Jayti Singh (Chapters 3 & 4) :: BigCloset Classic :: BigCloset TG Stories <br /> June 2001 to November 2004

Jayti's life has already turned upside down, can Mark convince her that she isn't going crazy?

Chapters 3 and 4 of 26

Some subject matter may be unsuitable for the faint of heart. It contains nudity, explicit language, mind transferrence, and Sci fi.

Approved for use in BigCloset. (the story, not the harem)

by aardvark

Chapter 3: Jayti Learns of the Harem

It was late in the afternoon. She cried silently for a few minutes before gathering her strength and taking stock of her surroundings. The thin blue silk curtains were adequate for seeing the green grass and trees that lined the river outside, but only fair for allowing breeze to blow in. She found sets of movable louvers beside the openings, obviously made for ventilation. She opened them as wide as possible. After it had cooled off and she had rearranged the cushions to her liking, she found that the slight swaying motion of the palanquin was quite comfortable. She looked up at the rider beside her on a black horse, the eunuch who had talked to her father.

"Excuse me. Is it permitted that I speak with you?" Jayti asked tentatively.

Hassan Faisal looked down to her. "Yes, it's permitted as long as we're alone. Travelling in a city, we'd be more restricted as to what we could do."

"How should I address you? I know your name, but not your title or position."

"I'm a Sandali eunuch and normally reside in the Palace, but occasionally attend to the concubines and wives in the harem. You may call me by name, as I will you.

"Pardon me, but what is a Sandali?" Her education did not cover harems.

It was a touchy subject for him. He looked through the veil as much as was possible, and made a clicking sound. "My, my. I don't think you've been out in the world very long. I suppose living in the backwoods, you don't know very much. It won't go easy for you if you need to be trained for everything."

"I was well taught by my Guru in three languages, reading, writing, and some of the classics. I can do arithmetic and many other things. I don't know details about eunuchs because I never dreamed I would be in a palanquin, traveling to a harem!"

He glanced at the curtains. She certainly sounded sincere. He hoped that she'd remain that way; too often, women who came to the harem lost the habit. "Don't get upset, little one, I believe you. Most women in your position were slaves, or were sold into the harem by their family; they already knew all about the life. Your circumstances are different; for some reason, you were specifically asked for by name."

He considered her request. He didn't like talking about himself, or about the harem, but the girl did need to know something about it if she were to survive for very long. "Very well, I will answer your questions. Perhaps I should start from the beginning and explain what the harem is and the way it's structured."

He cleared his throat, and began on a high, clear pitch.

"The Emperor rules everything. His every wish is a command. His every desire is fulfilled. He owns everything and rules everyone in the palace and in the harem. This is important to remember. All the women in the harem are there for his pleasure and his pleasure alone. No one else besides other women or eunuchs is permitted to see you unveiled. It's accurate to think of yourself as completely owned by Emperor Akbar.

"There are three levels of women in the harem. Other than slaves, servants are at the bottom. They're mainly there to enjoy as food for the eyes and are used to serve the concubines or wives. Occasionally, the Emperor may take an interest in one and bring her to his bed. It's almost always a temporary pleasure for him. If a servant is judged to be of sufficient beauty, she might be trained in the arts of a concubine.

"Concubines are more skilled than servants in the arts of dance, playing musical instruments, reciting poetry, and making love. These women number among the few, besides his wives, who occasionally lay with the Emperor. If a concubine becomes pregnant and has a male child, she is raised in status, but does not usually become a wife.

"Wives currently number about 300 of the 5000 women Akbar currently has in the harem."

Jayti was appalled; this was worse than she had thought. "5000 women! How can any man need 5000 women?"

"Akbar's harem isn't even the largest by far. Sultan Ghias-u-Din of Malwa had a harem of 15,000 women. It's not for us to judge these things.

"Most wives are married through a political alliance. After the first night, they usually don't sleep with the Emperor again. There are a few exceptions. These women have the greatest status in the harem and have the most wealth and privileges. Still, none can leave the harem without the Emperor's permission.

