Jodha stopped to catch her breath. "Yeh aapne theek nahi kiya, Agar woh hume pakad lete toh???" She asked him. "Kuch nahi hota Jodha, Agar pakad bhi lete toh hum Mughal Sultanate ke hone waale Shehen Shah hai! Hume woh kuch nahi kehete" Jalal replied with a smile.
Jodha beamed at him and remembered the little prank they just did. Jalal had painted the Yellow shawl ,kept to be used in the marriage, Green. He had a special liking for the colour Green and always insisted Jodha to wear THAT Green Lehenga he gifted her earlier.
She tapped his Best Friends shoulder "Ab hume chalna chaiye Vivaah bas shuru hone waala hai" " Chaliye!"
He was her Best Friend from childhood. They met in a Festival, where Mughals were invited as Guests, an effort by her Bapusa to keep their relations strong, which they did gladly accepted and came.
There she saw him for the first time, He was a Handsome, Young Prince for whom anybody could fall for.He had came up to her, for a little chat as he was bored with so many elders talking toghether.
She was the one of his age there. They started thier convestation. Soon they were deeply engrossed in it. from favourites to Dresses, from foods to secrets everything was exchanged between them. She could act like herself around him, that was his Magic and Today she is his Best Friend and knows him inside out.
"Kaha kho gayi Jodha??" He jerked her back to present
"Kuch nahi woh..." She notices something, a mischievious glint in his eyes. Something that shines when he has planned something crazyyy
Jodha looked around herself, what was he planning to do???
Jalal saw Jodha cautiosly checking her surroundings. He let out a low chuckle, she sensed that he is planning to play some prank. How well his Amer ki Mirchi knows him, her best friend whom he found at an Ameri festival and their small converstaion their turned out to be a strong bridge connesting them as Inseperable Best Friends.
She was the only one , except his parents and some trusted officials, who was connected to him without any foul play or selfishness in mind. She was his True and Best Friend. With whom he could share anything and everything, who would stand up his side through everything, who cares for him and knows him inside out.
Suddenly he thought of something, while Jodha was lost in the pre-marriage rituals simutaneasly checking her surroundings, he grabbed her Chunri [Head one] and ran off with it.
***
"Rukkiye Jalal!" She screamed while running behind him.
They crossed the the stairs, the varandah , Brides room and were reaching the place where colours were kept for a ritual. The Havan Kund with lit fire was also kept there as the Havan was finished and the sacred fire then needs to be kept in a seperate, open place so that it sacredness fills the space, as believed by the Pujaari.
***
The marriage ceremony has started. Mainawati and Hameeda was worried where the childrens were. Bhaarmal and Humayun being the father were busy in Wedding and all than to worry about where the two naughty little ones dissappear.
***
Jodha managed to catch the other end of her flowing chunri with first end still in Jalal's clutches. Jalal ran more fast trying to somehow get the other end free from Jodha's hand.
"Jalal Humara chunri wapas lautayiye!!!" Jodha screamed holding the end of her Chunri.
They were near the Havan kund's fire, Jalal ran to it's side with Jodha following
***
It was time for the Saath-pheras but the scream for Mainawati and Hameeda's attention. They turned look at the place from where it came and then a loud gasp followed.
***
Jalal went on running with Jodha following, Neither of them ready to leave the Chunri ends.
***
By the Seventh Phera Mainawati was sure to collaspe and Hameeda was equally worried. They had witnessed it with their own set of two eyes and now they could do nothing about it.
***
Suddenly Jalal changed his track and this sudden changes cause the Chunri end to slip off Jodha's Palms. She followed him with double dpees. He was now at the other end of the Table that held colour plates.
Jodha at the another end, daring him with her eyes to give back her Chunri. Little Jalal had to think of a way to escape. Something caught his eyes.
***
Bride and Grrom were seated. Sindoor had its turn now.
