OS: Angry Ponytail

The Angry Ponytail is Still Yours

The cracks on her palm evidenced the passing winter's harsh chills. Her flesh barely clung on to the inked feather she was using to write. She knew not what, or to whom she was keen on relaying this message. Nevertheless, her news was significant enough to put pen to paper at the first sun-lit hour of the morning, away from the gaze of her usual maids.

Not even her most trusted companion Mothi was allowed near the begum's work space, such was the secrecy of her morning's endeavors. The gossip mill ran quick outside her chambers as the concubines contemplated in great detail with the guards about the possibilities for the queen's unusually heightened security. Of course, the loyal ones remained tight lipped out of respect for their mistress. And the chatty Cathies reluctantly followed suit for they themselves were unaware of what Jodha Bai of Amer was hiding inside the four closed walls on the first day of Phaagun.

All this chatter had already invited the inquiries of the emperor's extra zealous maternal advisor Maham Anga as well as his chief consort Rukaiya Begum. So far, Mothi and her minions had successfully held off any raging questions from the visitors but she wasn't sure how much longer she could pull the beat-around-the-bush-and-refuse-to-give-an-answer charade, especially considering the fresh rumors that the Ameri Bai's innocent inklings had garnered some press at the emperor's court proceedings. If the Shehenshah himself were to demand a meeting with her beloved friend, Mothi was in no place to stop the man.

Terrified as she was thinking of such prospects, she could not afford the wrath of her deep-in-thought queen. So, at least for the time being, she dared not disturb Jodha. All she could do was watch from afar the storm that was inevitably headed their way.

"Where is she?" Jalal ud-din Mohammad kicked open an already unlocked door terrifying the maids like he suspected. Surrounded by his usual air of hot arrogance, the man didn't faze Mothi anymore. She'd seen his blind fit of rage coming from a mile away. Still, pretending to be afraid of his clearly dramatic anger, she led him to his wife as calmly as a woman mentally rolling her eyes could.

"There sir. If you turn to the right and..."

Before Mothi could provide anymore pertinent information to the king, he was already halfway inside the largely confusing chamber. Considering he was the one who approved the construction of this and many other buildings like this one, the proud emperor marched on, determined to explore the belly of the beast. Unfortunately, the task was easier said than done. He could hear a breezy melody ringing in the airy corridors but the wind spread the sweet sounds so evenly across the halls, he couldn't place the direction of the source.

"Jodha Begum", he yelled after five minutes of exhausting search.

"Good God, you've just confirmed my suspicions. Didn't we discuss this yesterday? I am losing my sanity. Soon, I will require full time aid and then exile to an island for the clinically insane and it is only downhill from there Khahna Ji!. A little help wouldn't hurt, you know?"

For a second Jalal scratched his head over these strange thoughts of his wife being spoken out loud but as soon as he realized she was busy conversing with her God, his curiosity piqued. He kept himself hidden as he tried locating the position of his unsuspecting queen.

"At first I thought it was you playing tricks Khahna but now I know I am crazy, mad, stupid, a coward, anything, everything you say but... I am not in...please I can't even find the courage to say the words...not with that man, not... Shehenshah?!"

"First time I hear a Rajput admitting to cowardice", he scoffed attempting a half-hearted jab at the woman who had blindsided him with such candid, albeit incomplete but still, candid confessions.

"I..", the flabbergasted woman struggled to gather her thoughts and the papers now scattered across the cemented floor. "I was...reading...my...letter aloud...why are you here?" As she pulled her pallu back on her head, her sass naturally followed. "Dear Lord Krishna has given you a pair of working eyes. And by his grace, you've good hearing too and I would like to think some brain power though I am not sure about the last one".

"Jodha, get to the point", he snorted out the anger surfacing across his features. This woman and antics would be the death of him. The minute Jalal would start believing his new wife had assimilated in his traditions, or at the very least, learned to behave herself, she would blur out something so honest he would be left tongue tied.

"Why did you choose to ignore all the signs I put up saying I do not wish to be disturbed?" She huffed against the curls settled on her forehead. Jalal looked on, amused.

"Well, you are going to have to ask all your daasis who were all to happy to get out of my way as soon as they caught my smell".

"I don't blame them, the aura of a blood thirsty ape that you carry around doesn't help much". There she went again.

"That's enough begum!" Jalal folded his fingers into a fist, trying absorb in all the erupting anger. "Within the course of one conversation you've questioned my intelligence, my vanity, my empathy and called me a monster. You hate me, I get it. You don't have to make it evident at every occasion you get".

"I am sorry", she whispered realizing all pain was felt the same- be it inflicted on a Hindu or a Muslim, a bleeding heart or conniving politician.

"What did you say?" He displayed a lopsided smile at her inaudible apology.

"I didn't mean to call you all those things. You aren't those things and I know that. I am just amazed at how much you pretend to be big and bad". The woman could be sincere when she so desired.

"Eh?"

"I said I am sorry so drop it, will ya?"

"In your dreams begum. You can't leave me hanging mid sentence. If Jalal wants something, he won't stop until he has gotten it. Begum you not are leaving here without an explanation".

"If that's the case then, I've never met Jalal because the Jalal I know will shut up and slurp the drink I pour in his glass. So, what do you say we get out of here?" she turned a corner, her pallu slipped down to the neck and her angry ponytail brushed against his barely shaved stubble.

Could it be? Jodha thought he was scared of her!?

"Feeding me the bone but keeping the meat to yourself, I don't understand you woman".

"Does anyone?" There went the angry ponytail again, making him waver.

"When you put it that way..."

There words were not-so-subtly inching toward flirtation. The Rajputani knew better than to lead her husband on, or did she?

"Anyway, here is a reassurance: no matter strange, aggravating, pain in the...ahem, disagreeable you are, I am still here. Still yours".

"Jodha?"

Her words begged repetition that Jalal knew all too well the empress wouldn't give.

"I've got to go now. We'll talk later... when you've forgotten all about today", she said her parting words and exited into one of the numerous corridors.

"That's not going to happen", he thought running his fingers over Jodha Bai's unfinished calligraphy.