Translated from the Bengali into English by Jahidul Alam
This is the matter withZenana. It is a matter of honour if known outside and so the Ameer himself started the investigation. After the inquiry the Ameer Murad Ben-Hammad Al-Julfikar entered into the Shishmohol and sat on his easy chair. He is much worried and the reflection is on his face. He rests his right leg on the soft bedstead in front of him. A beautiful maid came fast and taking the leg on her lap started massaging it. The Ameer started relieving on the chair. As he looked tensed, another maid came and started wheedling his head.
The Ameer shouts, ‘Water’
All maids know well what it means. The trolley is always ready. A maid brings it to the Ameer
‘Madeira’
The Ameer is a bit kind today. He is not like that always. And then, the maids are in deep waters. They have to serve the drinks keeping pace with the Ameer’s temperament, time and place. If anything wrong happens, they must face the terrible dressing down. And if anybody commits any grave mistake, there is no deliverance. They are sent from the Shishmohol to the Beowamoholor to the unbounded grief of theKharijamohol.
The Zenana is encompassed with a loftywall within a wide space. The Shishmohol is in-between the Zenana. To the four sides, there are the four Begummohol. The Ameer maintains the revealed laws strictly. He does not keep more than four wives at a time. It is the Ameer’s familial prohibition to touch a pregnant woman or a woman with children. So, a pregnant woman is immediately deserted. She has to go toKharijamoholleaving Begummohol. She is given monthly food and expenses there. A new Wife is welcomed in the empty Begummohol.
To the surroundings of theBegummohol, there is a wall not that much high. Behind this wall, there are rows of brick built houses which are collectively called Kharijaamohol. The deserted wives of the Ameer live here. Some one hundred and fifty houses are there. But, still seventy two houses are empty.
Behind Kharijamohol, there are some more houses close to the main wall of the Zenana. The collective name of these houses is Beowamohol. The existing fifty six wives of the present Ameer’s father late Ameer Hammad Ben- Jafor Al- Babor live in this house.
Two begums from Kharijamohol and one from Beowamohol are lost. The Ameer himself went for investigation after getting the news. After the query, he comes to the conclusion that, they have accompanied the begums as guides for money.
A maid comes with a beaker full of wine. Sitting on the carpet in front of the Ameer, she offers the cup to him. The Ameer finishes the cup with sips.
The maid goes to fill the cup again. The Ameer is filled with thoughts: What will they do going out of the Zenana? Will they remarry? O God! O God! They were my partners once. How would they be the partners of common people!
The Ameer is trembling with anger. He stands up and going to the room beside brings out some photo albums. He collects the photos of the three run away begums in accordance with the names and addresses taken earlier. Again, he starts writing down on a piece of paper, ‘The two begums of Kharijamohol and one of Beowamohol have run away’. But, thinking again, he throws away the paper tearing it apart. Again, he takes another piece of paper and writes: ‘Three maids of the Zenana have fled away. Their photos are attached hereby. The must be caught anyhow. With them, there are three eunuch bondservants also.’ The letter along with the three photos is sealed in the envelope and sent to the Chief of the Detective.
He again sits on the easy chair and takes five glasses consecutively. Even though, he could not get free from these shameful incident.
He thinks at a time: Days ago, the alimony of the begums was cut down half. Isn’t it the reason to run away from the Zenana?
The kingdom of Distan is situated on the beach of the sea. The income was solely dependent on the mines of Manganese. The British company used to pay fifty lacs pound per annum in the treasury as a ‘royalty money’ of this mineral. Of late, two mines have been exhausted cutting the income down to thirty lacs. As a result the expenditures of the different sections have also been cut down. That’s why, he has ordered to reduce the alimony of the Begums to half.
The convoluted mind of the Ameer advances like a reptile. He is determined, ‘Yes, this is the reason, and nothing else.’
The Ameer stands up, staggers to the lift and goes on the roof. The electric rope-chair was already ready there. He climbs up the hanging rope-chair that leads him to the royal chamber over the wall.
He goes into the discussion room, sits down and calls the Ujeeremergency.
On the front table of the Ameer, there are some foreign illustrated magazines. He likes reading newspapers along with the pictures. And so, his tables are adorned with these foreign magazines and periodicals. Taking one, he starts watching the photographs. The orderly man brings some visiting cards on the mosaic golden trayand keeps in front of him. Taking a stolen glance, he frowns a bit. Taking one from there, he sees—Ameerjada Joad Ben Murad.
