The Regal, Dinner

Author’s Note

I am not sure how much influence a fictional character can have in a vividly imaginative mind like mine, however, since the time I watched Wednesday (with the help of Richa- my bestie’s Netflix account), I began experiencing (what I’d prefer believing) involuntary psychic visions. Not as intense as Wednesday Addams, though.
Here is what happens to me: In the daily course of my life, I run into something (in this context, an Instagram post) and my otherwise tabula rasa mind immediately lays out a perfect plan for me to compose (mostly fiction in the liminality of prose and poetry) based on my sight.
Hence, after I ran into the poster of Qurbatein on Shrinwanti’s (another dear friend) Instagram story, my mind immediately drifted to (in the course of which I boiled over some milk, creating a huge mess in the kitchen) a series on the Ottoman Empire that I watch on repeat on YouTube because I love the rise of Hurrem Sultan.
This series, The Magnificent Century, is based on the reign of Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman Empire. A significant number of episodes deal with the development of affection between the newly arrived, recalcitrant Ruthenian concubine, Alexandra. Her initial rebels gave way once she found herself head over heels for Suleiman. These episodes exhibit the hinterlands of the Ottoman harem. The excellent cinematographic depictions of the harem and activities happening inside this private space brought me to compose the following lines (in other words, my involuntary psychic visions may be integrated with my stream of consciousness, ad hoc):

The Regal, Dinner

An intoxicating rattle and çarşı¹-like commotion in the harem, on a winter afternoon.

All humans, mostly stolen girls, arranged like sweet meats, the best displayed in the beginning, and the not-so-best at the end.
Soon, there will be buyers, examining, frisking, and fumbling over the vegetative beauties, who would be chosen for the regal, dinner.
Thus, they hurried with bowed eyes, waiting for approving nods and frisks or being tossed aside like “ugly” produce, while the mating clink between the harem-ground and their patronized ornaments is incessant.
While falling in the file, some might wonder: Does the regal bed squeak like the ones in the harem?
Some others fantasized about the deluxe regal bed chamber: Oh! What a relish!
A few eyes could have glistened and thought: Ah! Regal! But you couldn’t tell, as they were glued to the ground under the spell of commands. 
I don’t have the heart to tell them: “Except there will be no scope to devour at the regal dinner, but to be devoured.” 

– Joyeeta,

Composed compelled by consistent thought, determined to render me insomniac 

¹Turkish word for Market/ bazaar (also known as pazaar, in the series). 

episode 1, 20:37, The Magnificent Century 

Inspirations & References

The Magnificent Century [Muhteşem Yüzyıl]. Created by Meral Okay, directed by Yağmur Taylan and Durul Taylan, Tims Productions, 2011-2014. YouTube, uploaded by Magnificent Century Seasons 1-3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRgz4q34BOA&list=PLChGk5zHrF-KjAkqLoVB-3PEsZbiacoCh

Wednesday. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, directed by Tim Burton, performances by Jenna Ortega, Netflix, 2022.

Shrinwanti [@shrin_013]. “Poster of Qurbatein.” Instagram, 2026.