by Premchand
‘Your Highness, we, your humble slaves, have not committed any mistake. All the keys of the treasury have been handed over to your commander-in-chief.’
Nadir Shah said, ‘You have committed treachery.’
The vizier raised his eyebrows. ‘The sword is in your hand, and we are weak. Say what you will, but I cannot accept this accusation.’
‘Is it necessary to provide you with evidence?’
‘Yes, because the punishment for treachery is death, and no one would agree to be executed without cause.’
‘I do have evidence, although Nadir has never provided evidence to anyone. He is the emperor by his own will, and he considers giving evidence a detriment to his glory. But this is a personal matter. Why have you hidden the Mughal-e-Azam?’
The colour drained from the vizier’s face. The diamond is dearer than life to the emperor, he thought. He doesn’t let it out of his possession for even a moment. How can I tell him? It will be such a shock to him. His realm is gone, his treasure is gone, his respect is gone. He only retains this one symbol of the empire. Oh, how can I tell him? It’s possible that in anger he might throw it away somewhere or smash it. It’s only human nature to think it better to destroy a thing rather than give it up to an enemy. The emperor is the emperor. He may lose his country, his prestige, his army, but it is impossible to wipe out a lifetime of self-will in one day. If Nadir doesn’t get the diamond, there’s no telling what cruelties he will inflict on Delhi. I am getting goose bumps just thinking about it. God forbid Delhi see such a day again.
Nadir asked abruptly, ‘I’m still waiting for your answer. Is this not enough evidence of your treachery?’
‘Your Highness, that diamond is dearer to the emperor than his life. He never parts with it.’
‘Don’t lie to me. The diamond belongs to the emperor and not the other way round. By saying that the diamond is dearer to the emperor than his own life, you mean only that the diamond is very precious to the emperor, and this is no reason why I should not take it from him. If he won’t give it to me easily I know what I have to do. You go and handle this matter with the same delicate sense that you displayed yesterday. Aah, what a wonderful couplet!’
Your glance’s sword has severed every head
For more, you’ll have to resurrect the dead.
3
The vizier left, wondering how to solve the problem. When he reached the emperor’s chamber, he saw that the emperor had the diamond in his hand and was looking really preoccupied.
At the moment the emperor was worrying about the diamond like a waylaid traveller who doesn’t want to give up his honour willingly. He knew that Nadir knew about the diamond. He also knew that Nadir was really angry about not finding it in the treasury. But he still had no intention of giving up the diamond. The dying man will not let go of his last breath, even if it kills him. Oh, where should I hide it? The palace is so big that a whole city can fit inside it, but there is no place for such a small thing, just as there is no refuge for an unfortunate one in this wide world! Instead of putting it in a safe place, why not hide it somewhere where no one would think to look for it? Who could guess that I have hidden it in my flagon? Or what if I put it in the base of my hookah? Even the angels won’t be able to find it.
So he put the diamond in the base of his hookah. But he immediately had the feeling that hiding such a precious gem in a place like that was unfitting. What if the tyrant takes a liking to my hookah! He quickly poured the water out of his hookah into a basin and extracted the diamond. The water stank but he didn’t have the courage to call a servant to throw it away. He was afraid that the servant would suspect something.
The emperor had been pondering over this matter when the vizier entered and saluted him. The emperor trusted the vizier completely. But he was so ashamed of his petty action that he could not reveal his secret to him. For a stunned moment he just stared at him.
The vizier started the conversation. ‘The diamond was not found in the treasury today. Nadir was very upset. He told me, “You have cheated me. I’ll raid the city again and slaughter everyone; I’ll turn Delhi into black ashes.” I said, “Sir, you have the right. You may do what you will. But we have given all the keys of the treasury to your commander-in-chief.” He didn’t say anything clearly. He only insinuated. And he’s prowling around restlessly like a hungry jackal, wondering who to sink his teeth into.’
