Friends, all of us who said there would be no MU in the serial now seem vindicated so far. The dreaded promo of Jalal shaking up Jodha saying "Tell me who are you going to meet?" has not yet happened ... and from the way the episode yesterday progressed it looks less likely to be so serious an issue between Jalal and Jodha than everyone expected. I feel that promo may still happen - it may not be a dream - but Jalal may be more exasperated than actually angry with Jodha for not revealing her secret burden despite his asking her so many times.
Overall, yesterday's episode was a very nice episode considering that Jalal showed so much care and concern for Jodha and refused to mistrust her. If anything, he was quite hurt that Jodha seemed not to trust him and share her troubles. But he also manfully accepted that she must be having a strong reason for doing so.
Jalal, yesterday, followed Jodha to her second mandir-side meeting with Sujamal , and he went along with Mahamanga. At that time, he just came back home without doing anything other than just watching Jodha and Sujamal together, and when Maham tried to rile him up about Jodha he even just brushed it aside saying it must be some "rishtedaar" of Jodha! How close he was to the mark! I thought that was a clear indication that Jalal knew she was meeting Sujamal (for what other "rishtedaars" of hers will be roaming in Agra, and why meet them secretly?).
But alas, this Maham played a bit of a trump card yesterday that put poor Jalal into a mental mess. While Jalal was perhaps cozy in the thought that Jodha may have met her "rishtedaar", and he was perhaps at some level even feeling okay that this rishtedaar may be Sujamal, this Maham organised for a fake spy to come and tell Jalal that Sujamal was believed to have fled Agra already.
Now this gave Jalal two kinds of shake-up: one, he was filled with chagrin that the farman he had put out for the capture of Sujamal was infructuous and he couldn't get to question or punish Sujamal, if he was the culprit; and two, Jalal was flummoxed, I guess, wondering now who the hell was this man that Jodha was meeting, if he was not Sujamal?
Maham thus seemed to succeed in sowing the burning curiosity in Jalal's mind about why Jodha was meeting an "unknown someone" in secret in the middle of the night, for two nights in a row.
It is remarkable to me that Jalal was so trustful of Jodha that despite his curiosity, he was not in the least blaming Jodha for infidelity or cheating on him. In fact he was more curious than angry as to who that stranger was and the possible reasons why Jodha was meeting him. He kept re-iterating to himself that Jodha must be having a good and solid reason for what she was doing. What seemed to affect Jalal the most, however, was that Jodha was not ready to share with him what was troubling her.
How was poor Jalal to know that Jodha was vachan-bound to Sujamal and could not share her issue with Jalal ... although God knows, she too was crying bitterly to Moti that the vachan was preventing her from sharing things with Jalal who was being so caring of her. Jodha was unable to say that she and Sujamal were both trying to find and nail the real culprit who was the real and continuing danger to Jalal's life, since that culprit seemed to be someone close to Jalal and in a position at the palace that gave him the advantage to strike Jalal whenever he chose! And until they nailed the real culprit, Sujamal's own life was in danger due to Jalal's farman, and hence the need to keep the vachan to Sujamal!
I felt really sorry for Jalal when he gave that dry grimace when Jodha refused to sharing things with him and he then walked up and down the palace pathways in mental agony that she was not taking him into confidence. I also felt very sorry for Jodha - for she so sensed Jalal's caring and concern and depth of feelings for herself, and so wanted to tell Jalal everything - but was held back by the vachan of a dear brother who was also in distress of his life.
Anyway, Jalal then got Atga (who was well recovered from his dagger incident) to go and investigate the hut behind the temple and search out its occupant ... only to find that the next night Jodha went in a completely different direction to meet her stranger. This time Jalal, in sipahi disguise followed her, hiding behind bushes in a forested area as she met Sujamal again. By now Jalal was agog with curiosity on who this man was, so he peered as hard as he could.
Sujamal meanwhile told Jodha he had to change his meeting place for fear of detection, and that they should stop meeting like this hereafter and do individual tehkikaat on the culprit and meet again only when some progress was made. He said to Jodha "I wlll not leave Agra, whatever the risk to my life, till I have found the culprit and can save your Jalal ... and I want to tell you that you have a very caring and loving husband who I find I like a lot because of the way he is looking after you as if you are precious to him!" Jodha left the meeting, but Jalal then stayed back to make a determination that he would get to the bottom of this puzzling issue. He had tried to overhear part of Sujamal's talk but he couldn't, and he wondered why Jodha was telling lies about meeting this man!
In the middle of all this, Ruq came to know that Jodha has been neglecting the harem in her preoccupation with the Sujamal issue, and things boiled to a head at the harem in the precap where Ruq and other harem ladies carried complaints to Jalal on Jodha's carelessness, while Jodha herself said too that she was no longer keen on continuing the management of the harem. Jalal looked like he knew that Jodha was already a very troubled soul, and so I expect he will show understanding that Jodha is unable to carry both her secret burden and her harem load - and he will allow her to step down from the harem.