"There are two separate paths of authority in the harem. One of them comes from the Chief Queen of the Emperor; she is the mistress of the harem. Her name is Ruqayya Sultan Begam. She decides which women are in control and determines wealth and status. Under her, is The Keeper of the Baths, who handles that area, The Keeper of the Jewels, who handles the distribution of jewelry and wealth, and The Mistress of the Robes, who controls the clothes and enhancements such as henna, oils, lip coloring, incense, kohl, and the rest.

"There is also the eunuch's line of authority. The top eunuch in the Emperor's harem is the Chief of Eunuchs. His name is Abdul Hassim. He's very powerful and has the ear of the Emperor. His job is to make certain that the Emperor's desires are fulfilled. He settles petty disputes among the servants, concubines, and slaves, and doles out allowances. Here is some advice to you," he said earnestly, "do not cross him."

"As for me, I'm often found in the harem with the women. Only Sandali eunuchs are allowed to do this, of course."

"Why is that, Hassan?"

"It's because we have no parts at all, Jayti. You're going to know this in a few weeks anyway, so I'll tell you now. Sandali eunuchs like me have had all their parts cut off when we were young. When I was a boy, I was captured in a raid in southern Russia.

"I was handed over to a Jew because Muslims are forbidden to do what is necessary to make eunuchs. He cut off all my parts with a sharp knife, put in a tin stopper so that I could not urinate, and then poured boiling oil over the rest to stop the bleeding. Three days later, they finally let me piss; they released the stopper and believe me, it was instant relief. If it hadn't worked, I would have died. Instead, I became a Sandali." Hassan grinned easily. "I'm as smooth as you are, Jayti."

Behind the smile, it was still difficult to tell the tale. Bad breaks were a part of life. It had been over 15 years since he was cut. One of his childhood friends, also captured in the raid, had been cut too, but Hassan was the only one who survived the dangerous operation. He should feel lucky. But after all this time, he still felt the bitterness in his blood; he still hated those who did this to him.

Jayti was silent for the moment. She tried to put herself in his place, but failed. "I've heard of this, but I have never known the difference between the different kinds of eunuchs."

"There are two other types of eunuchs. Some are made when they cut just the lingam off. They have the same urges and look the same as normal men with their clothes on, but can't function in the same way. The other types have the balls removed. Sometimes the balls are twisted off; sometimes they are ripped off; sometimes they are tied up until they become black and fall off; and sometimes they are just cut off. Those kinds of eunuchs can still make a girl happy with what is left, although they can't give her a baby. That's why you'll only see Sandalis in the harem."

"Hassan, I'd say that I'm sorry for you, and I am, but you seem to have more freedom than I do." Jayti said.

Hassan paused for a moment. He thought about the times he left his charges behind. Many times, they had little to look forward to except the dawn. He replied slowly, "I think you're right. My home is in and around the harem, but I can leave, go into town, joke, and get drunk with friends. You'll be pampered and feted, Jayti. You're too beautiful to remain a servant. If you're smart, you'll probably have more wealth and power than I ever will. Still, I would rather be me."

She dreaded the answer, but had to ask. "Hassan, is there any way out of the harem? Has anyone ever left?"

Hassan laughed strangely; it was almost a tittering. "Little one, that's the fastest I've ever heard the question asked. The answer is yes, but only on the Emperor's terms. Usually one leaves when one has done something stupid and has been killed."

"Are there any other ways?" Jayti asked, "I really want to know."

'I think I like this girl,' thought Hassan, 'she has spirit.' "There are two other ways. One is when the Emperor dies; the old harem is sent to smaller, inferior quarters, and is usually kept in purdah until they die. It's possible that the new Emperor could release some of the women, or marry them off, but that's not normally the custom. The other way is when the Emperor decides to give away a virgin servant to a faithful subject of the Emperor. It's considered a great honor for him."

Jayti thought about it long and hard. This was the rest of her life; she had to think. "Thank you, Hassan, for telling me these things. I'm grateful. I have much to think about."

A few minutes later, Jayti called out brightly. "Hassan?

Hassan moved his horse closer to the palanquin. "Yes?"