Mohammed Shah said, ‘I’m afraid of sitting in front of him. It’s as if I’m beside a tiger. The tyrant’s eyes are so sharp and terrifying! Is he a man or a devil? And I’m confused about where to hide the diamond. I don’t have any sorrow about the end of the sultanate, but I won’t give up this diamond until someone has me by the neck and seizes it.’
‘God forbid. May Your Majesty’s enemies suffer this insult. May I suggest a strategy? My lord, hide it in your turban. Nadir Shah will never think of looking for it there.’
Mohammed Shah jumped up and said, ‘By God, you’re right. Really, what a good idea! The bully will search here and there and then he’ll take his disappointed face away. Who will search my turban? This is why I named you Luqman. Wise man! It is decided. If you had come a little earlier I wouldn’t have had to bear such a headache.’
4
The next day there was a truce between the two kings. The vizier fell at the feet of Nadir Shah and said respectfully, ‘Now only you can bring this sinking ship to the shore. Otherwise only God can save it. The Hindus have begun to rise up in revolt. The Mahrattas, Rajputs, Sikhs are all gathering their forces. The day we face them in battle will be the day our ship falls into the whirlpool, and having spun around a few times it will sink in the water forever.’ It had been a long time since Nadir Shah had left Iran. Every day there was news about some uprising or rebellion there. Nadir Shah wanted to return as soon as possible. He didn’t have time to establish his regime in Delhi. He agreed to the truce. The kings signed a treaty.
Both kings said their prayers together, ate at the same table, smoked from the same hookah, and, having embraced each other, went to their own places.
Mohammed Shah was happy, not so much about the kingdom, but because the diamond was still in his hands. But Nadir Shah didn’t seem unhappy about not having got the diamond. He spoke to everyone amiably, as if he were the model of mercy and humility.
5
It is morning. Drums of joy are being played in Delhi. Celebrations of happiness are being arranged. Three days ago, rivers of blood were flowing here. Today the tide of happiness is rising. Today Nadir Shah is departing from Delhi.
Lines of camels laden with gold guineas are ready to go, precious goods are being loaded into the carts. The armies of both sides are embracing each other. Yesterday they were thirsty for each other’s blood, today they have become brothers.
Nadir Shah is seated on the throne. Mohammed Shah is also seated on the throne next to him. Here, too, is a scene of mutual love. Nadir Shah smiled and said, ‘May God grant that this truce forever remain intact and permanent. And may God erase the memories of those bloody days from the hearts of the people.’
Mohammed Shah: ‘Nothing will happen to endanger this truce from my side. I will pray to God constantly to preserve our friendship.’
Nadir Shah: ‘All the conditions of the treaty have been met. Only one thing is left. It is a custom among us that upon making a truce, we exchange turbans. Without this ritual, we consider the work of the treaty incomplete. Come, let us exchange our turbans. Here, I offer you mine.’
Nadir Shah took off his turban and offered it to Mohammed Shah. The emperor was shocked. He realized that he had been tricked. The commanders-in-chief of both sides were standing in front of him. He was at a loss for words. There was no way to get out of this situation, nor was there even a moment to think of a scheme. No solution came to his mind. There was no room to refuse. He couldn’t do anything except control his heart. Silently removing his turban, he offered it to Nadir Shah. His hands were shaking, his e
yes full of tears of sorrow and anger. A faint smile appeared on his face, denoting more sorrow and pain than his tears. Perhaps it would have cost him less pain to offer his life.
Nadir Shah, having crossed mountains and rivers, was going to Iran. His heart was leaping with happiness seeing seventy camels and lines of almost as many bull-carts. He was thanking God again and again, whose unlimited grace had made his fame shine. Now he wasn’t only the king of Iran, but also the master of a huge country like India. But the thing he was most happy about was the Mughal-e-Azam, looking at which again and again his eyes’ pleasure was not sated. He was thinking about how he would enter the court wearing this diamond—and how the eyes of everybody at the assembly would dazzle seeing it.
His army was having difficulty finding food and water. Rebel troops were constantly harassing him, and ten or twenty people were being killed daily. But Nadir Shah didn’t have time to stop. He kept going without a pause.