All in all, it was a very sweet episode for me for I saw how much Jalal and Jodha are caring for each other. But I cannot forgive Maham for that one distressful lie that Sujamal had fled - this one small lie put Jalal on the wrong scent and shattered his peace of mind! Now Jalal is not able to rest till he knows who Jodha's meetings are with and why, Jodha won't tell him either, and above everything he is frightfully alarmed that Jodha is risking her own safety to do all this. Jodha means too much to Jalal and he in unable to bear the thought that he does not know why she is endangering her own self to do something for someone else.
Yesterday, after that dreadful promo came out, a lot of forum members were blaming Sujamal for binding Jodha with a vachan that made it impossible for her to share anything with Jalal and for causing Jalal frustration, anger and distress. But then we have to remember that Sujamal was also fighting for his own life which was at risk due to Jalal's farman. Sujamal had to be secretive till he could nail the real culprit.
The real author of Jodha's and Jalal's distance from each other now, according to me, is not Sujamal, its Maham. What a bloody-minded lady this Maham is and how well she played her hand! How I wish Jalal had not succumbed to that lie her spy uttered that Sujamal had fled! That is the real cause of the ensuing mess in Jalal's mind, and his frustration that he is unable to know who Jodha is meeting and why!
For my detailed analysis, I want to just pick up all the parts of the episode where Jodha and Jalal were in mental agony at the thought of this unspoken, uncleared burden between them ... they were each feeling so alone due to their inability to share with each other!
Jodha and Jalal bear the emotional torture of not being able to share each other's burdens
The whole episode begins with Jodha praying her heart out to Kanha. She says to Kanha "You know why I am doing all this, don't you? You know I want to tell the Shahenshah everything, but unfortunately I have had to give a vachan to Sujamal Bhaisa. And I also want to find out who it is that lives in this palace and is plotting against the life of my husband. Benazir was an outsider, but to think there's now an insider with evil intentions ... I just have to find out this!" She prays wholeheartedly, and then wears her shawl and sets out to meet Sujamal at the mandir.
Jalal, along with Mahamanga, is then seen spying on Jodha and Sujamal behind the mandir. The easy way in which Jodha was speaking to Sujamal and then holding his hand assisting him to walk into the hut, despite his wound on his leg, seems to perplex Jalal. Maham expects Jalal to be angry, but instead the hard-thinking Jalal just goes back to the palace from there with a frown on his forehead.
Maham tries to rile up Jalal that Jodha is hobnobbing with some "gair mard" at night in an unsavoury way, but Jalal says that does not prove Jodha is doing something wrong. "That's why I am saying you should have spoken to Jodha then and there" says Maham. But Jalal replies "Oh, no, I don't want Jodha to feel that I do not trust her. I don't want her to get a wrong impression in her mind about me! Maybe she went to meet a rishtedaar ..."
Maham sees that Jalal is truly nowadays unshakeably believing in Jodha. She decides that the worm of doubt needs to be hard-sown in Jalal's mind now. She ventures two arguments to Jalal. "Jodha is trustworthy, yes, but as your Begum she has to be safe from outings and meetings with strange men. Why can she not call them to the palace and talk to them? And one more thing, when you speak of this to her later, you also be careful you don't distance her from yourself with harsh words as you both are now only getting closer ...". She hopes to get a rise out of Jalal but is still unsuccessful.
Just then to add the final blow on Jalal's head, Maham engineers for a fake spy to come and say that Sujamal has fled Agra! This finally works for Maham ... it completely leaves Jalal in doubt as to the stranger Jodha is meeting, and his composure gets a bit rattled!
Jalal decides that he needs to speak to Jodha as early as possible because if she was meeting a relative or even Sujammal it was a different thing, but if she was meeting someone nobody knew anything about she was in danger. He goes to her hojra and sees her with a couple of caged birds that Ruksa Begum has given her. In a piece of double-meaning dialogue,Jalal says to Jodha "I have never seen you before with caged birds." He remembers the man Jodha met behind the mandir, who seem caged secretively in the hut. She replies "Yes I don't like the birds caged". He then says "Let me release your distress then," and he proceeds to release both birds. His expression is still sombre.
Then he turns to Jodha and says with candour "You have a very soft heart and get distressed easily. Even now you seem to be holding some heart-burden. You are troubled but not telling me what it is. Jodha Begum, you know I am your friend, and by telling friends your problems your heart becomes unburdened, so talk to me ... what is it that makes you look so troubled?"
The look in Jalal's eyes as he asks her all this almost appears as pleading. He is actually begging for her to share her life with him, share her problems with him, take him into confidence and make him feel part of her life. But Jodha's eyes are heavy with distress too. She has words at the tip of her tongue but fear - and a promise to her brother - do not let them out. She remembers Moti once saying to her "Your relationship with Jalal is still so young that telling him about Sujamal may throw you both apart. So don't tell him anything now." She also remembers Jalal's anger when telling her about Sujamal and Sujamal's own vachan extracted from her.
Jodha looks deep into Jalal's eyes, looking pale and full of guilt that she is not able to reciprocate the deep care and concern that her husband is showing for her. Her eyes get flooded with unshed tears, as she hastily says "No nothing of the sort Shahenshah, I am okay."
