AkhDa FF- Pyaar Kiya Toh Nibhana *NEW Author's Note* Page 65 - Page 36

Originally posted by: Az3003

Thank you all so much for bearing with me🤗 I just posted Chapter 28 of Tu Jahan and I already started on Chapter 29... Lemme know if you want chapter 29 of Tu Jahan or an update for Pyaar Kiya first!!😛😛😛 I live to serve😃

Hey, I read your updates and loved it very much.

ur ff is so awsme but dnt abandon it this way..we all r requestin u fr so lng..so many ppl beggin to update this 1..plz update soon yar..cnt wait to read the nxt chaps

Please update na we all are dying to read the next part. Both of tu jahan and this one. Plzz

When is the next chapter being posted

Serioulsy, I am getting tired of all the writer. I am waiting desperately for next chapter. Please update soon, I love your the way you have written first two chapters. I am very curious to know what will happen to Jodha. I don't think she will be able to stay away from her kid. She will find a way to get inside the palace. Please update or atleast reply when you will update.

Chapter 3

The night truly is dark and full of terrors. It was pitch black as she walked... Every step took her further away from the Agra palace, away from royalty, away from the life she had always known. Her abdominal wound slowed her down considerably but she refused to give up. For a brief second, Jodha felt like a coward. She was a Rajvanshi, in her veins flowed the blood of warriors and yet here she was, running away from her problems. No... She told herself firmly... I am simply ensuring a better future for my child... She could not bear to see her child suffering in the daily battle that seemed to be her marriage with the Shehensha. She could not bear to have her child see how miserable his parents truly were. Oh my Salim... My sweet innocent little boy... As your mother I can give you nothing but my blessings and my prayers... For all the evil I have seen in your father I have seen the good in him too my angel... I have seen his love for you... I know he will love you much more than he hates me... She felt her blood run cold at the thought of Jalal's hatred for her. She cried thinking how it was possible for him to hate her so much when she had done nothing but love him. She cursed herself whenever she thought of him. She hated herself for loving him as much as she did. Where was her pride? Where was her self-respect? But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, her heart was too wild, too stubborn... too lost in its devotion to a man who himself was filled with such bitterness and hate. She prayed for him anyway... Please keep him Kanha... Heal his wounds and fill his bitter heart with love... Not for me but for our son... Let him be a father that Salim can be proud of and an Emperor that history will remember on pages of gold... Give him all the happiness and all the success in the world... I could never wish ill for him... He is my husband... My Sindoor and my life... Protect him... And with that final parting wish... Jodha took her first step into the Agra village... Her first step into her new life...

"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel. With you my heart will always stay. With you my thoughts will be every day."- Anonymous