***
Jodha's face was coloured res. Jalal has thrown a fist full of red colour on her forehead. While she threw curses at him, He got a chance to escape.
***
Hameeda to hold Mainawati to prevent her subconcious fall. It was getting complicated.
***
But somehow she encountered him "Aap ne yeh kya kiya???"
"Kuch bhi toh nahi"
"Hamara uppar Rang kyun daala Aapne??:"
"Aapko brahmit karke waha se bhaagne ke liye"
"Dekhiye kya haal kiya aapne hamare chera ke!!"
"Aap phir bhi khoobsurat lag rahi hai"
Jodha was about to speak something but this comment of his made her to stop a moment. She was sure a red tinge was rising up her cheeks.
***
The audience clapped as the Grrom filled Birde's parting with red vermilion.
***
By the time Jalal has finally given Jodha her Chunri back and helped her wash her face too. After whcih they raced the Wedding area.
***
Jalal and Jodha reached their to fins thier mothers worriedly discussing something with the Holy priests. They went their to ask the matter.
"Maasa kya baat hai, aap itni chinti kyun hai???"
"Jodhaa, meri bacchi" Mainawati hugged her daughter
"Kya hua Choti Ammi?? " Jalal called Mainwati that
"Jalal beta tum jaante ho tum logo ne kya kiya hai??" Hameeda asked. Jalal turned pale, Did she found put that he had painted the Yellow Shawls??
"Kya keh rahi hai aap Amii jaan??" He acted all innocent
Hameeda sighed
"Aaj Jodha ka aapse Nikaah ho gaya!"
"Kyaa!!!" Both Jodha and Jalal were shocked
"Kaise Ammijaan? Humne toh..."
"Rajput taur-tariko se Jodha ka aapse Vivaah ho chuka hai" Mainwati concluded.
"Par Maasa kis prakar se..."
Mainwati revealed what they had witneesed, while they were running aroung with that Chunri they actually took rounds of the Sacred fire with the Chunri in form of Gathbandhan, as they were holding on to it.
And those rounds were, by fate, Seven!! Not only this, the colour thrown by Jalal actually filled Jodha's parting, and again by fate, It was Red!!
Jodha and Jalal had their mouth wide in surprise. All this happened becasue of a prank!
***
Thier Familied decided to get them married because they were half married already. After that Jodha entered the Agra fort as the Begum of Jalal.
And soon everyone including Jalal realised that she was the perfect Begum for Jalal. Being his Best friend she knew what he prefers, his dislikes, his emotions and understand him well. She could read his mind and know just what he needs.
Like that, Jalal turned out to be the perfect partner for Jodha. H e also being her Best friend could read her mind, knew everything about her, cares for her and fulfilles her every wish.
They plat toghether in the Fort premises, go on horse riding, mate in Sword challenge, Shot arrows. They painted pictured, read books and did almost everything toghether. Now, they were more inseperable.
She still remembers her first Day...
"Kahah Kho gayin Jodha Begum???" His husband, The Shehen Shah of Mughal Sultante, was grinning at him.
He. like always, brought her back to present. 10 years after their Famous Nikaah she was thinking about.
"Hum toh bas..."
"Aapne Nikaah yaad kar rahe the" he completed for her. That was nothing new, he could do that.
"Haan, Kin ajeeb paristhithiyo me ham Vivaah ke bandhan me bandh gaye the"Mallike-e-Hind, Jodha smiled
"Lekin aaj hum Shukrguzaar hai un paristhithiyo ke ki hume aap ke jaise Begum lilli, jinse hum behad Mohabat karte hai!" He nuzzled her crook of neck.
"Aur hum bhi, Aapse bahut Prem karte hai" She huggen him, and he wrapped her fully. Both of them never letting of another making and eternal promise within, to be toghether forever..!!
The End
Ignore the Gramatticla mistakes!! I am too lazy to correct them.
Udne Ki Aasha
Kumkum Bhagya
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