Salim was confused. His parents were after him for marriage and his mom had lined up so many princesses at the jashn. He did not want to go there that too wearing his walihaad taj as all girls will then know who he is. But his parents especially mom would have none of it and wanted him to get ready and come to the jashn. Maids came to him a new set of dress to wear for this jashn.
Salim pushed off the dress away no ways was he going to wear these and go to jashn.
Salim spoke to himself: Neverrr, I am not going to wear this dress at any cost
Jodha entered his room: Salim, see I got you nice dress to wear for the jashn, please wear them beta
Salim grumbled: No ways masa, I am not going to wear these, what is wrong with this dress I am wearing?
Jodha: But this is ordinary commoner dress
Salim argued: I am a common soldier only
Jodha lost her cool: Salimmm, so many Kings and Princesses want to meet you and you want to come in ordinary dress. What will they say? Wear this dress and comes its your mother's orders
Jodha walks off grumbling to moti: This boy is getting on my nerves everyday
Moti Bai: Cool down Jodha, let him wear what he wants
Jodha: You keep quiet, everyone support Salim even if he is wronggg
Salim sat down angrily: Wrongg, yeah only I am wrong always alwaysss so send me back to the battle field I do not care(choked)
Flashback
Salim, the 9 year old kid getting ready for his first day in war field. Salim was angry on his father for sending him off to the war field and his mom for not stopping him. In another hour he was in the war field and the bugles were ringing announcing the war had started. Salim was on an elephant surrounded by body gaurds on horses. Salim looked at the war below he could see people fighting even more worst than in the wrestling akhada. Salim had never gone to a war field and had assumed it would be like a wrestling akhada. But that was nothing in comparision to what he saw on battle field. People were killing each other without impunity. One soldier was trying to avoid an war elephant his arm half chopped dangling from his elbow. A gunshot from enemy side almost felled three lines of Mughal sepoys. The dead bodies were all around one man had no body below all blown off and was taking the last few breaths of his life, another face had blown off and his legs and hands writhing in pain, another's stomach had blown off and intestines dangling out etc. Salim was numbed and shocked by seeing all these vivid scenes on field and he felt he shall vomit out whatever breakfast he had eaten in morning. He closed his eyes to stop seeing the battle field scenes. Suddenly an arrow whizzed past him almost chopping his right ear and he got so scared that he bent down trying to hide himself. The mahout looked back to check on Salim and found him shivering in the howdah. The mahout had felt pity that such a small kid although a crown prince had to go through this at such young age after all he had a son and daughter almost Salim's age. Salim sat up and tried to show a brave face but really could not. It was 5pm when the war stopped at last and Salim went back to his tent shaken by his first day at war and the helpers helped remove his battle gear and wear normal dress. Salim ran and jumped on bed and hide his face in a pillow and cried. Man Singh Baisa and Rahim bhaijaan called him for dinner at 7pm but he could not eat. All he could see as he took a piece of meat was a dangling hand of a soldier and the rajma reminded him of blood and rice reminded him of a soldiers intestine dangling out. He could not eat much and ran into his tent. Sleep was even more tough nigtmares filled his night and by morning he was crying wanting to hide himself in his mother's lap rather than go to the war field in the next two hours.
Flashback ends
Salim found hot tears running down his eyes and wiped them off and looked around lest someone see his vulnerability. To the outside world he was a brave soldier a prince who was not scared of any battle field. But the world could never see his scars the scars he hide inside his soul. He truly had been initiated into the cruel world of adults with a trail by fire. Salim looked at his hands filled with blood of many thousands of enemy soldiers in the past 7 years. He remembered the first time he killed a man on battle field.