The condition of Iran was very precarious. The prince himself had gone to put down the rebels but the rebellion was becoming more and more terrifying. The royal army had been defeated in several battles. Every moment there was a fear that the king would be surrounded by enemies.
But as soon as the enemies heard that Nadir Shah had reached Iran, their courage collapsed. Just the sound of his powerful voice was enough for the enemies to surrender. While Nadir Shah was entering Tehran, the enemies pleaded with the prince for peace and came under his protection. When Nadir Shah heard this, he believed that it was all because of the diamond. It was the power of the diamond that had defeated his enemies and won the lost game.
When the prince returned victorious, the public welcomed him with great pomp and show. All of Tehran glittered with the light of lamps. Every street echoed with songs of happiness.
The court convened, poets sang odes of praise. Nadir Shah rose with pride and adorned the prince’s crown with the Mughal-e-Azam. Shouts of ‘Hail, Hail’ came from all sides. From the glitter of the diamond the splendour of the prince’s face increased twofold. Nadir Shah’s heart filled with paternal love; the Nadir who had made rivers of blood flow in Delhi was now shedding tears of pride and joy.
6
Suddenly the sound of a gun was heard—bang! bang! The court was shaken. People’s hearts quailed. Alas, lightning had struck! Alas, misfortune! The sound of the gun was still ringing in everyone’s ears when the prince collapsed to the ground like a felled tree. His diamond-decorated crown fell at Nadir Shah’s feet.
Nadir Shah raised his hand and said, crazed with anger and sorrow, ‘Catch the murderers!’ And he fell down upon the dead body of the prince, completely distraught. All of his life’s hopes had come to an end.
People ran towards the assassins. Again the sound was heard—bang! bang!—and both assassins fell. They had committed suicide. They were both rebel leaders.
Oh, human desires! Your foundations are so feeble. A wall built on sand collapses in the rain but even without rain your wall is soon buried under earth. You can have some hope for a lamp in a windstorm, but there is no hope for you. Compared to your fickleness, a children’s playhouse is an unmovable mountain and a whore’s affection firmer than a sati’s resolve.
People lifted Nadir Shah from the prince’s body. Their hearts were shaken by the sound of his crying. Tears were flowing from everyone’s eyes. What had happened was so unexpected, so brutal, so merciless.
Nadir Shah picked up the diamond from the ground. He looked at it once with a sorrowful gaze, then put the crown back on the prince’s head and told his vizier to bury the diamond with the prince’s body.
It was night. Tehran was filled with mourning. Nowhere was seen the light of lamp or fire. No one lit a lamp or cooked a meal. The pipes of the opium-smokers were cold. But there were torches glowing in the cemetery. The prince’s funeral was in progress.
When the last prayer had been said, Nadir Shah laid the crown in the grave next to the body with his own hands. Masons and sculptors were at hand and right away a tomb of bricks, stones and lime began to be built.
For a whole month Nadir Shah didn’t stir from the spot for even a moment. He used to sleep there and run his kingdom from there. The idea had stuck in his heart that the diamond was the source of all his troubles, the cause of his downfall and destruction.
Translated from the Urdu by Afroz Taj
Road to Salvation
1
A peasant feels as much pride at the sight of his harvest field as a soldier takes pride in his red turban, a beautiful lady in her jewellery and a doctor in the crowd of patients waiting to see him. Whenever Jhingur looked at his cane fields he felt a wave of enthusiasm washing over him. His three bighas of land would yield him an easy six hundred rupees. And if by God’s grace the rates went up, they’d yield even more. Both his bullocks had grown old so he’d buy a new pair at the Batesar fair. If he could find two more bighas of land, he’d acquire them. Why worry about money? The moneylenders were pleading with him. He thought no end of himself, and so there was hardly anyone in the village he hadn’t fought with.
