Yunus Oghuz - Nader Shah. Historical novel

The people fainted because of laughing.

Salman kishi was confused:

– I understand nothing, I beseech you. The head of the donkeys.

I said again laughingly:

– I want to say that you will lead all of the donkeys in my army. You will carry food, water for my troops from the rear. You asked me to give you one donkey, but I give you a thousand donkeys. What do you say, do you agree with me? – I asked him.

Salman answered, hesitating:

– What can I say?

There were heard voices among the people:

– Agree with him, kishi, you would never dream of such kind of a post. In former times you carried wood on your back, but now you will lead all the donkeys carrying loads.

The people laughed again.

Salman looked at me:

– What about my children?

– They will be assured of everything.

– If it is thus, I agree with you! I wish you long life, Nader khan! It is as if you helped me escape from the words of my shrewish wife.

I gave instructions one of my followers to arrange what I promtsed Salman. I began to go forward the Shah’s palace…”

…The girls ran and came into the cell of the aunt. The aunt had never seen them so merry during the last seven years. During those seven years, Fatime Sultan Beyim and Rize Beyim had suffered much. Now they could wash clothes, make beds, sweep yards, cook meals, make tea, comb hair, plait, – in a word, they could manage everything. During these last years the girls had grown; and had even reached their marriageable age. Now they were about twenty one or twenty two years old.

– I haven’t seen you so merry before, I beseech you! What has happened?

Fatime Sultan Beyim:

– My aunt, thanks to God, all our sufferings are left behind. During the seven years we had patience, we stood on our dignity and honor, and we didn’t lose our pride. – She said and embraced the woman and began to cry:

The aunt:

– I beseech you, tell me what has happened?

Rize Beyim:

– My aunt, good news, good news! Nader khan has arrived in the city, after some time he will be in the palace…

Fatime Sultan Beyim broke the news of Rize Beyim’s words:

– After some days my brother Tahmasb Shah will come to Isfahan.

The aunt raised her hands and faced the sky:

– Thanks to God! My God, you are always merciful! We have escaped suffering. If I die now I won’t feel sorry. If only I surrender you to the Shah, then I shan’t remain in the palace, I shall go to my own cityto Shamakhy.

Her words shook Fatime Sultan Beyim:

– No, you must not go anywhere, my aunt! – She raised her voice. – We suffered together during seven years, till we die we must be together!

– My aunt, shall we greet our Shah dressed like servants?

– Oh… I have forgotten! We haven’t even got any good dresses.

– I beseech you; I shall think and find a way out!

The girls had missed behaving like ladies and they wished to return to their previous life.

– My aunt, after some time Nader khan will come to the palace, why not tell him something?

The aunt embraced Sultan Beyim:

– Hi, my clever lady! Of course, whom else must we tell except him? Because he is like the right hand of Tahmasb Shah!

I arrived at the palace and began to set to work preparing for the Shah’s arrival in Isfahan. At that time my brother Ibrahim khan came up to me:

– One of the servants wants to see you, – he said.

I said in at ten tively:

– Why do I have to talk with a servant?

Ibrahim khan wanted to make me realize something:

– Nader khan, the problem is that the servant was a nurse of the sister of our Shah and the daughter of Sultan Husain.

I didn’t change my position:

– Well, what can I do for her? Maybe she wants to make a request… Let her either go or ask her to wait for the Shah.

Ibrahim khan insisted:

– Nader khan, you don’t understand me very well! The nurse says that during the last seven years, the Shahzade ladies were servants in the palace, but nobody knew that they were the daughters of the Shah.

I thought for a while:

– What? The daughters of the Shah worked in the palace like servants for seven years and nobody was aware of it. How can it be?

– The servant told me about it.

– Call here that servant; let me know what she is saying.

Ibrahim khan called a woman who was standing in a dis- tance. The woman began to come towards me.

– Woman, are the words of Ibrahim khan true?

– They are true, I beseech you.

I asked her name. “Here all call me as “aunt”, – she answered.

– Well, aunt, tell me about what has happened, – I said.

When the aunt told me the whole story I thought about the miserable life they had during those seven years, and I was proud of them and wanted to see them and tell them “Let all your sufferings remain in the past”.

I gave out orders to give the aunt whatever she demanded and to move the girls to one of the cells for the ladies. I asked the aunt to inform me after the girls changed their clothes, and I promised her to visit the girls.

After some hours the news came that the ladies were ready to receive me. I entered the cell separated for them. For a long time I had not seen such kind of beautiful girls. I could tell them only a few words; “Let you sufferings remain in the past”. It was impossible to look at the girls attentively because they were too beautiful…”

…Tahmasb Shah was elbowing on the cusht on in the resting cell of the palace and was staring at the ceiling. After coming to Tehran there was one question in his mind.’ I wonder will Nader khan send a herald to me?! ‘He didn’t doubt about his occupying Isfahan. After dethroning Ashraf it wasn’t difticult for Nader to declare himself Shah, bet cause the army was in his side. Even if Nader wanted, he could give an order to put him to death. At that time a problem of running from the country arose. Where would he run? Wherever he would run, Nader would be able to pursue him. Now he was nobody without Nader. Tahmasb could realize all of the difficulty and was waiting for the herald of Nader. He had lost interest in everything. Was he right in executing Fatali khan and preter Nader khan? He didn’t know. He had sent away his Viziers and advocates too. He didn’t want to receive anybody. At times he entertained himself with a concubine but it didn’t help him to clear his thoughts. As if a heavy stone was hung in his heart. His mind was in a haze. Tahmasb Shah wanted to dispel the haze of his mind by drinking wine. Though it was against Muslim rule he could drink both wine and smoke opium because of not being a subject. He clapped his hands to each other and ordered the servant to bring wine. No sooner had the servant brought the wine than the head of guardsmen entered:

– Your Majesty, Nader khan has sent a herald, he wants to see you, – he said.

Tahmasb Shah didn’t know whether to be glad or to cry at that moment. For a while, he thought and his face quiv ered:

– What was on his face, delight or sorrow?

– There was delight on his face, Your Majesty, his eyes were smiling.

Tahmasb Shah stood up and turned to the head of the guards men:

– Bring him to the reception room! – He assertively set him tasks.

The head of the guardsmen crossed his hands on his chest:

– All right, Your Majesty!

Tahmasb Shah went out of the cell and went to the reception room of the palace. He looked at the ugly bedding put there instead of the throne, but he didn’t want to sit on it. He decided to welcome the herald standing.

The head of the guardsmen entered and informed about the coming of the herald. When the herald came in the room he lay on the floor and kissed the feet of the Shah. Without standing up he said: “Good news, my Shah, give me gifts, my Shah!”