The Royal Family:
The Ruling Class of Kolachi
That
was a fine evening. A great merriment and dance was underway in King Ruru’s
palace—a usual sight in the royal palace of Kolachi! However, that day was
different, for our king’s love affair had taken a new but pleasant twist; he’d
appointed his beloved, Neelamal, as his new chief minister, and she was sitting
beside him on the throne.
The
king was in his fifties—not too old to fall for someone in her thirties, and
beautiful like Neelamal. His wife Ambika, the queen of Kolachi, who was the
princess of the neighboring state of Alore, had died a few weeks ago, relieving
the king from the bondage of marriage to enter the new relationship!
Despite
all his satisfaction and happiness, our king wasn’t fit to rule our country; that
was because of his dementia. He was prone to lose his memory, persistently,
after every two or three days, due to a strange fit that would temporarily omit
the mnemic inscriptions from his mind, only to be recovered after a few hours.
Although he would usually regain his memory within a few hours, the frequency
of those fits, and their impact on him, had left him invalid for the state
affairs.
The
king, like most of the kings, wanted to be a king, forever, or at least,
throughout his life; it was such a pleasure for him to rule his country that
despite his disability, he hadn’t yet given the throne to the crown prince,
even though he was expected to do so when he’d developed that dementia a few
years ago. Instead of leaving the throne, the king had decided to appoint a
wise and beautiful chief minister to handle his affairs, needless to say to the
dismay of his son.
They
had gathered in a big rectangular hall, to initiate the celebrations of the
birthday of the mother goddess Ghaghar. Though the actual birthday was some
three weeks ahead. The irony of it was that our mother goddess, the mighty
Ghaghar, had already died, only 25 years ago! Her alternate, Birha, whose
reincarnation the king had taken the opportunity to present to his people that
day, was there in the form of Neelamal. So, in a sense— and that was the
commonly prevailing sense in our city then— it was a party to say goodbye to
the older goddess, and to welcome the new one!
The
king was proudly seated on his precious throne; fixed under a golden canopy,
carved with beautiful trellis work on its front and sides. On the sides of the
king’s throne, stood his attendants; two women, with an air of indifference on
their faces, as if they had no idea of life other than their present
occupation. They were perpetually fanning the king and his beautiful companion,
with large peacock wings.
O
Marvi,
the beautiful 18 years old daughter of Kaido Pruhit, the head of our religious
class, was anxiously waiting for her beloved Raju, the son of the business
community chief of Kolachi! She was attending the royal gathering that evening
with her father and mother. Her servant Buddho, who had drove them to the venue
in a cab, was serving the people sitting around in the hall. Marvi considered
him as her friend and not a servant.
Her
mother Bhagi, the wife of the chief priest, was talking to the mother of Raju,
Reshman, the wife of the chief of business class, Ram Lal. The two ladies,
unlike their husbands, who were the rivals of each other, were old friends, and
weren’t much interested in the politics prevailing in the city. The two ladies
were sitting close to her. Her father
was busy talking to the elites of Kolachi in another corner of the hall.
They
were sitting on a beautiful velvety, blue and red carpet. The artwork on that
carpet was simply beautiful, reflecting a scene in which a lover was shown
chasing his beloved in a beautiful bower, full of flowers and singing birds,
imploring her to accept his love, with a red rose in his hands, apparently to
no avail. She thought that the lover in
the scene was Raju and she was the girl. Then she’d waved her hand to caress
the hair of the boy in the scene. As she waved her hand over the delicate long woolen
threads on the carpet they waved like long grass leaves in the wind.
“How beautiful is she!” Said the mother of
Raju to the mother of Marvi, while looking towards Neelamal, who was regarded
as the icon of beauty and wisdom in the city of Kolachi.
“She
has bewitched the king by her beauty!” Said Raju’s mother. Marvi looked towards
Neelamal and admired her dress. She was wearing a white Ghaghra and Choli that
was beautifully and skillfully embroidered with golden threads—a skill our women
possessed at the level of perfection.
“Do
you know she doesn’t belong to our country”, Said Bhagi, Marvi’s mother.
“It’s
something to which her extraterrestrial beauty, undeniably and convincingly
testifies.” Said Marvi. She wanted to participate in their talk
“Where
is she from?” Asked Bhagi to her daughter, who had for the time being forgotten
that she was waiting for Raju.
“Her
ancestors came from the banks of the Nile in Egypt— the mystery land which may
have something to do with her supreme constitution— some fifty years ago.” Said
Marvi in a dreaming voice. She liked her very much. She was her idol.
“How
beautifully she has adorned her. I’ve never seen a woman more skillful than her
in this art.” Said Reshman.
“She
has lived in the South, where she excelled in the 64 liberal arts of our times.
That’s why she is so skillful!” Said Marvi.
“Why
she left that place then?” Asked Reshman.
