The Princess and the Political Agent

by Binodini

  This year, the bearer of the sword on the right and the bearer of the sword on the left would be Prince Koireng and Prince Pakasana. These two were an even match. Both had inherited the qualities of the king. Koireng and Paka! Now, this was going to be interesting to watch.

  Even though Pakasana and Crown Prince Surchandra were brothers born of the same mother, because of the relationship between these two sisters, Pakasana’s consort was not that close to the colony of the crown prince. She kept a distance. Everyone also knew, though it was never shown outwardly, of the rivalry of the two equally powerful and regal princes. It was not talked about openly out of fear of the Divine Majesty. The consort of the crown prince, the Lady of Ngangbam, adept in the ways of the court, sent word to the consort of Prince Pakasana, ‘Would my younger sister-in-law like to wash and dye my brother-in-law’s garments together with us? His lordship Koireng’s clothes will also be dyed here. Since they are going to be the bearer of the right-hand sword and the bearer of the left-hand sword, it would be good to steep their garments together in the same dye. Otherwise it would not look good tomorrow if some are lighter, and some darker … … … .’

  Word came back promptly. ‘Tell her: Thank you for asking me, my royal elder sister-in-law. I did not know beforehand and so I have already started the dyeing. Would my sister-in-law please come by when you start your dyeing and let us know if we have done it properly? If you are not pleased, we would be happy to do it over—tell her that … … … .’

  This message came from the courteous consort of Pakasana.

  This was not quite what the Lady of Ngangbam had wanted. She wanted to keep all the brother princes together because her Lukhoi would sit in Kangla one day. That these privileged women would take the high road was to be expected. The Grand Queen Mother called her granddaughter-in-law the Lady of Ngangbam when she was dyeing the Divine Majesty’s garments and consulted her, saying, ‘Leihao, do take a look at the king’s clothes and see if they are all right.’

  Even though the Lady of Ngangbam was young, the Grand Queen Mother knew she was a woman of propriety and, moreover, she must be trained. She must see all this, for she was the mother of Lukhoi.

  The Lady of Ngangbam was not satisfied with the reply from Pakasana’s consort. She felt a pang of regret. She thought, ‘I should have called her first. She would surely have heard that my younger sister Angangmacha has started washing the garments at my place.’ As she was pondering over this, Sanatombi came and asked, ‘Royal Mother, he says, Lukhoi says, he is riding in the Swallow’s Nest with Sovereign Grandfather. Is it true?’

  ‘It is true. He is going to be riding in it.’

  ‘I will ride too.’

  The Lady of Ngangbam was a little irritated. Sanatombi had appeared just when she was in a bad mood. But she did not show it.

  She replied, ‘Go ask the Grand Queen Mother.’

  Sanatombi ran off at once to her Grand Queen Mother.

  ‘Grand Queen Mother, I will ride in the Swallow’s Nest with Sovereign Grandfather. If Lukhoi is riding I will too.’

  Her great-grandmother laughed heartily, ‘Of course my granddaughter will ride too. Is anybody there?’ The king was requested. Let her ride, he said.

  But the Procession of the Crow was not for women and children. How can this be? Sanatombi is a girl, contested the noble and the titled.

  The Grand Queen Mother said, ‘Dress my granddaughter in boy’s clothes.’ Right away, they prepared a turban and dhoti, and a full-sleeved shirt of velvet. ‘This is taboo, it is not done, it is not good,’ people said here and there. But the Grand Queen Mother had allowed it—and it was done by the king.

  A royal festival with the king, the Procession of the Crow was an important festival of Manipur. People attended from villages and provinces. They stayed overnight to watch. The commander-in-chief was appointed in the morning. He had been hosting feasts at his house since the day before. Noblemen from the four boroughs set out for the palace, sitting stylishly at an angle in their palanquins, hookahs in hand. Adorned with the blue vanda orchids of the Crow, noblemen attired in honorific purple and wearing armbands and bracelets of gold came in a procession towards Kangla Fort.

  Blue vanda orchids. Everywhere, the blue vanda orchids of the Crow. Sprays and sprays, the royal palace was awash in the blue of the orchid of the Crow.