"My father told me to try to make the best of things and to have fun. Did you hear the joke about the old man and his young wife?"

Hassan smiled inside and out. "No."

"Kamal, an eighty year old who forgets things, married a 20 year old widow. Three months later, he cries to his young friend that he has given his wife a baby."

"His friend put his hand on his old friend's shoulder and they drank chai together. 'I am going to tell you a story, my friend,' he tells the old man.

'Once a man went hunting a tiger, but instead of a spear, he brought a turban. Suddenly the tiger charged. The hunter threw the turban at the tiger and killed him.'

'Impossible!' said Kamal, 'Somebody else must have speared the tiger!'

'Exactly,' said the friend."

Hassan laughed. "That joke is so old, the Pharaohs must have heard it. Still, it was well told."

"Jayti?"

"Yes."

"We'll stop tonight at an inn that the Emperor has reserved for his use. You must use the veil at all times when you're out of the palanquin. We'll eat there and leave in the morning. It will take at least a month to get to Lahore. You'll be guarded at all times. The Emperor would take it very seriously if anyone sees you without your veil, now. I say this because I don't want you to get hurt."

"I understand, Hassan. I'll do as you say."

"Thank you, Jayti."

A few days later, in the hot afternoon, they reached the city of Ajmer, the former home of Khwaja Moinuddin Christi, the Patron Saint of the Moghuls. It was a holy place and the beginning of the royal road to Agra; from there, it went to Lahore. Ajmer was a beautiful city in the desert, a lush place with a lake surrounded on three sides by hills known for its hundreds of Hindu temples and a few famous mosques. Jayti spotted a rectangular temple.

Jayti called out. "Hassan!"

"Hassan slowed his horse and pulled alongside the palanquin. "Jayti?"

"Hassan, I have a request to make. I'd like to go to that central temple on the left. It's called the Sun temple. Do you see it?"

Hassan squinted and saw it in the sun. It was a couple of hundred yards off the road. "Yes, I see it. Is there a reason?

"Yes, I want to pray before I reached Lahore. This seems like a good time. I'd just like 5 minutes in the temple."

"Very well, Jayti. This won't take much time, and most of us were about to break for prayer and lunch anyway. We'll stop at that temple where the inscription reads the 'Gate of Healing'."

"Thank you."

"I'm afraid that you must remain in the palanquin. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, that would be fine. I can pray in here, as well as outside."

"Very good, then."

The palanquin was ordered into the Sun temple. The bearers went up the stairs and through a gate made of a dark metal. Magnetic healing properties were known and mentioned over two thousand years before in the Artharvaveda, the healing text of the four vedas. This temple was oriented in the south to north direction. The Gate of Healing was placed at the south side, so anyone entering would be pointing towards the healthy magnetic north.

Out of sight in the palanquin, no one noticed when Jayti collapsed.

Chapter 4: The Meeting

['Where am I,' < A foreign voice speaks in the darkness. > 'Who are you?']

["Who are you? < Jayti was just recovering, still uncertain of what was happening. > "Are you a demon?"]

['You're a girl?' < The foreign voice speaks again. Something is wrong with its speech. It isn't speaking Urdu or any known language, yet still she understands. > 'I am not a demon. Where am I? Please, answer me!']

[< Jayti was surprised; no demon she had ever heard of would say please. > "You're in the Sun Temple in Ajmer. Who are you?"]

['My name is Mark Evans,' said the foreign voice 'I mean you no harm. I come from very far away and I'm lost. Where's the Sun Temple?']

["It's about 20 miles West of Jaipur"]

['India?']

["Of course."]

['And the year is 1587?']

["By the Christian calendar, I think so, yes."]

['What's your name, please?']

[< There is that politeness again. > "My name is Jayti Singh. I come from Jodhpur and I am going to Lahore. Now, what are you, and how are you speaking to me?"]

['I told you my name, Mark Evans. I'm a historian from the distant future, 2005 by the Christian calendar, and part of me was sent back to this time to study this period. I'm not supposed to be here. < pause > Jayti Singh, is there a small orange crystal or stone nearby?"]

