C52 : Abject Horror !
The Shehzaade's tortured thoughts and dilemma do not arouse the slightest sympathy from the readers. His mind in total turmoil and his paranoid state foretell a man on the verge of losing his mind- and this pathetic end would be divine retribution for the atrocious way Akheera have been treated since their arrival in the capital.
Reading about the Shehzaade, I am immediately reminded of Napolean Bonaparte and these quotes about him seem to suit the Shehzaade:A man endowed with amazing abilities and a dangerous ambition'. He could face adversity with firmness and majesty' but could also be carried away to the point of frenzy when his passions met with opposition.' Could be petty, vindictive , callous concerning the lives of others. The contradictory personality of those in power which spells doom for the common man.
When the Shehzaade has deemed that everyone else is dispensable excepting him, it sounds the death knell for any rational thinking. Enter the foxy Farooq to lay it on thick to further tarnish Akbar's reputation and having done enough damage, made his escape before his actions boomeranged on him.
While Heera was philosophical about the messy search of her trunks, the readers' hearts cringed at the way her herbs and precious collection of books were tossed out so carelessly. Akbar's precious gifts ,though, were spared the same ordeal when her husband's punisher , mercifully, assented to her humble request for them to be returned to her.
A ray of sunshine in the form of Tejraj -thank heavens for the not-so-spiteful jailor. Here again , Akbar's plan is only and only to save Heera from her severe punishment. Akbar reciting the contents of the scroll non-stop as Tejraj was walking away- so vividly moving.
Coming to the most excruciating scene of the chapter. Sentencing two unsuspecting soldiers to a life of doom failed to stem the Shehzaade's internal rage .To our utter dread , it found its release in the forty ...Oh God ... 40 barbed whip lashes on our unsuspecting Khan Sahib. Lashy Sahiba, I understand this extremely numbing scene is essential to present an authentic portrayal of that era but you made us cry so much, so so much, Sahiba.
With glistening eyes, we have to accept the fact that for this novel to be a classic, the torturous flogging part is integral to the story. Our tears show your worth as a reputed author.
Thank you so much, Lashy Sahiba, for C52 -a chapter that resonates with the truth of the heights you continue to scale as a writer. Thank you, thank you, thank you, darling author. 🤗 🤗 🤗
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
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