THE DESTINED MEETING
(poster courtsey : Amanat)
There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one's cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore. -Nicolas spark
She was running wildly in the desert the scores of soldiers running behind her. she frantically looked around her, unsure where to go. Then she looked up into the thar desert - her home her own land she knew every inch of it but today she couldn't recall a single place where she could run and hide herself''the woobly legs threatened to collapse underneath her breath came in ragged gasps'. the sun was blazing fiercely on her and the sand burned beneath her feet alas the intensity of the heat wasnt capable enough to ignite the flame so tht she could commit jauhar and burn herself alive'' the tears welled in her eyes as she heard the footsteps of horses her heart sink as the footsteps began to come closer suddenly a soldier in the horseback picked her up'something hit on her head and she lost her conciousness
Few hrs later she was lying unconscious on exquisite green silk persian carpet, like a thrown rag doll. Then something wet and cold splashed suddenly onto her face'.her eyebrows creased.her head throbbed'..she felt groggy as everything spinned in her mind slowly she opened her eyes'''everything was out of focus and things were a blurry mess''She looked half-consciously around an alien room''''.where was she? Wat was happening? Her feeble mind couldn't process'' She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure 'but in vain''she closed her eyes as she felt dizzy the room was moving and spinning in circular motion''. Suddenly the water splashed second time onto her face'''''.with the jerk she opened her big eyes ''The water droplets drained and dripped from her chin and went down soaking her midnight blue slik bodice wet'she looked around she was in luxurious Persian tent decorated with fine tapestries and a ceiling of green velvet and alachas (silk cloth) interwoven with gold and silver thread tht exhibited the fine blend of Persian craftsmanship with Indian motifs. 'Agreen triangular Flag tht flung proudly in the middle of the tent screamed tht she was in the enemy camp oh yes ! she must be in Moghul camp''.her eyes grew bigger and her mouth parted in horror'.. she then heard the laughter weeping and crying all in one go- assualting her ears'she looked around her friends who had accomapined her in her foolish idea were tied and beaten up cruely with lashes the blood boiled inside her eyes reddened with rage her teeth clattered and the shudder ran down her spine as she looked at the horrendous sight '.. she wanted to ran and save them but her hands were tied ' for the first time in her life, she was helpless'.. 'the tears aroused in her eyes as she looked at them then she shifted her gaze to a heavy breaded moustached man standing infront of her,dressed in green angarkha of khita satin embroided with gold flowers and a moghul cap on his head he moved towards her and sat infront of her'..his eyes grew wild as he threw a lustful glance at her
He observed her carefully and smiled sheepishly and then he took out his potli of silver mohr (coins) hurled at the soldiers standing behind him and said "yeah lo tumhara inam"
(Here's ur prize)
He glanced at her with his wolfish eyes and said "yakeenan vazir- e -ala ise dekhkar khush ho jayenge aur hume tohfo aur jagiro se nawaz denge !
(the prime minister would certainly be happy and will bestow land and valuable gift on us)
he then extended his hand to touch her she frowned and looked away he smiled and said "waise inhe vazir e alaha ko saupane ka bilkul man nahi kar raha"
(I really don't want her to hand over to the prime minister)
the words pierced her soul like a molten lava never in her life she had been so insulted'''if her hands were untied she would have pounced on him and killed him instantly with her bare hands like kaali maa
she looked at him scornfully and roared like a tigress"savdhaan ! humare pass aane ki himmat mat karna'.warna hum tumhare tukde kar denge''.."
(behold don't dare to touch me else I will cut you into pieces)
the man eyes widened in amusement he replied " bada muh chala rahi hai kaun hai'''hume dhamki dene waali to hoti kaun hai haan
(who are you to threaten me?)
she turned her face away and kept silent
the temper of the soldier aroused he yelled "chup kyu ho gayi bata'nahi to hum chabuk se teri khaal udhed denge" saying this he grabbed the whip
but she looked back at him with equally hatred
the whip hurled in the air all of sudden her frn blurted "nahi ruk jaayeyi inhe kuch bhi mat kijeye aap shayad nahi jaante par yeah amber k Raja bihari mal ki putri rajkumari JODHABAAI hai"
jodha sighed and closed her eyes in frustration''.her enemy knew her identity This was the last thing she had wanted to happen, the very last'..
