CHAPTER XXI.
We soon passed the suburbs of the city, and held on our way towardsthe Durgah. I was not without hope that we might fall in with Azimaon the road; but in this I was disappointed. As we passed over thebrow of an eminence, the tombs of the kings of Golconda broke on oursight, occupying the whole of a rising ground in front. I had neverbefore seen them, indeed I knew not of their existence, and they werethe more striking on this account. I was astonished at their sizeand magnificence even from that distance; but how much more so whenwe approached them nearer! We had plenty of time before us, and Iproposed, if the Durgah should not be much further, to diverge from theroad and examine them. I rode up to the driver of the cart, and askedhim how far we were from the place of our destination.
"You cannot see the Durgah yet," said the man, "but it is just behindthe tombs, on the border of a large tank; you cannot miss it; youwill see its white dome and gilt spire above the tamarind trees whichsurround it."
"Very good," said I; "do you go on thither, and if you are asked anyquestions, say that you belong to a party which is coming out from thecity. We shall go to the tombs, and will join you shortly."
The driver kept to the road, and we, diverging from it, directed ourway to the mausoleums of the departed kings. As we approached them,their immense size, and the beautiful groups which they assumed asour point of view shifted, struck forcibly on the mind, while thedesolation around them added to their solemn appearance.
"What a pity," said Peer Khan, who accompanied me, "that the goodpeople of the city do not make gardens about these proud buildings! thespot seems to be utterly neglected, even as a burying-ground."
"They are better as they are," said I; "the dust of the presentmiserable generation would hardly mix with that of so noble a one asthat which has left such a monument of its glory. Ay," continued I, aswe entered the first immense tomb, "these were kings and princes wholie here; men who won their kingdoms at the sword's point, and keptthem,--how different to the present degenerate race, who are indebtedfor the bread they eat to the generosity of the Feringhees!"
We ascended by a narrow stair to the top of the tomb, and from theterrace out of which the huge dome proudly reared itself the view ofthe city was superb; but it was not equal to the one I have beforedescribed to you, for we saw none of the white buildings; the MeccaMosque and the Char Minar were alone distinguishable over the mass oftrees, if I except the innumerable white minarets which rose out fromthe foliage in every direction. From the other side of the terracethe whole of the large tombs were seen at a glance--each by itself anoble and striking object; but rendered still more so when grouped withothers of smaller size, whose contrast increased their massiveness. Nota creature was to be seen; the old fort itself, its gray moulderingwalls covering the face of a huge pile of rocks, seemed tenantless, andwas in unison with the abodes of the illustrious dead who had builtit. The silence and desolation were oppressive, and we scarcely made aremark to each other, as we traversed one by one the interiors of thenoble edifices--some of them dark and gloomy and filled with bats andwild pigeons, whose cooing re-echoed within the lofty domes--and otherswhose wide arches admitted the light of day, and were more cheerful inappearance.
"Enough," said I, after we had examined some of the largest; "we do butloiter here while we may even now be expected. Yonder is the Durgah,and we had better go to it and be prepared, she cannot now be longabsent."
I saw as we approached the sacred edifice that our cart was ready; butthere was no other, and my mind somewhat misgave me that Azima had beenunable to keep her appointment; and I resolved within myself that,should she not arrive before noon, I would return to the city and seekmy bride--for such I now considered her. I could not leave so lovely acreature to the rude treatment she would experience from him to whomshe was united--one who was undeserving to possess a jewel such as shewas; but it was still early, and perhaps some hours must elapse beforeshe could reach the Durgah, which was further from the city than I hadanticipated.
I entered the holy precincts, and after offering up a gift upon theshrine of the saint, I put up a fervent prayer that the object we hadcome for should end successfully. This done, I sat down under the shadeof the trees, and entered into conversation with one of the many Moolaswho attended on the tomb, and who were constantly employed in readingthe Koran over the grave of the saint. He asked me who I was: I toldhim I belonged to the city, and had brought my wife to perform a vow tothe saint, on her recovering from a dangerous illness; "but she is notyet come," said I; "I rode on with some of my attendants, and she willfollow, and will soon be here."
Hour after hour passed, and yet Azima did not come. Sahib, I wasin a torment of suspense and anxiety: could she have met with anymisfortune? could her lord have returned home unexpectedly? couldshe have played me false? Ah, not the last! her grief, her misery,were too strong to be feigned, and what object could she have hadin dissembling? Noon came, and the music of the Nobut began toplay,--still no signs of her. My patience was fairly exhausted, and Iwent to the place where my horse stood, mounted him, and bidding themen remain where they were, I rode on towards the city. I had scarcelygot beyond the small village by which the Durgah was surrounded, when Isaw three carts with curtains to them carefully closed approaching. Myheart beat quickly with hope, and I determined to return; one of themsurely is hers, thought I, and I will await her coming in the Durgah.
