Kabr

Even Kashmir-i-Jannat was not spared in 1947. A lot of people were fleeing the riot hit areas as soon as they could. Many, like my great grandfather, chose to stay put. Promises by his neighbours of protection, and even of food and shelter (if need be) was all that it took him to make this decision. He heard stories, but. Stories of other Hindus packing up their memories and other valuables in a lump in their throats and parting with their homes.

One of such journeys to Jammu was undertaken through the Mughal road, on a tonga.

“Most of the luhaars, dhobis, bunkaars, tonga walas were Muslims at that time. A hard-working people, indeed.”

“I’d like to think that the beauty of this route must have eased the pain of the people losing something so dear to their heart. Just as it once must have done for the Empress Nur Jahan, when her husband fell ill and died en route, haina?”

“Jehangir did not rhapsodise about Nur Jahan’s quick wittedness for no reason. Before rigor mortis set in the body of Jehangir, his wife had his intestines taken out.”

“Yes! It is the bacteria in the intestines that initially start decomposing a dead body, emanating a horrible stench. She did what she did to make sure that no one, at least till they reached Lahore, came to know about the Badshah’s demise. Prince Khurram (soon to be Shah Jahan) was eyeing the throne which would result in wresting of royal power from the hands of Nur. She was backing another Mughal prince to whom she had her daughter (from her first marriage) married. So, she got the body de gutted and continued the journey.” Daadu looked at me proudly, while I parroted a history lesson that he himself had taught me.

Dramatic narration of an unrecorded piece of history-

“We have reached Chingus fort, finally! We can halt here for a while,” the tongawala called out to his passengers while patting his animals. “The intestines of a mughal king are buried here, my mother told me once. His wife took them out so that no one could know about the death. Did you know that ‘chingus’ is Persian for intestines?” he spontaneously added, his mind going back to his dead mother’s riveting storytelling. 

Some of the passengers grew uneasy and looked suspiciously at him; the rest just wanted to get down from the tonga, as soon as possible and straighten their legs. 

After resting near the serai in the fort, they took to the road again. Hours and hours later, they reached the end of their journey and went their own ways.

At that point today, no monument stands to mark the bloody extrication of the tongawala’s intestines. Only a milestone, that reads, Jammu- 2 K.M.

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Shreya Sharma

CES, Batch of 2021