1617, Burhanpur.
Nur Jahan had arranged for the grandest feast Shehzaade Khurram had ever seen in his honour. Jahangir was immensely proud of his son’s success. In between his sips on the third cup of wine, Nur Jahan carefully regulated the quantity. He had smiled at his son, sitting across the carpet from him, as the aroma of the delicacies filled the air. He had just arrived to pay his respect to the emperor and empress and brought with him the good news of the well-being of his newborn daughter, Roshanara. He also announced that Mumtaj Mahal was pregnant again, and the Pir Baba they met had predicted her next son to be some sort of trouble. Jahangir frowned a little as Nur Jahan dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.
“A newborn can’t be any sort of trouble. We just need to take care of his upbringing well. Of which, by God’s grace, Mumtaj Mahal is fully capable.” She was reassured as Khurram agreed.
Ladli Begum sat in front of the mirror, adjusting the neatly tied braid. She was wearing her best clothes and was ready for the feast when Hoshiyar Khan came and bowed.
“Padshah Begum has ordered me to inform you that your presence is not needed at the royal feast.” She frowned at his words and stared right at him “But the Padshah said I could attend.” Hoshiyar Khan cleared his throat a little awkwardly. “She also showed displeasure at you asking the Padshah Salamaat yourself. The feast is only for the royal family.” Ladli Begum looked down at the carpet and tightened her jaws.
“Send her my apologies.” She said as Hoshiyar Khan was about to leave, “And Hoshiyar?” Her words stopped him as she said, “Will Shehzaade leave after the feast?”
“I think he will stay the night.” Hoshiyar said, “Do you have any message for him?”
“What?” Ladli Begum looked absent-minded as she looked up, “No, No! You may leave.” Ladli looked at her reflection in the mirror and wiped away the paint-tinted red from her lips.
“All of you leave, I want to be alone.” She ordered her handmaids.
The feast went on till late. They discussed the next expeditions, the health of Sultana Begum, the sudden illness of Jagat Gossain that had the emperor worried and the flora and fauna that often mesmerised the emperor.
“Visit Jagat Gossain sometime.” Nur Jahan urged him, “She will be glad to see you, as will be Sultana Begum.” He nodded in agreement. Musicians entertained them through the feast, and often as they savoured the food or listened to the music, Nur Jahan noticed him lost in thought.
“I thought I would get to see your children today.” She smiled, “You should have brought them along.”
“Mumtaj Mahal isn’t fit to travel, and she barely leaves them out of her sight.” Khurram smiled, “I will surely let her know that you asked for their presence. How is Ladli Begum?” He asked.
Nur Jahan was about to answer when Jahangir narrowed his eyes “Wasn’t she supposed to attend the feast?”
“Yes, but she is unwell, and sent her apologies.” Nur Jahan said in haste, “She is fine now.”
“I should visit her. I had told her I would if she visited Burhanpur.” Shehzade Khurram said almost to himself.
“That will not be necessary, Shehzaade. She understands you are quite busy.” Nur Jahan smiled. Khurram nodded.
Ladli Begum walked out of her room to the gardens after she saw the light of the Padshah’s bedroom go out for the night. The empress was busy and tired. Her mother had no time for her. Nor did Shehzaade Khurram mention meeting her. He probably didn’t know she was here. Ladli walked out to the gardens, wrapping a pashmina shawl over her cold shoulders.
“There you are.” His voice startled her.
“Shehzaade Khurram.” Ladli tried in vain to suppress the excitement in her voice “It is good to see you again.”
“Guess what? I am going to share this news with you first.” Khurram smiled, “I have a new title”
“A title?” Ladli Begum looked pleasantly surprised. “What is it?”
“Padshah Salamat gave me the name Shah Jahan. Henceforth, I am no longer Shehzaade Khurram to you.” His voice made Ladli smile and bow.
“Welcome back to Burhanpur, Shehzaade Shah Jahan!” Ladli smiled. “Your title is very kingly!”
“Yes indeed, I can’t wait to tell the Begums. They will be thrilled.” Khurram nodded.
“I am happy you shared with me. And I am happy for your success.”
“So you did come after all.” Khurram smiled, sitting down on one of the marble benches. “I told you Burhanpur is beautiful.”
“It is indeed.” Ladli stood in front of him.
“And I did keep my promise in meeting you. You should have been at the feast.” Shehzade Khurram smiled, “Are you alright?”
“I am. I wanted to. I was almost ready and...” She stopped carefully “You will leave at dawn?”
“Yes, I am kind of on a tight schedule right now.” He shrugged, “I wish I could sit and have a chat with you like old times...”
“Why! We can do that. Now.” Ladli smiled. “It's hours till dawn.”
“Are you not sleepy?” He asked.
“I can sleep any time, but you won’t be here tomorrow.” Ladli Begum sat down beside him with a smile.
“Do you remember the poems I taught you? I have become so rusty lately.” Khurram asked.
“All by heart.” Ladli beamed. “I think you know a lot of things better than I now, so poetry won’t matter.”
“Well, I know how to kill tigers, maybe not like the empress. She killed two tigers in a single shot.” He spoke.
“Yes, the day before yesterday. I saw them. They were huge.” Ladli put out her arms in excitement and stretched them to show the sizes, and her shawl fell off. Khurram picked it up and wrapped it around her as she grew awkward and conscious of herself.