"She comes!" cried I to Peer Khan, as he eagerly asked the cause of myquick return, "she comes! Bid Fazil have his cart in readiness, andtake it round to the gate which leads towards Puttuncherroo."
I dismounted and stood at the gate. The first cart arrived; it wasfilled with dancing-girls, who had a vow to sing at the shrine, one ofthem having lost her voice some time before, but had recovered it, asthey supposed, at the intercession of the holy Wullee. They passed me,and I soon heard their voices singing one of their melodies inside thetomb.
The second arrived; three old women got out, who were the bearers ofsome trays of sweetmeats for the Moolas, the offering of some lady ofrank, who was ill and begged their prayers and intercession with thesaint for her recovery. "Mother," said I to one of them, "saw you aughtof a cart with three females in it, my zenana, in fact, on the roadfrom the city?"
"Yes," said the woman, "they are close behind us; their vehicle brokedown in a rivulet we had to pass, and is coming very slowly, but itwill be here directly; and the ladies are safe, for I spoke to them andoffered to bring them on, but the damage had been repaired somehow orother, and they declined my offer."
"Alhumd-ul-illa!" I cried, "they are safe then; I have been waitinghere since morning, and in anxiety enough about them."
"No wonder," said the old lady, "for the khanum seemed to be pale andweakly-looking; but Mashalla! she is beautiful, and my lord too is inevery way worthy of her."
"She has been ill," said I, carelessly, "and her coming is inconsequence of a vow she made."
"May Alla give her a long life and many children! I feel an involuntaryinterest in a pair whom he hath joined together, in every way so fittedfor each other; but I go, noble sir, my companions await my coming."
She also passed on, and in a few moments more the cart I so longed tosee turned the corner of some projecting houses, and advanced slowlytowards the gate. How my heart throbbed! was it her, my life, my soul,or was I doomed to a third disappointment? It stopped, and I couldhave fallen down and worshipped the old nurse, who first emerged fromthe closely-curtained vehicle; I ran towards her, but was stoppedby the driver. "It is a zenana, noble sir," he said, "and courtesyrequires you to go out of sight, lest their faces should be seen indescending."
"Peace, fool! the women are my own."
"That alters the case," said the man; "and my lord's displeasure mustnot fall on his slave for this delay; the axletree cracked in passinga rivulet, which is a circumstance no foresight could have prevented,seeing that it was newly fitted after the Mohorum."
"It matters not," said I; "but you may n
ow leave us; I will return andpay you your hire: there is an empty cart yonder which I will engagefor them to return in."
The fellow retired to a short distance, and my breath went and came asI put my head into the curtains and saw my beloved sitting unveiled,beautiful beyond description, and her fine features glowing with theexcitement of her success. "Shookur khoda!" she exclaimed, "you arehere, my own best and dearest; you have not been unfaithful to yourpoor slave." I caught her in my arms, and imprinted numberless kisseson her lips.
"Toba! Toba! for shame!" cried the old nurse; "cannot you refrain for awhile? Assist her to dismount, and we will go into the Durgah."
I did so, and closely enveloped in a boorka, and leaning on the oldwoman and Nurgiz, Azima followed me into the inclosure. Our first carewas to offer up at the shrine some money and a few sweetmeats whichAzima had brought with her; the old Moola to whom I had before spokenreceived them and laid them on the tomb.
"They are accepted," said he, "and whatever prayers you may offer up,our kind saint will intercede with the holy prophet for you, that theybe granted."
"Thanks, good Moola," said I; "all I desire is, that the pearl ofmy eyes may be protected in health, and long spared to me. Truly ananxious time have we had of it with her; but she is now restored tohealth, and may Alla grant it be continued!"
"It will be," he replied; "Alhumd-ul-illa! our blessed saint's prayersare wonderfully efficacious, and I could relate to my lord manymiracles which have been performed here."
"No doubt," said I; "the fame of Hoosain Shah Wullee is spread far andwide, and we of the city have reason to be thankful that such blessedsaints were led in days of old to take up their residence near it; forour present generation is so degraded, that without the aid of hisprayers the displeasure of the Supreme One would fall heavily on us."
"My lord's words have a sweet and holy savour," said the Moola, "andshow that, though his bearing is that of a soldier, his heart is filledwith religion; and blessed is he in whom both are seen united. But Icould tell my lord of many of the saint's miracles, if he has leisureto hear them; and as he will not return till the afternoon, we can sitdown under the trees, and I will relate them."
"Excuse me, good Moola," said I; "time presses, and I have promised theSyudanee's mother that I will return before the cold of evening setsin, and it is now past noon."
"As you will," said he; "yet, perhaps, these few pages, which I havecompiled during my leisure hours, may entertain as well as instruct, ifmy lord will accept them: of course he can read Persian?"
"Indifferently well," said I; "we soldiers are rarely good scholars;nevertheless I will keep the book, and here is a trifle which may proveacceptable;" and I put an ashruffee into his hand.