the soldier's hand stopped his eyes twinkled he said rolling his eyes in amusement "Kya kaha amber k shehzaadi
he then broke into laughter "yeah to aur bhi acha hua ab to inaam ki rakam dugani ho jayegi"
he summoned up his soldiers and said "sepohiyon baaki ki kaneez ko yanha se le jao aur yeah jodha humare shamiyaane (tent) mein rehengi hum khud inhe huzoor ko supenge"
(take away the maids and Jodha will remain in my tent'..I would personally hand her to Bairam Khan)
Jodha;s heart sank beneath her she screamed "nahi kanha le jaa rahe ho'.humari sakhiyon ko kuch mat kijeye" But the plea fell on the deaf ears of the ruthless soldiers as the mercilessly dragged her companions
Jodha looked at them helplessly she cried "motibai"
Motibaai looked at her and said with teary eyes "humne to pehle hi mana kiya tha jodha yun is tarah hume bhes badal kar mehel se nahi jaana chahiye tha dekhiye hum sab kis musibat mein phass gaye hain"
The soldiers took her friends out of the royal tent out of the place leaving her in distress the tears roused in her eyes as she looked at them she felt guilty as she was innocent and involuntary cause of their misfortunes She closed her eyes and cursed herself for being so foolish. What was she thinking? wat was the need to drag her friends in her absurd idea?'.how will she forgive herself
? wat will she do now her mind was blank at the moment''.
morning amber palace
"Maasaheb hume gangour ka mela dekhne ki aagya de dijeye hum vachan dete hain sanjh hone se pehle laut aayenge" she chirped as she coaxed her mother to let her go and see the local fair at amber
The Queen turned her face away said "nahi Jodha aapke daata sahib aur bhaisaheb is samay aapke rishte ki baat karne gaye hai unki anupasthithi mein hum aapko gaungar ka mela mein jaane ki anumati nahi de sakte'
(No princess ur father and brother are not in the state I cant permit u to go outside in such condition)
Jodha insisted "par maasaheb jab tak daata shaheb yatra se lautenge mela sampat ho jaayega aur hume ek varsh aur pratiksha karni padegi
(But mother the fair would windup till they return and I will have to wait for the next year)
"Hum majboor hai rajkumari aapki suraksha hume sabse adheek priy hai apse bhi jyada"She embraced her and left her
(I m sorry but ur security is my prime responsibility)
Jodha twitched and frowned
Motibaai said "ab hum kya karenge'kya hume agle varsh mela dekhne jaayenge"
(so we don't have any option'. right?)
Jodha said smiling at her "nahi ganguar ka mela to hum ise varsh dekhenge" her eyes twinkled as a twinkle of mischief sparkled in her dreamy eyes.
(Absolutely not! we will attend the fair this year itself)
Next morning Jodha and her friends disguised themselves village s peasant girls. And quietly slipped out of the pleasant's secret door''little did she knew her mischief gonna change her destiny forever'.she was on the way wen forever as she was spotted and picked by the handful muslim soldiers
Nearby the two warriors stood facing towards each other' they remained silent for few seconds glancing at each other with the bloodshot eyes and then within a seconds they drew their swords and clashed into one another the two swords met in with thud'. they fought whirling their blades mercilessly in the air''neither of them wiling to back off' both the swordmen fought with furiousity each of them trying to wear the other down'but he, a young clad short and stocky of 20 with pronounced moghul features certainly had an edge on the other contestant he swung his silvery polished sword more widly taking his opponent with suprise his arms were strong and perfectly shaped formed after years of rigid practice under his tutor khan baba'. His bare chest gleamed in the sunlight and his henna dyed hair flow down to broad shoulders as he flung his sword furiously, highlighting his solid ripped abs and toned chest'.he outwitted his opponent practically at every turn and parry '.. ' he defended and dodged his opponent attacks and after the few minutes of stamping and clamping of metals he effortlessly disarmed his opponent'''the sword fell with the clatter from his opponent;s hands and before his opponent could react he pointed the sword at his neck he stood looking straight in his eyes His breathing was heavy and erratic' sweat glistened over his perfectly chiseled body he paused and then chuckled "Kuwar ram singh aap jaanbhujkar haar rahe hai na" his grin widened as he looked at him'.
(kunwar Ram Singh u aren't paying attention at the game are u?)
U are not paying attention in the game, are u?.
