in great comfort! Don’t trouble me.’

The representatives began entreating now. ‘We will not leave Your Majesty’s side, we will slit our throats with our knives and lay down our lives at your feet. Those wicked people who troubled you, there’s not a trace of them now! We will never again allow them to raise their heads. We only need your protection.’

Cutting them short Nadir said, ‘Gentlemen, if you wish to make me the emperor of Iran with this intention, then pardon me. During my sojourns I have carefully observed the empire’s condition and reached the conclusion that its state is far worse than other kingdoms. They deserve pity. In Iran I never had such opportunities. I would survey my kingdom through the eyes of my courtiers. Don’t expect me to rob the people to line your pockets. This I cannot take upon my head. I will balance the scales of justice and on this condition alone will I be ready to go to Iran.’

Laila smiled and said, ‘You can forgive the people their trespasses because they do not have any enmity with you. Their teeth were into me. How can I forgive that?’

Nadir said gravely, ‘Laila, I cannot believe that I am hearing such words from your mouth.’

The visitors thought, ‘What is the use of inciting him now? This can be dealt with after reaching Iran. A couple of spies can in the name of the people create such turbulence that all his beliefs will be overturned in no time.’ One of the spokesmen said, ‘Praise be to the lord! What is Your Majesty suggesting? Are we so naive that we will make Your Grace stray from the path of righteousness? Justice alone is an emperor’s gem and it is our heartfelt desire that your justice puts even the just emperor Nausherawan to shame. Our sole intention was to ensure that we never allow the empire to offend Your Majesty’s dignity in future. We will be ready to lay down our lives for Your Majesty.’

All at once it seemed as if nature had become entirely melodious. Mountains and trees, the stars and the moon, air and water, all began to sing the same note. In the pure lustre of the moonlight, in the force of the wind, strains of music wafted forth. Laila beat upon her tambourine and sang. That day it dawned that melody alone was the essence of creation. Goddesses emerged to twirl on the mountaintops, the gods danced in the skies. Music designed a whole new world.

From the day the people had created that uproar at the palace doors and urged that Laila be banished, there had been a radical change in her thoughts. She had learnt to sympathize with people from the moment of her birth itself. Whenever she would see the royal officials committing atrocities on the poor people her tender heart would be filled with agony. She began to loathe wealth, fame and luxury, for which people had to undergo so much pain. She wanted to summon such inner strength that it would pierce the tyrants’ hearts with compassion and the hearts of the people with fearlessness. Her innocent imagination would place her on a throne where her liberal policies would establish a new era. How many nights she had spent dreaming of this! How many times had she wept sitting beside the victims of injustice. But just when she imagined that her golden dreams were becoming a reality, she was subjected to a new, cruel experience. She perceived that people were not as tolerant, needy or frail as she had thought. On the contrary, superficiality, inconsideration and incivility were present in them in far greater measure. They did not value goodness, did not know how to put power to good use. That day her heart turned against the people.

The day Nadir and Laila once again stepped into Tehran, the entire city came out to welcome them. Terror loomed large over the city; from every corner the sound of piteous cries was heard. In the neighbourhood of the rich, fair fortune cavorted around, while the quarter of the poor was desolate. It was heartbreaking to see them. Nadir burst into tears, but on Laila’s lips a cynical smile could be glimpsed.

There was now a formidable problem before Nadir. He always saw that whatever he wanted to do never happened, and what he did not wish for occurred. The reason for that was Laila, but he could not utter a word. Laila would interfere in everything he did. Whatever he designed for the benefit and benediction of the people was hindered by some obstacle put up by Laila and he was left with no option but to remain silent. Once he had renounced the throne for Laila. Thereafter strife had put Laila to the test. In those days of distress, what he had experienced of Laila’s personality had been so pleasing, so charming that he had become enslaved to Laila. She alone was his paradise; to be engrossed in her love alone was his prime desire. For this Laila he could do anything. People and the empire were of no significance before Laila.

In this way three years passed, and the people’s condition worsened every day.9

One day Nadir went hunting. Separated from his partners, he wandered about the jungle till it became night. There was still no sign of his companions. He didn’t know the way home. Finally he took the Lord’s name and started off in one direction, thinking that somewhere there would be some signs of a village or settlement. He would stay there the whole night and return in the morning. As he was walking, he glimpsed a village with barely three or four houses at the other end of the jungle. Oh yes, there was a masjid there as well. A lamp flickered in the masjid, but there was no sign of human habitation. It was well past midnight and it wasn’t right to disturb anyone. Nadir tied his horse to a

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