She first met him on a blind date in the beautiful city of Perth, Australia. She introduced herself as Helen Simmons, and he as Mr Jah. It was love at first sight for both. At first, she knew nothing about Mr Jah or about India, the country he was from, much less about Hyderabad. But soon, she would find out.
Gradually in their courtship, she learnt that Mr Jah was Mukkaram Jah, grandson of the last Nizam of Hyderabad. When his grandfather died in 1967, he inherited considerable wealth and was one of the wealthiest people on Earth. Simmons knew very little of what that meant. Eventually, she married him and became his wife, begum Helen of Hyderabad.
Although the princely kingdom no longer existed, Mukkaram Jah was the Nizam, and Helen was his begum, at least on paper. Jah had divorced Princess Esra before marrying Helen. Helen had converted to Islam and changed her name to Ayesha, meaning the “Radiant One,” a name appropriate for her looks. And within a year of marriage, the couple had a son. Until now, the fairytale was relatively smooth.
When Alexander Azam Jah, the child of Mukkaram and Ayesha, came into the world, Mukkaram asked the people of Hyderabad to take a public holiday. However, in Australia, he kept a low profile and maintained the image of a ‘simple man.’
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