Chapter 9 (Part: III)
The king of Amer rushed to hold his leaping child, the title, the esteem, completely forgotten. The old father held Jodha in a bone-crushing hug, as if to never let go. In his stance all he could mutter was āHey Bhavani,How am I ever to thank you? My child, you kept my child safeā¦Oh thank the Goddess! Youāre safe, youāre safe, my childā..
Jodha held on her whispering father, allowing the fatherly warmth to creep in her sobbing heart. A tear rolled off her cheeks, her mind echoed, āIs it the last time, Iām being held by you father? Will you ever be able to forgive me? Will Amer ever be able to forget the doom Iāve brought upon my clan?ā
Reluctantly, Bharmal let go off her.
Jodha (murmered inaudibly): Iām sorry.
Bharmal: Do not say a word. All will be fine. Youāre safe, there is nothing more I can ever ask for.
She looked upon and moved towards her brothers, Both Sujamal and Bhagwant Das took each of her arms and held close to their hearts.
Sujamal: Thank Goddess,youāre safe. What did I do to get a sister like you? Iām so sorry.
The brothers pulled their sister in a hug and sighed in relief. But the relief was nowhere for Jodhaās heart. The thought of being pulled apart from her family, her people, her Amer flushed a wave of tremble down Jodhaās body. Sujamal released her not believing his senses. His fearless sister could not be shaking, or maybe she is still unwell. He gazed back at Jodha who was completely in trance, her bloodshot weary eyes were pooled with tears that clung to her lashes, sweat had broke on her forehead and her hands were shaking. Her mind had drifted back to Jalal, and his threats- āI SHALL WIPE OFF YOUR ENTIRE CLAN AND WHAT WOULD REMAIN OF AMER IS NOTHING, NOTHING BUT DUST.ā The verses kept reverberating in her ears, loud and louder and she squirmed in pain, blocking her ears with her palms as if to lower the pitch of Jalalās voice.
Bhagwant Das (giving her a mild nudge): āJodha! whatās wrong? You lookā¦ā
Sujamal: scared??
But their words, their worry all fell on Jodhaās deaf ears, and sensing Jalalās sight piercing her, she shot back her eyes to meet Jalalās gaze, who was still sitting on his place, without uttering a single word, with a persona unreadable as ever. Dreading the inevitable, she shifted back,distancing herself from her brothers and father and lowered her gaze ready to face whatever was to come.
Sensing Jodhaās worried stupor, Raja Bharmal looked back at Jalal, whose vision was unblinkingly stuck on Jodha.
Raja Bharmal (to Jalal): What is that you need in return for my people and land?
Jalal lingered his gaze on Jodha for a tad bit longer, and reluctantly looked at Bharmal.
Jalal (in an authoritative tone): I neither annexed Amer, nor held your men captive, Raja Bharmal. It was never my intent, you can have them back with you.
Raja Bharmal(cautious): What is it that you want then?
Jalal: Your princes, your men, your kingship all yours in exchange for a pact of Kachwahaās loyality to Mogul regime andā¦
Bharmal: And??
Jalal (unflinching):Your GIRLā¦.
Before Jalal could finish the syllable, Bharmal and Khangar Singh had drawn their swords and Bhagwant Das and Sujamal had pulled Jodha behind them.
Bharmal (hissed):YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD AND I SHALL SLICE THAT CURSED TONGUE OFF YOUR THROAT..
But Jalal could hear nothing, all he could see was Jodha being pulled behind her brothers, as an attempt to distance her from him.He growled in anger and pulled the hilt of his ensheathed blade and before any blow could be struck, a sharp cry pulled everyone out of their reverie.
Jodha: āENOUGHā..A LOT MANY MEN HAVE ALREADY DIED, I DONāT WANT ANY MORE TO DIE, ATLEAST NOT FOR ME...(to Jalal): YOUāVE MY WORD. LEAVE MY PEOPLE IN PEACE.
While the brothers were too off balance and shocked to speak anything, Bharmal yelled back at Jodha, āHAVE YOU GONE MAD, IF THIS IS SOME STUPID IDEA OF YOURS TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR AMER, THEN I AS YOUR FATHER, AS YOUR KING, CONDEMN ITā
Sujamal (shook Jodha): YOU DONāT HAVE TO DO THIS, HE CANT TAKE YOU, NOT EVEN OVER OUR DEADBODIES..
Jodha (murmered): I KNOW, IT IS WHY IāVE MADE MY CHOICE. HE HAS MY WORD, IF HE KEEPS HIS..(a drop of tear shed off her lashes)..LET GO BROTHERā¦
Her resolve shone bright in those doe eyes, and shocked Sujamal stepped back..She relieved her wrist from Bhagwantās grip and pleaded again,āPLEASE BROTHER DO NOT RESISTā
Moving past them, she came next to Bharmal and Khangar, who still had their grip on their blades. Anger and pain dripped off Bharmal, and he refused to look at Jodha..
Jodha held his hands, āITS MY DOING, IāM JUST PAYING THE DEBT FATHERā.
Bharmal (held Jodha with all the love he could gather): YOU DONāT HAVE TO DO THIS, I SHALL DIE A GLORIOUS DEATH BEFORE I LET HARM BEFALL ON YOU.
Jodha: I KNOW FATHER, BUT YOUāVE ALWAYS BEEN A KING BEFORE BEING A FATHER, YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING TO SAFEGUARDTHE INTERESTS OF OUR CLAN, OUR PEOPLE..WOULDNāT YOU? IāM JUST FOLLOWING IN THESTEPS..THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO, IF YOU WERE IN MY PLACE..
Bharmal (nodded in disagreement): JODHA PLEASEā¦TAKE BACK YOUR WORD CHILD..
But before any more words could be exchanged, Jalalās roaring command pierced the grief-stricken air.
Jalal (yelled): ENOUGHā¦!!! ABDULā¦
In no time Abdul appeared, with Mirza, Bashir and other guards by his side.
Jalal (hissed): I WOULD WANT THE PRINCESS OF AMER TO TAKE HER LEAVE.
Jodha stepped back from her father, gave a last hateful gaze at the disdain-filled Mogul emperor and turned her back to leave the tent. The futile attempts of the three brothers to push past the guards, Bashir and Mirza to stop their sister, were left in vain. And the old king, the poor father of the sacrificial child kept staring in abyss. Everything had ended, and there was nothing he, the helpless father could do to protect his naĆÆve child..
She had given her WORD to the devil, in exchange for the sovereignty of her clan..A WORD GIVEN OR A PROMISE MADE IS KEPT EVEN AT THE COST OF LIFE..one of the principles the Rajput clans are known to live by. Never in his whole life, Bharmal could have believed that he would regret teaching these ideals to his own children.. If only he could break the principle he has himself lived by, lived for..Would he have that much courage as a father to ABIDE BY,OR HONOR HIS DAUGHTERāS PROMISE..even if it meant her doom..Only the time could tell..
P.S: Hey guys the update is short..but I hope you like it. Forgive me for delays..
Wishing you all the brightest of year ahead..all my love!:)
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