FF: Is It Hate OR Love Chapter 1 to Chapter 32 - Page 2

Chapter 11

Knowing that Jalal will be spending the night with her, suddenly, Jodha began to feel everything beautiful around her; her ears were hearing melodic music. Clouds began to dazzled at her slowly and ready to pour on her. The feeling of rain and the aroma of the surrounding was making her fanatical. Soon winds began to blow high with the feel of romance in the air millions of butterflies started to flutter in her stomach. Her face was glowing with pleasure. When she passed through the harem hall, many of his queens, who saw her, got amused, seeing her smiling for no reason and completely lost in her world. It was shocking for everyone to see her smiling; she always walked calmly and looked depressed. One of the queens said to the group, "She is happy, just because her parents are coming to take her back to Amer for some Hindu ritual, probably that is why she is gone crazy.

Jodha excitedly reached her chamber. As soon as she entered her chamber, she yelled loudly, "Moti and Reva" before they come within a few seconds, she shouted again impatiently, "Moti,"

Moti and Reva both came running to her worriedly; typically, she doesn't shout unless it's some urgency. Seeing her excited and happy face, both felt took sighed out with relief.

She impatiently told them to decorate her room with beautiful flowers, fragrances, and lots of scented candles.

Moti and Reva looked at each other with a mischievous smile and asked, "Princess Jodha. Is something special today? Why are you so glowing, and why suddenly you want all romantic decorations in your chamber??? Is something special going to happen tonight? We can also decorate your bed with flowers if you want" then both of them started to giggle.

Jodha realized that she was overreacting with Jalal coming to her chamber. She responded loudly, masking her feelings, "Reva, do as I said; he is a Shahenshah, the king of the kings, so I am respecting him by welcoming properly. Nothing is going to happen tonight; I am just fulfilling his condition."

"Oh, Jodha, Can you tell us why you are glowing so bright like the moon and excited like a little kid? Moti asked mockingly in a jesting whisper.

Moti and Reva both silently smirked. She had no explanation for her enthusiasm to mask her feelings; she tetchy said, "Shenshah will come here any second, and you both are wasting your time in teasing and laughing." She paused to look at them and got angrier seeing the humor in their eyes, then she pouted and said, "Just do as I say."

Jodha's POV

An hour later, Jodha looked at herself in the mirror and blushed heavily; she wanted to look her best today. She left her long, shiny and soft hairs open and did all the (Srinagar) makeup; she changed her necklace and earrings to match her dress. While putting on her bangles, She felt embarrassed as she remembered what happened the last time they slept on the same bed. She said to herself timidly, 'oh god, the temptation to be with him is irresistible, but what if he tries to kiss me? He always mesmerizes me with his eyes, and I forget everything. As soon as I see him, my heart jumps and beats so fast that I could hear my heartbeats. I need to control myself; otherwise, it will not take him long to know my heart's condition. She scolded herself for her thoughts. Why do I think about him? Oh, Kanah. What is happening to me? She took a deep breath in and long sighed out, looked at her gorgeous beauty in the mirror, and again got lost in the thoughts.

A few minutes later, Jalal took off his shoes and came inside her chamber without announcement. A dazzling grin crawled on his lips, seeing her chamber decorated with beautiful flowers and lots of glowing candles. A heavy breeze was knocking on the door; the smell of the first rain made the surroundings even more pleasant. Moon was hiding behind dark clouds, which were causing the night to darker. Candle lights were dancing in heavy winds.

His captivating eyes caught Jodha; she was lost in some other world. He indicated to Moti and Reva to leave quietly. Jodha blushed heavily, looking at the mirror; her long hairs were blowing in the wind. Her beautiful hazel, doe-like eyes with long lashes and a deep eyeliner line were glowing in the dim candlelight. Jalal was delighted to see her happy face. She was deeply lost and didn't realize that Jalal was standing there and staring at her without a blink and was admiring her beauty.

In her thoughts, Jodha recalled their first meeting, their wedding, and many more beautiful moments. Her expressions were changing from a grin to blush and blush to smile. Still, then suddenly her smile vanished and turned into severe pain as she recalled how Jalal had said that 'you are my possession, a winning trophy, a decorative piece for my palace, you are not an important person in my life. I married you to take revenge from you and your Amer..'

The realization hit her with a blow; she went too far dreaming. Jalal's words echoed again and again on her conscious. She concluded, she means nothing in his life; he doesn't even want her to give her respect as his official married queen. He doesn't even invite her to Diwan E Khaas or any special occasion. He hates her, and just to take revenge, he married her.

She heartfelt a pinch inside with her conclusion, soon it followed with intense ache and turned into tears. In a few moments, her doe-like beautiful eyes gleamed with a pool of tears and began to dazzle.

She said to herself, 'He doesn't have the heart to understand my love for him; love is too far to expect, but he doesn't even care about me; he cannot love me ever. I am nothing in his life. I am just one out of thousands of women he has in his Harem.

She came back to reality; her heart throbbed once again for her destiny. It was an intolerable feeling for her to believe that Jalal hates her. His bitter words were ringing in her ears again and again.

Jalal was so stunned to see her weeping intensely. His smile disappeared in a second, he was puzzled and didn't understand what happened to her suddenly, she was smiling happily just a few seconds ago.

He cautiously walked towards her and kept his hand over her shoulder. She realized that it was Jalal, rapidly she turned back and saw him. It happened too fast; she couldn't mask her unwanted tears. She swiftly got up from the chair.