The lights in the Agra bazaar shone as bright as day. One would think that the late hour would drive the people to their beds but it seemed the darkness was more a friend than foe here. It was almost dawn when Jodha decided to stop at a small eatery. She was exhausted and starving. The owner was small old woman, with a sweet and pleasant face. After Jodha ate her fill she took a few coins from her purse and handed it to the poor old lady. More than the food, poor Jodha was grateful to see a friendly face. She was scared. She had truly never been out on her own before. Even when she would ride out of Amer she was always comforted by the thought that her sainiks were not far behind her. 'Thank you so much Ma'am' Jodha smiled gratefully as she handed her the gold. The old lady smiled at her comfortingly and looked down at the gold coins in her hand. Her mouth fell open in shock. She had never seen so much of gold up close before. Especially not for the paltry meal she had just fed the weak young woman. 'Who are you?' She whispered in surprise. She would have bet her life that no person in the entire village had so much gold in their homes, forget the palms of their hand. 'Are you a Begum? Are you a Princess?' Jodha's blood froze. She had actually been worrying that the coins she had paid with were not enough. After all, she even donated more coins at every opportunity she got. This money was nothing to her. But now she may have given herself away, not even half an hour after entering the Agra Bazaar. She steeled herself and tried to keep her voice steady. 'No Ma'am you must be mistaken. I am merely a traveller.' The old lady took one look at the jewellery on Jodha's hands. Jodha tried to hide them under her shawl but it was too late. She began to tear up. 'You will not survive a day here Shehzadi...' The old lady whispered to her. 'Do not worry; I will not say anything... I swear on my life... But if you wish to survive here, you will have to be more streetwise. That one small ring on your finger is enough to feed at least five families here for a year. They will give you away. I don't know who you are but I can promise you that your family will be looking for you...' She eyed the sindoor on Jodha's forehead. She could see her Rajvanshi attire hidden beneath her black hooded shawl. 'A Rajvanshi Princess in Mughal territory... You are a very long way from home Rajkumari...' Jodha began to shake. Somewhere in her heart though, she felt some semblance of relief. The old lady did not recognise her as the Shehensha's Begum. 'No one is looking for me...' Jodha whispered as her voice broke. She was truly isolated here, with no one to help or guide her. The old lady smiled comfortingly and sat beside her. 'My name is Mehbooba. You can call me Mausi if you like, all the youngsters here do. If you want I can help you. What is your name beta?' Jodha hesitated. 'Don't be afraid child...' Mausi encouraged her. 'My name is Maahi...' Jodha finally whispered. The words seemed to turn to ash in her mouth. Jodha hated lying above everything. It was against everything her parents taught her and everything she believed in. But she knew she had no choice. She was not home in Amer anymore, nor was she under her husband's protection in the Agra palace. No one would come to rescue her here if, god forbid, she ever got into trouble. 'Well Maahi, do you need a place to stay? Maybe a job? I don't have room with me but I know someone looking for a tenant and you would be perfect.' The idea of settling in somewhere made Jodha sigh in relief. She had been out all night and she was new to the bazaar. She knew if she wanted to live here she would need to find a job and earn her own way. It may have sounded daunting at first but the sudden opening of a path towards her liberty, freedom and independence actually sounded amazing to Jodha. Finally, she could leave all her misery behind and live her life on her own strength and her own terms. She would not be bound by the decorum of the royals nor would she be suffocated in a loveless marriage. Jodha looked at the kindly lady she now considered her Mausi and smiled the first genuine smile since she had found out she was carrying her Salim in her womb... 'Thank you Mausi...' She said simply. 'I would love to have a place to stay and I am willing to work to earn my keep...' Mausi placed her hand above Jodha's. 'Well Maahi...' She said determinedly... 'If you are going to live in Agra, your jewellery is far too conspicuous. If you want I know the owner of a pawn shop nearby. It is almost dawn so he will be opening soon. I could take you there. You could pawn your jewellery and get some money to start with. Mind you, you will not get as much as they are worth, but it will be a reasonable amount. When you finally settle down you can raise the money, pay the broker off and get your jewellery back.' 'That sounds great, thank you Mausi...' Jodha was relieved to have found a guardian angel such as Mausi in her hour of need. 'I will take you to him...' Said Mausi. 'Then I will take you to a nice home where I know you will be all right...'

Jodha and her new Mausi walked a short distance from her eatery as the sun began to rise. If Jodha had thought the eatery was busy last night, she was definitely not prepared for the morning hustle and bustle as the sleeping city began to spring to life. It seemed everyone knew everyone else in Agra. The shopkeepers began opening their stores and greeted every passer-by by name. Acquaintances and friends wished each other a good day as they all started their daily routine. The morning air was misted and refreshingly cool. The dew clung to the grass and the air thick with the smell of the earth mixed with hot spices. One could hear the pitter-patter of an infinite number of feet on the rough path as the crowd kept moving, everyone with their own agenda. Almost everyone they passed by greeted the old Mehbooba with fondness and smiles. She had told Jodha the truth, practically the whole town knew her as 'Mausi'. Jodha could hear the morning oil sizzling as the eateries prepared to welcome the breakfast crowd with hot jalebis, sweet bread and spicy morning chai. She looked around at the colour and the people in wonder, yet not a soul looked back at her. She was suddenly one of them, a soul in a crowd, not a Princess that they parted way for or were intimidated by. She was exhilarated.