The Ameer thinks, ‘Well, he is Ameerjada, but of which Begum? How would I get it? Rubbish!’
Deeply annoyed. He says, ‘standard –bearer’. The princes bear this mark on their left arms and the princesses on their vocals. Those born of the maids’ womb wear the marks made of silver.
The orderly is about to go out to bring the mark. The Ameer prevents all on a sudden and says, ‘Wait, no need. Ask the clerk to come with the birth -record book.’
The clerk hastens with the record.
The Ameer sends the visiting card to the clerk.
The clerk starts looking for the name in the record book but fails. The Ameer realizes- Joad must have been from the womb of a maid.
He gets angry. He babbles biting his lips, ‘Huh, that bloody maid’s son has given birth to Ameerjada. What an audacity!’
He wants to call him and give a warning. But he prevents himself as he thinks it ill-omened to see the face of the maid’s son. He takes the pen from the pen stand and cutting the word Ameerjada sends the card back: No time to meet.
The Ujeer comes. They discuss about the alimony of the Begums. To meet up the alimony, it will take twenty five lacs kuna per annum. The ten Kunas of Distan equal one pound.
The Ameer asks, ‘Is there no possibility to get another mine?’
‘No possibility, Your Majesty. The British and the Americans have already looked for that in the whole country
‘What’s the way, then?’
‘There is a way, Your majesty’
‘Yes, yes! Got a way. Please withdraw the irrigation system. That is not that much necessary. Allah has made it a desert. He does what is good for us. He would be unhappy if his will is hampered’
‘Exactly, Your majesty! We should not be sinners going against the wills of Allah by these irrigations and others.’
‘Exactly, you have got me.’
‘But, Your majesty, withdrawing the irrigation system would save us only fifteen lacs kuna. The rest ten lacs?’
‘Yeh, What should I say! Yes- yes— impose the tax.’
‘Getting no more way to impose tax, Your majesty. Three kuna per person has already been imposed for the irrigation. If again–’
‘Think awhile, you will get the way certainly.’
The Ujeer gets immersed with thoughts.
Turning the leaf, the Ameer keeps looking at the pictures in the Chitre Bissho Barta.
Impeding the Ujeer, The Ameer says, ‘Look, Mr. Ujeer, look at the foolish ways of the non-believer.’
He pushes the magazine to the Ujeer.
The Ujeer sees – the replica of the world famous oil painting ‘Juliet’ drawn by the magician of paintbrush Michael.
The Ameer laughs, ‘An English non-believer has bought this picture of woman by forty thousand pounds. Ha- ha – ha. Why are the pictures of women with forty thousand pounds? You can buy the ten real women of ten countries with the amount! Eh, what do you think?’
‘Exactly, Your majesty. They can’t marry more than one, that’s why perhaps. It is a type of perversion: distortion.’
‘Certainly, it is a strange type of perversion.’ He asks after a pause, ‘Got any way?’
‘Yes, got a way, Your majesty. This time we can impose the tax on the date tree’
The Ameer’s worried face becomes brighter
He waves the hand and says, ‘Yes, yes. You have got the right way.’
‘But, Your majesty, it would be very difficult to collect the taxes. They are very poor.’
‘Yes, they are poor, it’s true. But Allah has created them poor. What would we do? Don’t they need to pay the taxes because they are poor?’
Pausing a bit, he says again, ‘You do that. Employ the workers to count the number of date trees of the country.’
After three months long searching out, one from the three run away wives has been found out. Her eunuch mate has also been caught.
The Ameer comes to the glasshouse. He calls for the leader of the eunuch guards as soon as he comes.
The leader Dilbahar, with the ladies attire, comes and after a bow stands in front of the Ameer.
‘The criminal!’ The Ameer shouts like a thunderbolt.
‘Should I bring, Your majesty?’
‘Sure! Yes, I forgot, what’s the name of the Begum?
‘Begum Gulfam.’
‘Bring her.’
Rocking the waist, the leader Dilbahar goes out, and comes back after a while. Behind her is Begum Gulfam. She is following the leader with hesitant steps as if the floor under her feet were dwindling. After a bow, she stands in front of the Ameer with folded hands!