[< The voice is a he, and he says these crazy things. Still, I see no attempt to deceive in his thoughts. Strange. > "I have my mother's stone around my neck. It's orange."]

['Damn. The stone was in India.' < pause > 'Jayti Singh, why is it dark in here?']

["Call me Jayti. I have my eyes closed."]

['Would you please open them?' <pause> 'Wonderful!' < I can see! I can feel something. I feel her. Her legs, her arms. >]

["Stop that!"]

['I just moved your arm?']

["Yes. Stop it!"]

['Jayti, can you feel my presence here? I can feel you. I can see some of your memories. Here, this is me. Don't be afraid. I won't move your arm anymore.']

["Mark Evans? A Professor in a place called North Carolina. Something called Tar Heel basketball. Two daughters. Wife named Jasmine. That's you?"]

['Yes.']

["This is me."]

[<long pause, curiosity and amazement> 'There are so many questions I want to ask!' <shock> 'You're on your way to the harem of Akbar the Great?']

["No one calls him the Great except perhaps himself. He's just another murdering Moghul. You know I'm to be in his harem. You can see my memories?"]

['Yes, at least when you concentrate on something. I'm showing you how I came here. I was supposed to be inside the mind of a very cruel, nasty man in Germany, a murderer. I was going to prevent him from doing some very bad things and would have used him to move around Europe to do my research. This is different. I shouldn't be here.']

["Then why are you still here? Go!"]

['I'm truly sorry, Jayti, I can't leave. I'm stuck here. But I promise I won't force you to move, or do something you don't want; I don't have that right. Besides, to be perfectly honest, I know almost nothing of India at this time except the names and dates of a few famous people. If I even tried, I'd probably just get you and me killed.']

[<pause. slow resignation recognizing the honesty in the thought > "Very well, I can see you're stuck. I'm glad to hear that you don't want to move my body around, at least. Don't do it without permission. <frustration> But what am I supposed to do with you?" <looking in Mark's mind on Akbar in India> "Oh, this is amazing. You know when Akbar will die and that Salim will become Emperor. Oh, no! He will conquer Udaipur and some of the south!"]

['That's what the future says.']

["But it doesn't have to be! I see it in your mind!"]

['It's true. It's possible to change the future. I would suggest you discuss it with me before you try, though. You can read my memories, but you don't understand them all.']

["I can see that. But Mark, if I'm not crazy and you aren't a clever demon, this may not be so bad. You know things that I don't. Don't think that I'm glad that you're here, but I'm willing to make the best of it. With your help, the two of us may be able to leave Akbar's harem. I don't want to be in Akbar's harem for the rest of my, and now I suppose, your life, too."]

['I'd certainly be willing to help as much as I could, Jayti.']

["Very well. I'm supposed to be praying. I must tell Hassan I'm done."]

['Hassan is the eunuch?']

["Yes."]

"Hassan, I'm through praying." Jayti rose in her palanquin and lay back on the cushion. "Did you mention food, before?"

"Yes. We have some spiced tea and rice cooked with vegetables." Hassan looked through the silk parda. "You didn't take long at your prayers. Did it go well?"

"Everything went extremely well, Hassan. I was very pleased. It was as if I had found a new life."

['You have a wicked sense of humor, Jayti.']

["And so few to appreciate it, my little demon!"]

"I'm happy your prayers went well," said Hassan.

Hassan handed her the chai and pulav carefully through the curtain. The Emperor didn't skimp on his spiced tea and rice with vegetables for his property; they both tasted good. A half-hour later, Jayti had to go, and Mark learned first hand what it felt like, squatting as a woman in the outdoors. Jayti was surprised at his attitude, 'Why be embarrassed? Everyone did it, after all, and many more openly than she. People in the cities often crapped on the side of the road. What was the problem?'

Mark showed her a toilet and how it worked in her mind. He showed her how a septic system worked, with leach lines and the proper angle for the path to the septic tank. Jayti was fascinated.

["Mark, this is amazing stuff! One could do it indoors with almost no smell!"]

