1621- AN EXPEDITION TO LOVE

1621- AN EXPEDITION TO LOVE.

“Would you like some fruit, My Lady?” Gurpreet Singh, my maid, asked me. I was lying on the bed in my room as I felt unwell while the ship sailed through a rough ocean. I replied, “No, thank you, Gurpreet. I am feeling rather unwell. I would like to just rest for a while. You may leave now, my girl.” “As you wish, My Lady,” Gurpreet Singh replied before leaving my room.

My name is Ashwini Diksha Ranawat. I am 17 years old. My father, Dilsher Pratap Ranawat, is a Minister of Foreign Trade in the Mughal Empire ruled by His Majesty, Jahangir. My father was assigned an important task of securing a trade deal with the Emperor of China, who is known as the Tianqi Emperor by His Majesty, Jahangir. My father has been His Majesty’s trusted minister since His Majesty took over the throne from the Late Mughal King, His Majesty Akhbar the Great. How I ended up accompanying my father on the rather momentous expedition has a rather comical analepsis. My mother, Dharshini Jasminder Ranawat, had been drowning in distraught when my father delivered the news of the expedition to her. Since I have been a romp of a girl since the age of 10, my heart was jumping with joy at the news of the expedition. However, it has always been the traditional decorum in noble families that young ladies of my age remain sheltered from unchaperoned exposure to the bustling streets.

Hence, I had to ensure that my mother was beguiled into allowing me to accompany my father on this expedition. I told my mother, “Mother, I understand how distraught you must be at the news of Father’s expedition. If you would not mind my mentioning this, may I accompany father on this expedition to ensure father’s safety and to enlighten you from time to time as to father’s state of affairs through my letters?” Mother, who was sewing the hem of my skirt, stopped for a while and looked at me, with eyes as radiant as the rays of the sun and a serene moonlit smile dancing on her lips. “Why, that is a rather brilliant idea!” My mother exclaimed. “I will speak to your father about this, then. I will only rest easy if a family member stays close to your father during this expedition,” my mother further added. “Thank you, Mother. I will do my utmost best to keep you informed as to Father’s situation from time to time,” I assured my Mother. And that was how I ended up accompanying my Father on this expedition.

After resting for an hour, I woke up to clean myself and change my attire to join Father for dinner. As I walked into the dining hall, I noticed that all the other assistants who had joined my Father in this expedition were present to dine along with my Father. My Father’s closest bodyguard and my cousin, Rudraveer Deshmukh Thakur Singh from my Mother’s lineage, was also standing close to my Father as he discussed with one of his assistants about something that seemed important, as Father did not notice my presence as I approached him quietly.

“Good evening, cousin Diksha,” Rudraveer greeted me. My father turned around at the mention of my name. “Oh, there you are, my love. Come here, my love. I shall introduce you to my assistants,” my father urged me to join him in his group of guests. I walked over to my father's side and smiled at the assistants whom I was introduced to. A few moments later, a bell rang, urging the guests to take their places at the dining table. I sat next to my father. My cousin sat next to me at the dining table, whereas my father’s other assistants sat next to my father to pursue the discussion that they had been having with my father earlier.

Dinner was quite lavish, I would say. There were various types of briyani rice dishes, various types of Salna, vegetable dishes, and fruit juices, along with yogurt drinks for the guests to feast on. As my family has always been on a vegetarian diet, we were only served vegetarian briyani, vegetable side dishes, and salna along with yogurt-based fruit drinks. Once the main course servings were cleared by the waiters waiting at the dining table, the dessert was served. We were served with various types of sweet delicacies and savory delicacies. I have always been a fan of savory items. I have a type of detest towards sweet delicacies as I find them either too sweet or too oily since they are usually made using ghee. After dinner, everyone moved to the porch of the ship to feel the night breeze and have a walk on the porch before retiring to their respective rooms.