They reached the pawn shop as the sun finally came out of hiding from behind the clouds. It was truly a glorious day. Behind the counter was a stocky man whose features were hidden behind a huge moustache. The other half of his face was lidded with the bushiest eyebrows that Jodha had ever seen, and when he moved, his rotund fat belly jiggled in from of him. He looked up at them and his beady dark eyes instantly shone with recognition at the sight of Mausi. 'Mehboobaji! Aap yahan? Aaiye aaiye! Boliye... Kya seva kar saktha hoon mein aapke liye?' His smile made him seem friendlier and more approachable. His deep fruity voice boomed and echoed in his small, slightly dingy shop. Jodha tried to smile back. She just wasn't sure what to say. Mausi put her hands into Jodha's and squeezed slightly. She was startled for a second how soft Jodha's hands really were. This girl must not have seen a day of work or labour... Mausi lamented mentally. Jodha got the message behind her squeezing though and kept silent. She let Mehbooba do the talking. 'Aadaab Shareef Miyan! I hope you are well...' 'Bas khuda ki meherbaani...' The stocky man replied in earnest. Jodha decided then and there that she liked this man. His eyes shone with honesty. She kept mum though. She was aware that she was totally naive and was willing to see what her Mausi had to say. 'Shareef Miyan... This is the granddaughter of a friend of mine, Maahi. She arrived just this morning from Delhi. She has some jewellery that was given to her as and she wishes to pawn it here. I hope you will give her a good price for them and that you will keep her possessions safe until she can claim them back...' 'Oh not to worry Mehboobaji!' Shareef's voice boomed. His voice truly was too big for his little body and he danced around in exuberance like a cute little gulab jamoon. 'Anything for a friend of yours! I promise I will give you the best possible price child! No broker in Agra will give you a better deal I swear it on my shop! Also, I promise to keep your jewellery safe! I have the best security in all of Agra! I pay the soldiers of the Shehensha himself to guard my shop and to check-in with me regularly!' The mention of her Shehensha came as such a shock to Jodha that for a second she forgot how to breathe. Mehbooba noticed the colour drain from the young girl's face and squeezed her hand reassuringly. What had happened to her? She wondered. Does she know the Shehensha? Mausi wondered whether Jodha had lived in the Shehensha's harem. Impossible... She thought as she discarded the notion immediately. She is a Rajput. The Shehensha would never have let her keep her religion... Jodha would never know how close she had come to being found out in that second. If Mehbooba had known a little more about the circumstances of Jodha's marriage and that Jalal had allowed her to keep her religion, Jodha would not be so anonymous anymore.

'Maahi?... Maahi beta?' Jodha jolted back to reality. She seemed to have drifted off for a second and was not used to being called by her new name. She recovered quickly though. 'Jee?' She whispered. 'Show Shareef Miyan your jewels. He needs to examine them so he knows how much to pay you.' Jodha hesitated for a second... 'It's okay Maahi beta...' Mehbooba encouraged gently. Jodha began to take off her jewellery. By the standards of how she had dressed as Jalal's begum, her jewellery was meagre. But to Shareef and Mehbooba, who were not acquainted to wealth or nobility, she was dressed to the nines. Jodha had on necklace and earring set that her parents had given her for her last birthday in Amer. Her kangans were a gift from her Sujamal Bhaisa and her ring... Her beautiful emerald ring... It was a gift from her Shehensha the night he made love to her...

*Flashback*

Jalal placed the gold and emerald ring on her dainty finger with utmost care and devotion. 'I know this is a small gift Jodha. It's a trinket...' Jalal said in earnest. 'But the only reason I wanted to give you a small and simple ring is because I know that you are different from other women... You don't value jewels and gems. You prefer something simple and elegant but I know most of all... You love gifts given from the heart. This ring was given to my Ammijaan by my Abba Huzoor before he went into exile. I wanted you to know that this small trinket means the world to me... And now, so do you. I want you to have this as a symbol of something much more valuable. It symbolises a promise, from me to you... That I promise to love and cherish you for all of eternity... I love you Jodha...' Jodha looked deep into his chocolate brown orbs. They shone with purity and sincerity... 'I love you too Shehensha...' She had whispered before she gave her heart, body and soul to him...

*End Flashback*

Jodha's eyes misted as she fingered the ring. Her hand shook as her traitorous body refused to part from his gift. She thought of the sincerity in his eyes... Oh how easily she had believed him! How she had fallen into his trap! When she remembered how he had treated her after, she cringed with embarrassment. How foolish and nave she had been! Mehbooba and Shareef looked at the tearful child with pity in their eyes. She was alone in a strange place, forced to trust strangers and compelled to part with her treasures. 'You can keep the ring with you if you like beta...' Mehbooba whispered. She handed the rest of the jewels to Shareef to be weighed. Just as Mehbooba's hands left the jewels on the scale Jodha dropped the ring quite vehemently onto the scale with the other pieces. She moved her hand away from the ring with such a quick gesture one would swear that it had scalded her. No... Jodha thought angrily... Now her anger and her hurt were her only companions. It was from her pain that she would have to draw the strength and the will to go on... It would be as if the Shehensha had never come into her life at all... It would be as if she had never ever loved...

Zindagi mein koyi kabhi aaye na rabba
Aaye jo koyi toh phir jaaye na rabba
Dene ho gar mujhe baad mein aansoon
Toh pehele koyi hasaaye na rabba...

