Mukta Singh-Zocchi |
A Monologue by Mukta Singh-Zocchi
Mehrauli
1231 AD .
Prince!
I have come to your house to talk with you. Pray, let me in.
I,
the Sultan of Hindustan, the exalted Emperor, the shadow of God over the world,
the elect by the mercy of the Almighty, Abul Muzaffar Iltutmish, carry a
terrible weight on my shoulders. Relieve me of this burden by letting me in!
For when I am in, I leave the Sultanate and its concerns at the threshold.
I
realize matters of the State keep us preoccupied and we have but little time
for each other. Let us therefore keep the sands of time from draining for a
while; sit here near me and tell me, how have you been?
And
now the moon shows me the pavilion has some charm too!
What
a paradise you have set up for yourself, son!
Now
listen, this very moon in the sky was in my arms the day that you were born and
given to me. It was a day when I made a thousand promises … for you inspired me
to touch new heights. You renewed my convictions and infused in me fresh
fervor. Your birth uplifted the most sublime ideas in me. I vowed to achieve
all that a man can ever dream of. And I took an oath I would instruct you and
train you and make you the man of my visions.
And
since the Most High Almighty had predestined that the states of Hindustan
should come under the shadow of my guardianship, in the years that followed, my
incessant toil and burning faith bore fruit in giving shape to this Empire, and
I was raised to its throne. No longer a slave, I possessed the skies, and
dreamt of still more.
As
for you, you exceeded all expectations. Handsome, intelligent, sensible and
sagacious … Nature had already bequeathed you with these gifts at your birth –
as befits a prince. As you grew to manhood you were endowed with great strength
and courage. You performed numerous admirable actions; your military laurels
and sensitive ways brought you great distinction. You charmed the people and
all had their eyes upon you – their hero.
Life
has just begun for you son. There is so much to learn, much ground to cover.
Ask me tonight about life! I know a thing or two about it, oh yes. Definitely a
lot more than the men we see around us. For am I not the most illustrious of
them all?
Life
is a game that many aspire to win. I am a winner, for sure, but Victory is that
demanding princess who wants no modest sacrifices before coming to you. Oh yes,
I paid a great price to wear her crown. Only God knows what blood we shed to
hunt down the infidel foes, and with what ruthless grit we struck whenever
rebellions brewed. This splendid land was ours, liberated from those
non-believing oppressors – only after we drenched it with their gore and no
small amount of ours. The Almighty God is witness to the humble patience with
which I sustained every dreary blow just to preserve all that I had attained.
Do
not think that I begrudge my efforts or the losses I bore, for I am proud of my
actions and accomplishments. Everything that I did, I did to protect what I
cared most for – my faith, my name and my progeny. These are the things that
give man the resolve to play the game and win it.
Life
has taught me that disgrace comes easily, and glory requires great efforts. But
son, bear in mind that you count your losses no more – no one remembers them
anymore – if in the end you bathe in the sunshine of Victory. Success follows
not far behind her sister and the smile that she shines on you is the sweetest
that you can ever hope for.
My
moon, in this world, nothing succeeds like the success of a man!
But
now, my game is drawing to an end. The crowd is jubilant, I am their esteemed
champion, and in this, my closing chukker, they know I am seeking you,
to take my steed and hit the final goal. They understand an old man’s need to
see his son replicate his style. A man’s deepest wish is for the progeny to
build where he left and reaffirm all he stood for.
So
here we are, waiting for you to take charge. But the restive crowd stands in
mummified silence, Fate herself stands embarrassed wringing her hands, and an
old man looks down crestfallen, for you come not!
You
will not come, we all know. For, the moon that was sent to me from the heavens
lies in his youthful, lanky form, under the cold marble slab of this pavilion.
And I come here from time to time, at the dusk of my life, winner and Emperor,
just to talk with you and evaluate the meaning of my success.
Bio: I am a writer, scriptwriter and a publisher. I have written two novels - "The Thugs and a Courtesan" (2014) and "Game of Big Numbers" (2018). I write short stories, primarily historical fiction. I manage the Hindi literary magazine ekalpana and ekalpana Kitab Publishers.
Address: 3544 Maplewood Avenue, Los
Angeles CA 90066
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