As I walked slowly along the railing of the ship, I noticed someone trailing me from behind. I turned around to see who it was. It was my cousin, Rudraveer. “My greetings to you, cousin,” I greeted him. “My greetings to you too, cousin,” Rudraveer greeted me in response. I looked at the incandescent moon shining in the dark sky. “Isn’t the moon beautiful tonight, cousin?” I asked my cousin. Rudraveer looked up at the sky. “Yes, indeed, cousin,” he replied. I turned to look at him. “Is Father prepared with the terms of the trade deal, cousin?” I asked Rudraveer. He nodded and said, “Yes, cousin. Uncle seems determined and is confident with his plans.” I nodded my head slightly, digesting whatever my cousin said. “How long will it take to reach China, cousin?” I asked Rudraveer. “It will take another night, and we will reach China the next morning, as the captain informed us,” he replied. I sighed at his reply. “Why, are you excited, cousin?” Rudraveer asked me with a note of jest in his voice. I smiled and replied, “Of course I am, cousin. Being a maiden in our nation is rather tiring, do you know? The fact that we are not allowed to step out of the vicinity of our residence without a chaperone is a rule that is meant to curtail the freedom of the maidens in noble families. So, cousin, this expedition will be my first liberation from such a stringent rule of our nation!” Rudraveer laughed so loudly upon hearing what I said. It is a rare sight to watch my cousin laugh heartily without any worries, since he has always been alert and focused due to his duties of being beside my father in handling political issues. I was glad that I could make him feel at ease, even if it was just for a moment.

As informed by my cousin, we arrived at the port in China after one night, at the crack of dawn. The unbroken silence of the port forbade our disembarkation at so premature an hour. While awaiting instructions for disembarkation from the captain, my maid and I packed all our belongings and awaited an early breakfast to be served in our room. Once breakfast was over, the captain sent officers from room to room to inform the guests to disembark from the ship. My cousin Rudraveer was already waiting for me at my door, to accompany me, as I opened it. “Where is Father, cousin?” I asked him as we walked towards the exit of the ship. “Uncle is on his way to the exit with his assistants, cousin. Don’t worry, he is well taken care of,” my cousin assured me. I smiled at him and nodded in agreement. All of us disembarked from the ship and were greeted by some officials from the Palace.

A Chinese official walked towards my father and extended his greetings to my father. “Welcome, Mr. Dilsher. My name is Wei Zhongxian. Thank you for making this long and horrendous trip to visit our nation. Our Emperor, His Majesty, was quite pleased at the news of your visit and is looking forward to your presence in the Palace. Shall we proceed to the Palace, Mr. Dilsher?” My father responded, “Greetings to you too, Mr. Wei Zhongxian. Yes, we shall proceed to the Palace. My men and my family are quite tired from this trip. I would like them to be placed at their respective accommodations to enable them to rest.” “Yes, of course, Mr. Dilsher. For enhanced protection of all the guests, His Majesty has prepared accommodations within the walls of the Palace,” Mr. Wei Zhongxian replied, for which all the guests nodded in approval.

All the respective guests who accompanied my father were led to their respective carriages. My cousin, Rudraveer, and I embarked in the carriage prepared for my father. “You must be tired, my love. Would you like something to drink, perhaps?” my father asked me in the carriage. “Yes, I would like that, Father,” I replied. My father turned to look at my maid and urged her to pour a glass of Chinese refreshments prepared in the carriage for us. I took a sip of the refreshment and was utterly surprised at the taste of the drink. “Why, this is the most exquisite tea that has ever graced my palate, Father!” I exclaimed in excitement that made my father laugh out loud. “If you are pleased with the tea, you may purchase some to take back to our nation, my love,” my father said to me, his eyes beaming at me. Rudraveer urged the maid to pour a glass for my father and him. Both of them seemed to agree with me upon taking a sip of the drink. “A quencher indeed, cousin,” Rudraveer said in agreement.

Our carriages finally came to a halt after about an hour of traveling. I drew the silky curtain to see what happened and realized that we had arrived at our destination. I looked at the surroundings of the place where the carriage had stopped. There were two high walls on either side of what seemed like a widened passageway. The carriageman called out to us to disembark from the carriage. All of us disembarked from the carriage as told and waited for Mr. Wei Zhongxin to guide us further. Mr. Wei Zhongxin said to us upon arrival, “Please follow me to the entrance of the Palace, Mr. Dilsher. The carriage will have to stop here.” My father responded, “Alright then. Please lead the way, Mr. Wei.”