Flashback
3 months later in another battle field and Salim was slowly coming to terms with the harsh life of battle field. He had started appreciating simple things of life like he had taken for granted before like a sweet which was a luxury in battle field, a good shower and bathe, a peaceful sleep that still eluded him for past 3 months, the value of his childhood friends and brothers back at home etc. This was another battle field with Afghans and was truly a brutal one at that. The three months of bloodshed he had seen was in no way going to prepare him for what he had to face now. Salim was on his elephant with his mahout Ram charan Singh whom he had become close too. After all they both faced arrows and bombs on battle field as a team. But nothing had prepared Salim for today's battle. Towards the close of the battle his elephant was ambushed by the afghans and arrows started flying from all sides through the hilly terrain where his elephant was moving. An arrow felled his mahout and Salim got shocked and shook him but he was grievously injured. Salim looked around his body gaurds were in heated battle with the Afghans trying to rescue him on the ground. But no one was there to save him on top. Salim saw on Afghan on the hill aiming at him and the mahout. Salim took his bow and arrow and aimed at that man. His first arrow missed aim and hit his hand and that man writhed but aimed again to hit Salim and the mahout. Salim bent down as the arrow flew and hit the howdah than him. Salim aimed at that man and finally he was hit in his chest and fell down. Salim dropped his bow down his hands shivering in fear for his life, his mahout life or for killing a human first time he had no idea . By then all bodyguards and Mughal soldiers had folied the ambush and his elephant was safely escorted to a safe place in the battle. Salim was anxious about his mahout and stayed on till he was hoisted down and taken to the medical camp. After checking on him finally Salim went back to his tent. Salim was confused as all were congratulating him for killing an enemy first time but he was feeling very guilty. How could he who would be in tears at a injured bird felled by his brother Murad be proud and happy for killing an human even if that human was his enemy. The terrified eyes of the Afghan as he fell after being hit in chest haunted him for a few more weeks.
Flashback ends
Just then his sister Aram Banu, Khannum and Mehtaab entered the room and greeted him. But Salim was still in his past haunted memories.
Aram Banu jumped on his bed and shook him: Bhaijaan
Salim looked at her and came back to present: Chutki you here?
Chutki was pet name that Salim had kept for his small sweet little sister
Aram Banu: Yes me, Khannum and Mehtaab aapa also here
Salim looked back and found Khannum and Mehtab standing there
Salim got up: Come inside Khannum, Mehtab aapa
Khannum: Jodha ammijaan told us to get you to jashnnn. Why did you not wear your new dress bhaijaan?
Salim fumbled: That many girls are there no, I do not want them to know I am Shezada Salim.
Aram bano: Why?
Khannum: I know why? Bhaijaan does not want to marry so soon
Aram: Why bhaijaan? Why you do not want to marry?
Salim got nervous how does he tell his small sister why?
Khannum: Aram, leave it now. Bhaijaan get ready lets goo
Salim: Buttt
Aram: Do not worry bhaijaan, if you do not want to marry you tell me. I will chase away all the princesses like I did yesterday
Salim: Yesterday?
Aram tells of how princesses were looking at him from far and she had chased them off.
Salim smiles, Khannum and Mehtab laugh
Khannum: Bhaijaan, now you need not fear the princesses troubling you, just call Aram and she will chase them all off. Now get ready fast before abu and ammijaan both come here
Salim gets ready and leaves to the jashn. As he enters the jashn with his sisters the courteseans are dancing. Suddenly a payal comes flying and lands near Salim's legs. Salim bends and picks it up and remembers 7 years back how he had heard payal sound on his birthday and gone to a building where Nadira's payal had come flying same way. As he is lost in thoughts one of the girl from the dance team comes to him. Salim still lost in his past thoughts.
The girl does him salaam: Shezade payal
Salim is still in his past and aram bano pinches him to get him put of his thoughts
Salim looks at his sister: Chutki what?
Aram: Payalll
Salim: Payalll
Aram: Give payal to that girl bhaijaan
Salim looks around and sees a girl no nooo an apsara. Her beauty takes his breath away and he feels music all around him. Aram, Khannum and Mehtaab look at Salim staring unabashedly at the dancing girl. Aram pulls payal from his hand and gives to that dancing girl. The dancing girl thanks them and goes back. Salim keeps looking at the beautiful girl.
Khannum laughs: Bhaijaan stop staring so much. She is not the princess whom ammijaan wants you to marry she is a dancing girl.
Aram: Bhaijaan was saying in tent he is scared of girls
Khannum laughs: Yes he is scared only of marrying, not scared of girls Aram right bhaijaan
Aram, Mehtab giggle.
Salim: III I will go and sit with my friends, you all go and sit with masa and runs off from his sisters to avoid any more ragging from his sisters
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