The Treacherous Bairam

 

Act 1

 

 

Scene 1

 

 

 

[Place - Bairam’s house ]

 

Slave

Sir, you are called in the court.

 

Bairam

Why?

 

Slave

Emperor Humayun has died

From falling from the stairs

Of the Library.

 

Bairam

Oh Allah! You called my lord

Really early. The young

Son is left alone.

 

Slave

Should I tell Azlaan to prepare

The horse

 

Bairam

Yes tell him please

 

[Exit Slave]

 

Bairam

This is the day I had been waiting

For so many years. I can finally

Get my hands on the throne.

My talks and my walks

Were done for this day.

Timurids should get their new

Ruler today but not of Royal

Blood.

 

[Scene Ends]

 

 

Scene 2

 

[Place - Humayun's room in the palace where the body is kept]

 

[Enter Akbar, Hamida and nobles with the body]

 

Akbar

Father! You went so early.

 

[Enter Bairam]

 

Bairam

Oh my lord! You didn't give

Me a chance to serve you

More.

 

Akbar

Oh Allah! Please grant my

Father a place in heaven.

He died after doing the

Azhaan.

 

Hamida Banu

Oh Dear, I had pledged to

Be with you till my last breath

But you went first!

 

Munim

The empire is without a king.

 

Adham

May Allah grant Sir Humayun the grace

Of Heaven.

 

Tardi

Oh Humayun. You went without

Declaring someone.

 

Adham

We shall discuss about the

Heir after the funeral

 

[Exit everyone]

 

[Humayun is buried, every ceremony is done]

 

[In the court]

 

Munim

Everything is done, now we

Shall discuss about the heir

 

Tardi

Akbar.

 

Munim

He is the eldest but he

Is a child. Only 13.

 

Tardi

Akbar is best choice,

Adham. He is a child.

A child is easily manipulative.

Just a little buttering and

Everyone can enjoy the feast.

How about we tell our friend

Bairam to be his regent. I am

Sure he won't refuse.

 

Adham

You are right. Only

One man is worthy for

This. That is Bairam. He is a

Great orator, debater,

Scholar, General. He can

Rule on the behalf of Akbar.

He is worthy. But we shall know

Akbar’s choice.

 

Tardi

Come on, he is just a

Kid, we can easily convince.

And he also enjoys the

Company of Bairam.

And you know what kids are

Like, they can easily take decisions

By their emotions. We just have to have

Small talk with him and he will easily get

Convinced by us. And Bairam is also our

Friend. We will have a little control over

The empire.

 

Munim

That's a good idea but

First let's get to Akbar. Well

You actually don't know but

Sometimes, there is a tiger in

Sunflower field. A mouse in a lion

Den. A scholar inside a fool

And a fool inside a scholar.

 

Tardi

In this case, Akbar is a

fool in a good body.

He is uneducated.

Everything will go like

It is on butter.

 

[Scene ends]

 

Scene 3

 

[Place - Akbar's room in the palace]

 

[Enter Akbar, Tardi, Munim, Adham]

 

Tardi, Munim and Adham

Assalamualaikum Jalaluddin

Muhammad Akbar.

 

Akbar

Valikum wo Assalam Tardi,

Munim and Adham sir.

Your presence has always

Led to good things in the court.

Please be seated.

 

Munim

We are here to discuss

Something important.

We know, you are really

Young but it is important for

The empire.

 

Akbar

I know you want to talk

About the heir of the

Empire right.

 

Tardi

You are really intelligent

For your age sir. Yes we

Want to talk about the

Empire’s heir.

 

Adham

You clearly deserve the

Throne as you are the eldest

And the smartest. The throne

Should have the best of the

Best that is you.

 

Akbar

It's quite funny considering

The fact that I am really young.

But how about mom can't he rule

The empire.

 

Tardi

It is clear nonsense. Hamida! She

Is a woman. A throne deserves

A great man like you sir. Why a

Woman. We men are superior to

Women. We have more authority

Than them. We are smarter, stronger

And know more about the world then

Them.

