STORY#2
PRITHVI VS GHOURI
It was pleasant and calm October
night. The sky was full of shining stars. Hassan and Murtaza were preparing
their Mathematics exam. They were solving algebraic formulae when Hassan’s
mother turns the volume of TV higher. Her favorite drama had been started.
‘Mama knows tomorrow is my exam but
she forgets about everything while watching drama. Already these formulas are getting on my
nerves,’ Hassan was very angry and desperate.
‘Its ok, we should take some break. I
am also being tired of doing LHS=RHS,’ Murtaza asked for some snacks.
Hassan went to kitchen. His mother
and Zeemal aapi were busy in watching drama, they didn’t even notice him. He
didn’t dare to disturb them and brought some nimko for Murtaza.
‘Earlier boys were so lucky. They
used to fight most of their lives. No study, no tension. I want to be a warrior
too.’ Hassan was in deep thoughts.
‘I think long travels, hard weathers
and stay away from homes for a long period of times was not that easy,’ Murtaza
was enjoying the snacks.
‘It is always hard to become a warrior,’
he continued.
The drama was ended and they were hoping to start their studies again,
but after a while TV was louder again with the headlines music. ‘It must be
Baba now; we should go to your home. Your Baba would be in his clinic,’ Hassan
stood at once. Murtaza nodded his head and came out in the lounge.
“What! You have not finished it yet. You are
too slow. You must have wasted your time……’ Mama was back in the real world
after drama. Her lecture might continue for long, without admitting her mistake
but luckily Baba stopped her from talking. They all were attentive to TV then.
‘Pakistan has successfully launched a land to
land surface missile Ghauri III. Ghauri Ballistic missile can carry both
conventional and nuclear warheads up to a distance of 1300 Kilometers. It can
be compared with Prithivi missile of India.’
It was the breaking news on all the channels.
“Yes, that’s great.” Baba seemed so excited and happy. They also
felt proud and confident on their scientists and on their Army.
They came to garden. There
was a way between their gardens so the families can easily come at each other’s
home. ‘I wish there would be a range of
missiles at my name i.e. Murtaza I II III, like a great warrior Shahabudin
Ghauri,’ Murtaza wished.
‘I saw his mausoleum near Jehlum when I went
with Baba on his field trip but I know very less about him,’ Hassan replied
when they were passing by the library window. Suddenly they saw a shooting star
falling towards their window and they remembered nothing.
It was a big field.
There were soldiers everywhere. Some were fighting with swords. Some were
throwing spears and many were busy in shooting with arrows. Just then they
heard; ‘New Turk slaves are there. Now prepare them for the war.’
Murtaza and Hassan found themselves among the
new slaves. Most of the slaves were very happy to be the slaves of Sultan
Shahabudin Ghauri.
‘He treated all his slaves like his
sons as he has no heir of his own. They are trained not only as soldiers but as
good administrators too. He provides them education and good life,’ one of the
slaves exclaimed with joy.
‘Shahabudin Ghauri, Turk slaves, we
must be in Ghauri dynasty,’ Murtaza was trying to guess where he was?
‘It is 1192 AD and you are in Ghazni (a
city now in Afghanistan), capital of Ghauri dynasty. You are soldiers of Shahabudin
Ghauri now. Soon he will be off to fight with Hindu Raja Prithivi Raj Chohan of
Delhi and Ajmer to take his revenge and you will be with him. Now get ready for
the battle,’ Zaka was around them as one of the commanders.
‘Nice to see you again, Mr. Astronaut
of 25th century,’ Murtaza greeted him warmly.
‘We don’t know how to fight,’ Murtaza said
anxiously ‘but we will learn it soon,’ he got excited at once. Hassan was also
ready and excited.
‘I wish I may get any state to rule by Shahabudin
in reward like Qutubudin Aibak? (a brave and loyal slave of him),’ Murtaza
asked Zaka.
‘Yes, of course, many of his slaves
ruled on his winning states as reward but my real purpose to bring you here is
to disclose the reality of famous but false myth of your time,’ Zaka smiled.
