Posted:
My dear Donjas,
My laptop is due back tomorrow or on Wednesday, so I am doing this at a friend's place, as I did yesterday.
Thank you so much for your concern about my health. The pain is much reduced now, but that is because of the steroids, the strength of which has been halved for the past 10 days, and will be halved again from tomorrow for another 15 days. What worries me is what is to happen once this medication is stopped from mid-November. I am hoping for the best and trying to prepare myself for the worst, which is a return to the levels of pain I had 2 weeks ago. Let me see what happens.
As for your interpretation of why Jalal mostly puts up with Jodha's OTT behaviour, I would agree with it in toto. It is the same as his attitude towards Mansingh - who was really obnoxious and downright rude in the early days - and in a different way with the polished and courteous Atgah Khan. He values the fact that they are not sycophants.
But what I do not like in Jodha is that
(a) she has double standards when it comes to judging Jalal: she always thinks the worst of him and clings to that regardless of subsequent clarifications, as with the case of the little Hindu boy, where she clearly does not believe even what her BFF Salima tells her!
Plus nothing that affects Jalal badly, like the horrors of his childhood in Kabul, touches her in the least. When he tells her about how Maham saves him from the cannon fire, she simply brushes that aside. That is very bad, for it shows rank insensitivity when it comes to her husband.
And then (b) she is self-righteous to a fault, and then she will not apologise even when she has been grossly in the wrong, as with the narnaal affair. In that case, she NEVER says sorry to him for having nearly got him killed. But she happily accepts Hamida's plaudits for having saved his life with her lep! That is a joke if ever there was one!
Not only that, she is repeatedly appallingly rude to Jalal in public, as at the Meena Bazaar. If she were to snub him in private, that is one thing, but such public rudeness to her pati in public reflects very poorly on her,
I will stop here, and not go into my main khunnas against her, that she swans around claiming all the privileges of a Shahi Begum, but thinks she can keep Jalal permanently on a string like a compliant poodle, or rather a friend without benefits!
Shyamala
My laptop is due back tomorrow or on Wednesday, so I am doing this at a friend's place, as I did yesterday.
Thank you so much for your concern about my health. The pain is much reduced now, but that is because of the steroids, the strength of which has been halved for the past 10 days, and will be halved again from tomorrow for another 15 days. What worries me is what is to happen once this medication is stopped from mid-November. I am hoping for the best and trying to prepare myself for the worst, which is a return to the levels of pain I had 2 weeks ago. Let me see what happens.
As for your interpretation of why Jalal mostly puts up with Jodha's OTT behaviour, I would agree with it in toto. It is the same as his attitude towards Mansingh - who was really obnoxious and downright rude in the early days - and in a different way with the polished and courteous Atgah Khan. He values the fact that they are not sycophants.
But what I do not like in Jodha is that
(a) she has double standards when it comes to judging Jalal: she always thinks the worst of him and clings to that regardless of subsequent clarifications, as with the case of the little Hindu boy, where she clearly does not believe even what her BFF Salima tells her!
Plus nothing that affects Jalal badly, like the horrors of his childhood in Kabul, touches her in the least. When he tells her about how Maham saves him from the cannon fire, she simply brushes that aside. That is very bad, for it shows rank insensitivity when it comes to her husband.
And then (b) she is self-righteous to a fault, and then she will not apologise even when she has been grossly in the wrong, as with the narnaal affair. In that case, she NEVER says sorry to him for having nearly got him killed. But she happily accepts Hamida's plaudits for having saved his life with her lep! That is a joke if ever there was one!
Not only that, she is repeatedly appallingly rude to Jalal in public, as at the Meena Bazaar. If she were to snub him in private, that is one thing, but such public rudeness to her pati in public reflects very poorly on her,
I will stop here, and not go into my main khunnas against her, that she swans around claiming all the privileges of a Shahi Begum, but thinks she can keep Jalal permanently on a string like a compliant poodle, or rather a friend without benefits!
Shyamala
I hope I find you in this festive season in good spirits. I also hope that the pain is under control and medication and yoga is being effective.
Now for my feedback on your wonderful analysis.1 That psychological insight into the devious but troubled mind of Maham was just the reason why I treasure your write ups so much. Maham was magisterial in her one woman act. A true Jekyl and Hyde but much more complicated.2 Regarding royal blood, I think that argument does not hold sway. Most new dynasties come into play when a general or some close relative kills off the king and assumes control. The history of India and China is littered with many such examples. Sometimes, you don't even need your king to be dead, like Hemu, the general of Adil Shah Suri, who declared himself King even though his own sovereign was alive and kicking.3 Jodha's behavior on occasions has been over the top. But that has always been a part of her personality.Let us take the example of Akbar, people quaked in their boots at the sight of him, but suppose there was one person who was not frightened, who even gave the occasional tantrum in his presence. In most situations such behavior would have meant an early grave for our unruly protagonist. But if for some reason it did not, then this person would enjoy unlimited influence with the Emperor.A voice of humanity in a sea of sycophants. The attraction of such a person for an Emperor would be immense, if the right buttons were pressed.In this viewpoint, the belligerent behavior of Jodha on many occasions is almost suicidal, but maybe it is this very behavior, a unique experience fo Jalal, which he finds so compelling about her.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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