Once we all reached the entrance, we were guided into the Palace, where the Emperor was seated, awaiting our arrival, along with many ministers and officials in the Tianqi Emperor's presence. We walked into the Palace as guided by Mr. Wei Zhongxian. Since father was a minister, all of us kneeled before the Emperor to greet His Majesty. “My humble greetings to Your Majesty. My name is Dilsher Pratap Ranawat, and I am from India. These are my trusted aides and family, Your Majesty. I have brought with me the terms set by our King in securing a fair trade with Your Majesty’s empire,” my father said in greeting the Emperor. I took a sneak peek at the Emperor. The Emperor seemed much younger than my father. He was quite good-looking with sharp and distinct features, of slim build, and had fair translucent skin. The Emperor then spoke, “I welcome you to my nation, Mr. Dilsher. It is a pleasure for me and my people to have you in our nation. As for the trade deal, I have been pre-informed by your good self, I presume, of the terms of the trade deal. I would like to discuss further with you before we sign the treaty to conclude our trade deal. I have prepared accommodations for you and your people here in the Palace. I have promised that you and your people will be provided with the highest security during your stay in our nation. Rest assured, we have everything prepared to make you feel comfortable during these few days of stay, Mr. Dilsher.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I am looking forward to our discussion on the trade deal,” my father responded to the Emperor, pleased with the demeanor of the Emperor. Once the Court was adjourned, we were guided to our respective accommodations. The architecture of the Palace was simply magnificent, the colors and grandeur of the Palace reflecting the taste of the Tianqi Emperor.

The room that I was guided to was within the Harem, where the female officials of the Palace reside, whereas my father and the rest of the gentlemen who traveled with us were led to the place where male officials of the Palace reside. Once we were rested sufficiently, the maids assigned to me informed me that I was expected in the dining room along with the rest of the guests to dine with the Emperor. My maid quickly prepared my bath and my attire for the event. Once I was ready to leave my room, the maid assigned to me led me and my maid to the dining room. I entered the dining room once a male attendant announced my arrival. The guests looked up at me, nodded at me, and smiled as I walked into the dining room. As expected, Father was seated next to the Emperor. Both of them were in deep conversation. My cousin, Rudraveer, approached me to accompany me to my seat at the dining table.

The main course of the dinner was served at the sound of the bell. Father, my cousin, and I were served with vegetarian food, whereas the Chinese officials and my Father’s assistants were served with non-vegetarian food. The dish, despite being vegetarian, was of saporous delight, rich with flavor. I presumed that the Emperor meant to display the types of spices his nation possessed, which was a masterful showcasing of the Emperor’s products of trade. Although business maneuvering was a language I had yet to learn, I could deduce the Sovereign’s intent. “Bravo, Ashwini, aren’t you a genius?” I thought to myself with a gentle upturn of my mouth. My cousin must have noticed the change of emotions on my face as he asked, “Care to share your thoughts with me so that I could rejoice as well, cousin?” “Did you notice that the food served to us was incredibly luscious?” I asked my cousin. My cousin nodded in agreement and replied, “Yes, indeed, cousin. My cousin further asked, “Are you implying that His Majesty is displaying the richness of the spices possessed by this nation?”  I smiled and nodded in agreement. “Ah, I see. Are you aware how you have learnt the mind of a great personality with much ease?” my cousin asked while beaming at me. I smiled excitedly at his words. Once dinner was over, we were summoned to a grand hall for an evening of mutual unveiling between the Indian and Chinese officials.

My Father urged me to approach him once I entered the grand hall. I quickly walked towards my father. “Your Majesty, this is my one and only daughter, Ashwini Diksha Ranawat,” father said to the Tianqi Emperor. It was only at that time that the Emperor noticed my presence. The Emperor and my eyes met in mutual inquiry, locked in mutual observation of our physiques and attire, which represent a diverse cultural background. The Emperor and I were anchored in each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. I felt drawn to the Emperor’s sharp gaze. A gaze so sharp as a hawk’s that made me blush. “My greetings, my lady,” the Emperor broke the silence between us to save me from embarrassment. I quickly snapped out of my own faze and replied, “My humble greetings to Your Majesty.” My father then spoke, “My daughter has completed her studies and wishes to pursue her studies before she gets married, Your Majesty.” “Is that so? It is very noble of you to allow your maiden daughter to pursue her studies to broaden her horizon instead of preparing her for marriage, Mr. Dilsher,” His Majesty commented with a look of admiration in his eyes. “Yes, Your Majesty, I wish that my daughter could pursue her dreams instead of conforming to the societal pressure of forcing maidens to marry a man and limit her freedom to do what she wishes in her life,” my father said while looking at me with much tenderness. I smiled at my father as my eyes brimmed with tears. The Emperor noticed that the conversation stumbled on the edge of a tear, so, His Majesty quickly diverted my father’s mind by saying, “Now, Mr. Dilsher, you must enlighten me about the Indian tradition, particularly when you celebrate your yearly event.”