They couldn’t understand what he want to say. ‘I have to do my work now but
I’ll be around you.’ He disappeared in the crowed of soldiers.
‘I will fight at my best that king will give me any one of his
states and may I get married with a beautiful princess,’ Hassan hoped.
‘Wait! A day dreamer of 21st
century,’ Murtaza replied.
‘First learn to hold a heavy sword
and to ride a horse then dream for a princess,’ he gave him a heavy sword from
one side.
‘Its too heavy but I think I can
master in it,’ Hassan waved the sword in the air and targeted to Murtaza.
‘Ok, here it is,’ Murtaza took
another one.
It was really very tough training.
They had to work very hard to learn war skills. They had to practice different
lessons about fighting with swords, riding and archery etc. they hardly got any
time to relax. Soon the day arrived when they had to leave. On that day they
saw Shahabudin Ghauri. He was a tall man with muscular body. He had charismatic
personality. He had small beard on his face. His eyes were so ambitious. He
addressed to his soldiers;
‘My brave soldiers we have already
conquered Multan, Gujarat, Sialkot and Lahore. I am the first who has laid the
foundation of Islam widely in this area. Now you are my heirs to protect my
winning states. Get ready for another victory”. He gave the victorious speech
to his army and set off to Delhi.
Murtaza and Hassan were also given the command
of two army wings.
Soon the month of Ramzan started. The army stayed at a wide ground. It
was a magnificent experience to fast in the ground by watching dawn and Maghrib
on the sky. Every soldier was busy in reciting Quran and nafls. All the
soldiers gathered in big ground for aftar and sahar. Soon all of them saw Eid
moon on the sky and thanked Allah for his gracefulness.
After the Eid prayers, gifts were
distributed from sultan to all soldiers. There was feasting in the tents, but
all the soldiers were missing their families. They were reading or writing
letters to their families to greet them Eid wishes.
On second night of Eid they were
taking rest in their tents.
‘You know we are passing from a KPK
province of our time. Shahabudin was also a loyal and brave pukhtun,’ Murtaza
told Hassan who was watching stars from his tent.
‘Yes, I know but there is still a
long way to travel to Delhi. If there would be thunder JF17 now days we would
be there in 30 minutes,’ Hassan looked tired.
‘Or may be less than that but this is
12th century, go to sleep otherwise you will again fall from your
horse and would enjoy the donkey ride,’ Murtaza reminded him how he fell from
horse when he slept on its back.
‘I didn’t sleep; I just slipped
because of heavy armor. I told you before,’ Hassan said angrily and pretended
to sleep. Murtaza smiled and closed his eyes.
The next early morning one of the
chiefs called them.
‘We are leaving today you both will
stay behind and look for anything left by the soldiers. You can join the troops
again till the next stay. You know we are using the GT road for travelling’ he
ordered them.
‘Ok, chief’ they nodded their heads
and came outside. Soon the whole convoy left and they left behind with their
horses. They searched for any remaining things of the soldiers. They found some
clothes, a box of stored food and some tools. They collected all and came on
their way. They were going hurriedly to join the troops, when heavy rain
started. They couldn’t see any houses around. There were green woods or crops
of wheat and corn on both sides of the road. ‘I think we are passing through
the Taxila city,’ Murtaza guessed. ‘may be, but it is looking very difficult to
find any inn or rest room here,’ Hassan tried to look around in heavy rain
drops. They were looking for a safe place to stay at night, when a man called
them;
‘It is raining heavily, come with me. You may
stay at my house for the night. I will be happy to help you’.
‘He is looking so suspicious,’ Murtaza looked
at Hassan.
‘We are so wet and tired that we have
no choice,’ Hassan looked at the sky and followed that man. His hut was at some
distance from the road. He gave them dinner and tied their horses. They decided
to sleep turn by turn but they didn’t know when they both went to deep sleep. They
didn’t realize how much time they slept. Hassan woke up first and came outside.