['Well, yes. Actually, ancient Indian culture had a sewer system about 3000 years ago.']

["I see it! But it wasn't as good as this. This information must get out! My family would be so happy to have one of these in the backyard!”]

['I'll help you draw a picture of the system for you. I don't know how we would get the information out, though. From what I see in your mind, the harem guards are pretty tough.']

["I know. That will be a big problem from now on, I'm afraid. But Mark, I'm not as worried as I was before. I've been looking at your mind, and you seem to be quite nice. We have a lot we can share together. You can learn a lot from me about this world, and I can learn much from you. Even if we're stuck in the harem forever, It won't be so bad. At least I won't be alone. You don't know the Indian classics, and you've never followed the path laid out in them, but you seem to follow some future equivalent of Dharma, right for your time and place."]

['So that's Dharma, right conduct, following the natural law of things. Thank you, Jayti. That's a big compliment. By the way, can I touch your breasts?']

["Mark! Oh, you are joking. Hmm. Well, maybe not entirely. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a sense of humor. Ask me again sometime, and I may let you."]

Ten minutes passed.

["Mark?"]

['Yes, Jayti?']

["Since you asked to touch my breasts, I admit that I am a little curious. From here on, it's likely that I will remain a virgin. That's unnatural. Kama is necessary for life to have meaning. I won't give up Kama for these barbarians who kidnap women for their selfish desires. You may touch my breasts for a short time, and we will feel the results as a test. But please don't touch anything else."]

['Of course, Jayti. I wish I knew what you looked like.']

["What we look like, now."]

['Sure. Here goes.' < holds right breast with the right hand, circles the nipple with her index finger > 'Now, that felt good!']

["Yes! A little too good! It's not the same when I touch myself in the bath, or brush myself when I put on clothes. This is strong."]

['I'll stop now. This is making us both a little hot.']

["I think that would be a good idea. But we must try this later when we're alone, Mark. If these Moghuls have there way, I may never have a man, much less be married and have children."]

['I'll do my best to make sure that fate doesn't happen to you, Jayti. There are many things the 21st century knows that the 16th doesn't.']

["I know that you'll try, Mark."]

Since arriving at Ajmer, they were on the royal road. Tall, white obelisks called Kol Minars stood every 3 kilometers, marking the route to Amber Fort. Every few miles, a Kol Minar had a watering place for horses and men. Inns were constructed along the route for the traveler's convenience. Towns, trees, and fields lined the road.

They made a slight detour to Amber Village to spend the night at an inn. The eunuchs escorted Jayti inside, shielding the view of her with sections of thick cotton, preventing glimpses from passersby. Her night was spent in a room guarded from intrusions. Meals and a night soil bucket were sent in.

In the morning, as the palanquin made its slow journey through the streets of Amber Village, Jayti had a good view of the vendors in their small cubical shops that stood directly against the brick paved street. Women, standing veiled in balconies overlooking the busy venue, shouted to their friends across the way; a beggar in a dirty white dhoti played his flute, hoping for enough money and food to get him through another day. The smells of chai and spices permeated the air. The yellow walls of the large fort on the hill above poked through the gaps in the white, plastered buildings. Jayti could just make out clear blue sky over the roofs of the houses. A few minutes later, they were back on the royal road.

['Jayti?']

["Yes, Mark?]

['What kind of person is Akbar?']

["That's difficult to say. I've never met him. He's the first Moghul Sultan to be born in India. He stopped forcing Hindus to convert to Islam before I was born and stopped the Jaziya tax on non-Muslims. He's put Rajput traitors in charge of some of the provinces and many Hindus to work in his administration.

All that sounds good, but really, all the power is still in the control of Moghuls. They'll always look down on Hindus. Akbar is very clever; he knows that if he tries to convert Hindus to Islam by the sword, everyone would fight him. This way, he has Hindu puppets working for him, and the people are calmed. The people work and pay, but they must work much harder now because they work not only for the Raja, but also the Sultan. The tax for the people has doubled. Don't be fooled into thinking that Akbar is good. He's no better than his mass murderer Moghul ancestors, Babur or Timurlane, who killed millions; he's just smarter."]