Jalal cupped her face and softly wiped her tears with genuine care and love. "Jodha, why your happiness got suddenly turned into sorrow??" He asked delicately

She gaped at him pointedly; while looking straight in his eyes, she replied bitterly, "Shahenshah, I just came out of my dream to reality." then she swiftly moved away from him.

She could not understand her attitude, why those words are bothering her now, and why she felt the sting now; when he said all this to her, she didn't feel this pain.

Suddenly, she realized that she had forcefully invited him to spend the night with her, and now seeing her crying might upset him. She wiped her tears, then masking her feeling, she fakely smiled at him, and to divert his mind, she said in a low tone, "Shahenshah, I am so happy; you have spared your precious time for me."

He pulled her by her wrist and asked her angrily with a thick sound, "Jodha, tell me what happened suddenly??? Which dream of yours has been broken?"

She looked at him impassively and decided not to reply.

"Jodha, don't play around with your words, don't act too smart; I need to know what is in your mind? What is bothering you? If you are going hide things from me, how will I fulfill my duty? All my queens are important to me, and I can't see you in pain. Tell me which dream of yours was broken?" He shouted at her authoritatively once again to answer him while simultaneously making his grip stronger on her wrist.

She looked straight into his eyes with hatred and retorted loudly, "Shahenshah, Please leave me; why are you so concerned about how I feel? I am just a winning trophy of yours and one more addition to your decorative pieces in your palace. I have no right to feel anything. I am not important in your life; my existence shouldn't matter to you. I am just one of your possessions." Her words were filled with extreme resentment.

Jalal could feel the heat and the extreme fire inside her; she was burning in a blaze with the harsh words he said to her. This was probably the first time he saw her intense bitterness; he released her hand in shock.

She ran towards the window; the storm was passing through, winds were blowing high, all the curtains were flying in the air, and doors were knocking noisily on her heart. There was a massive storm inside of her and another outside in the sky. She suddenly felt hollow, like nothing was left in her life; she was all alone again.

Jalal walked near the window and quietly stood next to her; his heart wept, seeing her in tears. He didn't know how to comfort her. He was shocked even to touch her; he wasn't sure how she would react to it.

Her tears were flooding out without any sob silently; her hands were placed on the window.

After about a minute of silence, he gently kept his hand on her palm and looked at her with assurance in his eyes. You are not alone; I am yours. He wanted to apologize for what he had done and said in the past, but his words got choked in his throat; her pain slaughtered him. He desired to take her in his arms and hold her tight to give her warmth; he ached to take away all of her pain and tears. Each tear that fell from her eyes felt like slowly acid dripping on his heart.

He broke the silence and vulnerably asked, "Jodha, can't you forget the past? I can't see you in this state." He looked at her with lots of guilt for what he had done. It was too difficult for him to gulp tears threatening to come out. Finally, his eyes slightly gleamed with her pain. His vision got blurred; both looked at each other. Jodha understood he is guilty of the words he said to her. His wet eyes gave a shock to her. She never thought he could be this emotional.

Inside and outside, the storm had passed through, and now clouds were shedding tears. A cool breeze came with the rain through the window. It was dark outside, and only a few candles were burning; thunder crackled with lightning and flashing soon after, Jodha got panicked with a sudden flashy roar of thunder and striking lightning.

With the likely reaction, Jodha huggedJalal in fear. Jalal instantly captured her in his arms tightly, and with this embrace, both felt absolutely content. Jalal squeezed her securely; he didn't want to let her go anywhere. Both got lost in each other's warmth. Jodha gradually clutched him tightly and surrendered herself in his broad, muscular cuddle.

Their painful tears changed into content tears. The mischievous clouds laughed at these lovebirds with the roar of thunders again and again, and while gripping them in deep passion, this sensation was beyond imagination. They were in each other's arms for long; at that moment, they both knew they were in love with each other; there was no need for any words. Their souls met once again in this life forever.

After a long cuddle, Jodha felt shy, realizing that she was hugging him so possessively, she pushed herself away in embarrassment. Only one candle burning in the room. In the dim light, she looked sensually appealing, beyond any poet's imagination. Her rosy cheeks and cute little nose turned red due to crying, and all of her artificial makeup washed away in tears. Her delicate face was glowing in the dim light of a candle. Her eyes were still gleaming with fresh tears; she stood by the corner of the window breathlessly. Her long hairs were flying with the winds. Jalal was not able to take his eyes off her.

He pulled her hand gently towards him. His eyes were filled with deep dark obsession. he whispered sensually in her ear while tucking her hair behind her ears, "Jodha, I know you wanted to chat the whole night, but I don't know how I will manage to hold myself. You are my sweet torture. I can't resist myself being with you, and not touching you is not less than any punishment."

She looked down while gasping heavily, repeating his words in mind 'sweet torture.' She smirked silently.

He gazed at her without a blink, then softly ambled his finger from her cheeks to her lower lips and said in a mumbling tone, "How will I survive tonight." He went slowly near her lips, but before he could kiss her, she moved away from him and replied playfully, "Shahenshah, to chat, we need to talk only. "

Jalal glanced at her with a mischievous grin. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh to control his desire. Jodha began to light up all the other candles. Soon, the room started to glow full of light and flowers. Her face again started to sparkle brightly.

"Shahenshah, Do you want to play something?" She asked him innocently.

"Yes, but what I want to play, you might not like it, "Jalal replied playfully while smirking.

