1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net

126
A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR
very palatable, the flour being well adulterated b y the bakers; the rice
was poor, the milk smoked; the girl felt sick at the ver y sight of it.
There was not much to do, and the mistress was kindly enough, but
grossly ignorant.
“A curious girl for Agha to have fancied,” she said to herself, “my
goodness! I don’t think all the water in Kabul would wash the dirt off
her. You must go to the hum hum, girl,” she said. “I w ill give you the
pice (pence). You can’t appear before Agha like that,” but Gul Begum
only glared and looked stupid. She had managed Ferad Shah’s wife by
fear and jealously, but she felt that these would be no weapons to use
against the patient dutiful creature who was now her mistress.
“Agha,” the latter said, “that slave you have sent is no good for any
purpose whatsoever. She seems to me to be little more than halfwitted.”
“Oh, nonsense, try the effect of the stick on her,” the merchant said
indifferently. “These wild Hazara women are not much above the level
of the brutes when first they come in. You’ll break her in in time,” but
even as he spoke, Gul Begum tripped intentionally on a great earthen
vessel standing just outside the window. It fell against the wall,
smashing into fragments, but the girl made no apology or comment
whatsoever. Merely picking up the bottom piece which still contained a
little water that had been left there to settle, she applied it to her
mouth.
“Ah, dirty wretch!” the woman exclaimed, “polluting the last drop of
water that is left. Get you gone and don’t let me see sight of you again.
She is only fit to carry your goods from the store to the shop, Agha,
she ma y be of some use as a coolie (porter), but a house servant she is
no good at all.”
The merchant kept her a mouth, but at the end of that time saw a far
more likely girl, who would do well for his household as well as for
the store. So Gul Begum received a sound thrashing and was sent back
to the prison.
Her mother and Shereen were still there; Hazara slaves were so
plentiful in Kabul at that time that there were not masters to be found
for them all. Shereen, only too glad to have nothing to do, although it
entailed poor and scant y prison fare, used the little piece of mud Gul
Begum had left with her with great effect, and no one who came to the
prison seemed to fancy her. Gul Begum was in high spirits when she
returned. She felt she would yet find a way of escape to her beloved
Hazara hills, and to her father. She had only to endure and to keep up
her present role.
Shortly after her return, however, she was again chosen, in spite of her
squalid appearance. An old General fancied her strong, active limbs