  This year the Crow would be hunted in the outer polo ground. The shooters of the Crow would bring the news—news from the Crow, news for the land.

  The administrator of the boroughs prostrated at his feet, and brought the news to the king:

  Divine Majesty, most Excellent,

  Blessings for the year

  Of goodness and joy.

  A year free of sorrows and cares

  With peace in the land

  For His Eternal Majesty.

  Take in the Crow’s tidings

  With calm understanding.

  The bearer of these tidings would be bestowed with a cloth of honour. The king would grant him a share of twinned salt plates. He will witness displays of sword and spear, and games of coconut rugby.

  The Divine Majesty came out on a two-seat howdah placed on a brace of elephants. From the western gate. On either side of him were Koireng and Pakasana on matching bull elephants, attending upon him as the bearer of the right sword and the bearer of the left. In front of the king in the Swallow’s Nest were Sanatombi and Prince Lukhoi in turbans tied with a single twist. The two children chattered happily. Sanatombi laughed. She found the song of the pena balladeer trailing the elephants very funny. She found the pena balladeer very funny.

  But Jasumati was not happy. She was not at all pleased that her daughter was riding in the Swallow’s Nest in royal attendance today. She knew that this would be the cause of a lot of talk among the populace, and there were many who did not approve of this. Jasumati never liked to cause scandal and incident. She felt annoyed at the Grand Queen Mother. Agreeing to whatever the child wanted created a lot of problems. But how could she confront her with this?

  At night as she lay in bed with her daughter, she said to her child, ‘Sanatombi, what is Mother going to do with you. Where was that tantrum coming from … … … ? You seem to have forgotten that you are a girl. How can you be the same as Lukhoi? He is a male offspring. He is going to be king.’

  ‘It is because he is a male offspring that I beat him up regularly. If he can ride, why can’t I?’

  ‘I am going to come to a lot of grief on your account. How can boys and girls be the same? We are called women with no burial place … … … . Oh dear Lord Vishnu, what have I just said!’ She recited the names of the gods and stroked her child’s head. She chanted mantras to the four corners of the mosquito net to keep away the spirits. Jasumati wept silently.

  Jasumati, mother of an unruly daughter, wept silently. But Sanatombi giggled, remembering the chief of Sekmai with his long mustache bristling stiff with beeswax. She tittered.

  Jasumati incanted quietly, ‘Lord Govinda, please bless me with a son. I will offer an armband of gold … … … .’

  But it was another daughter—the Princess Khomdonsana.

  CHAPTER 4

  Sanatombi is confused about whose bed she is lying in. It is not the bed of her birth mother Jasumati. The warm body of her Grand Queen Mother who had just been lying next to her is not there any more. It is not in the princesses’ chamber of the palace, nor is it the large bed of the residency bungalow. It dawns on her that she is in a room in her small house in Sagolband. She notices someone standing at the foot of the bed—Leiren. The attendant Leiren. He is one of the servants sent by Little Majesty to look after his cousin. He stands silently like a statue, a small black fan in his hand. It has a handle of gold. There are no mosquitos around that bite, nor flying mites, but he waves the fan every now and then. As though in service. For what else is there to do? He needs to hold something, do something, for such is the nature of service. Mainu has gone into the kitchen some time back alread
y to prepare Sanatombi’s meal.

  Sanatombi looks closely at Leiren and says, ‘What did you say your name was?’

  ‘It is Leiren, my lady,’ answers Leiren.

  ‘How long have you been with me?’

  ‘About three months, my lady. But I sleep over at the palace.’

  She opens her eyes a little later and calls again, ‘Leiren.’

  ‘My lady.’

  ‘Where is your home?’

  ‘In Meijrao.’

  ‘Where is Meijrao?’

  ‘It is near Hiyangthang, my lady.’

  ‘Who all do you have?’

  ‘I have my humble wife and three children.’

  ‘Are they all grown?’

  ‘No, my lady. The older daughter is about eight years old.’

  ‘If you say it is near Hiyangthang, will you be going to Bor for a little while?’

  ‘I will, my lady, but, I don’t know, I wonder if they will have the proper clothes. It has been about a month since your servant has visited his home.’