"No, No... I won't." She instantly responded nervously

"So, you don't want to play Chess?" He questioned teasingly

"Oh! Yes, I want to play chess."

"So what game you didn't want to play, queen Jodha? You just said you wouldn't." Jalal impishly asked her

Jodha was trapped; she had no answer. She looked at him shyly and blushed!

His lips curved with a romantic smirk, "My dear Queen, For your information, I always play a game to win something. Without a challenge, it's no fun!"

"My dear King, Don't forget that I am a Rajvanshi princess, and I am not afraid of any challenge." she proudly replied while fixing her dress.

"You are not a Rajvanshi princess anymore; now you are an honor of a Mughal kingdom, A Mughal Queen Jodha."Jalal instantly corrected her.

Jodha squinted eyes and, in a moody tone, replied, "I agree with the Mughal queen, but I am still a Rajvanshi. You can call me Rajvanshi Queen."

"You are too stubborn and fearless, my Queen from Rajvansh." He smirked mysteriously and continued, "So, my dear queen, are you ready for any challenge?"

With little resentment, Jodha replied, "YES! I accept your challenge Shahenshah!!! What is the challenge?"

He oddly gazed at her, and after a long pause, he stated, "Whoever wins gets one wish." after a pause, he repeated. "Any wish."

"A Wish!"Jodha shockingly questioned.

He slightly smirked replied tactfully, "Looks like My Rajvanshi queen is already frightened; forget it then."

"I accept it, "Jodha declared proudly.

"Are you sure? You agreed on any wish!" He confirmed with a lustful gaze.

Jodha, with overconfidence, argued, "hmmm...Why should I worry??? I know I am going to win."

His eyes were dancing with humor seeing her overconfidence. "Done! Then let's play." Jalal stated.

They set up the chessboard in the middle of their bed, and the game started.

"Shahenshah, I was shocked to see tears in your merciless eyes."Jodha teasingly said.

Jalal narrowed his eyes and gazed at her with deadly silent resentment. Seeing his dark eyes, she shivered and thought, oh god, he didn't understand I was jesting and took it seriously.

He replied in a calm but threatening tone, "Queen Jodha, it was not tears; something fell in my eyes, so my eyes got moist." Calmness in his manner once again warned her. she took a deep sighed out and mumbled to herself. 'he is too controlling and dominating.'

While playing, Jodha talked about Amer, her childhood, her brother Sujamal, and how she learned to fence. She also spoke about her friends, palace, brothers, sisters, and about everyone without even stopping for a breath. Jalal was amusingly listened to her sweet talks and stole glances at her secretly. He was enjoying her ongoing innocent chat. While she was talking, he laughed inwardly, comparing her to other women in his harem, how desperately they tried to please him with their dance, music, and lustful behavior.

After a while, she realized that Jalal had not said anything about himself, and she is the only one who is talking. With a cranky tone, Jodha complained, "Shahenshah, I am talking so much, and you hardly said a word and stopped gazing at me like this."

"Queen Jodha, I was waiting for my turn to talk."Jalal mockingly replied while hiding his grin.

"Shahenshah, this is not your courtroom where you have to scan, scramble, and weigh every word before saying. You better talk to me; otherwise, I will not say a word."Jodha, with an irritated expression, warned him.

"Ohhh... my Rajvanshi queen is giving me a warning." He smirked.

Jodha squinted her eyes at him.

He continued with a serious tone, "Queen Jodha, it doesn't matter where I am. I am the Shahenshah of this kingdom, so every word that comes out of my mouth is scanned."

"I don't agree with that, Shahenshah," Jodha replied hesitantly.

"What do you mean, queen Jodha? I always think and scan my words before saying. I learned that in my childhood, and now it became part of my routine, it comes naturally." Jalal said confusingly.

"I agreed you mostly scan and talk, but when you are angry, your mind doesn't scan what you are saying. Did you scan your bitter words before saying them to me?"Jodha argued.

"Yes! I did scan every single word before saying to you; I wanted to take revenge from you, I wanted to shatter your pride, so I was purposely hurting you with my harsh words." He paused for a few seconds and said in a soft and guilty tone, "It was my ego Jodha, not words."He replied while looking straight in her eyes.

Silence prevailed, and silence has its own language. Jodha understood his apology in his silence. They played quietly for a few minutes.

Jodha gulped the past and seriously asked, "Shahenshah, Can I ask you something?" She paused to see him and continued, "I want you to scan, scramble, and weigh your words before you answer my question."

Jalal confusingly gazed at Jodha and replied, "Hmmm, ask me?"

"Tell me three people whom you trust blindly." Asked Jodha.

Jalal replied promptly, "NO ONE...NOT EVEN MYSELF."

Jodha looked back at him, surprised and shocked, then asked him again, "Don't you trust your Badi Ammi? Not even Queen Rukaiya Shahenshah?"

"I have the same answer to this question, as well. I am the King of the kings. I don't even trust my own shadow. No, I don't have trust in Badi Ammi or Queen Rukaiya. Jodha, I can't trust anyone. I only trust my ears and my own eyes. I have seen enough treachery to know not to trust anyone."

Jodha sadly replied, "By the way, Shahenshah, trust comes from the heart, and sometimes even your own eyes and your ears can betray you, but if you trust and hear the sound of your heart, it never betrays. For me, trust is everything. I trust Moti and Reva completely. I trust many people, and fortunately, no one has betrayed me other than my DESTINY." She paused; her eyes had immense sorrow, she continued gloomily, "It is sad to know that my husband will never have trust in me."

