For a moment Humayun bowed his head in silent joy. Then he shouted to his attendants, ‘Order the drums to be beaten above the gates of the fortress and on the city walls. We have won a great victory and the world must know.’
Just as the sky was pinkening in the west, Humayun heard the strident blast of trumpets that announced that Bairam Khan was riding in through the western gate. Moments later, one of Humayun’s personal attendants came to help him dress in a coat of dark green brocade with emerald fastenings.
‘You have the gift I wish to present to Bairam Khan?’
‘Yes, Majesty.’
‘Then let us proceed.’ Followed by six bodyguards, Humayun made his way to the audience chamber and entered through the arched door to the right of his gilded throne. His courtiers, commanders and officials — Jauhar among them — were already grouped in a semicircle facing the throne. Their robes and tunics of every hue from saffron yellow and red to purple and blue were as brilliant as the rich carpet from Tabriz on which they were standing. Jewels sparkled in their turbans, around their necks and on their fingers. At the sight of Humayun, all bowed low.
His impulse was to stride right past them and on through the open double doors of polished mulberry into the antechamber beyond, where he could see Bairam Khan and Akbar waiting. But he had summoned his courtiers to witness the homecoming of a victorious general and must give them a dignified spectacle. Seating himself on his throne, Humayun raised his hand. ‘Let Bairam Khan approach.’ He watched as his commander entered the chamber and made his way slowly towards the throne, then halted and bowed.
‘Bairam Khan, you are welcome,’ said Humayun, then gestured to his attendant who stepped forward with a bag of turquoise velvet. Loosening the cord of twisted silver thread at its neck, Humayun tipped the contents into his left hand and extended it towards Bairam Khan. Those closest to the throne gasped as they saw the dark red glitter of rubies.
‘Bairam Khan, you are a soldier to whom such fripperies as this gift of gems mean little. But I have something else to give. You will become my khan-i-khanan, commander-in-chief of the imperial Moghul armies.’
‘Majesty.’ Bairam Khan bowed low once more, but not before Humayun had seen his dark blue eyes flash with surprise. It was a good way to reward the general who had left his Persian homeland for him and served with such distinction. Zahid Beg might also have expected the honour and had certainly deserved it, but he had recently asked leave to return to his ancestral lands near Kabul. He was growing old and stiff, he had told Humayun. His days as a warrior were nearly done, but if ever Humayun had need of him he would come.
Humayun looked over Bairam Khan’s head to address his courtiers. ‘On the night of the next full moon, we will illuminate the Purana Qila with so many lamps and candles that its radiance will rival the moon itself and we will feast to celebrate this victory.’ Humayun turned again to his attendant. ‘Now summon my beloved son before me.’
As Akbar entered Humayun saw with love and pride how much he had altered in the months he had been away. He looked even taller and his broad, muscular shoulders strained against the green cloth of his tunic. He was also, Humayun noted, looking more than a little pleased with himself. But as his son drew nearer and touched his right hand to his breast in salute, he saw it was bandaged. Before Humayun could ask the cause, Bairam Khan, who had seen the direction of his glance, spoke.
‘Majesty, as you instructed I ensured that during major actions the prince was well protected by bodyguards. But late one afternoon, not many days after we had crushed Sekunder Shah, my scouts reported that they had spotted a band of his men in the foothills. I decided to lead a party of a thousand cavalry, together with a few small baggage wagons carrying weapons and supplies, in pursuit and to take Akbar with me to gain experience of such operations. I thought there would be little danger. But as we were riding up a narrow ravine, there was a sudden rockslide and amid the shower of pebbles and scree several heavy boulders came crashing down, killing three of my men and blocking the way.
‘Most of the column had already passed beyond that point but the last hundred or so riders and our few wagons were now cut off from the main party. With darkness falling and the risk of further rockslides, I shouted to those who had been separated from us to retreat back the way they’d come. I then moved the rest of the column quickly out of the ravine and returned with some of our strongest men to attempt to clear the debris. But it quickly became obvious we could not complete the task until the light returned. . My greatest anxiety was for the prince who with his milk-brother was among those we could not reach, but. . ’ here Bairam Khan paused, ‘I should let him tell his own story. . ’
‘I’d heard Bairam Khan ordering us to get out of the ravine,’ Akbar continued eagerly, ‘but just as we were turning the baggage wagons — which wasn’t easy, the defile was narrow — we were suddenly attacked by men swarming about on a rock shelf high above us. From what little we could see of them they didn’t look like soldiers of Sekunder Shah. They were poorly armed — no muskets, just arrows and spears. I think they were probably mountain tribesmen who’d been observing our progress and hoped for a chance of plunder. Perhaps they’d even caused the landslip. . Whoever they were, their arrows and spears were soon falling thickly around us and several of our men were hit.
‘I shouted to our troops to take cover behind the wagons and then ordered the few musketeers we had with us to fire at our assailants. They had the sinking orange sun in their eyes but the flash and bang of their guns was enough to frighten our attackers off and we got at least one of them. His body came tumbling down and when we inspected it we found a musket ball in his forehead. Though we remained on guard all that night they didn’t return and next morning, after the fallen rock had been cleared, we were reunited with the main column.’
‘And your hand?’
‘My first battle wound — a graze from an arrow. Adham Khan saw it coming and pushed me to one side or it might have hit me in the body. . ’ Akbar’s amber-brown eyes — so like Hamida’s — had been glowing as he had relived the skirmish.
‘You acquitted yourself bravely and well,’ said Humayun. Privately he wondered what Hamida, watching and listening behind the grille set high in the wall to the right of his throne, would be thinking. But despite her maternal fears she should be as proud of Akbar as he was. He had shown coolness and resourcefulness — essential survival skills for an emperor and ones that could not be acquired too early.
That night, Humayun ate with Hamida and Akbar in the haram. As he looked at his exquisite wife and handsome, athletic son bursting with confidence and youthful vitality, he felt a deeper content than he had perhaps ever known. The pieces of his fragmented life seemed to have fallen into place at last. The empire that God in his wisdom and mercy had allowed him to take back was secure and with Akbar by his side he would expand it. And one day Akbar in turn would launch his own wars of conquest and extend the Moghul lands from sea to sea.
Hamida too looked happy. Her face had acquired a new bloom and her clinging silk garments showed the supple, fluid outline of her body that, grown a little more voluptuous since the days of her girlhood, was even more beautiful. Tonight ornaments of blue sapphires set with diamonds sparkled in her flowing dark hair, and another sapphire was in her navel left bare by low, wide-cut trousers of duck-egg blue and a short, tight-fitting bodice that revealed the swell of her breasts.
‘How is it with my empress?’ Humayun asked when Akbar left them and they were alone.