Once upon a time, a young girl by the
name of Tanuja was sitting sadly in a prison cell. She had been accused of a
crime she did not commit and she had to suffer for it. Her life had always been
a hard and depressing life.
First she had lost both of her parents at the age of six months. The Tahan
family, who adopted her first, loved and cared for her like she was their
daughter. Even though they had six children of their own, they still treated
her like family. Sadly, when Tanuja turned eleven, Mr and Mrs Tahan died from a
terrible fever. The children were taken in by relatives, but none of the
relatives wanted her. So Tanuja was put up for adoption again.
The second family, who adopted her, was the Sayegh family. They were a
rich family, but they were not nice. Mr and Mrs Sayegh were greedy, proud and
only cared about their riches. The reason they adopted her was that she would do
the housework, without being paid. Their daughter Amirah was not better. She
was spoilt, selfish and proud like her parents and liked giving Tanuja orders
all the time. Amirah was the reason Tanuja was in a prison cell. After Tanuja
turned sixteen she became more beautiful than Amirah. Men admired her all the
time and Amirah hated her for that. So she decided to do something that would
make Tanuja be sent away. She stole a diamond ring from her mother’s room then
hid it in Tanuja’s room. When Mrs Sayegh noticed it was missing she ordered
everyone to search for it. Amirah quickly found it in Tanuja’s room and told
her mother. Mrs Sayegh was furious with Tanuja and accused her for being a
thief. Tanuja had tried to tell her that she didn’t do it, but she wouldn’t
listen. So Tanuja was arrested for theft and disowned from the Sayegh family.
Tanuja was just about to cry when a voice called out to her. “Tanuja” it
said. “Who’s there?” asked Tanuja. “Don’t be afraid I’m not here to harm you”
the voice said. Then a spirit appeared in front of Tanuja. “Are you the genie
who helps those who are unhappy to find happiness?” asked Tanuja, surprised.
“Yes” said the genie “and I sense that you are unhappy. Why are you unhappy?”
Tanuja told the genie all about her tragic past. “I see” said the genie
“I can help you, but you will have to do something for me”. The genie told
Tanuja that an acquaintance of hers is looking for a woman to become his new
wife and his son’s new mother. His wife had recently died and he wants to
remarry. “I believe that you will be perfect for him”. “This man isn’t mean,
greedy and selfish is he?” asked Tanuja worriedly. “Oh no you will like him”
replied the genie “he is kind and gentle. But he is unhappy because of his
wife’s death”. Tanuja understood that and agreed to the deal; even though she
was going to be married to a man she didn’t know. The genie clicked her fingers
and she and Tanuja disappeared into a puff of smoke.
They appeared, in a puff of smoke, at an oasis. Tanuja noticed that she
was wearing different clothes. Before she was wearing a torn brown dress, but
now she wore a beautiful dress of white and light blue. That was part of
genie’s magic. Then some men, riding
camels, arrived. One of them noticed Tanuja, got off his camel and walked over
to her. Tanuja bowed down to him; this man was Rajan, the sultan of Arabia.
“You don’t need to bow down to me” said Rajan “please stand up and show
me your face”. Tanuja did that and Rajan smiled. “You’re the most beautiful
girl I have ever met. You shall become my new wife and queen”. Tanuja couldn’t
believe it; it was the sultan that the genie wanted her to marry.
Tanuja rode with Rajan on his camel all the way back to his palace. She
felt nervous and frightened, but Rajan’s kind smile and gentle hands gave her
confidence. As soon as they got to the palace a wedding was planned
immediately. It was to be held in three days. Tanuja couldn’t believe that she
was going to be the new queen of Arabia, but she felt happy and safe with Rajan
and accepted her fate.
The next day Rajan had to leave on business, so Tanuja was left alone
with the servants. She asked a female servant, who was a nurse, to show her
around the palace; she wanted to get to know her new home. The nurse gave her a
tour of the downstairs rooms and was just about to show her the rooms upstairs
when they heard someone crying. “Sounds like Raja has woken up” said the nurse.
Raja was Rajan’s son. The nurse and Tanuja ran into a bed room with a cradle in
it. Raja was a seventh month old baby. The nurse was about to pick him up, but
Tanuja picked him up first. “There, there Raja” she whispered to him. Raja
stopped crying immediately and smiled at her.
“You have such a way with children” the nurse said.
“I like children” replied Tanuja “I must ask, what was his mother like?”
“Well his mother was a beautiful woman” the nurse replied “but there
were times when she ignored the fact that she was his mother”.
Tanuja felt cross by what the nurse had said. “I hate parents who are
like that” she said “it is really mean to treat your own child like he or she
doesn’t exist”. And she swore to herself that she would never treat Raja and
the children she would bear with Rajan like that.
That evening Tanuja was standing out on the balcony of her room. She was
thinking about her wedding to Rajan and about his dead wife. Then the genie
appeared. “Tanuja” she said “how are you doing?” “Genie” said Tanuja “I am
happy here with Rajan and his son Raja. I thank you for this”. “I’m glad I was able to grant your wish and
Rajan’s wish as well”. Then the genie disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Just then there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” asked Tanuja.
“It’s me” answered Rajan. Tanuja opened the door and Rajan walked in. “Rajan,
welcome back” she said. “I meant to be back early” said Rajan “but my business
took longer than expected. I wish to spend the rest of the evening with you”.
Tanuja accepted the wish, she had missed him. “Rajan there is something I wish
to ask you” she said. “What is it” Rajan asked. “Well I don’t wish to pry, but
what was your late wife like?” Tanuja said. Rajan had a feeling that she would
ask him that soon and he actually wanted to tell Tanuja about her. So he
decided to tell her now.
“My late wife, called Tamarai, was a beautiful woman” he began “my
father, the late sultan, chose her for me. He and Tamarai’s father knew each
other and it was their dying wish for us becoming husband and wife. So we did
just before they died. I adored her, but she was unhappy with the marriage”.
“Are you saying she didn’t love you?” asked Tanuja, hoping this wasn’t
the case.
“Well she didn’t hate me” replied Rajan “she just didn’t have the same
love for me as I for her. Even before and after Raja was born she was still not
happy. Her unhappiness is what killed her”.
Tanuja decided that Tamarai was not a loving wife. First she didn’t give
Rajan any love, after he gave her his love and then she didn’t love her own
son. Tanuja felt sorry for both Rajan and Raja.
“I don’t know if you have, but have you ever met a genie?” asked Rajan.
“Yes I do know the genie” answered Tanuja “she told me that your wife had
died and you wanted to marry again”
“It’s true” said Rajan “I did want to marry again but I wanted a woman
who loved both me and my son and I told the genie that. When I saw you in the
oasis, I noticed the genie was standing beside you which meant that you were
the right woman for me. I am grateful to the genie, I love you”.
“Yes” replied Tanuja, who was now blushing, “I love you too”. They
kissed each other deeply.
Two days later Tanuja married Rajan and became Arabia’s new queen. In
time she gave birth to a daughter, but she still loved Raja as if he was her
real son. Rajan was happy to have a wife who loved both him and their children.
And Tanuja was happy that she was finally living a full life filled with love and
happiness.