As the Ameer waves his hands, the leader and all the other maids go out. He looks at the Begum with blood-shot eyes. Suddenly he gets stuck under the Begum’s waist and flinches at the sight. Leaving the chair, he stands up. Moving some steps forward he again, observes it minutely. Again looking at Begum, he asks seriously, ‘How did it happen?’
The Begum doesn’t answer. She is trembling like a bird caught in the clutch.
‘Answer, give me a reply.’
Begum’s eyes get again lower.
‘How did it happen?’
Getting no reply, he asks again, ‘Who is responsible for that? Tell me, answer.’
‘My husband.’ A closed mouth of a cave speaks as if with a feeble sound.
‘Husband? It’s me.’
‘You left me five years ago, Your majesty! I have again got married.’
‘Married! Who, who is your husband? What is the name?’
‘Jul Kodor.’
‘Jul Kodor! Who is he?’
‘The servant at Kharijamohol’
‘Servant! ‘Eunuch he is.’
Gulfam can speak nothing. She is trembling with fear
The Ameer feels as if his whole body is nettled. He shouts, ‘Dilbahar.’
‘Your majesty!’ the leader of the eunuchs comes running.
‘The second criminal!’ shouts the Ameer.
The hand- tied criminal is presented.
The Ameer’s eyes are sparkling with fire. He looks at the criminal. There is no sign of beard or moustache on her face.
‘Is he a eunuch?’
The eunuch guards keep long hair and wear clothes like a girl. But this guard has worn a man’s dress and got a man’s haircut.
The Ameer readily understands- it’s not a eunuch, a beardless man rather.
He withdraws his eyes. It was better rather not to see his face. The country proverb goes: If you see the face of a beardless, danger comes, sorrow comes.
The Ameer thinks a while. What is the punishment of this serious offence? Death? Of course death, but he can’t determine the way. His face is tempered with anger and hatred. Raising his left hand he waves with his little finger- let this beardless man be taken away, be taken away from here.
The night grows deeper. The Ameer strolls in the largest musical soiree, and again sits on the sofa relaxingly. He takes the cup of liquor. The Begum of Chouthamohol has already sent the bouquet of flowers for three times consecutively. Today this is her turn. But he has no attention to that. He burns fiercely with anger and pain. He is no less angry with himself. The same thing comes to his mind again and again: In the ancient days the Kings would buy the slaves and give the shelters in the Zenana. And like a stupid, he has brought all the eunuchs of the country and given rehabilitate in the Zenana. His aim was loftier to nourish these deformed men. Now he is getting the due result.
Again he thinks: The task in great. Even his great enemy would not deny that. But before letting them entry into the Zenana, every eunuch should have been tested. The Zenana leader Dilbahar is responsible for that.
Now all the anger shifts to the leader! He was given the task of gathering the eunuchs from every corner of the country. He has ignored his duty tremendously. Death penalty would be his real punishment.
The Ameer takes the decision to test all the eunuchs of the Zenana. But, how is it possible? The task should not be shouldered upon any doctor or anyone outside the Zenana. People can easily know it then, it is the matter of honour. No, I should rather get the work done by Dilbahar, the criminal of death sentence. This would be the best way. The main witness of the incident of Zenana is Dilbahar. With the death of Dilbahar, the scandal would be covered up.
‘Di’bahar.’ shouts the Ameer.
Dilbahar has been waiting outside the Shishmohol. Hearing the call, he comes running, stands in front after a bow.
The Ameer orders with a low voice, ‘Go! Complete the task tonight and inform me tomorrow.’
The Ameer awakes much later in the Chouthamohol. The Begum gives the news: The leader Dilbahar has escaped with five eunuchs.
Glossary
Shishmohol – Glasshouse
Beowamohol- Reserved house
Kharijamohol- Houses for the deserted wives
Begummohol- Houses for the wives
Begum- Wife
Ujeer- Minister of the King or Ameer
Ameerjada- The prince/ son of Ameer
Kuna- The Kuna is the currency unit in several Slavic states, most notably Kievan Rus and its successors until the early 15th century
Chitre Bissho Barta- Name of a magazine
Couthamohol- House of one of the wives
Translated by Jahidul Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Comilla University
———————–
Translated by Jahidul Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Comilla University
Illustration : Rajib Dotto
