Princess of the dawn

Chapter 8

Din Panah - Chambers of Maham Anga

"Salaam aleikum ammijaan"

"WaAlaikum salaam my son. What news do you bring? What did you find out?"

"I followed the lads and you won't believe where they went!"

"Where did they went?"

"They rode to the Rajput camp and met the Raja's sons there".

"What he wanted there..." she asked thoughtfully. The looks that Jalal and this Rajput princess had given each other came back to her mind.

"They rode out together".

"Keep an eye on him, Adham, and make sure he doesn't notice you. Go now."

She paced up and down, lost in thought. Why did Jalal meet with the Rajputs. She would find out.

At the same time in Bairam Khan's chambers

"Salaam Huzoor"

"Salaam, did you find out something? Bairam Khan asked his spy.

"Huzoor, they rode to the Rajput camp and met the sons of the Raja there.

Bairam Khan stood silent by the window and thought. He turned and tossed the young man a pouch of coins. This caught him skillfully.

"Shukriaa huzoor", he bowed.

"You can leave, Khalid. Keep an eye on him".

Bairam turned and again stared broodingly out the window.

Raja Bharmal's camp

The Raja and his sons talked about how long their stay in Delhi should be. They had received an invitation to the royal falcon hunt. They discussed whether to attend. They were not interested in hunting. Usually they only hunted to protect the commoners from wild animals. So they decided to go along with the party, but not to participate in the hunt. The hunt should take place the day after next. The day after they would leave for Amer.

"Bhagwant Das, inform the women about our departure and and initiate the preparations for the departure ", Bharmal instructed his son.

"Ji, Bapusa". He and his siblings left their father's tent.

"Jodha, Jodha". Moti ran excitedly into Jodha's tent.

"Moti, what is it? Why are you so excited"?

"Jodha, a messenger delivered this casket for you.

"What kind of messenger? What's this?"

"A messenger asked for me and said that I may only give the casket to you."

Jodha eyed the casket curiously. It was made of dark wood with fine carvings and inlays. The domed lid was carved in a lattice shape with small openings.

"What a beautiful casket. Do them on Jodha!"

"Do you mean?"

Suddenly there was hearing a scratching sound.

"Did you hear that, Moti?"

"What?"

"There was a scratching from the casket".

"You must have been wrong"

This time a faint coo could be heard.

Jodha opened the casket curiously. In the box was a small cage with a white dove. Jodha was delighted. But who sent her a dove? She quickly lifted the cage out of the casket. There was a letter on the bottom. She was excited.

"Jodha, who sent you a dove?"

"I dont know. There is a letter ... "

"Oh, quickly open it."

Jodha picked up the letter, looked at the magnificent seal, broke it and began to read:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Greetings Rajkumari Jodha Bai,

With regret we have heard that you are no longer allowed to leave the camp. We really enjoyed the ride with you. We would have liked to convince ourselves of your art of archery and would have liked to talk to you about your doves. Unfortunately that won't be possible now. As a little gift we are sending you this white dove.

Pranaam
Jalal-ud-din Muhammad

White like your mare, my dress swings me in the air
Heaven is blue, I'm coming from you
I anything can say, after my way

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A riddle, he sent me a riddle" shouted Jodha enthusiastically. "Mhh white... swing in the air... anything can say... heaven... coming from you... mhhh...."

Moti looked confused.

Jodha blushed. "A carrier pigeon! He means a carrier pigeon. I should write back to him. That is a carrier pigeon!"

"Who? Who wrote you Jodha?"

"The young emperor!"

"What ??" Moti was appaled

"You heard that right. Jalal-ud-din Muhammad send me a letter and the dove."

"Oh Khana, what's that.... You can't write back. That's impossible. If your father finds out ... "

Jodha smiled, said nothing, and gave the dove a piece of mango.

"Oh no, Jodha, you won't do that. Moti whined worriedly.

"We will see, Moti, we will see." Jodha smiled.

"Jodha! When the Raja finds out ..."

"Moti, nobody will know. Everyone knows how I like doves. If someone asks me, then it just flew to me

"I don't know ..." Moti replied unconvinced.

Jodha took the small cage and set it on a low table in the corner of the tent. She filled a small bowl with water and put it in the cage. Carefully she spread a light veil over it so that it was not immediately obvious what was underneath.

"Moti, please see if you can get some grains for the dove."

Moti just shook her head in exasperation and left.

Joda picked up the letter again and read it. When she read the riddle, she had to smile. She loved riddles. It seemed that the young ruler liked riddles as well. She was about to get up when she heard her mother. She quickly pushed the letter under a pillow.

"Jodha, your father has decided that we will be traveling back to Amer in three days. Pack your things in time ." Jodha was disappointed. In three days...

"Maasa, please let me ride with the brothers in the morning!" begged Jodha. "It's so boring here all day. At home I'm allowed to ride out too. I also promise not to do anything stupid."

"No Jodha! As long as we are here, you will stay in the camp. No rides! You have heard your father. You can paint or read, whatever you want, but you won't leave the camp" said Champavati adamantly and left the tent.

To be continued...