The English translation of a novel ‘Maharaja Dahir’ authored by Kolkata-based renowned novelist Debasree Chakraborti in Bengali language. The novel has been translated by Rajesh Giri
When Haider left, Chadha sir headed towards the border with the truck. The truck stops in between and fifteen people got into the truck in the way. Then the truck started moving towards Harami Nala.
The house from which these corpses were brought was in the middle of the desert, with no settlements around, because such secluded place was arranged to train the immigrants from Syria.
And many things were brought to the house of Sarfarosh at night by such trucks, so no one in the neighbourhood had any suspicions. Moreover, there was no limit to the grievances of the people of the region against the jagirdars, so no one had any headache as to what was happening or not in this house. The two watchmen of Sarfarosh’s bungalow were from Punjab, Sarfarosh appointed people from Punjab for his work, so it was not a matter of them returning home at that moment, so the people of the house did not suspect. Haider informed their family by WhatsApp from their mobile phone that they have to go on a special work and therefore will not be able to contact them for two days. Yes, Sarfarosh also sometimes sent them on their secret missions, then they did not communicate with anyone.
Abdul was becoming a human bomb, and after a few days he would go to Allah forever, so the guards used to talk to him openly. Those who were on the border were given advance instructions by this country’s authority that day, so they did not intercept the truck. At one place it was stopped, but when they found out that the truck of Sarfarosh was going and saw fifteen people inside with their faces covered with black cloths, they let go of the truck. After parking the truck some distance from Harami Nala, fifteen boxes crossed Harami Nala and entered India. On that day the Indian army knew that such an incident was going to happen. So even though everyone was on alert, they didn’t stop. Chadha Sir entered India by showing the green light from a narrow torch to the Indian soldiers that he had arrived.
That same day and a few hours later, at dawn, Sanghamitra crossed the barbed wire border at Nagarparkar with his father, mother and grandfather and entered India. When they entered India after checking at Pakistan check post.
The sun is rising. Nature covered in the orange light of the sun then looks like a hermit. Bapu walks ahead holding old father, mother keeps some distance behind him, Sanghamitra looks once in a while at Nagarparkar who is left behind. This side is bright. The nature of Nagarparkar looks dark, the combination of desert dust and sunlight creates such an atmosphere. God has cast a veil over his past. Mother shouted, what are you watching Sanghamitra? Come on! Sanghamitra felt that his bright future was waiting for him; why was she looking at the past. She started walking with her mind focused ahead. Then took mother’s hand and proceeded towards the check post of India.
Birds are chirping all around, a cold wind is blowing, after the work is done very quickly at the Indian check post, the old father took the soil of India in his hands and covered his head with folded hands and looked at the sky and bowed to his God. Sanghamitra sees her old father crying. Her whole body is shaking. At this time there is no movement of such people at the border. Two men crossed the border before them. A white car is standing on the other side, in front of the car are an old man wearing white clothes and a turban and two men of Bapu’s age. Sanghamitra felt that this old man looked exactly like his old father. While Sanghamitra was looking at the old man, Budda Baba broke into tears. The old man standing there is slowly coming towards the old father with both hands extended. His eyes were wet, but he controlled himself and moved forward quietly. At one place, the old man put his head on the old man’s chest and started crying. The old man hugged his father and said, “I never thought I would meet you, I did.”
The old father wept and said, I have always prayed to God that I should die in India, that I should see my Vaisab at least once before I die.”
For a while the two brothers exchanged sentimental expressions; the old father bowed to his grandfather. Then the two families met. They all got into a white car and left for Ahmedabad, from where they will catch their train to Jaisalmir tomorrow morning. Sanghamitra sits by the window, intently contemplating the auspicious beginning of this new chapter in her life. He heard from the old father that the colour of Lord Kalki’s horse was white. This white car seemed like the white horse of Lord Kalki; she felt that all the sins behind were going to be destroyed and Kalki was going to rescue her and her family from the reign of these sins and lead them to a bright future ahead.
