The famous Anarkali Bazaar in the walled city of Lahore is named after the Mughal Prince Jahangir’s lover Anarkali. The tale of Anarkali and Jahangir is an age-old legend, known to almost everyone in the sub-continent. Jahanghir was only the son of Akbar the Great, who saw it beneath his son to be in love with a mere courtesan. He insisted that Jahanghir give up his passion for Anarkali. Like most men, Jahanghir listened to his father, but Anarkali took a stand for her love. Due to the court orders, it became impossible for them to spend any time together, but they consistently broke the rules and continued to meet secretly. Eventually, Akbar gave Anarkali an ultimatum: she should give up her love for Jahanghir or be buried alive. Anarkali was a brave woman; she fought for her right to be in love with Jahangir. Eventually, she was caught red-handed by the Emperor’s army in Jahanghir’s arms, and despite several pleas by the Prince and his mother, she was buried alive. When Akbar died, Jahangir became the Emperor of India. He constructed a tomb at her burial place, which later became a residential palace for the Sikh Dynasty, a church during the colonial time, and eventually a government office.
Perhaps there will be a tomb for me as well in New York City- and tourists from all over the world will come and pay their regards to Maria Khan, who was haunted by different mobile careers and IT companies, as she waited for Ezra Nielsen. Maybe a phone company will issue a new deal called- Maria Discount for all of their secret lovers: for when they want to talk to someone, and they don’t want the world to find out. *(All calls are end to end encrypted and secret, but only accessible to the mobile carrier guy, because he needs to masturbate at night to something and your love life is making him cum alot more than his ugly wife).
The Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore: