The Fallen Widow

38. Race for Jahanpur: Part I

The grit spit from under Shafiq's bald tyres as he speeded around the corner winding through the narrow alley ways just missing the oncoming fruit cart. Earlier, when his apprentice burst into his garage with news that the Choudhary kidnapped his wife on her way to the river, Shafiq jumped onto the motorbike that was left in his garage for a tyre change. His fingers tips blackened with grease, wearing his tool belt, he revved the engine onto the bumpy road.
"The motorcycle is dangerous!" Yelled Razaq, his twelve year old apprentice. "The tyres won't hold the ground."

Shafiq disregarded his safety. Why did he allow Meh'r-Bano to go to the river? Why was Tasneem a stubborn mule? He should have stood his ground and laced her morning chai with extra pills. That would have kept his wife bed bound.
Shafiq tapped his boot on the ground, slowing his motorcycle to stop. He finally was at a standstill yards away from the gate. He parked his motorcycle under a tree and rushed to the gate. Was Meh'r-Bano at the haveli?
"Where is she?" He asked the guards. "Where have they taken my wife?"
The guards had no time for the greasy man.
"Where is she?"
After five minutes of arguing with the guards, Wajahat Ali appeared sending fear through Shafiq recalling the day he marched into his home.
"What does he want?" Wajahat asked the guards as if Shafiq was invisible.
"Where is Meh'r-Bano? She was on the way to the river, and she was kidnapped."
Wajahat Ali glared at Shafiq turning his nose at him.
"She's working here!"
A sliver of relief passed Shafiq. Swiftly, he was compounded with worry. Why was she back? If she was in bed, they would not have taken her.
"I want to see her."
"Get rid of him." Said Wajahat Ali turning to the gate.
"When is she coming home?" Shafiq yelled.
"She will do her duty and return in the evening. Now piss off!"
Shafiq decided that tonight, when Meh'r-Bano returned he would lace her milk with stronger pills. He had to stop her.

***
Over the next few days, Meh'r-Bano's health took a turn for the worse. Fatigue, dizziness plagued her that she couldn't get out of her bed. Lying in bed, thoughts circled tighter and tighter drifting to the haveli. Jahanzaib was a good man. Son of Shah Jahan. The rightful heir to the throne. Her mind spun a web of dreams that he could bring true.
"If only he would visit the quarry, and see those poor kids." Her heavy eyes lids struggled to open. Her mind clogged she couldn't think straight.
"I must get back to the haveli." Meh'r-Bano mumbled and fell asleep.

After warnings from the haveli, Shafiq was forced to send Meh'r-bano back to the haveli for a day. He was terrified of Wajahat Ali's boot kicking in his door. It was four days later when Meh'r-Bano returned to the haveli. Making her way in she found the maids engaged in a frenzy of cleaning and preparation. Shamim didn't waste time and threw a discoloured grey rag at Meh'r-Bano. She handed her a yellow bucket, full with soapy cold water ordering her to join the army of maids to scrub and polish Shah Nawaz's haveli floors. Who was coming?
Inside the hallway, Meh'r-Bano joined two young girls who buzzed with energy as they were called into the haveli.
"What's going on?" Meh'r-Bano kneeled down and joined two young girls.
"Don't you know? We have been cleaning for days." Said the young girl dressed in a blue dressed buttoned to her chin swallowing her neck. Her hands moved with force working into the white marble tile. Kaki looked at the ground and stared at her teeth to see her reflection.
"The bride is coming. No one has ever seen her." Said the other girl, describing Emaan from the rumours she heard.
"She is pure and spent her life behind one hundred veils and has read the Quran over a thousand times." Kaki exaggerated.
"Bride?" Meh'r-Bano stared at the girl who circled her hair behind her ear.
"She's very beautiful and pure. She has eyes as blue as the sea. Her lips are red as a rose. She will sure suit our Choudhary Saab."
Meh'r-Bano sighed deeply looking at her hands moving in a semi-circle motion trying to keep focused.
"She is from Kharagpur, sworn enemies. But this marriage will end all wars. She will fix our Choudhary Shah Nawaz. All the drinking, the mujras, the women, it will stop. Our Choudhary will change."
Was this Shah Nawaz's tactic to take Jahanpur? A union between Jahanpur and Kharagpur meant Shah Nawaz was in a strong position to lead Jahanpur.
"When is she coming?" Asked Meh'r-Bano squeezing the cold water out of her cloth.
"Just like Captain Khan. Do you remember when he was young and playing cricket?"
"Oh yes!" Said Kaki. "He went with that rich gori? What's her name?"
The girls plucked random names from the air.
"Diana."
"Elijabeth."
"Jemima!" Said Meh'r-Bano. "When is she coming?" Her tone sharp. She wanted an answer.
"Then he married that crazy journalist-"
"And now look- masha'Allah- he has married a pure, religious woman and he became rich and won the elections. It was all the women's spiritual energy."
"Good women are for strong men and make them leaders."
Meh'r-Bano dunked her rag into the yellow bucket unable to get an answer from the maids as they were absorbed in love stories and spinning romantic tales of the bride and the Choudhary. The maids explained the order of the panchayat. If Shah Nawaz married Emaan, he would certainly take Jahanpur, where would that leave Jahanzaib? Time was running out for Jahanzaib.