Beloved Above All

The Banishment

One day Akbar, the great Moghul Emperor, found himself displeased for some unknown reason with one of his queens. Consequently, he banished her from the Court, ordering her to go to her mother’s house.

The Desperate Queen

In desperation, the queen went in tears to Birbal seeking advice. He consoled her and whispered some instructions into her ear.

The Unexpected Plan

The following day, she returned to the King to bid a tearful farewell. Seeing the spectacle of his weeping wife slightly softened Akbar, but he remained resolute. He offered her the opportunity to carry away whatever her heart desired from the Palace. Grasping at this opportunity, she asked Akbar to have a sherbet that she had prepared. Unbeknownst to the King, she had mixed a sleeping powder in the sherbet. He sipped the drink, fell unconscious, and soon found himself relocated to the queen’s mother’s house.

The Surprising Outcome

On waking, Akbar was puzzled. On being told the whole truth, he found himself unable to argue against the queen’s logic. Even though he felt tricked, he recognized the justifiable actions of his queen. The story, laced with intrigue, admiration, and a touch of romance, concludes with the revealing of Birbal—the resourceful minister—as the mastermind behind the queen’s success.