Again she challenged him with her simple fact of life. Seeing the deep pain in her eyes, Jalal said in a dark, unsure tone, "Queen Jodha, I don't know why, but I think I have started to trust you, and I am terrified of that feeling. What if you also?"

With a giggle, Jodha replied, "What if I kill you and run away with a Rajvashi king?"

Jalal instantly shouted angrily, "STOP your foolish laugh Jodha. You have not seen a betrayal; that is why you can laugh like this? My own uncle, whom I played with him, who had fed me, was ready to kill me for the kingdom. I have seen many betrayals from close friends, administrators, many close relatives, and even some of the queens. So don't laugh; it's not a joke."

Jodha realized his insecurity in trusting. To change the topic, she said in a severe tone, "Shahenshah, you have major anger issues. You lose your temperament so quickly, I was just teasing you, but I understand your point of view and the reason why you don't trust anyone."

Both of them looked at each other impassively.

To lighten up the conversation, Jodha teasingly asked, "I still don't understand one thing Shahenshah, why do you trust me? Oh, sorry, why have you started to trust me a little bit?" She smirked at him mischievously.

Jalal gazed at her silently; his anger got vanished, seeing Jodha's smirk on her face. He replied, "You know, queen Jodha, the day you understand my unspoken words, you will get your answer."

"He is too controlling; he won't say anything," she murmured in a very faint voice.

Jalal's acute ears heard her murmur; he asked, "Did you say something, queen Jodha?"

Jodha diffidently replied, "No, nothing Shahenshah, you won't understand."

They both smirked mysteriously.

To change the subject, Jalal said, "Queen Jodha, pay attention to your game. it seems like you have trusted your queen too much; in the end, she is going to ditch your king."

Jodha replied playfully, "Don't worry, Shahenshah, Queen is always there and ready to save her king. I fully trust my queen, my queen will sacrifice herself, but not break the trust of my king, and I know for sure my king will never betray me either."

Jalal playfully asked, "Do you trust your king, Queen Jodha??"

"More than my life Shahenshah." she boldly replied.

Both of them glanced at each other, Jalal with deep passion and Jodha shyly.

"Why are you staring at me, Shahenshah?" she asked unclearly in a low tone.

Jalal smirked secretly and asked curiously, "Queen Jodha, was there any Rajvanshi prince who was crazy about you?"

Jodha replied instantly, but naively "Oh yes, lots of them, Shahenshah. And innocently told him how crazy some princes were for her, how desperately they were trying to be friends with her, and some even proposed her bluntly. How some of them followed her just to see her once." She talked innocently for more than ten minutes about it without even thinking much.

Jalal listened to her every word and smirked lovingly. After her long talk, he teasingly asked in a short sentence, "So you think you are beautiful?"

Jodha gazed at him tetchily and replied in an upsetting tone, "Oh, so you don't think I am beautiful!"

"I didn't say that." He grinned, seeing her annoyed innocent face.

Jodha got more upset and disappointed hearing his short answer and thought Jalal doesn't think she is beautiful.

She said with irritation, "Let's play chess. I don't want to talk about anything else. I know you have many beautiful women in your harem."

Her face suddenly turned pale, and sadly revived, 'Jalal has many beautiful women in his harem. Why he would think that I am beautiful.'

Jalal loved seeing her jealous and angry face, but he couldn't see her sad face much longer.

At last, with a smile, he requested, "Queen Jodha, look at me."

Her eyes were still lowered; she was upset and lost; her mind was stuck at the thought that Jalal thinks she is not beautiful enough.

Jalal said with a little louder tone, "Queen Jodha,"

she slowly lifted her doe-like beautiful eyes.

"My dear Ravanshi Queen. I have never seen anyone so beautiful in my life like you. Your beauty is beyond any words, any imagination. I indeed have so many beautiful women in my harem, but none of them can stand near you, do you know why?"Jalal stated assuredly, with a pleasant smile.

Jodha forgot to breathe. She just kept looking at him and nodded her head in NO.

He continued after a pause, "Because your beauty reflects in your soul, you are innocent, pure, truthful, and divine; you have no fear of telling the truth. I have never seen any woman who is beautiful inside and out, beyond any words. For me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world." He said sincerely without breaking his gaze at her.

She never imagined that Jalal would answer like this; she didn't know how to react, she couldn't lift her face, her heart suddenly started beating at the speed of a jet, and she felt timid under his penetrating gaze. Her cheeks turned red again in bashfulness.

Jalal lifted her chin with a grin, "My beautiful Rajvanshi queen, your turn. Where are you lost?"

Jodha was so shocked to hear this intense appreciation of her beauty; she felt like many butterflies were fluttering inside her stomach. She couldn't say a word; she just blushed shyly. She couldn't control her smirk. She said to herself. Oh, Kanah, I feel like hiding in his arms forever. Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, she scolded herself for these weird thoughts and started to pay attention to the game.

Their game started again.

Soon Jalal got trapped by Jodha's queen. Jalal was pretty impressed with her chess skills. With her every move, she was trapping him little by little; she played like an expert.

Jodha and Jalal were both tired. It was a very long emotional day for both of them. So Jodha lay on the bed on her stomach and rested her face on her palm while playing her legs were dangling up and down as if dancing, her anklet was making soothing music, she didn't realize while playing when her dress started exposing her half legs.

Jalal's eyes caught her soft, smooth, spotless, attractive legs; he couldn't take his eyes off of them. Jodha saw him staring and realized her legs were exposed, suddenly she got up and covered her legs. Jalal smirked at her mysteriously; he was no longer concentrating on the game and was constantly being distracted by her innocent talks and beauty.