Jalal has been looking straight at her, with the question in his eyes, but his expression changes to wry smile as she demurs. He tells himself "Oh, sure, it's patent you are hiding something from me." Then he says to her "Okay I'll take leave then, we'll meet later". Jodha's eyes follow him out of the room. He goes to the entrance of the room, wears his slippers and gives her one last look with a half-smile. No folks, he is not happy, he is deeply hurt but his half-smile hides that! Jodha looks no less hurt herself!
Outside her room, Jalal is walking back through the pathways of the palace when he says to himself with a serious face and troubled eyes "I know you will never hide anything from me Jodha Begum. If you are forced to do this, there must be some big reason behind it. But as your husband and Shahenshah it is my right that I should get to know everything, and it's my duty too, for somehow this matter concerns your safety as well."
The scene is beautifully directed, because in between Jalal's words we are taken back to Jodha in her room with Moti saying through brimming and overflowing tears "I have committed a paap, Moti. I am feeling very very bad. I had to tell lies to the Shahenshah. I just didn't have an answer to his question. Again and again he kept asking me if something was troubling me and what distress was hurting me, and he said I can share it with him. I wanted to, but Sujamal Bhaisa's vachan tied my hands. I was unable to tell him the truth". Jodha's body was racked with sobs.
Meanwhile Jalal was still in agony. He said to himself with a rueful look "It's not that I have any doubts about you Jodha Begum. Maybe I have not won your trust and that's why you are unable to tell me anything. But I will still be agonising about what that matter is that is pressurising you so much, hurting you so much. I will get to know that because I care for you Jodha Begum."
Jodha in her room is still crying. She tells Moti "I can't understand why Sujamal took such a vachan from me. This matter is oppressing me. I am feeling as if I am guilty of something and doing some terrible wrong." Moti hastens to give succour to Jodha. She says "Believe me Jodha, time will heal this issue. I am sure you will soon come out of this dilemma." Jodha tries to steel herself to wait that long with fortitude.
Much later that evening, Jalal catches Jodha going in a totally new direction for the next meeting with Sujamal. He follows in the disguise of a sipahi. He even overhears part of their conversation where the man ostensibly tells Jodha that they should stop meeting till they catch the culprit "The real culprit is close to the King and in cahoots with Abul Mali", says Sujamal,"I will do the information ferreting and then you can do your end of the investigation. But for now we must part." Jalal sees Jodha go away, but he aims to track down Sujamal and get to the bottom of this matter..
Jalal is last seen saying to himself "Who is this man repeatedly meeting Jodha? And why is Jodha telling lies about meeting him? He's got away today, but I will not rest till I've got him and got to the end of this issue."
My comments on this scene:
Folks, what can I say. I was so deeply moved by the utter trust that Jalal has in Jodha. Gone are the days when he used to get so easily suspicious of her and angry and frustrated with her answers and actions. He is now such a caring, loving husband and protector that despite all instigation by Maham he is unable to summon any ill-feeling towards Jodha. She can do no wrong in his eyes. He is filled with curiosity and frustration at her silence on this issue, he is even deeply hurt at her reticence, but he is not even one bit blaming her or suspecting her motives. What a gem of a man he has become.
As for Jodha, look at her distress. Her eyes are full of unshed tears just waiting to well out. Keeping secrets from a man so gently and pleadingly asking her to share her burdens with a "friend" has so deeply moved her. She is caged by the obligation of the vachan to Sujamal, unable to even reciprocate the fine sentiments of her husband. She knows she has hurt his feelings. She knows that he knows that she is not doing this deliberately. She trusts that he trusts her. But it is all about saving Sujamal's life in order to save Jalal's life. How can she choose one as more precious than the other. Both are invaluable lives to her! Until the culprit is found, both these precious lives are at stake! What a tough choice she has to make to keep secrets from a man so openly sharing himself with her?
In all this folks, the only MU I see coming is when Jalal gets so frustrated that he is unable to nail the identity of the man meeting Jodh, and is unable to bear the torture of Jodha putting herself in danger every day, that he bursts his limits and demands the truth of her. Will she at least then tell him all? Or will Fate intervene, as Moti said, so that the culprit gets exposed quickly enough and Sujamal gets exonerated quickly enough, to heal this breach between them?
I thought the direction of the scenes involving Jodha and Jalal's private agony was really outstanding. The way they started with the caged birds and the dual-meaning dialogues about them, and then proceeded to show us both Jalal's side of things and Jodha's side of things alternately was awesome. They were almost answering each other with their private thoughts.
It is one of the beautiful parts of love, isn't it, when two souls wish to speak their minds but the words are sure to produce dire consequences and therefore have to be held back. Yesterday it was beautiful the way neither Jodha nor Jalal allowed each other to become so angry out of frustration that they said too much and created a chasm between themselves. They were just perfectly restrained, bearing their private agony inside their own hearts and minds, and waiting for the day when time will heal all. I have heard this saying often that "Love unspoken feels like a burden", and yesterday I saw exactly that in these two people!
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