Kunwar Ram Singh, his childhood friend looked at him and said "bilkul nahi'ab hum kya kare shehsaah k aage har talwar k dhaar pheeke pad jaati hai"
(Not at all wat should I do if ur swords flickers with the speed of lightining'.no sword is sharp enough to fight with u)
A faint smile passed on Jalaal lips he removed the sword from his neck and embraced him
Meanwhile Abdul a trusted minister and a loyal friend of Jalaal who watched the sword fight between his king and his childhood friend, Prince of Rewa, Kunwar Ram Singh with great enthusiasm smiled and came forward he took the sword from Jalal's hand and gave him the silken cloth to wipe off his sweat'and then offered them Rose sarbat in brass glasses- a sweet and refreshing drink made of rose water mixed with fruit syrup and holy waters of ganga'..
Abdul looked at jalal and said "shehanshah aur kunwarji mein aap dunno k liye aaram ka bandobast karta hun" saying this he took the permission from the princes and left
(Ur highness and majesty I shall leave to look after the arrangements for ur confort)
After a while Prince Ram Singh and Jalaal sat on the ground he looked at Jalal and taking a sip of rose sharbet from the antique brass glass said "Jalaal hume samajh nahi aaya hum yanha bhes badal kar is saanik chavani mein kya rahe hain'''. aapne to khan baba se humare saath mukundpur (rewa) jaane k anumati lethi phir yanha rajasthan mein humara kya kaam"
(Jalal I don't understand y we have disguised ourselves in our own military camp u have take permission to come with me to mukundpur rewa then wat on earth are we doing in this thar desert?)
Jalal said wiping off his sweat with silken cloth "yeah registaan huwara khwab hai yanha ki har cheez ko pana humara maksad'..yanha ka sona'..yanha k khubsoorati yanha k log sab hasil karna hai"
(this land is my dream'.. its richness its beauty thrills me I want every single thing of this place)
his eyes sparkled as staring at the gold like sand in front of his feet there was something mesmerizing about this place tht left him in awe the mystic aura around this land fascinated him the alluring sand dunes the golden sand tht shone on the surface like the jewels thrilled him the lovely sunsets and the gloom and the glory of this land made him feel strangely serene and fullfilled
he said contemplating his drink "khanbaba kehte hai dushman par fateh karne k liye dushman ko janana bahoot jaruri hai isliye hum rajput logo k beech mein rah kar unhe samjhana chahte hain unke jajbaat unke dar unki takat unke jung (War) ladne k tareeko ko parakhna chahte hai aur isliye hum bhes badal kar is moghul chavani mein rah hain"
( half the battle is win wen u know ur enemy and thts y I m living here among rajputs disguised as one of them so tht I can understand their feeling their emotions their fears their techniques of war!)
Prince Ram Singh continued "par khan baba ko pata chalega to bahoot naraz honge"
(khanbaba would be angry if he comes to know about it)
Jalal replied "khan baba hume itna pyaar karte hai k wooh hume kuch karne hi nahi dete'..agra k fateh aur panipat k jeet bhi unhone humari naam kar di"
(khanbaba loves me dearly tht he doesn't let me he even bequeathed his vitory to me)
he said with slight of gloom in his eyes he loved his khanbaba a lot and acted according to his wish but somewhere deep inside his heart he carved for his independence''. something little inside him contradicted him and wanted to set himself free'..he knew his khanbaba was right as king he was bound to his subjects but he wanted to be right to be himself and in his own way with his own set of belief and ideas
he continued "hum jaante hai wooh kabhi nahi maante par yeah jung humari hai aur hum apne farz ko andekha nahi kar sakta mughul sultanant ko aage le jaana ki jimmedaari humari hai aur hum isese peeche nahi hatenge"
(I know he wont agree but this is my battle and I cant ignore my duty'.the responibilty to expand the mughal reign lies on my shoulders and I wont step back)"
kunwar Ram Singh looked at him and patted his shoulder he chuckled "waise bhes badalna to aapka bachpan k shuak raha hai yaad hai hum log kaise bachpan mein bhes badal kar mehel se bhaag jaate the'' bahoot mazaa aata tha naa"
(U are master of disguise, aren't u? remember how in childhood we use to disguise ourselves and ran away from the palace'.. it was fun right !)
Jalal smiled as he was lost in his childhood memories'the golden days tht he spend in umerkot and mukundpur his life was blissful without any fear without any expectation without any burden like a free spirit before he was send under the strict regime of Mahamanga and Bairam Khan in afganistan'.