He rushed a little in his next move and gave her check and didn't realize he left his own king open.

Jodha, with a victorious smirk after moving her horse and trapping his king from all sides and said, "Shahenshah, in a rush, you have put your king in danger and left him alone, and the enemy now traps it."

Jalal realized his mistake and sharply replied, "Do you know Jodha that a King is always alone?"

"But you can still save your king by sacrificing your queen." She advised him.

With a sarcastic grin, Jalal replied, "Without my queen, I would rather finish my game; King supposed to protect his queen, not sacrifice her."

At last, Jalal lost, and Jodha won the game.

Jalal proudly said, "Queen Jodha, I am very impressed with your talent. You are a woman with many hunars (talents). Now, as per the challenge, you can have one wish. So tell me, what do you want?"

Jodha teasingly asked, "Anything Shenshah?? Are you sure you can fulfill my wish??"

Jalal passionately gazed at her with his sharp mysterious, captivating stare and said, "To Suniye Jodha begum" (Hear me out, Jodha)

Koshish to Hardam Karte hai Ki Apki har Khawahish puri kareh

(I will always try to fulfill all your wishes)

Magar Darr Lagta Hai Kahi Aap Khawahish Mai, Humse Judai Na Mang Le.

(But I am scared what if you wished for our separation.)

Jodha shyly smirked and said, "I had no idea ruthless Shahenshah can be this romantic" after a brief pause, she continued, "I don't want anything right now; when the time comes, I will ask for it."

Jalal leisurely said, "It's very late; we should go to sleep. I will sleep on that couch, and you can sleep on the bed."

Jodha was very much pleased to hear that, but she requested, "No, Shahenshah, I will sleep on the couch, and you sleep on the bed here."

They argued for some time, and then finally, Jodha gave up and said, "Shahenshah, I have complete trust in you; we can both sleep on the same bed."

Jalal felt happy to know that she has started to trust him. he asked teasingly, "Queen Jodha, what you said in the afternoon that between husband and wife ... something bridge, respect, trust and faith and..."

Jodha kept her finger on his lips and stopped him before he said to love.

Jalal looked at her with an intense gaze and kissed her finger like she just got an electric shock; she took her finger away from his mouth. He swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, and asked her sensually, "Jodha, you respect me, you trust me, and you also have faith in me. Are you also in love with me?"

She looked at him with intense love and asked him to cross questioningly, "I think you also respect me, you also trust me, you also have faith in me. Are you also in love with me?"

Jalal snapped back, "I asked you first, so you are supposed to answer my question first. I am ordering you to answer my question."

Jodha smirked back at him, and with a witty gaze, she snapped back at him, "hmmm! I can love you, but there is one problem Shenshah, You claimed that you don't have a heart." She blinked her eyes a few times at him and continued with a mischievous smirk, "The day I find your heart, I will think about loving you!"

Jalal had no answer to this; he knew she trapped him in his own talk. His sharp eyes scanned her darkly, but his facial expression remained impassive.

Jalal scowled at her amusingly and said in a soft tone, "Subhan Allah, no one can win in talks with you" then he said to himself, one day you will admit that you are in love with me, Jodha and I will wait eagerly for that day.

They both slept on the same bed.

Jalal slowly shifted her pillow towards her side; he intentionally slept in the middle of the bed. Jodha closed her eyes and pretended to act as if she is not affected. His breathing was audible. She could smell his intoxicating smell.

She closed her eyes and thought, 'his eyes control all of his actions. He can threaten me without saying a word, but when he looks at me with his mellow gaze, I forget even myself and feel sparks in my entire body. I am completely charmed by him. Oh god, his dark shoulder-length hair adds charm to his warrior manly look. I wish so many times to be able to touch his soft hair. I never got attracted to any man like this. Leela and I always talked about good-looking princes, but no one can even come close to his personality and looks, but it is so depressing; he has so many women in his harem.'

Jalal softly asked, "Are you sleeping?"

Jodha woke up from her thoughts and fuzzily replied, "Not yet, Shahenshah."

"Something is missing, queen Jodha," Jalal said in a serious tone.

Jodha, with a grumpy tone, replied, "Shahenshah, Now what is missing?"

Jalal said in a deadly serious tone, "I can't go to sleep without a sweet good night kiss," and to make her more jealous; he added, "Rukaiya kisses me every night before we go to bed and also massages my legs."

Jodha, with a shocking expression, irritably said, "WHAT?" Hearing this, her sleep ran away from her.

Jalal continued with a grave sound, "Truly, queen Jodha, that is a Mugal custom, whichever wife I sleep with has to kiss me good night and massage my legs till I fall asleep, but I understand if you don't want to do it, don't worry I will go to Queen Rukaiya."

With a puzzling tone, Jodha replied, "But you didn't tell me this the other night when we slept together!!"

Jalal controlled his smile; hearing her worried tone, he again said in a grave tone, "Yes, I didn't, because that day you were sick and I decided to spend the night with you."

Jodha remembered her mother massage her father's legs and her mom also told her this was part of the wife's duty.

With a mischievous voice, Jalal, "It's okay, good night, Queen Jodha, I will go to Rukaiya's chamber" Jalal pretended to get up from the bed while showing fake disappointment.

"Wait, Shahenshah, You don't need to go anywhere. I can follow the custom." Jodha said in haste with a little awkwardness.