The rain had stopped. There was muddy field at all sides. There was no one
outside. Murtaza also came outside and they realized that man had taken their
horses and all money.
‘I warned you but you
always do your will, now tell me how we will meet the troops again. Thanks to
that robber that he left this stored food for us,’ Murtaza was getting mad.
‘Stop yelling at me, let me think for a
while,’ Hassan was also worried.
There was no choice rather to go on
foot now. They saw many Stupas of Buddha, temples and shrines in their way.
They reached at Jehlum city after taking lifts from the traders, which were
coming from Afghanistan. Majority people were Hindus and Sikhs their. They were
practicing their rituals in small towns around. They didn’t seem to have a
high-quality life over there. Class system was evident every where. They also
saw some mosques there. Islam was evolving in that area after the conquests of
Mahmood Ghaznavi and Shahabudin Ghauri. People were greatly inspired with
divine teachings of Islam.
Everywhere people were talking about Shahbudin’s
expedition to Delhi.
‘I have heard Shahabudin is coming
with a bigger army this time, his army has best archers and fighters but Prithivi
alone is enough for all of them ’ one of the local man said.
‘He would close his eyes and will target
his preys very precisely by just sensing their positions from his hears,’
another man got up with excitement, took arrow and a bow and demonstrated the
Prithvi’s way of fighting.
‘No matter, how big is his army? Prithvi’s
elephant force will destroy his troops under their feet,’ another man was sure
about the strength of Prithivi.
‘Don’t over exaggerate; he is a good
archer but not that much. You shouldn’t underestimate the war skills and
planning of Shahabudin. He is a great warrior too,’ café owner also
participated in the discussion.
They were at the road side café. They
introduced themselves as traders everywhere. They used that stored food. They
were enjoying their journey that they didn’t realize that they forget their
way. Now the food was ended and they
were very worried. They were asking for the way to GT road when they met a
young boy, Kumar Sharma. He was tall, handsome boy. They told him how they had
been robbed and now they had forgotten their way.
‘I can guide you to your way if you
like’. He gave them two ponies to ride.
‘You can give me their rent from the prize
money. I believe you are also going to big funfair,’ he offered them generously.
‘Prize money’? We don’t understand what you
are talking about. We just want to join our friends near Lahore,’ Murtaza
explained him again.
‘There is a big mela (funfair) near
Lahore. Enormous competitions of wrestling, archery and races will be held
there. Prize money will be given to the winners. I will sell my ponies and
donkeys over there and also will take part in swamber. You may also take part
in different competitions and can manage to reach your friends. This year I
will also present myself in swamber. You have to pray for me,’ he was friendly
but a talkative boy.
‘A swamber’? They asked again. ‘Yes,
raja’s daughter will choose his man from the participants after looking at their
skills. A lucky man can win a princess and a part of Raja’s state then. Will
you take part? He asked at end.
‘No, not at all, we will go only for
prize money’. They both got embraced at his sudden question.
It was a big field. There were many
sections for different games. Hassan won wrestling and Murtaza showed his
excellence in archery. They participated and won in almost all competition.
They won a lot of money. They bought ponies from Kumar and were about to go,
when they listened the announcement,
‘Soon the princesses will garland a
man to marry him, all participants gather in the raja’s palace’. They stopped
and went to a big palace at one side of a ground.
‘I wish that Kumar wins the lady’s
heart as he is a good boy,’ Murtaza looked amongst the participants.
‘Look at that furious looking raja,
he would be a cruel father in law,’ Hassan pointed towards throne which was
placed in the middle of the big yard of the palace. There were participants of
swamber at one side. They stood another side with other people. The wait was
ended; a tan colored, healthy young girl in saari came outside with a flower
necklace in her hand. She wore heavy gold jewelry. She smiled at all
participants.
‘I would give her 40 marks if she didn’t
smile,’ Hassan didn’t like her.
‘Keep quiet, she is princess, many
people are dying to marry her. You better take these passing marks in your
history paper. She doesn’t need them,’ Murtaza stopped him as he was afraid
that no one listen them.