“I’ve
heard that a Pruhit killed her husband because he wanted to marry her. So she migrated
to our city, 10 years ago, with her son Nala.” Said Bhagi.
“A
Pruhit?” Reshman asked for confirmation.
“Yes!
A Pruhit.” Said Bhagi.
“What
about your husband Kaido. Is he still after her?” Asked Reshman in a low voice.
She didn’t want Marvi to hear this.
“He
was crazy for her. But my father interfered and stopped him.” Said Bhagi in a
low voice while looking towards her husband who was busy talking to a group of
man. She took a sigh of relief to find that he wasn’t looking at Neelamal. Then
she turned her attention to Reshman.
“What
about your husband Ram Lal. Is he living with you now or not?” Asked Bhagi.
“No!
He only visits us once in a year. He doesn’t live with us, and even today he is
coming from his apartment, not to greet king like us, but to attend a political
meeting.” Said Reshman in a low but sad voice.
A tear slipped on her pale cheek. Her husband Ram Lal, the head of the
business community had abandoned his family and lived alone. Bhagi caressed her.
The two then kept quiet for some time.
“Is
it because of some other woman that he lives away?” Asked Bhagi.
“No!
He lives away due to his political ambitions!” Said Reshman, and looked towards
the entrance where she saw her sons Raju and Arun entering the hall. Her
husband hadn’t come with them.
“They
have come, but their father isn’t with them!” Reshman pointed out. Bhagi looked
towards the entrance and took a deep sigh. She was sad on her behalf.
In
the meantime, Marvi left her place for she’d seen Raju entering the hall. He was18. He was handsome, tall and fair. He’d
arch like eyebrows, covering his black eyes, and a broad forehead. He was with
his elder brother Arun. She straightaway went to him. The two mothers looked at
their kids talking to each other.
“Have
you settled her marriage?” Asked Reshman. She’d noticed on many occasion that
her son Raju took interest in Marvi.
“Yes!
She was engaged to Saido in her childhood. He’s the nephew of my husband. But
we don’t want to marry her to him.” Said Bhagi.
“Why?”
Asked Raju’s mother, while looking towards her sons who were talking to Marvi.
“He
isn’t a good boy. We don’t like him, but we can’t break the engagement until we
find her a good match!” Said Marvi’s mother.
“Are
you looking for a Pruhit boy?” Asked Reshman.
“Strictly
a Pruhit boy. Her father is very strict in the matters of caste!” Said Bhagi.
Reshman,
the mother of Raju was quietly looking at the entrance where her boy Raju was
busy talking to Marvi.
O
“Why
are you so late?” Marvi asked Raju.
“We
were waiting for father, but he said that he would come afterwards.” Said Raju.
“How
are you Arun?” Marvi turned her attention towards Raju’s elder brother.
“I
am fine, how are you?” Asked Arun, and in the meantime, Buddho came with a
flask of wine and clay pots.
“What
would my friends like?” Red or white!” Buddho mimed the typical royal
attendants. Buddho was tall and well built, with a serene and kind face; besides
his dress, there wasn’t anything in him that was like slaves or Haries.
“I
am observing that you are taking special interest in that dancing girl!” Marvi
teased Raju. Raju looked towards the girl.” Not a bad choice!” Said Raju
admiringly.
“You
aren’t allowed to admire anyone as long as I am standing in front of you!” Said
Marvi and hit Raju’s arm with a fist.
“Go
and ask her name for me!” Buddho requested Marvi, who then reached the place
where a group of musicians was playing a soothing music on the string
instruments. Two girls were dancing on the rhythm, amidst the rattling of wine
pots and flasks. She’d asked one of those two girls.
“What’s
your name?”
“Momal!”
The girl had replied without discontinuing her dance, with a heart touching
smile. Marvi came back where she was talking to Buddho and Raju.
“Momal!”
Said Marvi. Her name is Momal.
“Ah!
Her name is beautiful like her!” Said Buddho and closed his eyes for a while.
“Where
is Arun?” Asked Buddho as he opened his eyes.
“He
was here just a moment ago!” They all searched for Arun, who was standing with
his father, Ram Lal.
“He
keeps himself busy with his father. Why don’t you hang around with him?” Marvi
asked Raju.
“Leave
this question. I don’t like him. He has left our mother without even leaving
her completely!” Said Raju and he sounded bitter. Marvi didn’t like it when he
got bitter so she abandoned the topic.
Then
they filled their glasses of wine and drank and talked. They were standing in a
corner of the hall. On the roof of the hall, hanged a big chandelier,
surrounded in a beautiful pattern by the smaller ones, producing a daylight
effect in the middle of the hall. However, that effect had dimmed into a
melancholic glow, as it had reached the side wall where the three of them were
standing.