  ‘And your elders?’

  ‘Your servant’s father died in the Battle of Khongjom. He had gone in with Major Paona. I was quite little at the time. Your servant’s mother is also no more. It has been two years … … … .’

  So related Leiren.

  Sanatombi is silent for a while, then she says, ‘Call Mainu.’ Mainu comes in from the kitchen. Sanatombi says, ‘Mainu, Leiren says he has not gone home in a while. Let him go home today. Give him some money to buy clothes for his children … … … . Leiren, you may stay away for a day or two if you like. … … … So, your father died in the Battle of Khongjom.’

  Mainu beckons Leiren out of the room. She says quietly, ‘Go later, after Ta’Matum has come. There is no one to stay with her now. If Her Royal Command asks, just say you will go after Ta’Matum arrives. And take money from me before you go.’

  Sanatombi drowses off. She is escaping the war along the banks of the sunken big river. In front of her, her uncle the crown prince Koireng.

  Sanatombi was with the Nongmaithem family at the time. In Wangkhei Leikai, in the house of the royal son-in-law Manikchand. Her marriage was arranged when she was a young girl, after her father the crown prince had ascended the throne and while the Grand Queen Mother was still alive. Her mother Jasumati had worried about keeping her till she was older. Her daughter was impetuous, and so she consulted her elder sister-wife, the Lady of Ngangbam.

  She said, ‘Royal Elder Sister, there is a very fine young man from the Nongmaithem family. They say he is pretty good. They seem to want to make a marriage proposal for Sanatombi. Shall we ask the Grand Queen Mother?’ The two sister-wives conferred with each other. They looked into his antecedents, on his father’s side as well as his mother’s, whether there had been any divorces, any widows or widowers. His father was no more; he was the son of a widow. There would be trouble if they went in without knowing all of this and when the Grand Queen Mother started her interrogation. His family name was Nongmaithem so there was nothing to be unduly wary about. His looks were the usual masculine. The Lady of Ngangbam was a bit doubtful; there was something that she did not approve but she could not quite put her finger on it if one were to ask her directly.

  The two sister-wives approached the Grand Queen Mother together.

  ‘Hm. And what do they say he is like as a person?’

  ‘Everyone says he is worthy, my lady,’ replied the Lady of Ngangbam.

  ‘They will all say they are worthy. No one who comes with a proposal for their son will say he is not worthy. Fine, I would also like to arrange a marriage for my granddaughter before I die.’

  From that day on, Sanatombi ate and slept over at the Grand Queen Mother’s. She loved her great-granddaughter all the more, the more she thought about her all grown up, going away to a stranger’s house. She looked closely at her great- granddaughter all the time. She appeared to resemble her late daughter Tamphasana in her countenance. She dressed her great-granddaughter with her own hands before she went to pray at the festivals. She made her wear silk dresses, ordering them in stripes of deep blue as her complexion was fair. Sanatombi had had scissors to her hair two or three times by this time. She would not let anyone near her but the Lady of Ngangbam, celebrated for her skill in dressing maidens’ hair. She made her trim the bangs to match the shape of her face, to make her wear the side bangs a little longer. Her face was made to look a little smaller with fringes that hung lower in the front. The Grand Queen Mother would sit and watch Sanatombi’s hair being cut. Scarce of daughters, the Lady of Meisnam wanted her great-granddaughter to be very beautiful. She began to arrange complete sets of necklaces, bracelets and earrings of gold, chains of diamond-shaped nganggoi, a necklace of oval kondum, a string of round bokul beads, chains with pointed kiyang pendants and chains of marei pendants. Different kinds of rings—the beehive, navel of serpent, cluster blossom ring, and so on. The bridal chalices of bell metal, the silver betel-nut holder, all were arranged.

  Sanatombi said, ‘Light ones for me, Grand Queen Mother. I do not want that solid gold kind; light, for easy wearing, please.’

  ‘Everyone wants a lot of gold, you fool.’

  ‘Not me, not me, my dear lady. Slapping on gold till you droop at the neck.’