['Well, it seems the history I read was a little bit wrong. It showed him as tolerant ruler who did good things for India.']

["If he is so tolerant, than why are we on the way to his harem? He enjoys taking daughters away from Hindus and keeping them for himself, or giving them to his favorites. It's his way of showing his superiority over the Hindus, by shaming their families."]

['What was the rule like before the Moghuls?']

["Each city or province had it's own ruler, a raja who often lived in a fort with a palace. He ruled the people. They worked the land, or had a trade and he taxed them. Sometimes the rajas fought each other. Is this not the usual way?"]

['Yes, for here, and in the most of the rest of the world in the present time.']

["It's to our shame that we couldn't join together to fight the Moghuls when they invaded. Rajputs have been fighting each other for centuries and the old differences die hard. The Moghuls defeated each province, one at a time. How does India look in your time?']

['After the Moghuls lose power, there will be the British. They will control India for over a hundred years. Finally, India will get independence, overcome many problems, and become powerful. It'll eventually be the largest democracy in the world, one billion people. You can be proud of your descendents.']

["That last sounds good, but the British? How could they control India? They're a tiny nation!"]

['Don't underestimate them. They're weak now; England has about 4 million people and all of Europe has perhaps 40 million vs. The Moghul Empire's 140 million, but they'll become organized and learn how to make great weapons. The same thing that caused India to lose against the Moghuls will cost them against the British, lack of unity. Still, who knows what the future holds now?']

* * * * * * * * * *

A few days later, some of the other eunuchs, encouraged by Jayti's friendly attitude, told her some of the latest palace gossip. Aashiq Aziz explained, "The three sons of Akbar are all from a concubine, Maryam Muzzamani. The oldest is Salim, 19. He'll probably be the next Emperor, but drinks and lives in his harem. The next in line is Murad, a year younger, who also drinks and is widely regarded as useless. The third is Daniyal, who is quite young."

He bent low to Jayti's parda and spoke in a conspiratorial voice. "There are always plots and intrigue in the harem. It's not unusual to have several wives or concubines poisoned in a year; such is the rivalry for the Emperor's affections. Sometimes affairs between concubines and eunuchs are discovered."

Jayti asked softy, pressing her face to the curtain. "What happens to them?"

"They are killed, Jayti. Usually their heads are stuck from their bodies. No Emperor would ever permit such a thing."

They passed through the magnificent city of Agra, the focal point of the royal roads. They turned north and soon passed by Delhi. The wondrous palaces and towers were too soon left behind. A week later, they began to approach their final destination, Lahore. The air was cooler as the season progressed; it was late November.

The other eunuchs, Aashiq Aziz, Fadil Muhammad, and Rahmat Ahmud, seemed to be decent people, if obeyed. Their conduct towards Jayti was understandably affected by the knowledge that their lives were on the line if she did something to displease the Sultan.

The Moghul warriors were another issue; they were never friendly to Jayti. When asked a question, they either answered her gruffly, or ignored her. The expedition was nominally under the charge of Hassan, but the Moghuls didn't bother to hide their feelings that eunuchs were beneath contempt. They slept, prayed, ate, and talked by themselves.

Numerous gardens and neat houses announced the nearness of the great city. As they grew closer, larger, more expensive, luxurious estates, with grander gardens in the Muslim cross style became more prevalent. As the retinue made its way, Jayti watched workmen, wearing simple white cotton dhotis, build the large red brick wall under the hot sun that would eventually surround Lahore, a city of about 100,000.

The white minarets and red towers of the Lahore Fort had been visible for many hours. The harem and the Imperial Palace were inside and had been since Akbar transferred his seat of power to Lahore from the political and physical dangers of Delhi and Fatehpur Sikri, the water-poor city he had built more than fifteen years before.

Twenty Moghul guards guarded the open gate to the fort. Attached to the wall and next to the gate stood a heavily constructed guard building of red sandstone. After a cursory inspection of the orders inside, Hassan and the retinue were waved through.

