The Pharaoh's Fortune

Bahini hated her mother for hiding the truth. She hated her uncle for banishing her mother from the kingdom. But most of all, she hated her father for his demise. For a seven-year-old girl, hate was a strong word. She didn’t even comprehend its full meaning, and yet she was experiencing it with every cell in her petite body. As she rode silently in the wagon, her mother seated in front, Bahini wondered how the life of a vizier differed from that of a scribe, as her father once was. They both contributed to the growth of Egypt, and yet one lived in the palace, while another lived in a barely stable abode. Noticing the confused look on her face, her mother spoke to her, in a very soft voice, “What is wrong, dear? You’ve been silent the whole ride. Don’t you want to know more about the palace? You always dreamt of living there.”

Bahini just had a look of betrayal on her chubby face. If her mother knew she wished to live in the palace, why hadn’t she told her about her vizier uncle before? About how she had royal blood flowing within her? She faced away from her mother, annoyed at her always calm tone, and whispered under her breath, “I don’t want to live with someone who didn’t like my father.”

“What was that, my flower?”

“I said,” Bahini adorably pumped up her chest to feign irritation, “Why did uncle Pentu hate father so much?”

“Bahini, I told you before, my brother never hated your father. Pentu is a good man, he just followed the rules of the king he serves.”

“Do the rules say they should throw us out from the palace for being related to a scribe?”

“Not exactly, but…” her mother was at a loss of words. She didn’t know how to explain Egypt’s hierarchy to her daughter. She did her best to describe the situation at hand, “You know how God is the highest form of being, how he rules the universe? Just like that, the pharaoh and his family rule over Egypt, and everyone else comes under them, follows their orders. Just below the royal family come their officials, the viziers, like your uncle Pentu. And after them came the artisans and the scribes, like-“

“Like my father!” Bahini spoke with a hint of excitement in her voice. She was delighted to hear a mention of her father. Smiling at her innocence, her mother continued, “Yes, like your father. And after the scribes came the lowest level, comprising peasants and servants.” Then she stopped for a bit, her expression saddening to some extent, “Bahini, sometimes one kind of people don’t enjoy associating with another kind. I am the sister of the vizier, so they expected me to marry someone of high rank. But I loved your father, and the society didn’t like that. That is why your uncle had to send me and your father away to live in the North. But I don’t regret my decision, as God has blessed me with fortune, with you, my love.” She caressed her daughter’s face, both of their lips curling into smiles of affection.

Bahini’s anger was gone by now. She was happy at least she had her mother. And what more, they were both going to live in the palace! Under the same roof as the pharaohs, the messengers of God, lived. She was elated, and no spirit could now stop her from living her dreams.

***

After another hour and a half, their wagon stopped. Finally, it was time. At last Bahini could explore the wonderful and mysterious corners of the palace. She and her mother got out of their vehicle, and were greeted by a man in his forties. Pentu, the vizier of South, had come to receive his sister and niece.

He spoke with a deep voice as the duo reached him, “I am so happy to see you, sister.”

Bahini’s mother ran forward to hug her brother. It had been eight years since they last shared a laugh. “I’m glad to see you’re in good shape brother Pentu” she said with a big smile on her face, “This is Bahini, your niece.”

She nudged Bahini to greet her uncle, which she was reluctant to do at first, but when her uncle lifted her from the ground and laughed as he took her in his lap, she knew this man was really as nice as her mother claimed. His smile was so wide and his face was so red with bliss, Bahini thought he was going to explode. Then in his deep voice Pentu roared with laughter, “Look at this little creature. She’s my niece! And so gorgeous she is. Looks like she took after her uncle!”

This made Bahini laugh out loud. It had been so long since she laughed like this. Her mother was glad she had come back, they could finally live happily now.

***

After settling down in the palace, Bahini took it upon herself to get familiar with the place. All day she spent indoors, roaming the gigantic halls and meeting new people. One day she had almost crossed paths with the pharaoh. Once, while wandering in the corridors, she had seen a man of an awkward pose, and this piqued her curiosity. So, like the detective she was, Bahini had followed him to his room, only to realise later that he was the pharaoh, Akhenaten. Though she had backed away from him and out of his room without him noticing, what with her little figure, she couldn’t help but hear his conversation with who seemed like his private doctor.

That day she had returned to her mother early, to ask her if the pharaoh was dying. Her mother and her uncle, who was also present in the room, were shocked at her findings. The grown ups discussed the matter privately, and after that she didn’t hear much about it. Only that a year later, the pharaoh Akhenaten had succumbed to his many genetic disorders. His son, the nine-year-old prince of Egypt, was crowned the king that day. The boy pharaoh Tutankhamun’s reign had begun.