  So, they were ordered smallish, slender and light. It was very difficult to buy anything for Sanatombi. She was very picky and given to many likes and dislikes. They showed the beads of the necklaces to her first, one by one, to see if she liked them or not. She even asked for the tiny gold circles on the beads to be spaced wide apart and with clear intricacy… … … .

  Clothes and jewellery were strewn all over in front of the bed of the Lady Meisnam. Sanatombi was to be going on elephant back to pray on the day of Bor for the first time since she became a maiden. Grandam and great-granddaughter were as excited as can be. They went back and forth—how to dress, what to wear. Sanatombi would wear a traditional striped sarong of black and lotus pink. Studding a velvet blouse of deep lavender with gold had begun. And the stole? With a hand-embroidered border of gold thread. The Grand Queen Mother was not happy. She opened wicker chest after wicker chest. After looking at a great many choices, she finally pulled out a whole roll of crêpe, in a blush of bauhinia pink. The cloth was covered with little embroidered flowers in gold. It was not a cloth woven in this land. It was a gift from the British Viceroy when her son Chandrakirti had gone to the durbar at Jila. The roll had not been opened until now. The Grand Queen Mother carefully kept all the gifts given to her son from foreign lands separately. She did not entrust them to her royal daughters-in-law or to anyone else. She kept them in a separate room under lock and key. The Lady of Meisnam believed that such gifts were not for the use of women and children. They belonged to the country, and should belong to the country, to be looked at, to be displayed. But there were many occasions when the Grand Queen Mother broke rules when it came to Sanatombi. Today, too, she opened the king’s treasure chest—for Sanatombi. She took scissors in hand herself and cut the gold embroidered crêpe for her great-granddaughter to wear.

  She held up a string of pearls and said with a laugh, ‘My granddaughter would look beautiful wearing these.’

  ‘Sure, let me wear them, Grand Queen Mother.’

  ‘This one is forbidden. The Viceroy himself placed this around the neck of your Sovereign Grandfather. One must not touch the property of the king. Using the king’s belongings by the unworthy will stem their good fortune.’

  She caressed her great-granddaughter and went on with a laugh, ‘My great-granddaughter would have been king had she been a boy.’

  The Lady of Meisnam was wretched when Sanatombi got married. She was beside herself. But she did not let her great- granddaughter see the tears in her eyes. She did not let other people see her tears.

  Today, her Grand Queen Mother is no more, her Sovereign Grandfather has ascended to the heavens. Her Sovereign Father Surchandra has been expelled by his brothers. T
oday he has sought refuge with the foreigners and is in Calcutta waiting fate’s decree.

  It is a time of an anxious waiting for the decision of the foreigners: what would become of her uncle Kulachandra, what would the verdict for the land be?

  Sanatombi is dreaming. It was not really a dream. Smoke, cannons, sword and spears, cavalry, foreigners … … … .

  Sanatombi knew what hardship was, what sadness was, the day her Sovereign Father Surchandra, Embracer of the Hills, Victor in War, was ousted from the throne in Kangla by her uncles. She did not shed tears, strong to the core; she gritted her teeth and endured it.

  Only on one day did Sanatombi weep with deep sorrow, and that was the day when her Grand Queen Mother was taken away on the royal bier to her cremation.

  Maharaja Surchandra had run away and had sought refuge with Grimwood, the Political Agent of the British Indian Empire. His queens and the consorts of the princes gathered in the residency bungalow one day, having been informed that they could see him. One by one they went in, her royal mother Queen Premamayi, her other mothers, Lukhoi, and so on. When she met her uncle Pakasana who had also fled and sought refuge along with his older brother, she said, ‘How is Sovereign Father?’

  ‘You will know when you see him,’ Pakasana answered shortly. Sanatombi said, ‘If I may, Uncle, I will go in to see Sovereign Father a little later.’

  She sat in a room and waited while the others went in. She was deep in thought. Surchandra’s family came out one after the other after seeing him. Her younger sisters Ombisana and Khomdonsana came out crying. They were both little girls at this time.

  Sanatombi went in to see her father. He had lost a great deal of weight in this short time. She went up to him and kowtowed, touching his feet. Father and daughter remained silent, many things were said inwardly.