Jalal surprisingly asked, "Are you sure, queen Jodha?? Okay, then I will sleep here only," Jalal never thought she would agree on kissing him; he was just jesting.

She came very close to him, sensually gazed in his eyes, then came near his face and stopped just before his lips, she waited there for a second and playfully kissed quickly on his forehead instead of his lips and said "Good night Shahenshah" with a winning look she said, "I have fulfilled your Mughal custom."

Jalal got annoyed with her witty play; his eyes turned dark, thinking she is playing with me, and turned towards her, his half body on top of her.

He came close to her ears, and with a sensual but dominating whisper, he said, "Let me teach you how to kiss your husband good night," they both gazed at each other intensely, with her eye expression, she gave him consent to kiss her; he ran his fingers through her face and kissed her forehead first, then softly kiss on her one side of the cheek, and another side softly bite on it. With his sudden bite, Jodha opened her eyes and looked at him lovingly. He waited for a few seconds while gazing at her lips and thought her lips are exceptionally kissable, soft, and inviting; then, possessively, he kissed her lips very softly. As soon as his lips touched her lips, her entire body trembled and shivered, and he quickly pulled back from her and left her with delicious taste and craving for more, which he could read in her eyes. Jalal gazed at her sensually and, with a smirk, said, "Good night, my dearest queen, I was kidding about massaging the legs, but a kiss is an obligatory custom," and winked at her. She closed her eyes with a deep desire to cuddle him.

Finally, after the long day of emotional roller coaster ride, they both went to sleep, peacefully dreaming about each other in their embrace.

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Hello dear friends and readers...

If you like this story, then comment.

Thanks, U, for reading :)

Chapter 12

After the peaceful, relaxing night, Jodha woke up very early in the morning. It was still gloomy outside; she saw Jalal sleeping next to her serenely. Seeing his gratified innocent face, she beamed softly and murmured dimly, 'I was so wrong; he is not at all cruel or heartless. I know he doesn't love me, but he genuinely cares for me.' She blushed, seeing his muscular shoulders and gorgeous, striking body, and deeply exhaled to control her overwhelming desire to touch him. She recalled how romantically and possessively he kissed her last night s. She stands there for a few minutes, just adoring his dazzling look.

Suddenly, she realized that she was running late, so she rushed and quickly changed her attire and wore the white outfit like a soldier. Soon she got ready to leave, but before leaving, she looked back at Jalal for a second with deep love in her eyes and silently murmured 'Shahenshah, please forgive me for keeping this a secret from you; it's a matter of my brother's safety, I know he is one of your enemies, and if you found out about him, you might end up killing him. Like others, I am also scared of your anger; what if you send your soldiers to capture him. I am fully aware that I am crossing my confined boundaries by keeping secrets from my husband. I hope you will not find this out, and if in case you find out, I am sure you will understand me and trust me completely. Your concern and care have built a subterranean trust inside my heart. I will be back soon before you know it.' Once again, she smiled at his content, innocent face and left the chamber.

As per the plan, Moti had already arranged everything for Jodha. The only major issue was to pass through the main gate where many guards were sitting with the door closed; passing through from there was the toughest task. Still, Jodha decided to use her Queen's power and force them to open doors, and if that doesn't work, then without any argument will leave and take the back entrance where only four guards at the gate. She will cover-up hiding her identity, and she will fight with them and run away from the palace. But she knew that was a bit too dangerous an option. She decided to use the front gate first and use her card of being a special begum.

Everything was working out as per plan; her horse and sword were ready. It was still gloomy outside. She reached the main checkout point at the front gate, but strangely, there was no soldier on duty at the checkpoint, and the main gate was opened. Jodha quickly rode out of the palace excitedly. She felt a little odd and weird, but as she was in haste, she ignored the fact and went on her way.

Maham was waiting for Jodha to leave the palace; she had diverted the checkpoint guards purposely so Jodha could leave without distraction. After Jodha left, she smiled wickedly and talked to herself, 'I will make sure Queen Jodha, you don't come back to this palace and you are out the Shahenshah's life too. She masked her evil facial expressions and went to Jodha's chamber, where Jalal was sleeping peacefully.

She woke Jalal up with an apology and said in an anxious tone, "Shahenshah, please forgive me for waking you up in the middle of the night, but." she paused purposely.

"But what Badi Ammi?? What happened?? You seem so anxious?" Jalal fearfully asked

Maham cautiously replied, "Shahenshah, I don't know how to say this, but yesterday I received a message for Jodha begum, and as per my duty, I gave the message to her without reading. But when I left her chamber, I heard a loud cheer, she was so happy to read this message and hugged Moti and told her with excitement that he wants to meet me in the Jungle cottage, I ignored it. I thought maybe I had not heard clearly, but just a few minutes ago, when I received a message from the checkpoint that Jodha begum went out of the palace without anyone's permission, I realized that the message was indeed meet some man in the Jungle. She was so happy and eager, and I doubt that. She might have an aff.a.i.r." She paused.

"Badi Ammi. What are you saying? Are you out of your mind??? Do you know who you are talking about?" Jalal got up from the bed in a second and angrily shouted

Maham anxiously replied, "Shahenshah, Please forgive me, but I must guide you, and I do understand if my doubt is wrong, then you might kill me or punish me harshly, but I love you as my son, I have given you my entire life; My blood... My life... Everything... how can I see someone playing with my son's emotions? I heartily hope I am proven wrong. I know you have started to like Queen Jodha, perhaps more than like, but verify for me once. Please believe me and don't waste your time! I have verified that queen Jodha is not in the palace. You should check this out yourself immediately. If this is true, it's a huge betrayal from Rajvanshis; they might be planning to take revenge against Mughals, and it looks like Queen Jodha is also part of this conspiracy."