My father’s eyes quickly lit up with excitement and began particularizing every minor event that takes place on the eve of Diwali and during the Diwali celebration. I noticed how my father’s words captivated the Emperor, leaving the Emperor utterly focused and mesmerized.

The big bell rang once again, suggesting that the evening of mutual unveiling between the Chinese and Indian officials had come to a close. “I must express my gratitude for such a hearty and grand welcome, Your Majesty,” my father said to the Tianqi Emperor, to which the Emperor replied with a smile, “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Dilsher. I have been utterly mesmerized by our conversation on our culture and tradition. I am also delighted to meet your daughter as well.” I bowed at the Emperor and said to His Majesty, “I am delighted to have met Your Majesty as well. I hope that I did not offend Your Majesty in any way.” With that, all of us bid each other farewell and retired to our respective rooms.

The next morning, an important meeting took place between the Tianqi Emperor and my father over the trade deal, whereby terms were discussed and were later reduced into a treaty. The seals from both nations were stamped upon the treaty, which meant our expedition had come to a conclusion.

For the next few days, the Emperor had planned a trip outside the Palace to show my Father the places where the spices were grown and preserved. My father seemed satisfied with the quality of the items that were to be traded to our nation. I, on the other hand, had written letters to my mother as I had promised, detailing every event that had taken place.

On the final night of the expedition, the Emperor had organized a banquet for all of us. Once the banquet was over, the Emperor urged my father to have a discussion in private, of which neither I nor the rest of the guests, including my cousin, were privy.

My father seemed utterly pleasant when he stepped out of the Emperor’s private room. My cousin, who was standing beside me, whispered to me, “Do you notice that Uncle seems to be in a very good mood, cousin?” I nodded in agreement while gazing at my father with suspicion. Once Father approached us, Father said to me, “My love, I have something of great importance and confidentiality to discuss with you. Would you care to follow me to His Majesty’s private room now, my love?” I was utterly dumbfounded. Without any hesitation, I followed my father to the Emperor’s private room. Once all three of us were in the room, His Majesty the Emperor quickly gestured to the servants to leave the room immediately. Then, upon taking a deep breath, the Emperor broke the silence. He looked directly at me. “My lady, I have discussed a matter of utmost importance regarding your future with Mr. Dilsher, and I was informed by Mr. Dilsher that I would have to seek your opinion regarding this matter. “Whatever is the matter that requires my consent, Your Majesty?” I asked the Emperor, still confused by the whole situation in the room. The Emperor took a deep breath once again and asked rather hesitantly this time, however, “Well, I suggested to Mr. Dilsher that I would like to ask for your hand in marriage upon your completing your further studies in your nation. Rest assured that you will not be compelled into this marriage in any manner whatsoever. This marriage would only take place with your own free will. What do you think about this matter, My Lady?”

I was utterly astonished by what the Emperor said to me. I was not, I confess, prepared for such tidings. “So, I suppose this was what father was utterly pleased about,” I thought to myself. I was not offended by the Emperor’s proposal, much to my own astonishment. On the contrary, I was seized by a whirlwind of emotions, a tempest of joy and fear. I turned to look at my father. My father did not seem upset by my silence. On the contrary, he seemed calm and prepared to support any decision that I chose to make. However, I did notice so much happiness in my father’s eyes when he stepped out of the Emperor’s private room to summon me into the Emperor’s private room just a moment ago. Truth be told, I was mesmerized by the diversity of culture between the Emperor and me. Above all, the Emperor was kind and magnanimous in nature. In a nutshell, the Emperor was nothing short of a perfect gentleman. I was, in fact, in alignment with my father in terms of the Emperor’s character. After serious reflection and consideration, I replied to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I would be blessed to share this life as your consort.”

My father, who was standing still the whole time, quickly walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me. “Thank you, my love. I knew you would make a wise decision. This is why I left this decision to be made by only you,” he said to me with tears of joy flowing down his cheeks.

Four years had passed since we returned from the expedition to China. I had finally completed my studies. It was time to honor the promise that I made to the Tianqi Emperor. With diligent grace, my father reported to both the Imperial Dragon Throne and our own Liege the solemn oath struck between the Tianqi Ruler and me. The Dragon Throne came to me across the waves, seeking a harmony of two. The wedding was conducted with unparalleled splendor in India. As the Emperor held my hand after the wedding, I looked up at him, my eyes brimming with tears of joy and feeling utterly blessed to have joined the expedition, as the expedition was not an ordinary one but an expedition to love.

~THE END~