“Look
at these paintings on this wall Raju.” Said Marvi while pointing towards the
work of renowned artists on the walls. The wine had some impact on her. She was
looking more expressive then. “The gods
and goddesses, under this dim light are looking drunk!” Said Marvi. “I think
you are drunk now!” Said Buddho in a teasing manner, and Marvi had shown him a
fist. The three then looked towards those paintings in which gods and goddesses
were involved in exotic acts; goddesses preying on fierce lions and tigers, and
male deities, meditating under the huge Peepal trees in their spiritual
defiance surrounded by venomous cobras. Such paintings were present in almost
each household of our city, to keep the religious fervor alive in the busy
residents.
It
was Buddho’s voice that recalled their attention back.
“Oh
God! My father has come along with mother!” Said Buddho. There was a panic in
his voice, and that panic was visible everywhere. His father was the fiercest
bandit Kashmira; the head of the slave community. He was going towards the
place where Ram Lal and Kaido the priest were talking with a group of people. A
silence had prevailed in the hall then.
“Can
he visit the royal palace like this?” Asked Raju, while looking amazingly
towards the father of Buddho, Kashmira, who was passing through the hall amidst
a relative silence. The soldiers attending the gathering were alert.
“Why
they can’t arrest him now?” Said Raju again.
“No!
They can’t right now, for our age old tradition allows him to attend a
gathering such as this!” Said Marvi.
“How?
I mean why he has this amnesty tonight?” Said Raju, He was still puzzled.
“He’s
the head of the slave community, that’s why! All other heads are present here
tonight. Your father is the head of business community, mine is of the
religious community, and he’s the chief of slaves or the Haries as we call
them.” Said Marvi.
“Couldn’t
they have a law abiding person for the chief of slaves? I mean he’s a bandit! I
don’t mean offence Buddho, but it’s a question!” Said Raju.
“I
don’t take any offence in it if you call my father a bandit. For He’s a bandit,
and I am not very much fond of his profession!” Said Buddho smilingly.
“You
two are disobedient sons. Look at me how I obey my father.” Marvi pinched both
Buddho and Raju as she said this.
“Okay!
We two are disobedient, but tell us why this man, who is a bandit, is allowed
to enter this place tonight?” Asked Raju, as he rubbed his arm where Marvi had
pinched her just a moment ago.
“He’s
the head of the Haris. Our age old traditions acknowledge the fact that our law
discriminates Haris, so they are always expected to rebel against the law.
That’s why our slave class always have a bandit, a rebel of law, as their
chief!” Said Marvi, who was a learned Pruhit girl.
“Where
is your mother Buddho? I haven’t seen her since long!” Asked Marvi.
“She’s
saying hello to your mother.” Buddho pointed towards a tall but dark
complexioned lady with attractive features, meeting the mothers of Raju and
Marvi.
In
the meantime Marvi’s mother called her. Marvi went to her mother.
“Tell your father and Uncle Ram Lal that I and
Reshman want to congratulate the king and Neelamal. After which we will leave.”
Said Bhagi.
“Why
you want to leave so early mother. I want to stay here till late!” Said Marvi,
for she wanted to spend some more time with Raju.
O
The three of them, Marvi, Buddho, and Raju
walked towards the other corner of the hall, where their fathers Kaido Pruhit,
Ram Lal and Kashmira the bandit were talking to each other. The army chief of
Kolachi, Rohil, who was also the son in law of the king, was also expected to
be there, for it was his duty to confront the bandit chief in all circumstances.
Tonight he was supposed to confront him not with weapons, but with words. The
three of them wanted to see that most interesting display of tradition.
It
wasn’t that easy to reach that point, for the place was crowded. They crossed
the people sitting in pairs and groups, with their faces sparkling with the
flash of wine, served to them in silver Surahis; a beautiful long necked flask,
very much like the lady sitting on the throne —spherical at the middle, then
narrowed down as it reached its wide conical bottom.
They
finally reached the spot, and for some time, instead of calling the attention
of their fathers towards them, tried to hear what they were talking about.
“Has he appointed her because he admires her
beauty or because he is impressed by her wisdom?” Asked Kaido, the head of the priests
smilingly.
“Difficult
to decide! Her beauty or her wisdom, whichever virtue had merited her to be the
new boss, it must have had a fierce competition with the other, for she’d both
in abundance. She is as wise as she is beautiful!” Said Ram Lal the head of the
business community, while sipping from his wine.
“It
is a decision based on a perfect judgment, for Neelamal is popular among the
business and slave class like elixir among the near death patients. They regard
her as the reincarnation of the goddess Birha. In these turbulent times, when
the class struggle has already peaked, the king wants the support from each of
the four classes” Said a self-proclaimed expert of politics.
“It
is because of his lascivious nature. He can’t live without having beautiful
women around him.” Said Kashmira the bandit.
In the meantime the army chief of Kolachi had also reached there. He was
looking fiercely towards Kashmira.