***

Years had passed since the crowning of Tutankhamun, and Bahini was twelve now. Her uncle had gotten busy with the kingdom’s burdens, and her mother had also passed away because of an illness. Being alone in her uncle’s house, they sent her away to live with the second vizier’s family. His grandson, Cepos, fifteen became her only friend, though he wasn’t around much. The second vizier, Usermontu, was very old, and Cepos was to take his place once he grew up. So he mostly spent time with Tutankhamun, helping him with his ailments, which he had inherited from his father. But whenever he was home, he spent time with Bahini.

“Cepos, what do you think of the pharaoh’s marriage?” Bahini asked him, curious about the matters of the royal family. She turned to look at him when he didn’t answer. “Cepos, hey Cepos!” she nudged him hard enough to grab his attention. “What?” he spoke, as if out of a trance.

“Where are you lost? I said, what are your thoughts on the marriage?”

“I think it’s ridiculous.” Cepos thought out loud. “I mean, that marrying Tutankhamun off to his sister is so absurd. I would never want to marry my sister, things would get so awkward.”

Bahini laughed lightly at the face he made, but blushed as a thought crossed her mind, “Who would you like to marry, then?”

Cepos took a moment to think and answered with a faraway look on his face, “Somebody who can rely on me and trust me with their secrets. Somebody who I can protect whenever they need me. We’d truly be ourselves around each other, free of our responsibilities.”

Bahini wondered if he was talking about her. The conditions matched her perfectly. She wished to marry him one day, as he was the only person left who she could rely on.

***

More years passed as Bahini lived her life in the palace. She had grown to become a young and gorgeous woman, who was soon to be wedded with the man of her dreams, the second vizier of Egypt, Cepos. She thought back to the day they had first met. Bahini was a shy and fragile little girl, Cepos was this confident young boy who had sworn to protect her from the hardships of the world. He had asked the meaning of her name, and she had replied ‘fortune’ in that little and sweet voice of hers. Cepos had proudly replied, “My name means pharaoh. Though I can’t become one, I’ll always assist the kings of this land till my last breath.”

That was so long ago, Bahini reminisced. She had faced the deaths of her loved ones. She had been sad all these years, remembering her parents. Finally, she was going to have the happy ending she had dreamed of.

But Cepos had something else on his mind. It had devastated him when the love of his life had been forced to tie the knot with his sister. Now the news of his marriage deepened his troubles even more. He never liked Bahini like that; she was like a sister to him. But he knew that the society would not accept the truth of his love for Tutankhamun, so he had to reluctantly agree to his marriage. Looking at Bahini, he had thought, “At least one of us is happy with this arrangement.”

Days passed, and Tutankhamun’s condition worsened. Everybody knew that the young pharaoh would meet the same end as his father did, ten years ago. And one day, Tutankhamun passed away in sleep, just a boy in his teens.

Bahini was greatly upset, not because of his demise, but because of her wedding being called off due to this. Once again her heart had been shattered because of the tragedies of this kingdom.

But the pharaoh’s death hadn’t been the only reason of the cancelled marriage. Cepos, who had loved Tutankhamun with his whole heart, was traumatized after the recent events. One could say he had lost his mind, as he was no longer the confident and sane vizier everyone had imagined him to be. He had lost all hope in life.

One day, he decided to end himself. He wanted to be free of the weight carried in his heart. So he brought a dagger up to his chest, but as he was about to impale himself, he heard a scream on his right. Bahini watched him with horror in her eyes.

“Cepos, wha-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear. She had already moved on. She had settled upon the fact that she could never be happy in her life, but Bahini had no intention to end her life like the man in front of her did. She had come to check in on him, as she had a bad feeling he might do something to himself. Little did she, she had been right all along.

“What do you think I’m doing, Bahini?” Cepos faked a laugh, the dagger still in his hand, “I have no right to be happy. The person I had loved so dearly has left me alone in this world. What else am I supposed to do?”

“What are you saying, Cepos? I’m standing right in front of you.”

Cepos just laughed. After a few minutes of letting it all out, he told her the truth. He told her how he loved Tutankhamun and was unhappy with the announcement of their marriage. It was only for her sake that he had kept his quiet. This was too much for Bahini to handle that her knees gave way. She dropped on the ground, her eyes pouring out.

Behind her, Cepos was ready. He now realized it was all because of her. If he his marriage to her hadn’t been declared, he would have confessed to Tutankhamun. So she had to die with him as well.

He brought up the dagger to stab Bahini, and before the maid could stop him, he brought it down with full force. He didn’t miss his target. Soon after, he stabbed himself in his chest, ending the pharaoh and his fortune.