After a ten-minute walk through the winding streets lined with sandstone and mud-brick, plastered dwellings and shops, Hassan halted the retinue just outside the palace main gate. He dismounted and handed his orders to the head of the guard who passed on instructions to a waiting runner, a eunuch boy, who ran inside.

All went well, and a few minutes later the guards allowed the entire retinue inside. The gate doors closed.

The palanquin was taken to the Chief Eunuch's Offices. Jayti was assisted from the palanquin and entered the door to the offices with the eunuchs. They wasted no time; she was conducted immediately to the examination room.

Jayti had been warned of this on the trip. The Chief Eunuch and other eunuchs would inspect her closely for physical defects. If they were satisfied, she would be submitted to the Chief Wife, Empress Ruqayya Sultan Begam, for approval.

Once the Sultana was satisfied, Jayti would be admitted to the harem as a servant, fully owned by the Emperor.

The Chief Eunuch, Abdul Hassim, was already in the examination room. The smooth faced black man of sleek appearance watched her closely as she entered. Jayti noticed most of all, the grim faced man's rich uniform of black pajamas, gold shoes, white choli blouse and red adivasi sash; all were trimmed and detailed with gold. His turban was red and black, again with gold trim. His age, as far as she could tell, seemed to be about 45, although she couldn't be sure; Hassan had told her that age was hard to tell with eunuchs.

She removed her clothes at the Chief Eunuch's command, and she noticed his lack of interest as every part of her body was checked by the waiting cadre of eunuchs, including her breath, teeth, breasts, rectum, and yoni, to ensure that she was healthy and was still a virgin. Finally, they were satisfied. She was told to put on her clothes.

The Chief Eunuch glanced at Hassan. "Come with me Hassan. We'll discuss your trip."

Hassan followed Abdul Hassim into an ornate yellow office on the corner and closed the carved wooden doors. "Well, Hassan, how is she?"

Mirza, she's very smart, has classical learning, and is very honest and brave. You saw yourself how beautiful she is." He held his chin with his hand and thought for a moment. "She is perhaps, a bit naïve. After all, she's only 15, and she's never trained for the harem. She's here because either she, or someone in her family, has made a powerful enemy. Nonetheless, she's determined to fit in. I think she could be a concubine in a very short while."

Abdul Hassim examined Hassan's face. "It seems you like her a lot, Hassan. What if I asked Aashiq, Fadil, and Rahmat what they thought? Would they say the same?"

"Mirza, I wish you would just ask them yourself. I talked to her more than they did, but I believe they would all say the same thing."

Abdul Hassim waved his hand in a gesture signifying unimportance. "I think the Emperor may eventually be well pleased with her. I agree."

The eunuchs conducted her to the chambers of Ruqayya Sultan. Ruqayya wore a red and gold ghagara dress with a matching peshwaz short coat, a dupatta wrap and silk parda draped over the top of her head. She was a bit on the plump side, but she was royalty and actually slept regularly with the Emperor, despite being in her 40's. She had power and commanded the Emperor's respect.

The Sultana had Jayti remove her veil. Her inspection was an examination of her knowledge and character. After a few minutes, she finished her questioning.

The Sultana nodded. "You're satisfactory to me as a servant for the harem. You will be admitted to the harem as a servant to a concubine. But first, you will be trained."

A month went by, as Jayti was trained in palace and harem etiquette. She learned the layout of the harem and palace along with the rules she had to follow. Slaves removed her body hair below the neck with a paste of hot lemon and beet sugar. Finally, she was ready.

Aashiq, the eunuch, guided her through the palace to the viaduct gate. Female guards passed them through, and they walked together down the long path with the 20-ft. walls that ensured purdah. The harem grew in size as they walked towards her new home. Her eyes grew wide at the sight before her.

In the next episode, Jayti learns the harem, meets her concubine mistress, and discovers the dangerous underside of life in the harem.

Note: Chapters 1&2. 3&4. 5-8. 9-12. 13-16. 17-19. 20-22. 23-24. 25-26
TG sci-fi age regression historical harem rated r