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skilled singer. One day, the empress commanded her to sing for Shehanshah Akbar. He was so captivated with her beauty and voice that he gave her the title Anarkali, meaning ‘bud of a pomegranate’.
    Akbar fell prey to her beauty and made her his concubine. With her beauty and wit, the girl soon became his favourite concubine. There were many in the harem who were jealous of the emperor’s preference for her.
    Anarkali was immensely talented and Akbar, who was a connoisseur of art, was delighted with her. She was a skilled miniaturist and often painted in the Lahore atelier.
    It was the month of April, spring was in the air and Lahore was celebrating the festive occasion of Akhri Charshumba, the second month of the Islamic calendar. It was the day when the Prophet Mohammad recovered from his illness for the last time. The rituals began early in the morning with everyone bathing in perfumed water and dressing in new clothes. Sadquas, the offerings of all kinds of grains and pulses, were arranged in huge gold plates along with silver jowls full of mustard oil. The male members of the royal family touched the Sadqua and gazed at their reflection in the oil before placing gold coins in it. These were later distributed amongst the poor. After the harem women performed the rituals, everyone gathered for a sumptuous breakfast.
    Surrounded by a bevy of giggling women in his grandmother’s palace, Salim gazed at his reflection in the oil. The faces of some women were also reflected in the bowl as they teased the prince. All of a sudden his eyes were attracted to a beautiful image. His eyes met those of Anarkali in the golden oil, and he was mesmerised. And that was the beginning of a passionate romance.
    Salim and Anarkali met clandestinely in the gardens of Lahore, professing their love for each other. It is said that fire and love cannot be hidden for long. Tales of their love affair soon began circulating around the palace and town. A jealous concubine carried the gossip to the emperor. Akbar could not believe the story, but the seeds of suspicion had taken root in his mind and he ordered a eunuch to keep a watch over Anarkali. The lovers, unaware of the emperor’s spy, continued to meet each other.
    When the eunuch confirmed the stories of their romance, Shahenshah Akbar was furious. The humiliation of being betrayed by his concubine was compounded by the treachery of his son. The incensed emperor resolved to award an exemplary punishment to the unfaithful woman–a penalty that would serve as a warning to all the women in his harem. He summoned Anarkali and confronted her. She admitted her guilt, convinced that the emperor would forgive her. It was not to be. Salim was sent away on another campaign and in the early hours of a quiet Lahore dawn, Anarkali was entombed alive on the orders of Emperor Akbar. Brick by brick her breath was snuffed away as the masons cemented away her life.
    As expected, the jealous concubines of the harem greeted the news of her tragic death with scarcely disguised glee. Prince Salim was inconsolable when he learnt of his lover’s fate. He locked himself in his apartment and spent many days mourning for his Anarkali.
    Salim’s history of affairs had made Mirza Ghias Baig and Asmat wary of his romance with their Meherunnisa. ‘It is better to be wedded to a commoner than to be a prince’s concubine,’ Asmat told her husband. ‘No one can predict how long the royal interest will linger. Once interest wanes, a concubine’s life is no better than that of a caged animal.’
    They were relieved when Sher Afghan’s marriage proposal was brought before them. The marriage would serve a dual purpose. Besides winning the emperor’s favour, it would give them a chance to extricate their daughter from the clutches of the prince. In any case, the idea of defying the emperor’s desire never occurred to them.
    The wedding did not bring happiness to Meherunnisa who had dreamt of becoming a queen. She spent