"Kab tak roothegi, cheekhegi, chillaayegi?
Dil kehtaa hai, ik din haseena maan jaayegi."
Well, that is what Jalaal's smiles and smirks seemed to be saying in today's episode. Everytime, Jodha sang " I hate you like I love you" to Jalaal - the jali-kati baatein in the garden, the " hum aapke saath ek hi khemme mein ninni nahin karenge", the " aap hi for-all-the-bullcrap zimmedaar hain" jazz , and the " aapka behaviour kitnaa hormonal aur ashobhaniya hai" song - all through the naataks and nautankeez of this fearless and lagaam-less , gustakh Rajput beghum, we saw a small change in Jalaal. He was not getting angry or egoistic as such. He just looked at her face deeply and left with an imperial smirk , a smile that only made sense to him and none else... not even Jodha. BTW, i love it whenever Jodha asks Jalaal " Aur ab itni hasee kyun aa rahee hai aapko?"😆... its too cute. And Jodha's aggression combined with Jalaal's calm smiles are adorable.
Picking from Jalaal's reflection on Jodha's behaviour and his assessment of her 'Baaghi' personality, it is more or less clear that Jalaal is comprehending Jodha's behaviour of accusation , blaming and counter offence as her defence mechanism in her current lonesome state. As per him, due to all the bullcrap she went through and the abandonment by her mother, Jodha is not exactly in a frame of mind that can frame sense or sensibility.
And after what Jalaal told Jodha after saving her - " I hate you with the strength of mountains and I have married you just to cut your wings and avenge my humiliation. But, hey, am doing you a favour by not rendering you homeless and you still stay my beghum" - hmm... it can be interpreted in many ways. While you and i revel in the joy that Jalaal brought her back as Mrs.Jalaal , for Jodha or any woman in her situation will see this as a FAVOUR. So, all that Jalaal could have sorted with one kind word or one sign of acceptance dived in the same lake where Jodha tried to drown herself.
So, what is Jodha left with? Her imperial pride and her impulsive temper - and all the heated garam-kadhaai passion boiling down on Jalaal. For her, she is still expensive furniture that Jalaal won't let go from the palace fort...because as per her and what Jalaal said, he attaches no sentiments to her. And time and again, we have heard how she had hoped that this marriage with Jalaal will work out.
Hence, at least from Jodha's side, we are back on enemy lines where Jodha puts her aggressive defence to full use - jitnaa bhi gussa , gubbaar andar bharaa hai wo sab Jalaal par nikalta hai , aur Jalaal? Thoda sa " What The Paul" hotaa hai , aur phir pyaar se muskuraa ke chal detaa hai.
That's why he handles Jodha very calmly today - he doesn't go dragon-dinosaur when Jodha doubts his intentions as a man . He gives her a pickle jibe of " humein bhi aapka ye chehra dekhne ka koi shauk naiin hai" and ushers her to her tent. He doesn't rip the golden drapes into ribbons in fury when Jodha pulls the curtains of divide between him and her. He bears all her tantrums and barbs with a smile , because he knows that behind it all there is a scared princess who feels that she has been abandoned by everyone and the cause of it is Jalaal. Why? Only because he understands that his Baaghi Begum has completely lost it and he shoulders a part responsibility of it... but you gotta trust his smirks. Deep down, he does believe that all these naaz-nakhraas are gonna evaporate with time, effort and fate's intervention.
Coming to Jodha, i know she is oft criticized for her lack of values, etiquette , virtue - i would agree to it... if this behaviour extended to everyone. It doesn't. It centers only around Jalaal - its him who forces her to be at her raw self and unleash what ever royalty and upbringing censors. I am on the same line of thought as Jalaal and i assess her behaviour and its cause just like he does. And i still believe that Jalaal reiterating the lie that he has married her for hatred and saved her only for Mughal Jazz was a mistake. That too after saving her from a suicide for similar reason. Jodha has been at her most vulnerable ever since she married Jalaal... and her tackling has to be soft and calculated... the kind that Jalaal is doing right now.
Jodha's fear that Jalaal wants to violate her modesty appears stupid on the surface. If he had to do it , he could have done it on the first night itself and nobody could have stopped him. But the fear lurks on Jodha ... just like it would lurk on every woman in the presence of a man who claims to attach no sentiments to her. If a man doesn't attach any feeling to you, you, as a woman are bound to feel like an object. We may not realize it , but its inbuilt in women.
Anyway. what i totally loved is Jodha's rare-occasion-of-reasoning-these-days that Jalaal should not kill someone on his route to Ajmer Sharif. Its against the intention and moral of pilgrimage. And even though disagreeing , Jalaal let the assassin live. Jodha spared the man who came to kill her and that shows her pure soul. Jalaal could have just arrested the assassin , but he got ready to kill him because he dared to say a word against his Baaghi Beghum.
BTW, we had two superb " What The Faaludaa" expressions today on JJ and they were classic.
1. Jalaal- " Hum jaante hain ki aap hamaare saath nahin reh sakti , issliye humein aapka khemaa alag lagwaaya hai. Aur waise bhi humein aapka chehra dekhne ka koi shauk nahiin hai," ... Jodha was like 😲😡
2. Jodha -" Maana ki hamaara aapse vivaah ho chuka hai, kintu humnein aapko na to ye adhikaar diyaa hai , aur na kabhi denge. Shahenshah ka farz hotaa hai auraton ki izzat karnaa aur apni hi patni ke saath aisaa ASHOBHNIYA vyawahar kar rahe hain?"... Jalaal was like🤔🥱😡
For the rest, Aadham is speeding towards getting murdered through Jalaal's hands. Am pretty sure the future attempt on Jalaal's life will come slashing on Jodha. Ruqqu needs to break her glass palace of pride and behave herself. Her behaviour with Saleema and other beghums at the chessboard was ASHOBHANIYA and just not done. Just like Jodha has to realize that Jalaal is human , Ruqqu has to realize that Jalaal is not a plaything or a family heirloom she can possess.
And how i love Saleema.😳...Grace. Dignity.Aura.Honour.Depth. And her immortal love for Bairam. What a woman!
I leave you tonight with a future-forecast statement of Jodha about Jalaal.
" Hamaari neend udhaakar , khud kitni shaanti se so rahe hain, Shahenshah." 😡😆😉
WELL GREAT WRITING👏
Bindi
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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