A month had passed in the prison for Raja Bakhtaavar Singh. He had been subjected to all kinds of tortures. He had not been given meals on time. His family had also been tortured, but Raja Sahib felt a kind of peace in prison. There, he didn’t have to worry about the emperor’s displeasure at every moment and didn’t have to guard against the calumny of other courtiers. It was easier to bear physical torture than mental suffering. He was put to great hardships in prison but he didn’t have a sword dangling over his head. He decided that even if the emperor released him, he would stay away from the court. The sun was going to set on this state; no human power could prevent its inevitable destruction. These were the symptoms of this destruction.
Do I deserve this punishment for my loyalty to the emperor? Only God knows what difficulties I’ve faced to protect the state. On the one side, the emperor’s indifference, on the other the conspiracy of powerful people—it was difficult to work between a rock and a hard place. Hardly a day passed when I wasn’t afraid for my life. Is this the reward for my service, devotion and commitment? I might have uttered a few words that could have been interpreted wrongly, but such a severe punishment for that! It would’ve been far better if I had been killed. I wouldn’t have witnessed the suffering of my family with my own eyes. I hear that father has not been given even a mat to sleep on. I don’t know what tortures are being inflicted on the women. But I know this much—my dear Sukhada will protect her chastity even at the cost of her life. I don’t care about my own shackles, but I hear that my boys are made to wear them too. All this must be the handiwork of Raushanuddaulah. Well, let them inflict as much torture as they can, I have no complaints. I pray to God to take my life away. Whatever I wanted to do in my life has been accomplished and I have faced the consequences. There is no place in the world for a person like me.
Raja Sahib was wrapped in these thoughts. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone coming towards his cell. It was late in the night. There was silence everywhere, but he could clearly hear someone’s footsteps in the dark. Softly, this person drew ever closer. Raja Sahib’s heart pounded. He stood up. Though I am unarmed and unable to defend myself, I should not be a passive target for anyone. He got up in a desperate attempt to defend himself. There was no object in the room with which he could protect himself. He realized that his end was near. His enemies had decided to take away his life. It was all right—let him die, marking an end to all his sufferings.
In a moment a man stood before him. Raja Sahib asked, ‘Who’s there?’
‘It’s me, your servant,’ came the answer.
Raja Sahib said, ‘Captain! I was afraid that my enemies had sent someone to make short work of me.’
Captain replied, ‘Your enemies have other plans. The life of the emperor himself is in danger today.’
‘Don’t tell me! How?’
‘Since the day you were captured, anarchy has spread throughout the state. The selfish officials are on a looting spree. Destiny has smiled on the English. They are doing whatever they want. No one can challenge them. In one month, many nobles of the city have been ruined. Raushanuddaulah has effectively become the emperor. Prices are rising. The traders are afraid to bring their goods inside the city. The shopkeepers are forced to pay up arbitrary sums as taxes. The price of grain has shot up so high that in many houses people are starving. The soldiers haven’t yet received their salaries. They have taken to robbing the shopkeepers. Unrest has spread in the whole state. I’ve tried to bring this reality home to the emperor several times, but he always says that he’ll look into it and then forgets about it. Today, many shopkeepers had come with complaints and said that if their problems are not sorted out they’ll leave the city. The sentries dealt with them severely and threatened them, but they did not leave before telling their whole story. Finally, only when the emperor reassured them that their problems would be solved did they leave.’
‘I’m surprised that it had some impact on the emperor.’
‘Come on, there is no impact on him at all. This is just another aspect of his character. In the evening he called his close courtiers and expressed a desire to go around the city in disguise, and instructed them to accompany him in disguise too. He wanted to see how afraid his subjects were. He ordered his courtiers to stay at a distance from him so that no one would recognize who he was. Only Raushanuddaulah and the five English courtiers would be with him.’
‘How did you come to know of it?’
Captain: ‘The Englishmen’s barber is one of my men. I get to know whatever transpires in the court. It’s because