 

Munim

Sir. I beg your pardon but

Hamida is a woman, we can't

Let a cuckoo sit on an eagle’s

Nest. Being the wisest of the

Three, I think that you should

Sit on the throne.

 

Akbar

But I am a child.

 

Adham

Although you are a child sir,

But you are wise to know that

You are a child. Sir, you have

The full authority to ascend the

Throne.

 

Akbar

What about the people?

Will they be satisfied by

My authority, some will

Be jealous, some will be

Angry. And they even can try to

Kill me. No Adham sir no. I don't

Want to die. I wanna see the world.

 

Munim

Being the wisest. I advise

You have a regent sir.

 

Akbar

What is a regent?

 

Tardi

A regent is someone who

Rules on the behalf of the ruler.

Lord Humayun went soon and left

You. We advise you to have a

Regent.

 

Akbar

Sir, I am a child, I don't have

The knowledge of the courtiers.

I don't know who is worth to be my

Regent sir. If I accidentally choose

A snake. I don't know what will I

Do. I need a lion not a snake sir.

A rose which although has thorns

But it is soft and the best. I don't want

A daffodil which can cause nausea

And vomiting. Therefore I want you

Sir to tell me who is worth to be the

Regent of me because I want goodwill

Of my empire.

 

Munim

As the wisest, I advise Bairam

To be your regent sir.

 

Akbar

Bairam, the general. Allright

Sir.

 

Tardi

Well sir. Remember one

Thing, you are the one who

Is actually ruling, you have the

Right to dismiss his decisions,

And also dismiss him as your

Regent.

 

Akbar

Alright sir. I will remember

It. Thank you sir. Goodbye.

 

[Exit Akbar]

 

Adham

Well it went smooth like

It was on butter.

 

Tardi

You did great by telling him

He is wise.

 

Munim

We shall await the day

When Akbar is crowned and

He chooses Bairam as his

Regent. Then we will have

Our finger on the empire.

 

[Scene ends]

 

 

Act 2

 

Scene 1

 

[Place - Mughal court]

 

[Enter Akbar, priest, courtiers and Bairam]

 

Priest

With the grace of Allah, who is

One. I therefore crown and declare

Akbar as the king, ruler and the best

Man of the Timurids and Hindustan.

 

(Happy Shouts and cheers)

 

Akbar

With the grace of Allah, I

Have become the king

Of Hindustan.

 

 (Happy Shouts and cheers)

 

Akbar

I am a child as you all

Know. It is really common

To have conspiracies, crime

And civil war in my kingdom.

So I declare Bairam as my

Regent. He shall work on my

Behalf for my kingdom.

 

(Happy Shouts and cheers)

 

Bairam

I will like to thank

Akbar to appoint me

As the regent. I will work on

The behalf of Akbar and

Always think of the goodwill

Of the empire.

 

Akbar

The glorious days of the

People shall start from today.

 

 

(Happy Shouts and cheers)

 

[The ceremony ends]

 

[Exit everyone]

 

[Enter Bairam in his room]

 

Bairam

I have finally done it. The

Loyalty to the Timurids have

Paid off. My manipulation to the

Courtiers like Tardi, Munim and

Adham has done it. I had shown

Loyalty to them but I am a snake inside

A Rabbit’s burrow. They don't know

About it. I have control over the empire now.

I always wanted Humayun to die but then

Had to conduct the murder. The man Azlaan,

My Tonga driver. I had given him 20 rupees

To conduct this murder. I told him to dress

As a courtier and then push Humayun from

The stairs. Now he has gone to Deccan.

Akbar has chosen me just like my plan.

Munim, Tardi and Adham have done

A great job. They don't know they

Are secretly working for me.

They are not my friends but

Pawns that I used for power.

Hindustan shall await my reign.

 

[Scene ends]

 

 

 

 Scene 2

 

[Place - Mughal court]

 

[Enter Bairam, Akbar and several courtiers]

 

Bairam

I am introducing a new taxation

Reform sir.

 

Akbar

You can Proceed to tell me,

Bairam.

 

Bairam

The fertile lands of Hindustan

Under us shall pay 55% of their

Production as a tax to us, which

We will export for revenue. The

Barren lands shall not pay us but

Give 44% of their land to us.

