way to see Rukaiya Begum.

Rukaiya Begum was sitting in her garden, hearing the bulbuls sing in the afternoon, as her ladies arranged for some juice and fruits when Mehr came and bowed.

“She is Ladli.” Mehr Un Nissa spoke. “My daughter.”

Rukaiya Begum smiled at the scared child. Memories of Aqiqa who was once a child like her filled her heart. She was duly married off when she reached a tender age, for she wasn’t a Timurid by birth. Rukaiya often wondered if Jahangir would perhaps change the rule his father made out of anger, at not marrying the Princesses outside the family. His own daughters were growing up.

She held out an apple for the child to take. “Tara.” She called out to one of the maids “Take her to the school room for the girls and get her child enrolled.” Mehr Un Nisa bowed as she asked “Is your room alright?” She nodded shortly as Rukaiya frowned “Where have you been given accommodation?”

“The ground floor of the east wing, beside the Latrines, Sultana Begum.” Mehr had bowed and left, as Rukaiya frowned.

“Aitbar Khan!” Rukaiya Begum sat up on her cushion as soon as he arrived, “How dare you put my lady in waiting for accommodation with the others on the ground floor?”

“Mercy Begum, there was no more room...”He fumbled.

“Then make sure there is.”Rukaiya Begum spoke intently, dismissing him off.

Mehr Un Nissa frowned to see a lock on the door of her allotted room as Aitbar walked up to her.

“You have been provided accommodation on the second floor, with a better view. Your things have been shifted. Sultana Begum told me to apologize....”

“What happened to the person already staying there?” Mehr asked with a little frown.

“We moved her in to share a room with an elderly.” Abdullah rubbed his hands together “She is one of Jodha Begum’s girls.” He sighed.

“Won’t you be facing her wrath then?” Mehr asked as Aitbar Khan smiled sheepishly. “Have to choose between the bad and worse. That’s what living here is.”

Mehr nodded as she made her way up to the new room, airier, larger and with a large window to look out to the courtyard, and curtains. She sighed.

No matter how much she tried, living in the Timurid Harem meant she had to play the game everyone else was playing. She was thankful that one of the strongest pointers was on her side. Why? She had to find out.

It is clear that Mehr Un Nissa was a lady in waiting for the dowager queen Rukaiya Sultana Begum and she played an active role in the marriage of Mehr with Jahangir. However what is not clear is whether Jahangir met or knew Mehr before her being Ali Quli’s widow or whether she was discovered by him later, as one of Rukaiya Begum’s handmaids. Mehr Un Nissa was also said to have been one of Rukaiya’s favourites in the harem due to her Persian blood. Aitbar Khan, Aqa Aqayan and a few others have been named by various sources as keepers of Jahangir’s harems at Lahore and Agra during his reign. For the sake of the story, it’s assumed that Aitbar Khan was in charge since he was there even during Akbar’s reign.

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