Ek Tha Sultan, Ek Thi Malika👑

19. Another Political Game.

Mehrimah was on a round of harrem, inspecting the classes of girls. Sumbul Agha, Nigar Khalfa were walking behind her along with her other attendants.

As she passed a big window, something outside caught her eye and she came back to the window. On the main gate of the palace, a kid, not more than 10 was crying while she watched two guards beat her father. The girl was trying to stop guards but they were again and again pushing him. The other guards stood and watched the scene.

Without any word, Mehrimah hurried towards the main gate with others following her.

'NAMAKULON!!!!' (Namakul= foolish)

The guards stopped and turned. Their faces paled and they lowered their heads in respect as Haseki Sultan walked towards them furiously.

The little girl took this as a chance and quickly embraced his father.

'Ye kaisi jurrat hai?!.........Awaam ke saath aise pesh aane ki HIMMAT KAISE HUI TUM LOGON KI?!' she shouted at them. They flinched at her tone.

She turned to the father-daughter duo and kneeled in front of them. 'Abi aap theek toh hai na?' she asked the man calmly. The man nodded and wrapped his arm securely around his daughter. Mehrimah wipped the tears of the girl and then turned to those guards.

'Iss gunah ki koi wajah?!' she asked them with hard glare. They all gulped in fear but didn't say anything. 

The little girl spoke in between her hiccups. 'Mere Abi Aaka ki fauj mein hain..........vo unke saath jung par gaye hain.......... Valida bohot beemaar hain aur unke ilaaj ke liye hum Abi ki tankhwa maange aaye hain...........par ye log Baba ko maar rahe hain.' she ended up crying more.

'Sultana-'

'Khamosh!' she glared at the guard who was about to give her explanation. She turned to the man and asked calmly 'Abi kya hua hai?'

'Sultana, meri bazaar mein ek choti si dukaan hai, uss se itna kharcha nikal nahi pata hai.............Beta fauj mein hai aur iss waqkt jung par gaya hai..........uski tankhwa bhi bohot zada hai...........humne socha ki yahan aakar uski tankhwa ki guzrish kareinge toh begum ki jaan bach jayegi.............par yahan aakar hume kaha gaya ki jab tak sipahi wapis nahi aa jaate tab tak unki tankhwa unke parivaar walon ko nahi millegi.............jab maine iss baat ko galat kaha toh mere saath ye hua.' the man told her and Mehrimah frowned. This was not the justice served in Osman's imperial house.

'Sirf hum hi nahi Sultana...........har sipahi ke gharwale roz ki zarooraton ke liye tadap rahe hain.' the man told him and Mehrimah's anger just rose. It has been a month since Sultan departed for Baghdad and these bastards were already betraying his trust on them. 

If Istanbul, the imperial capital, is suffering like this............what must be the condition in other parts of the sultanate?

'Aapke bete ki kitne tankhwa hai?' she asked the man.

'50 sone ki asharfiyan, Sultana.' the man answered. (50 gold coins for a month!!😯....Ottoman empire was really rich😂😂)

'Sumbul Agha!'

'Ji Sultana!' Sumbul Agha came forward.

'Ye jitni keh rahe hain inhe utni rakm se nazwza jaye!' she ordered. Sumbul Agha bowed to her.

She turned to guards and said in a stern tone 'Agli baar kissi ke saath aisa karne se pehle ye soch lena ki tab kaisa lagega jab aisa tumhare gharwalon ke saath ho!' The guards kept their heads low in shame.

'DESTUR!!! HASEKI MEHRIMAH SULTAN HAZRATLERI!!!'

All the Pashas stood up and stared at the patterned window behind behind the empty throne of the Sultan, expecting Mehrimah to show up there and speak to them through it, like all the woman of the royal family always did.