 

Akbar

Don't you think it is a bit harsh

Bairam sir.

 

Bairam

You are a child sir. You

Don't know what is necessary

And what is not. It is not harsh

At all.

 

Akbar

Alright then, execute the law.

 

[Scene ends]

Scene 3

 

[Place - Mughal Court]

 

[Enter Bairam, Akbar and courtiers]

 

Akbar

Hemu’s army has defeated us

Two times Bairam.The Timurids

Will be diminished from the

Hindustan if we don't do something.

First we were defeated in Agra but

Now we have also lost Delhi. He is

Coming to Panipat now.

 

Bairam

We have faced significant losses.

But for the defence and for the

We will have to take only

10000 soldiers army to Panipat.

If we take more than that and

Even win. Central Asian forces

May attack us and gain control

Of Hindustan. There is minimum

Chance for our win but we will have

To do it.

 

Akbar

Our fate is in Allah’s hands.

 

Bairam

Let me assign tactics to

Courtiers.

 

Akbar

Go ahead.

 

Bairam

Tardi, you will take care of

The back.

 

Tardi

Yes.

 

Bairam

Adham, you will take care

Of the right.

 

Adham

Yes.

 

Bairam

Adnaan, you on the left.

 

Adnaan

Yes.

 

Bairam

Haider, you in the center.

 

Haider

Yes.

 

Bairam

And I am in the front.

 

Akbar

May Allah grant us the

Apple of Victory.

 

[Scene ends]

Scene 4

 

[Place - Battlefield of Panipat]

 

[Enter Hemu, Akbar, Bairam, Munim, Tardi and Adham with their army]

 

Bairam

Take Akbar to a safe place

Adnaan.

 

Adnaan

Yes.

 

[Adnaan takes Akbar to a Big Mountain and comes back]

 

Hemu

Namaste Bairam Khan.

 

Bairam

Assalamualaikum Hemchandra.

 

Hemu

We are not enemies but

As a warrior and a king it is

Duty to attack neighbouring

Kingdoms and gain control of

Them.

 

Bairam

I don't know about the

Duty but you are a threat to

Timurids and I must fight

You.

 

Hemu

May the victory be of the

Deservers.

 

[Exit Hemu]

 

 

Bairam

We all are ready. Let's

Dive into the Battle.

 

[Shout of ‘Let's Start' occurs]

 

[The battle and the bloodshed starts]

 

Bairam

Tardi! Be careful on the back!

 

[No response]

 

Bairam

Tardi!

 

[Again no response]

 

A soldier

Sir Sir! Tardi sir in nowhere to

Be seen. His body is also not

On the field.

 

Bairam

Tardi left us! That son of a

Coward! He fled! Scoundrel!

 

[The Mughals continue to weaken]

 

Adham

Bairam, they have the upper hand!

 

Bairam

We are really weak now!

Ya Allah!

 

[Suddenly a bow comes flying and hits Hemu in his eye]

 

 

Hemu

Hey Ram!

 

[Hemu falls from his horse and gets unconscious, everyone thinks he is dead]

 

Bairam

Allah! He is dead

 

[Hemu’s forces think he is dead and their morale goes down.]

 

[The end result was in Mughal’s favor]

 

Bairam

Akbar! Akbar! We won.

 

Akbar

That's great!

 

Bairam

And look who I got!

 

[Enter Hemu in chains with one eye not there]

 

Bairam

Everyone thought he is dead,

But when we searched the field,

He was just unconscious.

 

Akbar

Hemu is really powerful and

Dangerous. I want to give him

Life sentence.

 

Hemu

I appreciate your decision

Considering the fact that I am

A war prisoner.

 

Bairam

Sir, I appreciate your decision,

But still you are a child. I can't let

You take this type of decision. I

Shall proceed to detach his head

From his body.

 

Hemu

I still appreciate your decision

Considering the fact that I am

A war prisoner.

 

[Bairam cuts the head of Hemu, he dies]

 

Bairam

VICTORY! HAIL ALLAH!

 

[Cheers of Allah hu Akbar]

 

[Scene ends]

 

Contd.. Palagan