Raja Sahib’s enemies plugged their ears with their fingers. The emperor also felt that Raja Sahib was making fun of him. His demeanour changed. The English and other courtiers began to whisper among themselves, as though they had witnessed a great calamity. There was no doubt that Raja Sahib had uttered those words clearly. It was possible that he had not intended to make fun of the emperor, that he wanted to express his concern. But the words were taken in a different way. His enemies were sure not to let this opportunity pass.
When Raja Sahib saw the situation, his blood froze. He realized that he had laid a trap for himself and it was difficult to wriggle out of it.
The emperor commanded the chief of police, with bloodshot eyes, ‘Throw this traitor in prison and chop off his head. Let him understand the consequences of being disrespectful to the emperor.’
The police chief didn’t dare lay his hands on the general. Raushanuddaulah gestured towards him and said, ‘Why are you just standing there? Arrest him, or you’ll also burn in this fire.’ The police chief went forward and arrested Bakhtaavar Singh. In a moment, his hands were tied. Soldiers surrounded him on all sides and took him away.
The emperor said to his courtiers, ‘I will also go with them. I want to see how traitors suffer when they are killed.’
What brutish behaviour it was! Only a little while ago, this person had been a trusted official of Raja Sahib.
The emperor suddenly said, ‘First, disrobe this traitor. I don’t want the royal robe to be dishonoured.’
No one dared challenge the emperor. The soldiers began to disrobe Raja Sahib. Unfortunately, a loaded pistol tumbled out of one of his pockets. The emperor’s eyes blazed when he saw the pistol. ‘I swear by Imam Hussain, now I’ll not spare his life. Why should he carry a loaded gun? He must’ve had evil intentions. Now I’ll have him thrown to the dogs. Do you see what an evil-minded fellow he is? I was nurturing a snake in my house. What do you think his intentions were, keeping a loaded gun with him?’
The English wanted to show Raja Sahib in a poor light. They, however, needed him alive in order to achieve this. One of the Englishmen said, ‘I don’t see anything inappropriate in this. The general is your bodyguard. He must always be fully armed, especially when he is with you. No one knows when a situation may arise that will require him to act.’
The other English courtiers also supported this view. The emperor’s anger was somewhat mitigated. Had the same words been uttered by his Indian courtiers, the emperor wouldn’t have spared their lives. It was likely that he had asked this question to afford the English an opportunity to show their love of justice. He said, ‘I swear by Hazrat Imam, all of you want to snatch the prey away from the lion’s mouth. But I won’t listen to any of you. Let Captain Sahib be called. I’ll ask him the same question. If he agrees with your opinion, then I won’t take his life. However, if he is of the opposite view, then I’ll send this traitor to hell right this moment. But beware! No one should throw any hints to him. Otherwise, I won’t show any mercy.’ All the courtiers sat there with their heads bowed.
Captain Sahib was Raja Sahib’s friend, but in those days the emperor was very kind to him. He was among those royal devotees who held that their main loyalty was to the state and not to the emperor. Captain Sahib stayed away from the court. The emperor was very happy with his work.
A man went to bring him to the court. Raja Sahib’s life was in Captain Sahib’s hands. Apart from Raushanuddaulah, there was not a single person in the court whose heart was not swinging between hope and hopelessness. Everyone was praying that somehow Captain Sahib would understand the complexity of the problem. Captain Sahib came and threw a cursory glance at the court. Everyone’s eyes were downcast. He came forward and stood uncertainly with his head bowed. The emperor asked, ‘Is it proper for my courtiers to keep loaded guns with them?’ Captain Sahib saw the silence of the courtiers, their frightened demeanour and their anxiety. He said fearlessly, ‘My lord, I think it is their duty. The emperor has both friends and enemies. If the courtiers do not take up the responsibility of protecting the emperor, who will? They should be armed not only with pistols, but with other weapons too. No one knows when they might require a weapon; where will they go to collect it at that time?’
Raja Sahib was spared his life. The emperor said despairingly, ‘Raushan, don’t kill him, but throw him into the dark dungeon. Don’t give him anything to eat or drink without my permission. Go and take possession of all his property and send his entire family to jail. Raze his house to the ground, nothing should be spared.’
It would have been better for Raja Sahib to lay down his life. His family would not have been dishonoured, the women would not have been subjected to humiliation and poverty. If an infection in the body finds no outlet, it infects the whole body. Raja Sahib’s life was spared, but the fate of his entire family was in jeopardy.
Raushanuddaulah had finally got what he desired. Never before had his
