Tilism-e-Hoshruba by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Uqab Jadoo rescues Sheeshadar

When Afrasiyab convened his durbar in the morning, he sent for the forty sahirs who had accompanied Sohail. The sahirs related the events in Mount Agate leading to their commander’s death. Afrasiyab turned to his ministers and exclaimed, ‘I just do not understand! Sheeshadar was supposed to have destroyed the enemy, but according to these men, Hamza’s lashkar was fighting Khudawand’s army. Why did a Kohi who is a Laqa worshipper kill my man? Whatever the reason, I will also tear him from limb to limb!’ Afrasiyab sent for his scribe and ordered him to compose a letter of complaint to Laqa. The scribe composed the following message, ‘Khudawand, is this how you reward me for my devotion that an ordinary Kohi can kill my messenger? I am dispatching Uqab Jadoo and a large army in your service. Kindly deliver that nasty Kohi to this sahir so that he is punished for his crime. Any delay in this matter will tax the patience of your devotee!’ Afrasiyab stamped the letter with his seal and handed it to Uqab saying, ‘Mobilize fifty thousand men and proceed to Mount Agate. Execute Qahir Kohi and then finish off Hamza’s forces. I am leaving for Mount Sapphire to resolve the mystery of Sheeshadar and her claims to have destroyed the enemy.’

Uqab returned to his estate and embarked on the journey to Mount Agate with fifty thousand sahir troops. The route that Uqab took led him through Mount Sapphire. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was at its zenith. His sahir soldiers could barely sit on their magic birds in that heat and happily descended on the verdant slopes of Mount Sapphire. The soldiers settled under trees and were engaged in various tasks. Some stretched out on makeshift beds, others assuaged their hunger, yet others set off to find wells and tanks to bathe. One or two of them found a well and tossed a metal pail attached to a rope to draw out water. The pail did not splash into the water and seemed to land on something soft like leather. The soldiers peered into the well and saw a dead body with the pail resting on its belly.

The soldiers reported this event to Uqab who came to the well with a few soldiers and had the body pulled out carefully. He was startled to see that it was Princess Sheeshadar in a strange condition. She appeared to be naked apart from a shabby sheet torn and mended in several places that was tied around her breasts and private parts. This was clearly the work of one of the ayyars of the Islamic lashkar. The ayyars always covered a woman they had to render unconscious in this manner and did not lay their eyes upon her naked body. If any of them did so and the Emir came to know of it, he was likely to kill that person!

Uqab saw that she had wads of cotton wool stuffed in her nose and a bandage soaked in the tincture of unconsciousness tied around her forehead.

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