Mistress of the Throne (The Mughal intrigues) by Gupta Ruchir Read Free Book Online

like a servant girl.”
    I slowly turned livid. I tried ignoring her as always, but to no avail.
    She sneered, “Manu, make sure the lentils in the khichdi aren’t too hard, or else
you’ll
have stomach pains.” Yet another backhanded slap at my cooking. I prayed she’d leave. But she peeked over my shoulder into the bowl and added: “That doesn’t look like khichdi…”
    “
Begum Kandari
!” I yelled. “This is khichdi! I know because I cooked it, because the Padishah Begum commanded me to. She could’ve commanded you, too, and you would’ve had to do it, because she’s the Padishah Begum and you’re not!”
    Kandari arched backwards in astonishment, but I wasn’t finished. “Maybe she didn’t trust a minor begum like you, so she had me, the Begum Sahiba, cook for Manu. Now, as the Begum Sahiba, I command you to leave Manu’s chambers. Perhaps I will have you make us some ginger tea later! Understand?”
    Kandari began to shake, and tears swelled in her eyes. By now an entire crowd of zenana women had gathered and were murmuring, hands over their mouths. “Hay Allah, listen to this girl! Hay Allah!” But none dared address me directly. One of them then grabbed Kandari’s hand and began to lead her away.
    As the women cleared off, I noticed my mother had been watching and listening to everything in the back, and she now slowly made her way forward. I was too nervous and upset to address her, for I knew she’d be upset with me. I turned my back to her and resumed feeding Manu, as though I hadn’t noticed my mother was there.
    I heard her walking towards me, but didn’t acknowledge her. In my mind I began reciting what I’d say to her if she reprimanded me for speaking rudely to my stepmother: I’d tell her I’d had no choice because the taunts were becoming unbearable; how to some extent Ami herself was responsible for this outburst because she never came to my rescue; how I never coveted this title, but was being abused by everyone in the zenana; and the person responsible for this abuse was Kandari, who was inciting everyone to treat me this way.
    Ami put her hand on my shoulder. I was ready for her. I would tell her this much and more. She slowly lowered her head while I continued to feed Manu, and looking the other way she said quietly, “Well done, my child!”
    We all congregated in the Diwan-i-khas a few days later to witness the sentencing for Manu’s heinous poisoning. Aba had learned from his spies the identity of the culprit who’d instructed Hamid Shah to poison Manu. We were all disillusioned to learn this, but we had to keep our emotions private.
    The women of the zenana were looking from their grilled screens as Dara and Shuja stood next to the throne, with Aurangzeb a short distance away. The nobles all stood in front of the Emperor as Hamid Shah was again brought in.
    Aba shouted sternly, “You have been accused of aiding in the plot to murder Begum Manbhavati! And we now know that the person who instructed you to mix poison in her food was none other than my own son, Prince Aurangzeb.” There was a short pause. Everyone was shocked by this disturbing news.
    No one knew for sure, but the rumour around the zenana was that Aurangzeb was opposed to all the Hindu rituals Manu was bringing into the Mughal household. Fearing that she was polluting the household, he’d tried to kill her
    Aba said, “I cannot excuse what you did, but I also cannot punish you more harshly than I do my son, because his crime was graver than yours. I therefore nullify your earlier sentence of death and instead banish you from my kingdom. You are not to show yourself in the Mughal dominion ever again. Should you do so, be assured an elephant’s foot will meet your chest!”
    The prisoner began to weep but didn’t beg for a softer sentence. Sensing he’d just narrowly escaped death, he probably took the banishment as a boon.
    “Now, Prince Aurangzeb. Because you are my son I cannot treat you like a