Princess went to the participants, thought for a while and turned back.
All the people were surprised when she came to another end of the ground and
put that mala in Hassan’s neck,
‘I saw you participating in different
competitions. You won wrestling and long race. I choose you my partner for the rest of my
life,’ she acted to shy from him.
Many people started clapping on
princess choice and other got disappointed. Hassan was stunt on the situation.
He was about to say anything when Raja called for celebrations everywhere. He
called Hassan at stage.
‘You are very lucky that my princess
has chosen you. Now you are going to be part of royal Jat family,’ he offered
him some sweets.
‘I can’t marry your daughter.
I was not amongst the participants. It is not fair. I have to go.’ Hassan
gathered his potency and said loudly.
A silence crept amongst the
participants. The Raja got furious,
‘How dare you to refuse my daughter.
Seize this boy and his companion in prison and hang them in morning if he
doesn’t accept the decision’ he ordered at once.
‘Why I am being punished with you,’
Murtaza tried to look outside from the prison. ‘There is no chance of our
escape, you could help me if you would be free,’ Hassan sat at one corner. ‘It
is better to die rather than to marry with that ugly princess, what do you
think? He asked Murtaza. Murtaza didn’t answer he was continuously looking
outside from the small window. Suddenly a beam of light came down and broke the
wa
‘I’m so sorry. I
totally forgot about you. You know I have found a series of waves between the
rocks of Himalaya and asteroids in the space. Changes in the positions of rocks
at both places are interconnected. I also found meteoroid……,’ Zaka helped them
to come outside.
‘Mr. Scientist of 25th century, your
projects will take our lives one day. We are forced to join you in your journeys.
You know we have been roaming here and there without money for more than one
month,’ Hassan was very angry. He didn’t care of Zaka’s excitement about his
discovery. Zaka got quiet and helped them to reach near shahbudin’s forces.
‘You are not forced to
join me, you can skip whenever you want,’ he stayed there for a while. Murtaza
and Hassan looked at each other.
‘No emotional talks, we know we enjoy
our expeditions and we would always remain part of it, I’m sorry,’ Hassan came
forward and showed his regrets.
‘He is right actually we are pleased to be a
part of your projects. I think he is still terrified by the imagination of
being the son in law of that furious raja,’ Murtaza explained the reason of
Hassan’s irritated attitude.
‘You know I like you both for
your brave and honest attitude. ‘Its ok.
I’ll be careful next time. my some work is still left, if you don’t mind can I
go now? I promise I would keep an eye on you,’ Zaka looked at them. They greeted
him and went to their troops.
They joined their army back at battle
of Tarain near Delhi. All of their fellows were happy that they reached safely
in time. ‘none of them was so expensive or necessary. Don’t worry. Our brave
soldiers are our real assets. Go and refresh your preparations for the war,’
chief said when they told him about that they have been robbed in the way.
‘We’ll attack in early morning.
Commander told them about the planning. We’ll fight and win,’ commander rolled
the map and went off. Shahabudin attacked Prithivi Raj Chohan’s forces at early
morning as it was planned. First the men with swords fought. Shahabudin forces
destroyed Prithvi’s forces on foot. Then prithvi took his elephants in front of
shahbudin’s forces which rode on horses. The horses neighed after looking at
the giant creatures but Shahbudin’s best archers managed to target at the feet
of elephants and throw the arrows like the hailing from the sky. The elephants
couldn’t hold their balance and there burst debacle in the field. Elephants
were ruining their own chivalries. Shahbudin’s cavalry circled the Prithvi’s
forces from all sides. Prithivi himself fell from his elephant and tried to
escape from the battle field. Shahbudin’s men chased him and caught him. The
war was ended in no time and victory fell in the lap of shahbudin’s lap without
much effort.
Next day Prithivi was presented in
front of Shahabudin in the battle field. Murtaza, Hassan and all soldiers were
present there to see the defeated raja.
‘I have heard much about your best
archery skills but I’m disappointed that all went in vain yesterday. I wish if
I could see less of it in the field,’ Shahabudin addressed to him.