Mithila crossed the Wagah border at Lahore and entered India. When she was showing her documents at the check post in India, the official who was there called someone, as soon as he saw his document. Almost immediately after the call a man came and asked her to come inside. Mithila realized that on Dr Iqbal’s orders, they are arranging to take her to a safe place. Mithila’s impression was not false; the man took her to a secret place, where an old lady was sitting. The person introduced Mithila to the old lady and said she is Mrs Chadha. She has come to pick you up, she will take you to her house in Delhi in her car. Another person will arrive by tonight; when he arrives you will leave together for Delhi. When the person leaves, Mrs. Chadha comes up and hugs Mithila and says, “Betty, don’t worry anymore. There will be no more torture on you.”
Mithila cries, unable to control her emotions. She felt that after a long time she got the touch of her mother. After a long time a motherly woman pulled her close with love like this. Mithila felt that a goddess came into her life in the form of Mrs. Chadha. Seeing Mithila crying, Mrs. Chadha sat her on a sofa, gave water from a covered glass on the table, and said, “Betty, our bad past is like a dustbin. Do we look at the dustbin? Don’t see, throw away the dirt and turn away. So don’t worry about the past. A new chapter in your life has started from today.”
Mithila said, “But aunty, my father, mother, sister, grandfather are all in that country. It is very difficult for them.” Mrs. Chadha smiled and said, “Your entire family is now in India. Wait a minute, you will be with them in India. And no one can separate you.”
“But aunty, I have to go alone from here, as I am instructed to do so. I am taking your home address, I will go to your home when I am done.”
At that time the man came again. Then Mithila explained to him that if I do not act as per their instructions, then they will be suspicious. All plans will be destroyed. Because they have people on the other side too. As I am told to reach Delhi, I will go to Delhi, where I am told to stay, I will stay with them. Then I will go to that particular place. If all goes well then I will meet Ms Chadha in Delhi. After listening to Mithila, Mrs. Chadha also said that she is right, and if she is sitting here without doing what they say, then they will not let Haider cross the border either. Because there will be a fear among them that even if Haider goes, he may be trapped. Mithila picked up her luggage.
Mithila said that I have spent a lot of time here; now they will suspect, I am leaving now. Before leaving, Mithila bowed to Mrs. Chadha and said, “Aunty, if I come back, you will take me to my family.”
Mithila came out and continued walking forward, when she felt a person walking with her. Mithila deliberately started walking slowly. After going some distance from the check post, the man told Mithila that Basir Ahmed has sent me to take you to Delhi, get into the black car in front. Mithila was now ready for everything, she had overcome all the fears of life long ago, even overcoming the weakness in her mind. She sat in the car.
That person who sat in the driver’s seat, asked ‘why did they take you inside?’ Mithila said, they got suspicious seeing me, so the woman checked me thoroughly and asked some questions and let me go. The driver said, “I was scared. India’s Kutch border was attacked last night, hence the caution.” Mithila’s heart swelled when she heard that the Kutch border had been attacked; she realized that she had to prepare for a much more complicated situation.
That day, when the vehicle reached Delhi at night, Haider alias Abdul entered India with the identity. But he was not stopped at the border like Mithila. After entering India, when Haider was going through all his documents, he met an old man. Mrs. Chadha was silently looking at him with a smile, as he was coming out, the Praudha raised his hand and blessed him. Haider walked out of the border, oblivious to the whole incident, and headed for Amritsar airport. That night from Amritsar he boarded a flight to Kolkata.
That day when the human bombs from Pakistan entered India, at the same time Dr. Iqbal was sitting in a restaurant in front of the port of Karachi. Iqbal and Sabirbhai were watching news on TV while having dinner. Everyone who came to the restaurant is watching the news. Last night a group entered from Pakistan through Harami Nala, several Indian soldiers were killed in their surprise attack, the attackers had mingled with the common people of India. A warning has been issued across India regarding this. News shows 14 Indian soldiers brutally killed, their faces smashed beyond recognition. Seeing the bodies on the TV screen, everyone in the restaurant is chanting Pakistan Zindabad.