He said recalling his childhood memories"Haan bahoot mazaaa aata tha'..yaad hai kunwar ekbaar hum dunno ne mil kar ek baageeche se jamun churaye the, wooh aapa kaise danda le kar humare peeche bhaagi thi "
(yaa it was damm interesting! do u remember once we have stolen fresh plums from a woman's garden she had chased us with a stick wasn't it terrific)
Kunwar Ram Singh replied haan aur phir baad mein humare shehsahan ne apne shahi baageecha bhent mein de diya tha looking at him with fondness
(Yaa and then u gifted her a royal garden exchange for a handful of plums)
Jalaal smiled and said in low voice" wooh bahoot gareeb thi'..apne aawam se mohabbat karna unke zazbaatoin ko samjhana ek shehenshah ka farz hota hai humne bas wahi kiya"
(she was poor and every king should love his subject I did wat was expected from me)
Ram Singh retorted "hmmm to is shehenshah ki mohabbat uski aawam hai he paused and raised his eyebrows and asked "par jalaal uski mohabbat kaun hai?"
(oh so this king love his people but who does Jalaal love?)
Jalal was startled he looked at him love did he said tht? Wen was the last time he thought about love? he turned his face away his face grew cold and hard as he frowned "mohabbat sirf ek kitaabi lavz hai sunane mein acha lagta hai par asal zindagi mein mohabbat nahi hoti'..aur phir hum badshah hai humari zindagi mein mohabbat k liye koi jagah nahi" his face stiffened as he said it firmly
(love looks great in book but the reality of its inappropriate I m the king and I have better things to do in life)
Kunwar ram singh smiled and said "prem har insaan k kismet mein likha hai phir chahe wooh raja hi kyu naa ho aap chahe lakh pehre laga de apne jazbaat par'.. bandi bana le apne dil ko par prem apni manzil dhundh leta hai dekhena aapke jeevan mein bhi prem dastak dega aur aap kuch nahi kar paayenge"
(everyone is destined to love '.. no matter how much u deny it and lock ur heart behind seven doors but in the end love will find its way, sooner or later u will terribly fall for someone)"
Jalaal stared at him he smiled half heartedly, his face didn't lit up with joy instead he felt a pal of gloom coming over him as he stood staring into the vast empty desert.his life no less than a desert- rich grandeur splendid yet lifeless'..he was a born conqueror yet his heart remained unconquered'' he had everything but love''. Love the words tht use to send send butterflies in his stomach in childhood wen his tutor abdul latif narrated him the glorious love saga of lord Krishna and radha, Quays and lalyan (laila majnu) between the long and deary session of political studies and war'' the tales tht charmed him often he wondered will he love someone as passionately as Quays as purely as lord Krishna.'but as he grow up he found his life was meant for other purpose he was so engaged in fulfilling his responbility tht he almost overlooked his tiny heart tht breathed softly under the burden of royal dreams and desires'..'.yes he was surrounded by women in his harem some of them sent him as gift some for political tie ups'but no one was there for the sake of love'.. just love''.!
He stood quietly as he recalled his words" prem har insaan k kismet mein likha hai phir chahe wooh raja hi kyu naa ho aap chahe lakh pehre laga de apne jazbaat par'.. bandi bana le apne dil ko par prem apni manzil dhundh leta hai dekhena aapke jeevan mein bhi prem dastak dega aur aap kuch nahi kar paayenge" really? will it happen? he wondered
Suddenly he heard Abdul calling for him he turned around and saw Abdul was running towards him
He was puzzled he asked "abdul kya baat hai itne badhavas kyu lag rahe ho sab theek to hai"
Abdul said still trying to catch his breath "shehenshah pata chala hai humare sephoyehun ne amer se kuch rajaputani ladkiyan ko utha liya hai aur unhe yanha is chaavani mein le aakar aaye hai"
(our soldiers have abducted rajputs women and they have brought them here in this military camp)
Jalaal was filled with rage hearing it from Abduk he rolled his eyes and clenched his fist in anger he said "kitne baar!'..kitne baar humne maana kiya hai ki koi bhi sepahi kisi bhi aurat ko jabardasti nahi uthayega'''.. par yeah log humare hukkum ki naa farmani kar rahe hai '..kab samjhenge yeah ki humara maksad in logo ko lutana nahi hai balki inpar par fateh hasil karni hai inhe apni aawam ka hissa banana"
(how many times I have to remind my orders tht woman and children must be treated fairly then y do they defy my orders'..wen will they learn to respect our citizen wen will they understand tht my mission is to rule this land I m here to unite'.. not to plunder !)
