Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb, along with Shah Shuja, followed the empress’ instructions and followed her to Lahore. Dara showed his respect and offered his condolences to the widowed queen, whereas Aurangzeb went to look for Asaf Khan in the crowd of mourners.
“Your father is on his way.” Asaf Khan reassured Aurangzeb’s queries. "He sent the empress his condolences.”
“Why is the funeral happening without waiting for him in such a hurry, then?” Aurangzeb eyed Nur Jahan standing beside Shehzaade Shahryar in the front row as he spoke. Ladli Begum with her daughter stood in one of the back rows, and Dara went up to her to offer his condolences as well.
Asaf Khan dragged the young boy by his hand away from the crowd. “Nur Jahan is going to declare Shahryar as a legitimate heir to the throne and crown him. He has already been ruling unofficially for the last few months ever since the emperor passed away, and we all have been busy in mourning. '' Aurangzeb's brows shot up “Is ... my father okay with that?”
“Of course not.” Asaf Khan looked agitated.
“What do you have in mind?” Aurangzeb asked.
Shah Shuja walked across to Dara and frowned at the sudden absence of their brother yet again. Dara shook his head. After the condolence meeting, Shahryr took leave of the dowager queen and sought her blessings.
“Are you sure you want to stay here?” He asked Nur Jahan, eyeing Ladli Begum one last time as she chose to look away.
“Yes. I will declare you official Padshah when the mourning period is over, don’t worry.” Nur Jahan reassured, “The nobles who were loyal to the Padshah will be loyal to me. You are doing a good job.” Ladli Begum looked at her mother, lying with a straight face. She was waiting for the mourning period to be over to join Shahryar and help him. Ladli Begum knew that.
Shahryar picked Arzani up and gave them a peck on her cheeks.
“I assume you will be back at the palace after the mourning period, too?” His words were met with silence. He sighed and walked away, stealing one last glance at Ladli Begum. Nur Jahan frowned.
“Is everything fine?” Ladli Begum walked away at her query.
In a room of the Lahore fort, Asaf Khan assembled many of his as well as Nur Jahan’s old allies.
“You see, Shahryr is clearly incompetent.” He spoke. Everyone agreed.
“It is just her way to rule the empire herself.” Said one.
“We can’t let a woman rule and ruin our country.” Said another.
“Wasn’t one in history disastrous enough?” Forgetting the mourning period, some of them chuckled.
“But what do you suggest?” Asked some as Asaf Khan cleared his throat, “It will take Shah Jahan a month, if not more, to reach here.”
“We can’t risk the mourning period being over and Nur Jahan being back to...” someone murmured.
“I have a plan.” Asaf Khan spoke.
On his way back to the fort, Shehzaade Shahryr was preoccupied; he was wrong to behave the way he did with Ladli, and his rage took the better of him. He feared losing her. Mostly because he knew she deserved better. A messenger jolted him out of his thoughts.
“It’s Dawar Baksh. He has been let loose and is sitting on the throne.” The messenger said.
“Who? What?” Shahryar spoke, alarmed.
“Asaf Khan. He has taken over the fort and freed Dawar and his men. He has also declared war against you and closed down the premises of Shahdara. He has officially declared Dawar Baksh as king!” The man said in a hurry. Shehzade Shahryr had no option but to enter the fort and face the attackers. “Where are Dara, Shuja and Aurangzeb?” He asked.
“In Asaf Khan’s custody. So that they aren’t harmed.” He shook his head.
The battle was a lost cause as Shahryr took an unmanly refuge in the eunuch's quarters in a desperate attempt to save his life. He was dragged out by Asaf Khan’s men and chained, and presented before Dawar Baksh. His treasury and belongings were sealed.
“Mercy!” He pleaded. “Mercy! Don’t harm my child and wife, please, Asaf Khan, they are your kin too.”
“Keep shut. The new emperor will speak.” Asaf Khan kept him kneeling as Dawar Baksh smiled, “Put him behind bars underground and feed him once a day, refuse him his medications.”
“I beg you to spare my family, Asaf Khan.” Shahryar kept begging as he was dragged away.
“His family?” Dawar Baksh was suddenly interested.
“They are harmless. And already under house arrest at Shahdara with the empress.
“Ah.” Dawar Baksh spoke excitedly, “What do I do next, Asaf Khan?”
“Whatever you feel like doing, Padshah Salamat.” He spoke amused.
Ladli Begum looked worried at the overly guarded area and troops of men outside her quarters.
“Something is not fine.” She shook her head “These men are not sent by Shehzaade Shahryr.”
“These are Asaf Bhaijaan’s men.” Nur Jahan reassured, “We are safe.”
Nazir walked in from the back door stealthily as they looked up at him.
“I have bad news.” Made the mother and daughter stare at each other.
Ladli Begum had, in an impulse, set out to see her husband. She demanded to be allowed to go and at least speak to Asaf Khan. The soldiers who guarded the main gates paid no heed and even pushed her away. Nur Jahan held her by her arm and dragged her into the room as she burst into tears. Nur Jahan knew how helpless she was as she hugged the sobbing Ladli close to her chest. She had almost forgotten how being powerless felt.
“They will kill him” was all Ladli Begum could say.
Nur Jahan had desperately played her last move. She urged Ladli Begum to write to Mumtaj Mahal to spare her husband’s life and promise her they were ready to be deported wherever Shah Jahan wanted them to go. Nur Jahan knew that if there was one person Shah Jahan would listen to, it was her niece.
A worried Mumtaj Mahal, who was accompanying her husband to Lahore, was rereading the letter in her tent where they stopped for the night.
“What is that?” Shah Jahan asked as she shook her head, “It is Ladli. Did you order her to be under house arrest?” She couldn’t believe it. Shah Jahan shook his head. “I didn’t. She just happens to be with Nur Jahan, and she wouldn’t have been under arrest if she weren’t there.” Shah Jahan shrugged.
“But Dawar Baksh is crowned...” Shah Jahan laughed at her words. “Oh, you naive, naive Mumtaj Mahal!” He said, “You don’t have to worry about Ladli, she will live.”
“What about Shahryar?” She asked. Shah Jahan frowned.
“What about him?” He asked.
“Will he live too?” She asked, “Ladli is his wife in case you forgot.”
“No, I didn’t.” He said firmly.
“She has sent a letter, requesting you to spare his head.” She said, holding the letter out to him. “And I won’t let you do this to her, send them away, exile him for all I care!”
“You know, Mahabat Khan is supporting me to the throne now?” He asked, amused as she nodded. “He was exiled, too.”
“You can’t do this to Ladli.” Mumtaj Mahal spoke rather firmly, “She is family.”
“Wasn’t Khusrau or Pervez my family too?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. Mumtaj Mahal inhaled.
“I don’t know about yours, but in ours we...” Shah Jahan let out a laugh. “You mean yours was where your father deceived Nur Jahan?” Mumtaj Mahal turned pale. “Don’t teach me about the magic of power, Mumtaj Mahal.” He shrugged.
“I will not let you take his life. Ladli never asked me for anything ever. She always wanted my happiness.” Mumtaj Mahal walked away disappointed. Shah Jahan brought in the nearest guard.
“Message for Asaf Khan. Execute Shahryar, Dawar Baksh, all legitimate claims before our arrival.” The man bowed and left. Shah Jahan stood looking at the flickering light of the candle with a sigh “I am sorry, Ladli, I can’t keep him alive. Not with your mother around.” He said softly. “I can’t let even your shadows come near me or my children anymore.”
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