" Resham, I have always told you what is in my heart - you are my confidante and my secret keeper. So, i shall tell you today what i fear the most. Keep a hand on your heart and tell me - can you see Jodha Beghum becoming Mariam-Uz-Zamani? Its not about her brining in Hindu or Mughal blood anymore. Its about the speedily changing equation between Jodha and Jalaal. Ever since Jalaal has returned from Ajmer Shareef, he seems so changed. His and Jodha's relationship is like an arrow that has left the bow. Ruqqaiya Beghum is too sloshed in her imperial pride and overconfidence to be able to see that Jodha's and Jalaal's relationship is headed for a meteoric rise. She cannot stop what has begun and neither can I. Jalaal and Jodha are all set to form a bond that will change the face of this Mughal Sultanate. I can see that and its unfortunate that nobody else can. A new chapter in the Mughal period is about to begin."
-Maaham Angaa.
No. Jodha did not meet Jalaal today and it seems pretty unlikely that she will be called to nurse his wounds . Yet, without even once coming face-to-face, we saw Jodha with Jalaal and Jalaal with Jodha.
Jodha , moving beyond seeing Jalaal as an animal or an imperial ogre , only thought of him as a brave and lovable human-being. She tells Hameeda that there were a million prayers going up for Shahenshah-E-Hindustan . But my prayers were for a son , a brother, a brave man who took the tiger's attack on his chest so that I can survive. When she sees alms being given out to the Riyaaya and the staff , she gives away her gold clutches - as happy gratitude and that is what is acknowledged when Gul beghum look up at her in pleasant surprise. Ruqqaiya was around but she just glows in her foolish megalomania , instead of contributing to Khairaat. Jodha not just feels happy and relieved , she is grateful as well - and that shows in her giving away her jewels. Later, when she meets little Raheem and narrates him the story of Shahenshah-Beghum-Baagh, she forgets the Baagh . Its Raheem who reminds her " Aur baagh bhi tha wahaan". This is a reflection of a subconscious thought that it was just her and Jalaal in the woods. Colours of pride, admiration and a tad flash of guilt come and go on her face as she tells the story of Jalaal's courage. This is called progress and evolution of a character in connection to his/her relationship with another character.
When little Raheem asks for the fruits from the fruit bowl, Jodha , perhaps for the first time, refuses and does not allow him to touch those fruits - " No, Khaan-E-Khaana. That fruit bowl is for Shahenshah. If you want to eat them, i will get you more , but this bowl is only going to Shahenshah.Okay, baby?" Perhaps for the first time, Jodha denies something to Raheem and chooses Jalaal over someone. Even if for a mixed bag of fruits. Its SOMETHING.
And how can you forget her lonesome reverie in front of the mirror in her Khwaabgaah? Sad. Gloomy . Lost. And then, Motti comes and asks her gently - " Do you want something , Jodha?" There was no need for Jodha to be sitting in a lonesome reverie , inspite of being happy that Jalaal has survived - but she was in a train of thoughts. Where was she, before Ruqqu came in with her signature sweet laced poison goblet?
Moving to Jalaal, all his slow energies and drooping eyes come ALIVE the moment Raheem mentions "Chhoti Ammie" as the sender of the fruit bowl. Jodha Beghum? She sent these fruits for me? Illness takes a slight backseat and his vintage grins and smirks spread over his features . He is not really paying attention or concentration to what Ruqqu is barking about Jodha being a problem magnet in his life . He just has three things to say to her as he keeps biting into the fruits that his Nakchadhi Beghum sent for him.
1. So, what do you think of this gesture of Jodha Beghum, Ruqqaiya? I know she got me into this bloodbath but she is also the one who healed me back to life. Pain and cure have come from the same source - My Nakchadhi Beghum.
2. I do not approve of you slapping Jodha Beghum. Too small a price to pay when i look at the size of her mistake. No?
3. You still have not answered my question, Ruqqaiya. What do you think about Jodha sending fruits for me? Tell me.
Jalaal did not want to make it obvious , but he really wanted to know the reason behind Jodha's fruit gesture. He wanted to know what must have been going on in Jodha's mind about him right now. Does she really care enough or is it guilt? Why should she be sending fruits for me? There was no reason for her to do it , considering that i can buy all the orchards in India. ... no answers. But he wanted to know - and that is why he asked this question to Ruqqu , thinking that she will give an objective answer. Obviously, she didn't.
