Posted:
19th January 1626
If there is something more darker than the sky outside, it's here...right here!!
The gloomy faces, bowed heads, teary cheeks, hands raised to pray to Allah to grant a life of few more years!! I can see people of harem gathered in my khwabga waiting for some miracle to happen but here I am flashing a smile to my dear ones and remembering the beautiful memories of my life...!!!
"The sun was upset, clouds were thundering in anger, sky was crying, yet amidst all the shouts and cries of nature, there was a peculiar silence in the room. It was dark (perhaps reflecting the uneasiness of mother nature), the only source of light were in the form of candles and diyas which were strong enough to raise a hope in one pair of eyes.
People encircled around the bed, some crying, some shocked, some incredulously looking at those one pair of eyes probably seeking answers to some unanswered questions. There was Marium-Uz-Zmani to his right, and to his left was I holding his hand and sqeezing it a little assuring him that everything will be alright and he's going to win this battle as well. (Yes, somewhere even I knew that I was hoping against the hope, because it was the TIME)
Time? I thought...it just flies...glancing at him I saw him looking at MUZ.
Moving my gaze to our interlocked fingers, I smiled to myself. As luck would have it, it didn't go unnoticed by him. Our eyes met for a fleeting second and I could see him asking questions and me answering them. I smiled again and unable to tolerate his intense gaze, I tried diverting my mind from his still questioning eyes and the fact that this was the last time he was asking them.
But I couldn't...I just couldn't keep myself away from him maybe because it was our last time together maybe not, maybe because of his gaze full of mixed emotions may be not, or maybe because I never wanted to!
Looking straight in his eyes, asking and seeking answers we traveled down the memory lane together for the very last time!!
The palace was echoing with the sound of giggles, murmmers, orders and most importantly prayers. And there was he sitting in front of me at a distance with a veil that covered him as well as me!!
Qazi was chanting prayers in the name of Bismillah and asked something to us to which I was told I had to answer by saying ''QUBOOL HAI'' three times. Not knowing why I was asked to say this, I did what I was told (not to forget he said those two words as well and hearing them I giggled)
He was Eleven and I was Nine!!
Not knowing that this day would change lives, change time and change relations..!!
Time flew still not knowing that something had changed, something in our relationships, we continued being what we were best at or for what we were known-KHAAS DOST!
And hence, the word khaas got associated to me at a very tender age!
\(Huh..Khaas guess I took it a lot seriously but that is a different thing altogether)
Days. months and then years nothing could broke us apart..no thought..no war..no women!!
With this I bend down and planted a kiss on his forehead (something I would have never dared to do before)
That moment we shared was special, way too special and yet again a gush of memories came running back!
This was the time he returned after years of staying away! And that day my heart knew no boundaries of happiness! Heart? Being with him all those years, growing up with him and with the likes of Bairam Khan, I stared living life according to my brain! But then why I shouldn't have? My husband was always a sangdil shehenshah, sangdil shauhar and sangdil human! That was the way we lived, knowing each other, understanding each other, caring for each other! If there was any person on this soil to whom I accepted with all my heart and soul it was him! And he was one perfect husband and friend who always pampered me like his baby!!
The amusing thing was, the time when we had to spend our lives together in each other's arms we separated as he went on wars! Maybe that's the reason I just couldn't open my heart in front of him and moreover he was always appreciative about practical side of BEK and there was I being the brainy lot for him just the way he loved!
Glancing at him again I saw that now he had his eyes set on MUZ!
MUZ...the day which was supposed to change everything...so did it? Not really...I suppose!! The friend in him, the husband in him for me was always the same! As a woman I did envy her, felt insecure but whenever I used to watch Salim, my heart melt. Salim -the apple of his eye! I was always deprived of kids but not after Salim was born! Because he was his son, he became mine, because he loved him, so did I, and because he was a child he was special!
''Shehenshah'' a bleak voice came which broke my trail of thoughts.
Seeing his pale face my heart sank, his eyes lids heavy, grasping for breath, one after the another he glanced at every single soul present there, every single folk who loved him and at last his eyes dropped at me!!
That instant I realized I had met my match!
Someone who understood me, who cared for me and who LOVE me!!
The next moment I saw was a closed eyes, smiling face and a satisfied expression''
''Ammijaan...Ammijaan''
I felt tears rolling down my cheek, on hearing the voice i came back to the present.
A present similar to the day (27th October 1626) I just lived!!
It was over...it was all over..!!
(That day as well as a part of me)
For the world today is my day to climb the stairs to heaven but none knows I died that day itself!
The day when he left us...for the world he was Akbar-The great ruler of Mughal Dynasty, the man who did wonders for the people of hindustan inspite of being an invader. But to me...he was always Jalal...my Jalal. That day our awaam had lost a generous king, someone who always put hem before himself...but I had lost a KHAAS DOST!
This marks the final chapter of my life...my life with Shehenshah Jalal-U-Din Mohammad Akbar!
Life together was never easy, but life without him was miserable!
Remembering the day when he was ELEVEN and I was NINE...I closed my eyes and slept...slept for never waking up again!
Begum Ruqaiya Sultan
By Apoorva
P.S. On the occasion of Akbar's death anniversary!
(music enabled post)
Anupamaa