“C’mon, are you being conscious of decorum around me? Ladli, you are like a breath of fresh air in your childishness.” Khurram smiled, letting go of the shawl as she grabbed it after he wrapped it around her.
“Tell that to Padshah Begum. She would have stared like this...” Ladli imitated her mother’s disapproving glance and giggled. Khurram laughed with her.
Nur Jahan pushed the curtains of her dark chambers apart and caught a glimpse of two figures laughing softly in the garden. It didn’t take her a second to guess who they were. A frown arched her brows and filled her eyes with worry.
“Hoshiyar?” She called out as Hoshiyar appeared alert behind her. “Tell Ladli Begum I want to meet her first thing in the morning. And tell her now.”
When Hoshiyar conveyed the message, both Shehzaade Khurram and Ladli Begum frowned. Colour flushed from her cheeks as Khurram noticed her sitting in silence and reassured, “Maybe your mother is concerned about your health. You were unwell before the feast.” He shrugged.
“What?I?” Ladli Begum looked up and sighed.
“I should go.” Shehzaade Khurram got up. “I have to get ready and leave at dawn.” Ladli Begum nodded.
“I had a great time, Ladli Begum, thank you.” Khurram smiled as she smiled back. Not a word passed her lips. They only parted slightly and then formed a smile. Khurram walked away briskly towards his chambers while Ladli sighed, making her way to hers.
Nur Jahan was getting ready for court when Ladli Begum came and bowed shortly to her. It was evident that she was wearing the same clothes since the day before; her hair was messy, and the dark circles under her eyes were proof of her lack of sleep.
“Did you not sleep well yesterday?” Nur Jahan dismissed the handmaids and spoke to her daughter, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Ladli Begum stood, hands together near her hip, eyes lowered in silence.
“Where were you all night? Hoshiyar said you were not in your chamber.” She said, adjusting her neckpiece. Ladli Begum inhaled and smiled faintly.
“You know where I was. And that’s why you called me here.” Her straightforward answer made Nur Jahan’s hands stop as she turned to stare directly at her daughter.
“I called you because I was concerned about you.”
“What kind of concern makes you lie to the Padshah Salamat that I am sick, Padshah Begum?” Ladli said scornfully to her mother.
“How dare you talk to me like that?” Nur Jahan got up and walked up to her. “Do you have any idea of the kind of rumours that you have to face if people start gossiping about you spending a night with Shehzaade Shah Jahan?” Nur Jahan placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulder firmly “I was trying to protect you.”
Ladli Begum shook her hands off her shoulder and said, “Protect me? Is that what you call taking away all the means of my happiness?”
“Enough now!” Nur Jahan said, “You are not fit to be with Shehzaade Shah Jahan.”
“Why not?” Ladli Begum asked, staring right at her mother, “He cares for me. Mumtaj Mahal is my sister. I like him!”
“That’s all you think is needed? Care? Kin? Liking?” Nur Jahan shrugged, “Stop being so naive, Ladli Begum, have you not learnt anything in this Harem?”
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“I mean, Shah Jahan has already given his heart and his priority to someone else. You are neither talented nor beautiful enough to replace her. I am not going to let you be someone’s secondary wife. You are my daughter.”
“But... what if I say I love him?” Ladli Begum tried hard, yet the tears blurring her vision fell mercilessly on her cheeks.
“Then I will say love is not enough. You will soon realise that. You will also realise he was helping you, caring for you and protecting you because of me. He wants to be in my good books. He wants to keep me pleased since the Padshah listens to me.”
“Please stop it!” Ladli Begum walked back two steps “Stop talking like that! Not everything in the world is about you.” Her voice cracked.
“I am afraid that it is the truth. First, he did it for Arjumand, then for me. Never did he actually care about you.” Nur Jahan said, “If you don’t believe me, I can’t help it.”
“Please...” Ladli Begum urged, “Let me talk to him once.”
“I am writing to Shehzaade Khusrau.” Nur Jahan spoke coldly, looking away.
“Why?” Ladli Begum frowned.
“The palace spies tell me he recently had a fallout with his wife. Maybe he will be interested in a new one.”
“Shehzaade Khusrau?” Ladli Begum looked shocked “I will never marry him!”
“Why not?” Nur Jahan frowned “He is blind, and yet the Padshah has a soft corner for him. If he marries you and lets you run his harem, I can win his favour with the Padshah Salamat and declare him an heir. You and I can rule on his behalf then.” Nur Jahan shrugged, “ And he will respect and honour you more than Shehzaade Shah Jahan.”
“I can’t believe you are being so selfish for power.” Ladli let out a taunting laugh, “ You are jeopardising my life, and double-crossing Shehzaade Shah Jahan!”
“Stop sounding like that”, Nur Jahan scolded “You don’t realise I am doing this for you. So that your husband honours and respects you as an individual, and you have a say. And you can one day inherit what I have as a co-regent.”
“I don’t want all of that!” Ladli Begum shook her head, “I want none of what you have. I just want a simple life, and I want to love!”
“Then you are looking in the wrong places.” Nur Jahan said, “I have sent a letter already to Khusrau. This is not the place for love.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Ladli Begum cried, “You are saying there is no place for love? You?”
“Yes, I am.” Nur Jahan raised her voice as Ladli sobbed, “I am because I don’t want you to end up forgotten in a corner of this harem like thousands of others. Punish me for being a mother who wants the best life for you.”
Ladli Begum ran out of her room, in tears, as Nur Jahan sighed heavily, a little tear sparkling in her eyes.