Jalaal's taunt in " Ittni bade gustaakhi , aur ittni chhoti si sazaa" can be interpreted in many ways. One, he feels that only he had the authority/right to punish Jodha for sending him on the tiger's lunch buffet menu. Two, he is not going to let this tiger-episode slip away so easily from between him and Jodha. Three, he feels that the impact of whatever happened between him, Jodha and of course, Mr.Tiger is beyond punishment .Its something that cannot be touched or understood by anyone who was not there in the woods with him , Jodha and Mr.Tiger.
Later, when Bharmal comes to see Jalaal and rolls out a red-carpet invitation to Jalaal -Jodha and close entourage to attend Sukanya's wedding , alongwith thanking Jalaal for getting Sukanya married into a Rajvanshi family- you realize something else too . Jalaal did not go out of his way for Bharmal because he is righteous or is in self-retrospection/ introspection of his actions ( Sukanya's fianc was a villain, remember? And it was not really Jalaal's fault or his problem) - he did it because all this stemmed from Jodha. Because he is still trying to rectify and redeem himself from the infamous hum aapko zindaa jalaa denge' phase . Because he is trying to prove to himself and even Jodha that he is Jalaal , not the Jallaad' that she thinks. Of course, he will never say it - but that is the truth. What Jodha thinks of him, MATTERS to him.
Concluding it all, the episode just tells you that Jodha is growing a fondness and an unconscious pull towards Jalaal even when he is not in front of her eyes. She is seeing him in a new light and even their relationship ( Jungle mein Shahenshah aur unnki beghum the... oh, haan, ek baagh bhi tha) , whether she realizes this or not. On the other hand, Jalaal , behind all the smirks and grins and taunts , is trying to lessen Jodha's pain and trying to prove himself human enough - in his own eyes and her eyes. Proving to her that " Kaun kehtaa hai ki Shahenshah ke paas dil nahiin hai?"
For the rest, Maaham can already see a Saleem' playing in Jalaal's arms and a Jodha embracing Jalaal with the warmth that he has missed all his life. She can see that a new chapter in the history of Mughal era is all set to begin - yes, she can see the future because she is intuitive , insightful and honest with the reality she lives in. She even knows , deep down, that she can plot, plan, execute but she cannot stop Jalaal and Jodha from becoming a tale of folklore and mystery for the future generations. Best part being, that she totally dismissed Ruqqu as Jalaal's wife - she says that you may stay the Chief Consort forever , but you will never be Jalaal's wife - its Jodha who shall sit on that throne, with an invisible crown on her head.
Ruqqu's gesture of coming to see Jodha and putting medicine on the slapped cheeks , again , is open to interpretation. Maybe she did all this so that she does not appear like a vamp in Jalaal's eyes who slapped his pyaari-dulaari Jodha ( he seemed to disapprove of it from Ruqqu's POV) . Or else , she wanted to get rid of a teeny-weeny crime-feel at the back of her head hidden in her regal pride ( Hunne tumhaare gaal par malhamm lagaaya , usska matlab ye mut samajh lenaa kit um uss thappad ki haqdaaar nahiin thi) . If not that, Ruqqu just needed a self-dose of " Am-Mallika-E-Khaas-and-i-always-do-what-is-right" , so she paid Jodha a visit. A visit that Jodha did not give a bat's toe nail about.
Oh and oh, the ambitious brothers-in-arms- Aadham and Shareef. Get ready for an assassin attack on Jalaal's life , soon. And if we go by rules of writing , its Jodha who should be coming under the guillotine of the ambitious bloodbath, not Jalaal. Ek baar Jalaal Jodha ke liyye Tiger ke lunch basket meinn gayaa tha, abb ek baar Jodha bhi maut ko kareeb se dekh le. After all, its a relationship of equals. Hai na?
P.S- The precap better be a nightmare of Ruqqu or Maaham. If Jalaal says anything even close to loving or even realizing his love for his paagal munnhzor Rajputani, Jodha ko ek poori ki poori kadhaai khilaa dengge zeher ke halwe ki. Phir Saleem kahaan se aayega aur future history books ka kya hogaa? 😲😆
Members Lounge
CID
367