Ilaa - a self made man

Chapter 3

Roshanara Begum was a force unto herself. Over the course of two years that Ilaa spent at the harem, she realized that although women were looked down upon during the reign of Mughals, it really was upto the female herself to make a place for herself. She observed that the harem really consisted of different societies within; The royal family, the dasis, the concubines and the eunuchs. But whatever class or religion they belonged to, women were exploited. Some were subject to an abysmal level of subservience being treated as an object while others were made to be docile in the name of purdah and confinement.

By hook or by crook, Roshanara had made an important place for herself in the kingdom, had gained the confidence of the emperor although she had the advantage of being his sister and also acquired enough wealth to gain power among her other minions. Roshanara also had her share of pleasure with men helped by her faithful eunuch Abdul such that the emperor was unaware of any illicit activities by the royal members of harem.

One day Ilaa saw Abdul with two other eunuchs sneakily entering the chambers of the begum. She knew about the tight security and the special spies employed around the chamber, but Ilaa took the risk of spying. To her surprise, the two eunuchs were being stripped off of their disguise and two handsome, noble looking men had emerged. The next day she caught hold of Abdul and confronted him straight.

"Abdul, it seems that the begum enjoys the company of eunuchs more than men, or were they men disguised as eunuchs roaming in the harem yesterday. Once the emperor knows, the consequences of your illicit activities will be dire. Beheading is a very common practice in the Mughal Empire."

Abdul narrowed his eyes judging whether Ilaa would hold true to her threat. He must have seen the fire of rebellion in her eyes, for the next instant he reluctantly asked, "What do you want in return for your silence and ignorance?"

"I want to learn how to disguise myself as a man. I also want the clothes and props needed for the disguise." Ilaa replied.

Narrowing his eyes, Abdul said, "Are you planning to run away from the harem? I thought you would ask for jewels. Let me advise you that I will not be party to any escape plans. The security around the harem and palace is extremely tight."

Ilaa replied, "Don't worry. I only want you to teach me how to pass as a man in front of the courtiers. You will not be party to anything else."

The French traders were being promoted by Emperor Aurangzeb during that time and the harem saw a number of traders being treated to carnal pleasures in the harem, although the emperor was unaware of this. One day Ilaa was called upon to the chambers of one Mr. Mathys Dubois. It was after a long time and Ilaa was very reluctant, but there was little she could do. Once inside the chambers she found an equally reluctant man pacing the room. As soon as she entered, he said,

"Sorry, I don't want this. But they are not listening to me. I cannot cheat on my wife. J'aime ma femme. Je suis désolé."

Feeling helpless she replied, "But if I go out now, I will be punished for not pleasing you. Can I just stay for the night here?" Mr. Dubois reluctantly agreed to the arrangement and was quite thankful that Ilaa had not tried to seduce him. It was difficult to ignore the presence of another person in the same room and they got to talking. "It must be difficult leading this kind of life. Are you happy here?" he asked. Ilaa said, "It is the most demeaning way one can lead her life. I was weak initially and couldn't fight my way out. Then I realized that I survived only because I consorted to the ways of the harem. I am now courageous enough to attempt an escape and leave this life of acquiescence. You seem like an honest and noble man. I can tell you that I wish to run away from here. It is only a matter of means and opportunity for me." With a bit of brightness Mr. Dubois replied, "What have you planned so far? Maybe I can help you." And then Ilaa told him how she had been learning to disguise herself as a man and had even tested her outfit a couple of times. She now knew the details of the security around harem but was unable to find about the palace. She did not know how she would be able to trick the eunuchs and the guards of the palace or even explain the presence of an unescorted man in the harem. For the next three days when Mr. Dubois was a guest of the Palace, he requested Roshanara Begum the company of Ilaa every night. They would devise an escape plan for her. Mr. Dubois had told her that a large number of people were flocking to Paithan for some fair. "It must be Nath Shashti. It'll be perfect for me to mingle with the crowd and pretend to be a devotee of Sant Eknath." Ilaa had responded. "But what will you do after that? You need a means to live." replied Mr. Dubois. "My father owned a small business of making Paithani sarees. I'm sure he still does. He was a broken man when the emperor took me from him by force. I will seek his help and plead him to take me back. He is a good man and respects women. I will run the paithani mill for him." Ilaa replied. "It might be difficult for the villagers and the royal priest to accept me knowing that I have lived the life of a concubine in the harem. But living as a man under a different identity might be a respite for me." "But you shouldn't have to live like a man. You have your own identity and whatever bad times you have gone through should be a mark of exceptional courage that only the women in India seem to have." Mr. Dubois replied heatedly. "I have tremendous respect for women who perform the shocking and extraordinary feat of sacrificing themselves on the funeral pyre of their husband. I fervently hope that this practice is discontinued and women are shown the same respect which was given to them during the ancient vedic times." With those words Ilaa was reassured that her choice of accomplice in her escape was wise, for Mr. Dubois would make sure she reaches her destination safely.