The old man's eyes glistened as he saw it, and after a profusion ofcompliments he left us to ourselves. "Now there is no time to be lost,"said old Kulloo; "we must travel far and fast this day. You havebrought a cart with you?"
"I have, it is ready; if there be aught in the one you came in, tellme, and I will have it put into the other."
"Send a man or two with us," said the nurse; "I and Nurgiz will arrangethe new vehicle, and return instantly."
They too left us, and we were alone. No one remained in the largeinclosure, the women were still singing in the tomb, and all the Moolaswere sitting round them listening. "Can you support the fatigue offurther travel, Azima?" said I.
"I am strong and can bear anything, so I am with thee and thou withme," she replied. "Dearest, I am now secure; but oh the suspense I haveendured since I last saw you, and until I was fairly out of that vilecity!"
"Tell me," said I, "how did you contrive to elude suspicion?"
"When you left us," replied Azima, "I thought my happiness had fledfor ever; I would have given worlds to have called you back, and tohave fled with you then. I had seen your noble face, I had heard yourvows of love; Alla had sent me a lover such as my warmest fancy hadpainted to me, while I was daily suffering torments which the fond andloving only can feel, when their affection is returned by severe andbitter insult; and I thought I had lost him, that I had only gained afew moments of bliss, which would appear like one of those dreams thathad often cheated my sleeping fancy, to leave me when I awoke to thebitter realities of my sad lot--and I was inconsolable; but my kind oldnurse and Nurgiz soothed me. They told me they would die for me, andassured me you would be faithful; so I gathered courage, and Kullooproposed that we should make immediate preparations for flight. Wepacked up some clothes and my jewels, and all the money which had beenleft with us, a few hundred rupees, and before morning we lay down totake a little sleep. At daylight Kulloo told the other slaves and thetwo old servants that I was going to this durgah, and sent one of themfor a cart; it came about sunrise, and concealing the articles we hadpacked up in two large bundles of carpets and sheets, which we said weshould require to sit on at the durgah, we put them into the cart, gotin ourselves, and the driver made the best of his way hither."
She had just spoken, when Kulloo came to us. "All is prepared,"said she; "I have dismissed the other cart, and your new one is nowready;--do not delay."
There was no occasion for her to hurry us, we were as well inclinedto set off as she was, and we rose and followed her. The cart wasready--my men with it, and Nurgiz already inside. Azima got in, and herold nurse followed.
"You too?" cried I.
"Yes, Meer Sahib; my home is at Beeder, whither I will accompany you;the city is no longer safe for me; my life would be forfeited were Iever to enter it again, and fall in with that prince of devils, NusrutAli Khan, whose house is now dishonoured, and whose beard we have spatupon."
"Drive on," I exclaimed to Fazil; "go as fast as you can; we must reachPuttuncherroo before nightfall."
The road from the durgah, after passing the tank upon which it wassituated, led through a wild pass; piles of rocks frowned over us, andthe road was at times so narrow that the cart could scarcely proceed."A rare place for a little work," said I to Peer Khan, as we reacheda low barrier-wall thrown across the road, and pierced with holes formusketry; "many a wild deed has been done here in times past, I'llwarrant."
"They tell queer stories of the place," he replied; "and we have usedit ourselves in some of our late expeditions from the city. There liethe seven Bunneas you heard of," and he pointed out a remarkable rocknot far from the road. "A sad business we had with the grave; it wasall rock underneath, and the bodies were hardly covered; but who asksabout them in this country? Why, as we accompanied the travellers, wesaw lying in this very pass the bodies of two men who had been murderedand dreadfully mangled."
"Well," said I, "we have left our marks behind us at any rate, and allthings considered, we have been lucky. It matters not if we get no morebunij all the way to Hindostan."
"We have enough to make us comfortable for some years," said he,"nevertheless one's hand gets out of practice, and you are but young atthe work; the more you have for a few years to come, the better."
We reached Puttuncherroo late in the evening, and, to my inexpressiblejoy, found my father and the whole band safely arrived, and comfortablyencamped under a large banian tree, by which was a Fakeer's tomb. Oneof our small tents had been pitched for Azima, and after seeing hersettled for the night I joined my father.
"You are a lucky fellow," said he, when I had told him of all mysuccess; "I have been in anxious suspense about you, especially whenthe evening set in and you came not; but now there is no danger, we areonce again in the country and the roads are our own. And now tell me,what is your new bride like? is she as handsome as Zora?"
"She is quite as handsome," said I; "the full moon is not morebeautiful; she is tender in her love and of an affectionate and kinddisposition: you must see her to-morrow; she is now fatigued withtravel."
"And you must be fatigued also, my son, and hungry too. I have a rarepilau ready for you." It was brought; and after sending a portion toAzima, my fingers were very soon busied with the rest of the contentsof the dis
h; and I enjoyed it, for I had tasted nothing but a few ofthe sweetmeats Azima had brought with her during the whole day.
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