Shareef weighed the jewellery. He couldn't help but gape open-mouthed at the exquisite craftsmanship. 'This is royal work...' He said. His expert eyes could never be fooled. 'This is royal jewellery... Who are you?' He looked at Maahi in surprise but Mehbooba was ready for him... 'Maahi's mother was a baandhi to a Princess in Ajabgadh... These jewels were a gift from her. Maahi's mother left them to her after she died tragically last year...' Jodha cringed as the lies about her life began to pile up and mount. Just because she had to lie for a living did not mean that she had to like it. Shareef nodded his consent and belief in the story. He looked hesitantly into Jodha's tearful eyes and melted. He cleared his throat against the lump that had formed and squared his small round shoulders... 'Beta...' He said as gently as his gruff voice could muster... He took Jodha's small hand into his own calloused ones in a fatherly manner and said... 'I can see what these jewels mean to you beta. Not for their material value but for the sentiment behind them. I, Shareef Khan promise you Maahi beta... That I will protect your treasures with my life until you come and claim them back... I cannot give you as much as they are worth but I promise to give you a fair price...' Jodha teared with emotion and the dam finally broke. She held Shareef's hand gratefully as he put the money in her palm. She took her other arm and wrapped it around Mehbooba in a grateful one-armed hug... They were a godsend to her. She was relieved at not receiving a great amount because she did not know how long she would have to work in order to raise the money to claim her jewellery back. With one last tearful goodbye... Jodha and Mehbooba left the pawn shop...

Jodha and Mehbooba walked a little further away from the shops towards the colonies. There were small huts but the people seemed so open and friendly. It is funny how a small hut can become a home when there are nice people living there, yet a large palace could seem so cold and empty and not even a house when the people living in it have closed their hearts to love... Jodha lamented... 'Maahi beta...' Said Mehbooba... 'The house I am taking you to belongs to a small family. It is the house of the best tailor in the town. I know you are hindu and I have chosen their house because they only cook and eat pure vegetarian food. The old tailor is looking for someone to help him in his trade and I thought of you... Do you know how to sew?' Jodha thought of Amer, and how she would love making dresses for her dolls and her sisters. She thought of how she would stitch and repair her brothers' clothes after they would rip and tear them as they practiced for battle in the yard. 'Jee I can sew fairly well... Not exceptionally but I can get by...' Jodha said humbly. She hoped that she would not disappoint the tailor master. 'He has a spare room in his house. He has been looking for a tenant for some time but he did not want to take just anybody...' Mehbooba explained. 'He wants a female tenant because he has a young daughter at home about your age... Her name is Tayyibah...' Jodha smiled at the thought of making a new friend. She missed Moti terribly.

The tailor master's hut was not a hut at all, in fact, it was a small house made of clay bricks larger than the huts in the surrounding area, yet still simple and homely. Jodha found with glee that marigolds and honeysuckle grew in the yard. To her, it was quaint and lovely. The door was answered by a middle-aged yet handsome woman. She wore a neat line of kohl in her light brown eyes and a small fringe of dark hair streaked with silver peeked from her Dupatta. Her suit was well-stitched and classy, yet simple, much like their house. The sight of Mehbooba made her break out into one of the most dazzling smiles that Jodha had ever seen. 'Mausi!' She exclaimed with happiness. They embraced warmly. Just then her husband and daughter arrived at the door. He husband looked much older, but he had on an equally well-made Kurta. He had the kindest eyes and a long beard. He looked so fatherly and serene. Jodha's heart melted at the sight. Is this to be my new family? Her heart fluttered with hope... The idea of living with this family appealed greatly to Jodha and she realised that she wanted to live here really badly. She looked at the girl called Tayyibah. Mausi was right she was around Jodha's age, albeit a few years younger. She was slightly overweight but had her mother's handsome bone structure. She had long dark hair that had way too much product and a face mask that hid most of her characteristics. Her plumpness was exceeded only by her confidence but unlike her parents, she did not seem to want to welcome Jodha with a smile. Mehbooba introduced the old couple as Rashid and Khushbu. 'You may call us Aunt and Uncle...' They told Jodha warmly. The pretty young Maahi had grown on them almost immediately...

