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
Lahore, Aror
Year 2021 and 712
Last night, Abu Talib went to the toilet once in drunken state; at that time his mobile phone was kept on the sofa. Dr. Iqbal utilizes the time and opened up Abu Talib’s mobile and inserted a small object into it. Chadda sir had instructed in the video that there is something in a small green envelope in Dr. Iqbal’s bedside drawer, which must be inserted into Abu Talib’s mobile. Guidelines to achieve the task were given in a video within the tab. Dr. Iqbal executed that watching the video. The next morning, Sabirbhai appeared. Sabirbhai looked exhausted, but there was an intriguing satisfaction in his eyes and face. As soon as Dr. Iqbal opened the door, he let out a sigh and sat on the sofa. Dr. Iqbal said, “Sabirbhai, let’s get some tea; will talk together over tea.”
“Yes, bring the tea quickly, then will be discussed.” Sabirbhai seems in a very joyous mood today!
—Certainly that’s why I’m talking about ‘Chai pe charcha’.
Dr. Iqbal sat in front of Sabirbhai with tea. Sabirbhai started with a smile after taking the first sip, “The operation was successful; Fiza is safe. Her appendix was removed by a small operation. Just to show off…”
—And the bomb?
—The bomb has been sent to the right place. We have successfully fulfilled the responsibility that was given to us. Abu Talib and Ahmed’s mobiles revealed that they have planned to execute the attack on August 14. We were able to record all the chat history and call recordings between Ahmed and the travel agent of Tharparkar market, who smuggled all the information to Ahmed.
—I inserted the chip in Abu Talib’s mobile, but how did you truck Ahmed’s mobile?
—We have an agent named Mehboob, and he is associated with the Sindhu Desh movement. He, by the help of Sanghamitra, Mithila’s sister, inserted the chip in Ahmed’s phone.
—The aspects of Sanghamitra and Mithila are under our control. But how to control Abdul and Islamic State militants?
The voice recording that you sent to Chadha sir was received by him at a place on the Indo-Pakistan border where he was surrounded by those Islamic States militants. Chadda sir himself is giving training to them.
—What!!! What do you mean?
—need not to understand right now. And erase Abdul completely from your head. You only do what you are asked for. Now you have to find out Maharaja Dahir’s diary. We have one more week left, we have to leave Pakistan before August 14.
—Sabirbhai, Maharaja Dahir had an elephant right? Whose name is Airavat. This Airavat i.e. white colored elephant is considered to be the vehicle of Lord Indra. Airavat was killed in battle of Maharaja Dahir with Mohammad Bin Qasim. After Airavat’s death, Dahir also fell, sensing his sure fall, Maharaja may have instructed someone about his diary, and following his death, the diary, may be, was buried in Airavat’s tomb. People very close to him knew this and wrote it in the form of riddles.
—So we have to find the burial place of Airavat?
—Yes, no time at all, Sabirbhai today you take rest all day; if possible, we need to leave for Aror by tonight.
—Well, let it be.
Sabirbhai went to sleep. Dr. Iqbal sat down to read the diary of Surya Devi. Surya Devi writes:
“Before the war started, father sent all our brothers and sisters and mothers along with other women to Aror fort. Our elder brother Jaisingh was then trying to save Brahmanabad. Brahmanabad was the capital of our great grandfather Chach. We had a deep emotional connection with this city. So he personally took the responsibility of protecting Brahmanabad. When the Muslim forces ran short of food and water, my father sent his men to the Arab camp to provide food and water. With my father’s aid, they became stronger and again declared war against my father. They bite the hand that feeds them. The terrible moment we have been waiting for has finally arrived. The war began. Our father Maharaja Dahir rode into the battle field on the back of Airavat. The army formed by our brother Jaisingh surrounded him and continued to wage war in a circle. At that time every day guards from the battlefield brought news of the war. Many Arab soldiers intruded in our army in disguise; they started killing our soldiers indiscriminately. Yet the army raised and trained by our brother Jaisingh are fighting bravely with enemies. Thus for about two weeks the Sindh army under the leadership of my father managed to maintain the independence of our Sindh country. Then one day shortly before sunset news reached father that our great brother Jaisingh had died; this news quickly spread among the army prepared by our brother Jaisingh. They had a loving relationship with him. Hearing the news of his death, everyone became morally down; after my father, everyone considered brother Jaisingh as the real savior of Sindh. The news of his untimely death cast a pall over the entire Sindh army. Father came down from Airavat to the battlefield; he thought that even though they are enemy, they must have compassion, kindness. But this misconception changed the fate of the entire country of Sindh. It was another bad decision to come down from his Airavat.”
“Our father used to rely on his trusted people in his weak moments. I strongly believe that one of his most trusted people reached him with the news of our brother Jaisingh’s death and as he suggested my father to come down from Airavat. On hearing the news of our brother’s death, the Arabs pounced upon our forces with all their might, for when the mind is weak, a warrior loses the strength to hold the arms. In this case too, the bewildered Sindh army was slaughtered by the Arabs randomly. Later, after arriving in Syria, I came to know that the Arab army surrounded my father on the battlefield, then their commander Amru killed unarmed father who bereaved with the loss of his son. My father’s head was separated from the body, he was erect on the ground for a while. His blood was spurting out all around on the ground, after a while the father fell, and the Sindhu Desh falls off. Everything that happened, happened in front of Airavat. Witnessing the brutal death of father, Airavat, the elephant dear to his life, started running like mad at the Arab soldiers with terrible roar, crushing everyone in front of him and throwing them away. That day, by killing several hundred Arabs, the elephant avenged my father’s death. The Arabs also understood the valor of Airavat, the pet son of Maharaja Dahir.
They started throwing spears at Airavat from all sides. Even wounded, he continued to smash the Arabs. Then Airavat was hit by a massive stone on the forehead pelted by using a huge catapult device, and it immediately bites the dust. As the sun was setting on the battlefield, Maharaja Dahir and his pet son Airavat stayed lying on the ground covered in the crimson aura of the sunset. (Continued)
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
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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.
