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Sassi
was another romantic soul, the daughter of King Adamkhan
of Bhambour. At her birth the astrologers predicted
that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige.
The king ordered that the child be put in a wooden
chest with a ‘taweez’ tied on her neck and thrown
into the river Chenab. The chest was seen floating
by Atta, the washer man of Bamboon village. The dhobi
believed the child was a blessing from God and took
her home and adopted her as his child. Many, many
years passed by and the king did not have another
child, so he decides to get married again. When he
heard that the daughter of Atta, the washer man, was
as beautiful as the angels, the king summoned her
to the palace.
Sassi
was still wearing the tabiz (amulet), which the queen
mother had put around her neck when she was taken
away to be drowned. The king recognized his daughter
immediately on seeing the tabiz. The pent-up sufferings
of the parents flowed into tears. They wanted their
lost child to return to the palace and bring joy and
brightness to their lives, but Sassi refused and preferred
to live in the house where she had grown up. She refused
to leave the man who had adopted her.
Sassi did not go to the palace but the king presented
her with abundant gifts, lands and gardens where she
could grow and blossom like a flower. As all the rare
things of the world were within her reach she wanted
to acquire knowledge and sent for learned teachers
and scholars. She made sincere efforts to increase
her knowledge. During this time she heard about the
trader from Gajni, who had a garden with a monument,
the inner portion of which was enriched with exquisite
paintings. When Sassi visited the place to offer her
tributes and admire the rich art, she instantly fell
in love with a painting, which was a masterpiece of
heavenly creation. She soon discovered this was the
portrait of Prince Pannu, son of King Ali Hoot, the
ruler of Kicham.
Sassi became desperate to meet Punnu, so she issued
an order that any businessman coming from Kicham town
should be presented before her. There was a flutter
within the business community as this news spread
and someone informed Punnu about Sassi’s love for
him. He assumed the garb of a businessman and carrying
a bagful of different perfumes came to meet Sassi.
The moment Sassi saw him she couldn’t help saying,"
Praise to be God!"
Punu’s Baluchi brothers developed an enmity for Sassi.
They followed him and on reaching the town they saw
the marriage celebrations of Sassi and Pannu in full
swing, they could not bear the rejoicing. That night
the brothers pretended to enjoy and participate in
the marriage celebrations and forced Punnu to drink
different types of liquor. When he was dead drunk
the brothers carried him on a camel’s back and returned
to their hometown Kicham.
The next morning when she realized that she was cheated
she became mad with the grief of separation from her
lover and ran barefoot towards the city of Kicham.
To reach the city she had to cross miles of desert
land, the journey that was full of dangerous hazards,
leading to the end of world.
Her
end was similar to the end of Kaknoos bird. It is
said that when this bird sings, fire leaps out from
its wings and it is reduced to ashes in its own flames.
Similarly Punnu’s name was the death song for Sassi
who repeated it like a song and flames of fire leapt
up and she was also reduced to ashes.
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