He said to himself "ab hume hi kuch karna padega"
(I will look into the matter myself)
Saying this he asked "kaun is is sabke peeche"
(Who is the person behind the scene)
Abdul lowered his eyes and said "yanha k sipehsalahkar saffunddin beg wooh khan baba k khasam khas hai
(Saffunddin Beg he is the chief office and dear to Khan baba)
Jalaal flared his nostril filled with anger he ran a he ran towards the camp where saffunddin beg was sitting with some soldiers busy in merry making
Jalaal looked at him he pounced at him he clunched his collar and threw hin with force saffuddin was startled he looked at him in shock and fear
"jab badshah ka hokum tha ki koi bhi sepahi kisi bhi aurat yaa bacho par jurm nahi karega to unke hukkum ki naafarmani k jurarat kaise ki"
( wen emperor had issued the decree to treat the woman and children with kindness ! how dare u go against the very orders of our emperor.)
the other soldiers looked at jalal in confusion and next moment they pulled out their sword from their scapboard''''. Jalaal looked around and threw a angry glance at them before they could attack him Abdul yelled "khabardaar sab wanhi khade rahe tumhare saamne khud shehenshah e hind khade hai"
(behold His Royal Highness King Jalaluddin Mohammad is standing )
the revealation came as the shock to the soldiers'..as they looked at Jalaal unblinkly as if someone had dropped bombshells on them immediately the swords from the hands fell with a loud thud and they bow down to him begging for their life''while shaffunddin's face turned a whiter shade of pale as he looked him in absolute fear the next moment he fell on his knees clasped his hands and begged for forgiveness "raham jahanpanah hume nahi pata tha aap yanha is chavani mein hai warna aise gustaki hum hargiz nahi karte"
(plz forgive me ur majesty I had no idea about ur identity !)
humare saawalo ka jawab do sepahi humare hukkum k naahfarmani k himmat kaise hui
(answer me will u ? how dare u defy my orders)
saffunddin lowered his eyes in helplessness it was a matter of life and deadth to him
jalaal looked at him frustrated he roared "jawab do"
(answer me damm u)
saffuddin said in barely audible tone "humne jo kuch bhi kiya khan e khana k hukm par kiya unhone ne hi apne harem k liye auranton ko lane ko kaha tha"
(mercy shehenshah but I have a sound reason for my refusal'...prime minister had ordered me to bring women to his royal harem)"
Jalaal eyes widened he stood silent for a minute'''wasn't he aware of his lecherous nature'he thought and closed his eyes in frustration
After a second he turned to abdul and said in louder voice "abdul tum abhi jaakar sabhi auraton k aazad karo and unko unke walid k pass izzat k saath suap dena yeah jimmedari tumhari hai"
(abdul release the women and hand them back to their guardians'.its ur responsibility to see tht they return home safely)
then he turned to saffundin and said firmly "aur tum.'tumhe badshah k hokum khialfi k sazaa jaroor milege"
(u shall be punished for defying my orders)
saffundin grew fearful the sweat broke out on his forehead and he begged shehshah raham kijeye
(mercy my lord)
but jalaal was not in the mood to budge he turned his face away and began to walk with quick steps
saffundin plead "shehenshah humne jo auranto ko pakada hai unme se ek amber k shehzaadi hai Shehzaadi Jodhabai" he said in one go hoping tht his catch might plz his king''''.
(But Emperor! One amoung them is the Princess of Amber- Jodhabaai the daughter of our enemy)
Jalaal stopped and turned around he asked suprisingly "kya kaha shehzaadi"
Saffundin nodded his head in consent
(Princess!)
Jalaal was annoyed hell annoyed his eyebrows frowned a his temper rose he said angrily "wooh shehzaadi hai'''.aur ek shehzaadi hone k naate wooh humari shahi mehmaan hui aur ek shahi mehmaan k saath aisa salook'.kaise?
(are u kidding me ?a princess ?hence she is our royal guest per se'.is this a way to treat a royalty?
He exclaimed "tumhe is gustaaki k bhaari kimat chukani padegi hum khud jaakar shehzaadi ko aazad karenge kanha hai wooh"
(you will face the consequences of your acts. Now tell me where is she ?I want to meet her at once)
Shaffundin lowered his eyelids and said fearfully "humare shaamiyaane mein hai''."
(In my tent my lord)
Jalaal immediately rushed to his tents where his destiny was waiting for him
''''''''''''cont...in the next post '''''''''''''''''''''..
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