One evening he was sitting with his son in his lap, shelling peas. Suddenly, he saw a flock of sheep coming towards him. He said to himself, ‘This is not the way for sheep to pass. Can’t they go along the dyke? Why should they be driven along this path? They’ll eat and trample the crop. Who’ll compensate for that? It must be Buddhu, the shepherd. He’s become so haughty, just look at his nerve! He can see me standing here but he doesn’t bother to drive his flock back. What good has he ever done me that I should put up with this? If I want to buy a ram from him he’s sure to demand five rupees. Everywhere you can get a blanket for four rupees but he won’t settle for less than five.’
By now the sheep had reached close to the harvest. Jhingur yelled, ‘Hey you, where do you think you’re taking those sheep? Do you have any sense?’
Buddhu said meekly, ‘Master, they can pass through the boundary path. If I take them back they will have to travel several extra miles.’
‘And do you expect me to allow you to trample my field to save you the hassle of a detour! Why didn’t you take them through some other boundary path! Do you take me for a helpless tanner or has your money gone into your head? Turn them back!’
‘Master, allow me to go just today. If I come back this way ever again you can give me any punishment you want.’
‘I told you to turn them back. If one of them crosses the boundary, you’re going to be in a mess.’
‘Master, if a single sprout is trampled by my sheep, you can curse me a hundred times.’
Buddhu was still speaking timidly but he had already made up his mind to not take the sheep back. He thought to himself, ‘If I drive the flock back because of such a small matter, I’ll never be able to graze them.’
Buddhu was a strong man too. He owned two hundred and forty sheep and earned eight cowries a night by letting them stay in people’s fields to fertilize them. He sold their milk, too, and made blankets from their wool. Why’s this man losing his temper? he was thinking now. What can he do to me? I’m not his servant. When the sheep saw the green leaves around them they got restless and broke into the field. Buddhu beat them with his stick to bring them over to the boundary line but they just broke in from somewhere else.
Furious, Jhingur said, ‘You’re trying to force your way through here, aren’t you? I’ll teach you a lesson!’
He put down his son, picked up his staff and pounced on the sheep. Even a washerman would not have beaten his donkeys so mercilessly. He smashed their legs and backs while they bleated piteously. Buddhu stood there and watched silently, as right before his eyes the destruction of his army took place. He neither shooed away his flock nor said anything to Jhingur. He just kept watching the scene. In a couple of minutes Jhingur had driven the sheep away with his brute force. Having accomplished his task Jhingur said with the pride of victory, ‘Now, march on straight! And never think of coming this way again.’
&n
bsp; Looking at his injured sheep, Buddhu said, ‘Jhingur, you haven’t done a good thing. You’re going to regret it.’
2
To take revenge on a peasant is the easiest thing in the world, because his entire treasury remains exposed in fields or barns. He brings home grains after going through many natural and unforeseen calamities. If they are combined with someone’s enmity, then the peasant is lost forever. When Jhingur came home and told his family about the fight, they were really alarmed. They berated him, ‘Jhingur, you’ve invited trouble on yourself! You can’t pretend that you don’t know Buddhu. What a quarrelsome fellow you are. You can still salvage the situation. Go and pacify him, otherwise the entire village will come to grief along with you.’ Jhingur understood the situation. He regretted crossing swords with Buddhu. If the sheep had nibbled a little of his crop it wouldn’t have ruined him. We peasants should always remain servile for our own good. Even God doesn’t like us to walk with our heads held high.
Jhingur didn’t relish the idea of going to Buddhu’s house, but the others egged him on, so he finally set out for it. It was the month of Aghan in winter; mist had set in and everything around was covered in darkness. He had just come out of the village when he saw a fire blazing in the direction of his sugar cane field. His heart began to race. Someone had set fire to the field! He ran wildly, hoping it wasn’t his field. But as he got closer, his deluded hope evaporated. The calamity he’d set out to avert had already occurred. The scoundrel had set fire to his field and was destroying the whole village because of him. As he ran it seemed to him that his field looked much closer than before, and the fallow land that stood between didn’t exist.