Jalal slides his hand in his hair frustratingly. It took him a few minutes to grasp and come out of an unbelievable shock. He got ready with bizarre emotions. His heart could not believe that Queen Jodha went out to meet some other man and had an affair. He was not ready to believe that she went out of the palace without anyone's permission. But he spends many years with Maham, and he knew that Maham Anga never says anything without any proof. It was the middle of the night, and she disappeared from the palace, and he was sleeping next to her; all of these circumstances were screaming out loud to believe in Badi Ammi's words.

He was all confused and lost, his heart was not ready to accept that Jodha could deceive him, but his mind was walking over his heart. He rode on his horse towards the Jungle. His mind and heart were playing snakes and ladder. He recalled how Jodha responded promptly; she could sacrifice herself for his king; his mind immediately asked; Who was that king? Is it someone else? Was she planning to run away with some other prince? Was that the reason she has kept me away from her even after months? Was she a Ravanshi spy? Did she really want revenge?

His heart scolded him for all this negative thought. He pouted annoyingly and put positive thoughts. 'I have not seen anyone so pure-hearted, selfless, and divine, who would sacrifice my own life for her family. His negative mind immediately jumped and said, 'Yes... She loves her family more than her life, that doesn't mean she loves you. Why she always stopped you from coming close to her?? Why had she not given you your rights as her husband???

Soon Negativity took over his mind completely. 'Oh, She was playing all along with my emotions and heart? How could I forget that she is one of the Hind Rajvanshis? Why did I trust her so blindly?'

His thinking gave him fearful shivers; his anger was pulping by every second. All negative feelings were little by little, capturing his wits.

Jodha finally reached her destination, where Sujamal, her cousin's brother, was already waiting for her. She tied her horse a little far from the cottage and walked down from the hill towards the cottage. Both brother and sister met each other.

Jalal also reached there five minutes later and saw a Jodha's white horse, which gave a deep shock in his heart. He quietly walked near, but as it was still between night and morning, it was slightly fuzzy, so he could not see clearly, so he walked further and hid behind the tree. He saw a tall, good-looking Rajvanshi man clearly from the hill who was very close to Jodha; she was standing opposite to him in a warrior get-up, the same outfit she wore at the time of their sword fight. She was standing opposite him, so Jalal was able to see her back only. Seeing Jodha with another man, his anger went out of the roof. He knuckled his palm to control his fury. He decided to wait for a few minutes to see what they were planning to do.

The first time Jodha and Sujamal met each other, since Sujamal and King Bharmal fight and dispute, he left Amer forever. Both of them got very emotional seeing each other. Within a few months, both of them went through a hell of a time. After he left Amer, so much happened, Mughals attacked Amer, Suryabhan died, and Jodha was forced to marry Jalal. Sujamal had no hint if Jodha was happy or sad. Both were very emotional; they simply hugged each other lovingly and cried their hearts.

Seeing them hugging Jalal's heart scorched with boiling fire. She was the only person he trusted; his newborn heart shattered into a million pieces within a fraction of seconds.

His doubt got confirmed that this man is the reason why Jodha never accepted him. She was betraying him. He felt like someone has cut his heart with a knife.

"Jodha, I am regretful; you had to marry a Mughal Shahenshah. I was so helpless; I couldn't do anything about it. I am sure you are in grave problem; otherwise, you would have never sent me a letter to meet in the Jungle like this." Sujamal, with a regretting tone, said while wiping her tears

Jodha got shocked after hearing; she looked at Sujamal with a staggering expression, "I have not sent any message to you (brother) bhaisa! I am not in any trouble at all, bhaisa; in the beginning, it took me some time to adjust, but Shahenshah is very caring and understanding. He gives me a lot of admiration and also respects our culture and religion. He has not forced me for anything. I am happy and content in Agra."

Jodha confusingly questioned, "Bhaisa (Brother), why did you sent me a message and asked me to come here?"

"Jodha, I have not called you here; I did send a message to you, but that was to wish you happy married life, and it was you who sent me a message to come here in the Jungle cottage to meet you."Sujamal, with a shocked expression, replied; both of them immediately realized there was some conspiracy going on.

"We should immediately leave; it is not safe to stay here."Jodha anxiously said

On the other side, Jalal was only able to see them and could not hear their conversation. He saw them hugging each other; his mind and heart both got blinded and took control over his wits. His love was not ripe enough to trust Jodha yet, and when he saw her hugging another man outside of the palace secretly in the very early morning, he couldn't think anything other than betrayal. His mind decided that she was playing with his emotions. His heart bled inside; he felt like killing everyone and blow this entire world; his body began to shiver due to extreme rage. He couldn't control his anger any longer.

Sujamal concernedly spoke, "Jodha, I cannot leave you here alone; I will drop you back in your palace and then leave."

Jodha agreed with Sujamal, but before they could leave, Jalal roared from the top of the hill with fierce anger at them, "STOP IT RIGHT THERE, whoever you are"

Jodha heard Jalal's angry scream and understood the entire situation in a second; she knew Jalal's fuming anger very well, so she requested Sujamal to leave and said, "Bhaisa that is Shenshah, seems like he has misunderstood us... I know his anger very well and also know how to manage his anger. Please bhaisa, you need to leave now."

