Mumtaz Mahal

Beginning: Prince Khuram

Beginning: Prince Khuram

Prince Khurram told his lead servant, Abdul, to get him numbers of servants and militias to accompany him in the Meena Bazaar. However, Abdul debated to his Prince and reminded him that the Emperor had forbidden the Prince from going out to the Palace.

The Prince looked at him with crossed-arms.

"Abdul, who do you serve, I or the Emperor?" the Prince asks, raising a brow to his servant.

"Of course, you, my Lord," Abdul said then smiles to the Prince.

"Then, follow what I've told you to do so," the Prince said.

His voice may calm, his physique may be relaxed but his eyes were telling the other way around and if this servant of him will not listen to him, he surely will get what he deserves.

Abdul lowered his head, took a sigh, and nervously said that the Emperor would surely kill him if he let the Prince out. As a response, the Prince told him that he would kill him by himself if he would dare to disobey his orders.

The Prince just made it hard for Abdul --did not even gave him a better choice; it's just a matter of choosing the person who would end his life, and this time, it's the Emperor he who chose to kill him.

Abdul came back with the set of maids and guards that will accompany the prince to the Meena Bazaar.
"Abdul, come here."

Abdul walked towards the prince slowly and stopped when he's already three paces away from him.

"Let me borrow your clothes," the Prince said without thinking twice to his lead servant.

The servant's eyes were wide as he looks at the Prince.

"My Lord?" Abdul asks –confused if he really did hear his prince right.
The Prince eyed him, waiting for him to tell more but when he didn't speak he shut his eyes and shook his head before pointing a finger to his servant.

"Have you gone deaf now? I said let me borrow your clothes," the Prince said.
Abdul gulped nervously and so the prince's other servants remained silent. They are all uneasy in front of their prince, while the Prince himself is slowly losing his patience because of the sudden silence.

"Abdul," he called his servant's name and glared at him.

Abdul, with his bended knees on the floor lowered his head in front of His Majesty and so the other servants did the same.

"My Lord, take Abdul's life, for he is not obeying your orders. My Lord, forgive me, but it is inappropriate for Prince Khurram to wear the clothes of his servant Abdul. The Aristocrats will find this ridiculous and if...and if the Empress Nur Jahan will find this out, she will separate my head from my body. My Lord, please hear my reasons," Abdul said.

'My Lord, please hear Abdul," his other servants said in chorus.

The Prince took a sigh.

Even though their lives mean nothing to him, the image of his dead servants' stills bothers him. If the Empress will find this out, he would surely lose all his servants, and he would probably be grounded. However, if the Empress would not have any knowledge about where he was going and what will he be possibly being doing, the asses of his servants will surely be saved.

He cleared his throat before uttering;
"Mother shall not have any knowledge about this. Anyone who dares to speak out about this will lose its tongue, understood?" he threatens his people.

"Yes, my Lord," all his servants replied nervously.

The Prince grinned –feeling excited to what will happen later in the Bazaar.

"Abdul, give me now your clothes," he said like he did not really bother what his servants had said earlier.
Abdul closes his eyes defeating, this would be the end of his life.
He shook his head as a sign of disapproval to the prince.

"You love your life, Abdul, aren't you?" he threatened Abdul.

Small gasped were heard in the room and if no one will calm the Prince down, surely blood will scatter around the floor.

The Prince has a very short temper, he always swipes away those who don't please him.

"My Lord, please forgive my rudeness. But please, spare Abdul's life and hear what he said, he is just worried about Prince Khurram's image. You're a prince and we cannot bear to see you wearing the lower class clothes. If you really want to go to the Meena Bazaar without telling everyone that you are the Emperor Jahangir's son, you can wear an aristocrat's clothes, so that everyone in the Bazaar won't go easy around you," his youngest servant suggested.

If a prince wore lower class clothes, it would be inappropriate. On the other hand, if a lower class wore an Aristocrat or a Royal family's clothes, it would be a crime. Indeed, social status divided people and made people's approach to life different.

"All of you stand. Prepare me a noble's clothes," he said with finality.

All his servants smiled due to relief. They immediately then followed the command of the Prince.

To be continued...

Again, this story may be based on Shah Jahan's true to life love story but most of the events were product of my imagination.

Thank you.