Sabirbhai raised a big yawn. Looking at Dr. Iqbal, he said, let’s go, ship is about to leave. If you don’t get up now, your luggage will reach Bandar Abbas but you will stay here.
On that day, when the Azad ship left Karachi port for Bandar Abbas and reached the middle of the sea, and the lights of the distant Karachi port became dim from point to point, Dr. Iqbal remembered that Maharaja believed in the karma. He used to read Gita regularly, and in his diary he mentioned a verse from Gita and wrote:
‘Tamattgyanjang Viddhi Mohang Sarvadehinam. Pramadalsyanidravistannivanati Bharata.’
It means that Tamoguna is a very peculiar quality of the embodied soul. This Tamoguna is the complete opposite of Sattaguna. By the practice of knowledge in sattguna one can know what one is, but all possessed by tamoguna are mad and one who is mad does not know what one is. Instead of improving, it degenerates.
It has been described, ‘Vastuyattmanavarakang bharatajnjanajanakang tamah’ that one cannot determine the nature of matter when it is engulfed by tamoguna. As everyone knows that everyone in the world dies one day. But people think about earning wealth day and night without thinking about spiritual development. But after death the soul takes nothing with it except knowledge and experience. This type of person is very selfish. They can harm any person for their own betterment. Because they think of the material world as everything. When they are called to join the company of saints for the attainment of transcendental knowledge, they show no enthusiasm. Such people have the greatest attraction to drugs. Because thinking about their own happiness, they commit so many sins that when the cycle of sin is complete, they get involved in problems from all sides, and they do not make any spiritual progress. They take the help of drugs to forget the problems of the material world. My subjects had to suffer the consequences because of me. There is no point in blaming Mohammad Bin Qasim. His arrival is due to my sins. Let future people blame me for the downfall of Sindh country.
Thinking about the words, Dr Iqbal’s eyes closed. He heard Sabirbhai’s voice in his sleep. Sabirbhai says. “Tomorrow afternoon our flight will leave from Bandar Abbas Airport to New Delhi.” (Continues)
Click here for Part-I , Part-II, Part-III , Part-IV , Part-V , Part-VI , Part-VII, Part-VIII , Part-IX , Part-X, Part-XI, Part-XII, Part-XIII , Part-XIV , Part-XV , Part-XVI, Part-XVII, Part-XVIII , Part-XIX, Part-XX, Part-XXI , Part-XXII, Part-XXIII , Part-XXIV , Part-XXV , Part-XXVI, Part-XXVII, Part-XXVIII, Part-XXIX, Part-XXX , Part-XXXI, Part-XXXII, Part-XXXIII , Part-XXXIV , Part-XXXV , Part-XXXVI , Part-XXXVII , Part-XXXVIII, Part-XXXIX, Part-XL , #Part-XLI , Part-XLII , Part-XLIII , Part-XLIV, Part-XLV , Part-XLVI , Part- XLVII , Part-XLVIII , Part-XLIX, Part-L
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Debasree Chakraborti is a renowned novel writer of Bengali language. Based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, she has done Master’s in Modern History from the Kolkata University, and authored some thirty books, mostly the novels, with historical perspective and themes. Her most recent novel is ‘Maharaja Dahir’ that covers the history of Sindh from 662, the year of first attack on Sindh by the Arab armies till date.
Rajesh Giri, born in Kolkata, had his early schooling from Kolkata and then from Medinipur—a village in Bengal. He graduated from Calcutta University with Physics and Maths and Master’s from Burdwan University in 2016. Now he is associated with Adhdhyaan educational institution teaching Physics. History enthusiastic Rajesh Giri is particularly interested in the ancient civilization of India and other regions like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and North America. He loves traveling.
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