Time's Gateway: Journey of Six Friends into Mughal's Era- Part 1

Saifan, Jadid, Samin, Afnaf, Suhayib, and Umar were six inseparable friends from Dhaka City College. After completing their Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C) exams, they decided to take a well-deserved break and visit Cox's Bazar, the most famous sea beach in Bangladesh. Excitement bubbled over as they planned their trip, envisioning the waves, the sunsets, and the freedom of exploration.

They set off early in the morning, packed into a minibus with laughter and chatter filling the air. The journey to Cox's Bazar was full of scenic views and playful banter. Upon arrival, they were mesmerized by the endless stretch of golden sand meeting the azure sky.

After a few days of enjoying the usual tourist spots, the friends decided to venture further away from the crowds. Early one morning, they packed their bags with essentials, grabbed some snacks, and set off on foot. They walked for nearly two hours, leaving the bustling parts of the beach far behind. The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows as they followed the shoreline to a more secluded area where the beach met a series of rugged mountains.

"Guys, this is amazing! Look how untouched this place is," said Umar, his eyes wide with wonder.

The mountains rose majestically against the backdrop of the sea, their bases hugged by dense greenery. The friends were drawn to a particular spot where the mountain seemed to meet the water in a dramatic curve. They had to climb over large rocks and push through thick underbrush, but their determination only grew with each step.

After about fifteen minutes of navigating the rocky terrain, Saifan noticed something peculiar. Hidden among the shadows of the rocks and nearly obscured by thick vines and branches, there was a narrow, dark opening in the mountain. It was a cave, its entrance barely visible from afar.

"Hey, look at this! It's like it's been hidden for centuries," Saifan exclaimed, pointing to the shadowy entrance.

The entrance was so covered in foliage that it looked like nature itself was guarding the secret within. The friends, driven by a mix of excitement and curiosity, began the laborious task of clearing the entrance. They pulled away branches, cut through vines, and moved rocks, working together with a sense of camaraderie and adventure.

After thirty minutes of hard work, they had cleared enough of the entrance to see into the cave. A cool breeze wafted out, carrying with it the scent of earth and mystery. The friends exchanged eager glances and, with flashlights ready, stepped into the darkness.

The inside of the cave was cool and damp, with the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the walls. They walked for about two minutes, their curiosity growing with each step. Suddenly, a bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

"Is that the other side? Let's hurry up!" said Samin, eager to see where the cave led.

As they emerged from the cave, blinking in the bright sunlight, they found themselves in a place that looked somewhat like Cox's Bazar but was also strangely different. The beach was there, but the geography and the surroundings seemed altered. More astonishingly, the people they saw wore unfamiliar, elaborate garments and stared at the boys with wide eyes, as if they were intruders from another world.

"What is this place?" asked Afnaf, bewildered.

Their curiosity led them to explore the area cautiously. They noticed small wooden huts with thatched roofs, unlike the modern concrete structures they were accustomed to. The beach, while beautiful, had no signs of the typical tourist infrastructure. Instead, there were small fishing boats made of wood and a few merchants selling wares from simple stalls.

As they walked further, they noticed a group of people gathered around a large stone slab near the beach. The people wore intricately designed traditional clothes, with men in turbans and women in colorful saris, some with elaborate gold jewelry. The friends approached the group slowly, their hearts pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Curiosity piqued, they edged closer to the stone slab, which seemed to be some sort of notice board. Written in elegant calligraphy, they could make out a few words despite the unfamiliar script. Suhayib, who had a keen eye for details, managed to decipher some of the characters.

"Look, it says something about 'Emperor Aurangzeb' and '1685,'" he said, his voice tinged with awe.

Next to the stone slab, they found a rolled-up parchment, yellowed with age, partially hidden under a rock. Carefully unrolling it, they saw a date inscribed at the top - "Year 1685 of the Mughal calendar" - along with a decree that bore the seal of Emperor Aurangzeb himself. The parchment mentioned the appointment of a local governor to oversee the coastal region, including the very area where they stood.

Their minds raced as they pieced together the clues. The ancient stone slab, the parchment, the strange attire of the people - all pointed to one incredible realization.

"We've gone back in time," whispered Saifan, a mix of fear and fascination in his eyes. "We're in the Mughal era."

The friends looked at each other in disbelief, their surroundings now taking on a surreal, dreamlike quality. They had somehow traveled back over three centuries to a time when Cox's Bazar was a small, yet significant part of the vast Mughal Empire.

In front of them lay an adventure unlike any they had imagined, a journey into the heart of history itself.