Zohra Khotan and Haya Bund

Long ago, a rich merchant lived in the charming Valley of Kashmir. He had a handsome son whom his parents called Haya Bund.

Two poor orphaned brothers, clad in rags, passed by the merchant's shop one morning. Learning that they were destitute orphans, the merchant took them to his home as companions for Haya Bund. They helped him in his shop, but though he taught them along with Haya Bund, they did not take to reading and writing, for they were evil and restless by nature.

Haya Bund duly grew up and, attaining his majority, was betrothed to the daughter of a merchant in the town. The two orphan plotted to break the betrothal by spreading false rumours about him but their efforts failed, much to their disappointment.

The day of marriage came. As the gay marriage procession set out, the two brothers drugged Haya Bund on the way.

They told his father-in-law that he was a fool and an idiot. These words had their desired effect, for Haya Bund really looked stupid because of the effect of the drug. But Zohra Khotan accepted Haya Bund as her lord, howsoever bad he looked, because the betrothal had sacredly tied her to him. To her joy, however, Haya Bund recovered from the dulling effect of the drug.

When they all began their homeward journey, Zohra Khutan way carried in a grand palanquin.

They broke journey for the night near a river, when Zohra Khotan suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to bring a present for her mother-in-law.

This distressed her, but she fell asleep because the day's journey had tired her. She dreamt that a man came to her and said: "Wake up, virtuous Zohra Khotan, do not be sad. Go ye to the bank of the river, where a corpse will confront thee in the water. Call it and it will come towards you. Take off the diamond bracelet from its hand as your present."

Dressing hastily, Zohra Khotan went to the river and procured the bracelet as instructed.
The two jealous beggar brothers, always bent on mischief, had followed her. They went and told the merchant and others afterwards: "Zohra Khotan is a cannibal witch. She left her tent in the night and killed a woman, sucked her blood and wrested a bracelet from her hands."

Haya Bund was sad, the more so because he did not believe that his wife was a witch. He grew weak and to improve his health the merchant suggested a trading tour.

The two brothers accompanied him. On the way, Haya Bund suddenly remembered that he had forgotten his account books which were locked up in Zohra Khotan's room. He went back for them, but when he entered the room, his wife's beauty and intellect at once entranced him.
He stayed with her secretly for some time and then joined the two brothers, but they understood where he had been.

Disguising themselves as holy faqirs, they went to the merchant's house, where they made a charge against the woman living in the house. The credulous merchant once again, taken in by them, found out that Zohra Khotan corresponded to the description given by the faqirs. He had her taken before the public prosecutor who found her guilty and condemned her to death.

Brought to the place of execution on the fixed day, Zohra Khotan was placed on the scaffold where she was to be beheaded; but when the executioner lifted his sword, he found his arm held in the air by an unseen power. The second executioner tried, and his hand also stopped likewise; the third fared no better. Wonderstruck, they addressed Zohra Khotan thus: "What sort of a woman art thou?"

She said simply: "I am innocent."

Zohra Khotan, by dint of the power of her innocence and chastity, enjoined on a wayside tree to tell her lord, when he passed that way, that she was still alive. Going to another city, she made her abode with a poor old widow and began to eke out a living. She gave birth to a lovely son, and left the baby with the widow whenever she went oat for work.

The king of that city had six daughters. When the queen was about to give birth to another child, he warned her that if it were a daughter again, he would kill her. But the queen gave birth to a daughter and fearing the king's wrath, she at once sent her maid to fetch a male child as a substitute.

The maid came to the widow's house and the greedy woman readily parted with Zohra's baby for a large sum of money.

Pining for her husband, Zohra Khotan passed her days with the widow. A merchant heard of her virtue and comeliness. He pursued her with his attentions but she showed no response. One day he sent two of his strongmen to bring Zohra Khotan forcibly to his house.

"Tell your lord that I'm dead," she told them. She shaped some earth into a clayhead, and prayed to God. Her prayer heeded, the clay model changed into Zohra's head, dripping with blood.

"Take this," she told the men, "and give it to the merchant". They departed with the head.

Thus, left to herself with the widow, Zohra Khotan passed her days in penury. Meanwhile, her son grew up to be a handsome lad. One day the prince passed her house and her sad beauty bewitched him. He made up his mind to marry her, and the king, who loved the prince very much, on hearing of the beauty of Zohra Khotan, agreed to the marriage. But Zohra Khotan pleaded that the marriage be delayed by six months for she still hoped that her husband would return.

Haya Bund roamed in many cities as a forlorn trader. The tree, near which Zohra Khotan was supposed to have been executed, communicated her message to him. He took heart and began searching for her everywhere till he reached the city where she lived.

Haya Bund sought the cause of the stir in and around the palace, and was told about the marriage. He sent his signet ring to Zohra Khotan in the apartment where she was being dressed up as the bride. Seeing the ring she cast off her bride's robes and ran into the arms of her lord.

The prince was furious at this but the old widow, who could contain her secret no longer, revealed his true identity to him as Zohra Khotan's son. Zohra Khotan was reunited to Haya Bund and her son.

They left the city for their home town where they lived happily ever after.