Once Mehbooba had told Maahi's' story (which was the same as they had told Shareef which made Jodha hang her head in shame and regret), the old tailor and his wife seemed thrilled to have her. They were not very well-off unfortunately and Jodha was more than happy to offer them her first month's rent straight up. She would begin work with the old tailor at his shop the next day. 'Don't go into my room and do not touch my things...' Said Tayyibah bitterly but Jodha didn't mind. She was just happy to have a room of her own to stay and a job to give her independence. She thanked Mehbooba profusely as the old lady left to go back to her eatery. Jodha knew they would keep running into each other. She spent the rest of the day settling into her new room. She had her own bedding and privacy. She would eat with the family. The rest of the day seemed to pass in blur for Jodha and before she knew it... Night fell. She shared her first meal with her new family and was overwhelmed with the love that the old couple showered upon her in just their first meeting. These were simple, open-hearted people and she could not believe her luck. After dinner she settled into her room. She missed her Kanha terribly. She had to leave him in the Agra palace lest Jalal noticed he went missing. She made a mental note to buy a murti from the bazaar the next day. Rashid and Khushbu were very understanding of her faith. They told her she could put up her mandhir in her room when she was ready and Jodha appreciated it immensely. As Jodha tucked herself into bed the finality of her decision to leave home hit her like a ton of bricks. This was her first official night after she left the palace and the homesickness was more than she could bear. She began to sob quietly into her pillow. She had hoped that her pillow would muffle her sobs but she was wrong. Her new aunt Khushbu knocked softly and walked in a few minutes later... 'Hush Maahi beta...' she soothed. 'I can only imagine how hard this must be for you after your mother died...' Jodha cringed but tried to smile reassuringly through her tears. Khushbu tucked her in as only a mother could and tried to soothe Jodha to sleep. Jodha closed her eyes and pretended until she left the room. The memories began to bubble to the surface. She thought of her Ammijaan, her son, her family in Amer and... him... Why? She wondered... Why am I still thinking of him? Why do I still love him? It hit her that it was futile to fight it. She would always remember him. His love was embedded in her heart and soul. Her body was branded with his touch and scent they way her heart was scalded by his hatred and his indifference...

Jaate jaate koyi meri khushiyon ko le gaya
Sooni sooni akhiyon ko gham, koyi de gaya
Aas jo lagaayi hai, aankh bhar aayi hai
Itna bhi koyi, sataaye na rabba

I will love you always my Shehensha... Jodha thought miserably. If my presence in your life has caused you so much of anguish I hope that you never have to suffer me again. I am sorry I couldn't make you love me. I am sorry I wasn't destined to make you happy. I am sorry I am not the woman for you. I will treasure your memories and the time we spent together for the rest of my life...

Dil lene waale pe zor nahin chalta
Pyaar ka ye sikka, kahin aur nahin chalta
Yaad teri aayi hai, tu harjaai hai
Itna bhi koyi tadpaaye na rabba

Zindagi mein koyi kabhi aaye na rabba
Aaye jo koyi toh phir jaaye na rabba
Dene ho gar mujhe baad mein aansoon
Toh pehle koyi hasaaye na rabba

Jodha wanted nothing more than to cry herself to sleep. But she had one more thing left to do. She had to wait for the cover of darkness. Once the moon was high in the sky and not a star in sight in the pitch blackness, once the howling of wolves could be heard in the distance, once the ether of sleep had lifted the rest of her new family into a warm embrace, Jodha lifted the covers off her body and got up from her bed. She took the small urn filled with water left by her bedside and threw the water carefully into the bushes outside her window. Her chest was wracked with sobs and her head began to throb. She tried her best to muffle her cries as she pumped the milk out of her breast into the small urn. Once she had unburdened her breasts she put on a shawl, hid the urn underneath and tiptoed into the yard where she proceeded to dig a small hole and bury her milk, sobbing as she thought of Salim and how she would never breastfeed him...

Poor unfortunate Jodha... If only she knew that while she stealthily buried her breast milk, in the Agra palace mile away from her new home the crown prince Salim of the Mughal Empire, who had the world at his feet was crying bitterly from starvation for his mother's nourishment...

This Chapter is dedicated to Aanchal and all my readers who have been waiting so eagerly... I am sorry I always keep you waiting... I truly am.🤗

Also this update is dedicated to my Jaan Nancy, Rutu, Ayesha, Sam, Lashy Di, Kashmi, Tahni, Swati, Diksha, Mehak, Kamal, Apurva, my angel Bhav di👏👏👏 and so many others who I wish I could list individually but such a mammoth task is truly beyond my capabilities!! Love you all forever. You are always in my heart if not my words. It is also a blated birthday gift to Alina, Indhu and Soumya! ❤️

I AM SO HAPPY AND EXICTED... SOON I WILL UPDATE MY COMMENT..

You take so much time to update yaar.anyways it was good.