‘You can still see it my lord, stitch
his eyes and give him his bow. He’ll target his prey so precisely,’ Prithvi’s royal
lady Chandra Gupta tried to incite the Shahabudin to give him another chance. Shahabudin
thought for a while.
‘I’m not desperate to see the skills of a defeated king but actually
your poetic skills are admirable which help him to hit his target so accurately,’
Shahabudin seemed to guess their plan as he knew that Chandra always tell him
about the position of target by reciting encouraging rhymes for him.
‘I have to move forward to Ajmer now
with my forces, so I’m sending you to Ghazni to Sultan Ghysudin Ghauri. He’ll
decide your fate,’ Shahabudin appointed Murtaza to take Prithivi to Ghazni back.
Shahabudin
also sent gifts and booty of war to his elder brother sultan Ghysudin and moved
forward to Ajmer with his soldiers.
Everyone was celebrating the victory.
They were having a big feast. Prithivi was very powerful king. After his defeat
the power center shifted to Muslims which led a way to establish an enormous
Mughals kingdom in future. Prithivi was presented to sultan Ghysudin and he
ordered to execute him. Murtaza came back to join his forces after Prithvi’s
execution.
People around were stunt at the
defeat of Prithivi raj Chohan. The people around were not ready to believe that
how their brave raja could be executed so easily. Discomposure spread amongst
the local people. To reprieve their unrest, story tellers of that area made
anecdotes about the death of Prithivi. Shahabudin
was fighting in the far battle fields when story tellers of delhi were narrating
false stories.
‘Prithivi killed Shahabudin in his
court with his stitched eyes, when he asked him to show his excellence,’ one of
the narrators told his country men. ‘Shahabudin deceived Prithivi by attacking
in early morning, otherwise result would be reversed,’ another man lightens up
his audience and these false stories were retold many times that they seemed to
be true in future.
‘I was so alone without you,
we have won many states without much opposition in these days,’ Hassan was glad
to see Murtaza back. ‘Shahabudin is thinking to gift me his winning state
because of my bravery,’ he continued.
‘Boys, its time to go back as my work have
been done,’ Zaka came in their tent.
‘Our work is also done,’ they both
turned to Murtaza.
‘I know the reality of famous myth
about the death of Prithivi,’ he continued. ‘You are right, Prithivi was
strangled in 1193 in Ghazni and Shahabudin was died in 1206 in Jehlum during
his expedition. What a superb archer who killed Shahabudin after 14 years of
his death,’ Zaka elucidate them the real facts.
‘I’m missing my family now we have
here for more than 10 months and according to your time zone calculations 10
minutes have been passed in our time,’ Murtaza looked sad, our mothers would be
looking for us’ he continued.
‘I’m enjoying being a warrior but we have to prepare our test,’ Hassan
remembered at once.
‘War techniques are changed in your time. Now the battles are fought
with modern technologies. You are the warriors who have to practice and master
these skills and remember that R.H.S. is always upper the L.H.S. in real life,’
Zaka brought them outside and pointed towards the sky.
They found themselves in their garden
again. ‘I don’t believe, I was a part of such a great victory in the history.
If we could stay some more days you know I was about to be a sultan of Delhi
and Ajmer instead of Qutubudin Aibak. There would be a “Hassan minaret” instead
of “Qutub minar” in Delhi’. Hassan was very excited.
‘You know history repeats itself and Ghauri
will beat Prithivi again in any expedition of enemy. Only we have to move with
time. We should learn latest war techniques,’ Murtaza was serious again.
‘I think we should prepare our test
now otherwise our moms will beat us with their latest techniques,’ Hassan
reminded him. ‘Yes, it seemed, they are our commanders and we are warriors in a
battle of studies. We have no choice, other than to give our best” Murtaza
smiled and they went inside. A great shooting star disappeared in the sky
wishing for the success of those young warriors.
WRITTEN BY
SAIMA NADEEM
For more stories of this series visit
my blog
Fusionstor-ies@blogspot.com