“Had
it not been the tradition to welcome you on such occasions, I’d have arrested
you. You should stop your vile activities.” Said the army chief.
“You
stop discriminating the Haries, I’ll stop my activities. As long as you are
doing injustice to my people, my rebellion will continue!” Said the bandit, who
knew that the army chief couldn’t arrest him then.
“You
should abide by the law!” Said the army chief. His eyes turned red.
“You
make a law that accepts us slaves as your equals, I will respect it. But this
present law, which allows injustice to the slaves doesn’t commend respect; it
should be broken, and I break it. “Said Kashmira, while his chest heaved. The
people around them were looking towards the two interestingly. That
confrontation took place whenever the thousand years old strange traditions of
Kolachi would allow the bandit chief to visit public gatherings openly.
“What
is wrong with our law?” Said the army chief, while rattling his teeth with
anger.
“Under
your law, my son is the slave of your sons and daughters, though he’s in no way
inferior to them. The only reason; he was born to a slave father. Isn’t it wrong
in your eyes?” Said Kashmira and pulled his son Buddho towards him to show him
to the army chief.
Marvi
couldn’t stop her laughter, for Buddho was looking like an innocent chick in
his father’s grip. As she laughed the people around her laughed too. That
confrontation was likely to continue till the departure of the bandit chief. It
was the traditional duty of the army chief to confront him in the public
gatherings, where he was protected by the sacred and old traditions of Kolachi;
outside those gatherings, the two were deadly enemies.
Marvi
felt that her father wasn’t involved in the discussion, so she called him.
“Father!”
Said Marvi in a loud voice to make her audible amidst the noises resounding in
the hall. Her father heard her, and then she told him what her mother had asked
her to tell him. In a few moments, the three of them were moving towards the
place where the two ladies were sitting. Buddho was still hanging in his
father’s arms, and was serving the role of a living testimony to his father’s
claims of injustice.
O
They
went towards the throne to congratulate the king and his new chief minister
Neelamal. Raju and Arun were also with them. Ram Lal and Kaido Pruhit were
walking behind their wives, and Raju and Arun were behind their father. Marvi
was with her mother.
As
they were making their way towards the throne, Marvi saw the prince of Kolachi,
Bhola, and his sister, Princess Vinika entering the hall. She told her mother.
The
prince was a tall and handsome looking man, of 23, with a strong but slim body.
He’d a kind face, with a broad forehead, and a slightly protruded chin. He wore
long hair that were tied on his back with a band. His sister, Vinika, was ten
years older than him, and was married to the army chief of Kolachi. The prince,
on the other hand, was still unmarried, but he was engaged to the beautiful
princess of the neighboring state of Alore, ruled by his uncle Joginder Pal.
“Aren’t
they late in the party tonight?” Said Marvi’s mother to Reshman.
“It’s
understandable. They are not looking happy with their father’s decision to be
with Neelamal.” Said Reshman, the mother of Raju.
“Ah!
Our late queen Ambika! She was such an admirable lady. The king didn’t even
wait for a month after her death, and brought a new one!” Said Bhagi.
“Let’s
first meet them, for the king looks too busy right now!” Said Reshman, and the
two ladies asked their husbands to wait for them right there, and went towards
the prince and the princess. Marvi went with them.
“How
are you princess?” Said Bhagi and hugged her. After her Reshman did the same.
“We
are alright!” How are you? The princess had asked the two ladies.
“Have
you married her? She has grown into a charming lady!” Said the princess and hugged
Marvi.
“No,
but we are thinking to do it as soon as possible.” Said Bhagi, the mother of
Marvi.
“How
are you prince? And how is your fiancée, princess Heer?” Asked Reshman to the
prince, who smiled.
“I
am fine and she must be fine too.” Said the prince, but he wasn’t looking
happy. “Will you excuse us for a while?” The prince had asked politely and then
the two of them, the prince and the princess, went towards a corner of the
hall.
The
two ladies along with Marvi had come back to their place to greet the king.
Their husbands were waiting for them. Upon reaching there they met the king and
Neelamal. After which Ram Lal had asked his wife to excuse him, for he wanted
to have an important meeting with the king. Ram Lal then went with the prime minister
of Kolachi, Sadhu Ram, towards a lonely corner of the Hall. Kaido Pruhit had
also decided to leave and Marvi had to leave the party, though unwillingly.
They had called Buddho, who had to drive them to their home in the priest
neighborhood. However, Marvi had asked Raju to meet him tomorrow. She wanted to
attend the festival of goddess Birha at the Hari neighborhood with him and
Buddho. She’d already told her mother that she wouldn’t be at home for the
whole day, but she hadn’t told her where she intended to go. She’d just told
her that she was willing to visit one of her friends and wanted Buddho to be
with her as her cab driver.
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