Nader Shah. Historical novel. Yunus Oghuz
place.
Qelemnaz blushed hearing such sweet words. Because of being ashamed she took one of her plaints to her palm and began to pull it:
– It appears that I am a stone in your heart. I wonder have I been hung there or I have fallen down?
Murad didn’t lose his chance and said:
– What are you sayi ng, Qelemnaz? You are like a knife that I carry in my heart. You cut me when you are near me or you are not near me.
Qelemnaz once more wanted to test his love:
– Murad, do you love me much?
It was as if somebody poured boiling water on Murad:
– Do I love you? I am going mad because of your love and you ask me if I love you or not…
– If you love me, why don’t you abduct me?
– Where can I take you?
– I don’t know wherever you want. Let’s go hand in hand and leave this place. I know that if even the heavens came down to the ground my father wouldn’t agree to our marriage.
Murad wished to bring Qelemnaz to his home after their marriage according to the old customs. But Jafar kishi laid obstacles in their way. Qelemnaz was right. Murad had only one way-out: – to abduct Qelemnaz.
Qelemnaz saw that Murad was lost in thought and she nudged his sleeves:
– Hi, my dear, what happened? Maybe you are afraid of ab duc ting me?
– To abduct a girl isn’t fearful.
– If it isn’t fearful why don’t you abduct me?
– Give me time to think about. I must think.
– Think… think… But time never waits for us…
Susen’s voice was heard at the spring:
– Hi, Qelemnaz, where are you? Why don’t you return? I think the kissing of a lover is too sweet.
The words of Susen mixed with the laughter of other girls. Qelemnaz turned red in the face. – “Let me go” – She said and ran away…
.. It is true; time doesn’t want to wait…
The Qajars had one unchanging custom: every year all the beys of Qajar gathered together and organized a horse competition, the wrestlers wrestled, they shot arrows on horseback. The head of the stock of Qajar and beys of Qajar used to come to such kind of competitions. If they liked any wrestlers, fighters, or brave boys they would take them either to the Shah’s troops or to their own groups.
That year’s competition would be in their hami et. The news was spread that together with Fatali khan Tahmasb Shah also would come to watch the competition. In order to watch the competition which was gomg to last about two days Tahmasb Shah would spend the night in the hamlet. In order to meet Tahmasb Shah, Fatali khan had sent white tents to the haml et from Tabriz, and he had prepared two days’ food and brought cooks. Fatali khan had three purposes in taking Tahmasb to see that competition. Firstly, for Tahmasb Shah the hamlets were safe and sound places, Mahmud Shah couldn’t be aware of it. Secondly, he wanted to show to Tahmasib Shah how the people of Qajar respected him. Thirdly, he wanted the adults of Qajar make the Shah feel sure that the stock was a supporter. For that purpose he had asked the adults to come to the competition also.
There was going to be a big gathering held in the hamlet.
The stocks who came to the competition built their tents near the Shah’s tent, and they were proud that even the Shah had come to watch the competition. The players wanted to get gifts or presents from the hand of the Shah.
On the day of the start of the competition, early in the morning Tahmasb Shah came to the haml et with Fatali khan to watch the competition. They were accompanied by a large group. About a hundred horsemen who trained beforehand rode towards the Shah and greeted him. All the guests began shouting, repeating the word of “Allah… Allah”.The noise of the applause even reached to heavens. The people cried: “Long live our Shah!” The Shah was very proud of declaring himself Shah in time.
After some time the horse race began. After the command all the horsemen moved. More than three hundred horsemen had to ride to the bottom of the mountain and return back. Murad couldn’t take part in the first competition. He would take part in the second race. In the first race Jeyran14 was a winner. The owner of that horse, Otkem was so glad and he embraced the head of his horse.
When the first circling was over, there was silence. Fatali khan was looking around with interest and he noticed the beauli ful girls and women who were standing at the tents and watching the figures of the brave boys but not the race. All of a sudden as if he was struck with amazement. He saw a beautiful girl with white silk kerchief on her head, reddened cheeks and shining eyes made her look even more beautiful. The first thought that came to his mind was that it was a shame if such kind of beautiful girl, who was worthy to the Shahs or the Khans, lived in a hamlet. Just at that moment he called one of the respected adults of the hamlet and asked him about that girl, whose daughter she was. The respected adult said: “She is Jafar kishi’s daughter, Qelemnaz”. Fatali khan asked the respected adult to ask Jafar kishi to come to his place in the afternoon.
Murad put his feet on the stirrup and pressed his ankles to the sides of the horse. The legs, tail and breast of the horse were white but the rest was black. The second horse race began. No sooner had the horsemen started the race when Qirghi15 rushed forward. When the group of horsemen reached the slope of the mount ain Qirghi was re turni ng. Murad was switching the horse and saying to the horse: “I beseech you, be quicker!“As if the bay horse was flying.
Murad reached the finishing line first and he won the first place. It meant that Murad was the winner of the competition. Qelemnaz was very happy.
In arrow-shooting Murad also won the first place.
In wrestling Murad was considered the second. The last wrestler was very heavy. Though Murad tried hard to heave him, he couldn’t. Their wrestling lasted more than an hour. The heavy wrestler tired Murad. At last, he could embrace Murad and it was as if Murad’s body was between the tongs. The heavy wrestler pressed him as hard as he could.
At last, Murad couldn’t bear his heaviness and raised his hand as a sign of yielding to him. Qelemnaz wasn’t downcast. The main point was that the heavy wrestler didn’t hurt Murad.
…Fatali khan had asked to call Jafar kishi, but he didn’t know how to begin his conversation. According to the Qajar’s traditions they abduct a girl by informing nobody, then they are reconciled with her parents; or they send a watch-maker like others, get the permission, then hold a wedding. It would be better to send a watch -maker for that beautiful girl and get the permission of her father to marry her. Fatali khan didn’t like to abduct the girl: he was proud. It wasn’t worthy of him because he was the head of the stock of Qajar. Whatever happened he wanted to take the girl to Tabriz with him and to marry her there, to register the marriage. The match-maker of the khan had to be the Shahs. At that time, it would be considered more wort hy. At the present moment it wasn’t suitable. Because Tahmasb Shah had other interests, he thought that Fatali khan also had the same in ter ests.
The khan wanted to be a watch-maker himself. That was why he began his talk in a roundabout way.
– Jafar kishi, what news in the hamlet?
Jafat kishi had felt that in order to begin his talk the khan asked about the news in the hamlet.
– All are safe and sound, my khan, all is okay with the help of you and God’s help Then Fatali khan told straight away the essence of his purpose:
– I want you to solve my problem, Jafar kishi!
– Please,
The name of the horse.
The name of the horse.