Jalal was running with his sword towards them like a devil tiger.

Jodha shouted at Sujamal again to leave from there and said, "Bhaisa, please leave; Shahenshah is running towards us. I know his anger, and maybe there are more soldiers with him, please for god sake, leave from here now."

" Leave... Bhaisa, I promise, I swear, I will manage everything here." Jodha screamed again

With her yells, Sujamal understood that she would be able to manage for herself. He didn't think that Jalal doubted Jodha; he thought it was a trap to capture him. So he listened to Jodha and decided to run away, so he quickly jumped on his horse and rode off before Jalal came near.

While running, Jalal was thinking about all the bitter things he did with Jodha and her family. He already decided in his mind that Jodha had betrayed him; it was her plan against him. Jodha took revenge against his deeds in the past; his eyes turned red with anger. He reached where Jodha was standing and looking at him. He grabbed her from her hairs, and with a trembling voice, he shouted, "you have shown your real intentions. You filthy bitch. How could you get this low with some other man, disgusting? You pretended to enjoy it with me; you kissed me; you hugged me. You were playing all along! You have no idea whom you have played with. I will kill you for this betrayal."

"Shahenshah. Please trust me."Jodha pleaded with tears

Before she could say further, Jalal, with a loud thundering yell, shouted, "Stop it!!! Not a single word. I saw you hugging that coward man. Your lover left you alone; you are a characterless woman. I saw he kissed you on your forehead, you bitch.The women who sell themselves on the street are better than you. You are worst than a wh**re; at least she is honest with her family." He looked at her with a disgusted stare then dragged her towards the horse.

Jodha got frozen with his accusations and the word wh**e; she was too shocked to defend herself; she choked all of the words she wanted to say, her heart cried in pain, her tears started to flow out in pain. Jalal's words were so intensely bitter, and without listening to a single word from her, Jalal, with a full speed, rode on his horse with her, back to the palace.

Throughout the way, both of them were shedding tears. Jodha was sitting in front of him; she could not see his red, teary, angry eyes. He felt like cutting her head for this betrayal. He had never felt this throbbing pain of betrayal in his heart. He faced many betrayals, but he never felt this pain. Suddenly his life turned upside down; once again, he felt empty inside.

Finally, they both reached the palace. Jalal took Jodha to a dark room, next to his chamber. With a short push, he threw her on the ground and asked her with intense anger and deep wounded pain, "Why Jodha? Why?" he looked at her pointlessly, his angry red eyes poked few tears from his eyes and to hide his angry tears he walked out of the chamber.

Maham saw Jalal and Jodha came back to place, but she could tell her plan worked completely. She was waiting for Jalal to announce the punishment to Jodha. She wanted to celebrate her victory and success of her mission that Jodha will be out of the palace.

Jalal called Hamida banoo, Rukaiya, Salima begum, Agdha Sahib, Abdul, and Maham to his chamber for urgent gathering. Other than Maham, everyone was surprised why early in the morning, Jalal has called them. Everyone got shocked seeing Jalal's extreme anger and vulnerable painful red face.

"Jalal, you look very much tense; what has happened? "Hamida asked cautiously in a polite tone.

Instantly, Rukaiya asked the same question "Jalal, are you alright...?"

Without saying anything, Jalal went to the darkroom from his chamber, and he dragged Jodha out to his chamber by pulling her hair.

"Jalal, what are you doing? For god sake, she is your Queen. Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten all royal courtesy and manners?" Hamida shouted angrily

Everyone got so shocked by Jalal's action. Jalal sarcastically but in a painful tone, replied, "Ammi Jaan, do you know what your favorite Queen has done??? She has relations with other men; she went out of the palace in the middle of the night to meet with her lover, I have caught her red-handed with him, and I have seen them hugging passionately with my own eyes. She has broken all the boundaries of manners. She is a cheap, low-class characterless woman, who is worse than a whore."

Hamida's eyes widen in shock, but her trust in Jodha was much more than Jalal's; she confidently replied in "No, this can't be true... I have seen purity in her eyes; there must be some misunderstanding. I cannot believe that she can stand this low. I can see in her eyes, her honesty." She hastily walked towards Jodha and asked her to speak up and tell everyone that this is not true.

Jodha's heart was shattered completely; she had no courage or desire left to say even a word. Jalal's words and action had utterly broken her from inside. His cruel and ruthless accuses were still ringing in her ears. She looked at Hamida with a pitiful gaze, proving her innocence, even though words were able to come out, but her eyes were blaring out her innocence, which only Hamida could feel.

While looking down shamefully, she kept still. She had no courage left to meet her eyes with anyone in the chamber. Her ears were bleeding with merciless words, and her eyes were constantly pouring bloody tears. It was unbelievable for her to accept that he called her a 'whore' in front of so many royal people. He ruined her; he tainted her blameless, innocent, pure character forever. He titled her soulless women. There was nothing left to defend herself. It was too late to even preserve her self-respect by defending; she had no desire left even to see him in his life anymore. He had crossed every possible confine of royal boundaries and blamed her pure, noble personality; his conduct not only ruined her reputation, but it ruined Mughal and Amer royal stature. She wished she had the power to kill herself at that moment.

When she did not defend herself, her silence bothered Jalal. He got annoyed even more and thought she was given a chance to speak up and prove her innocence, but her silence gave validation of her sin. Deep down in his heart had little hope, which now got vanished because of her silence. After seeing her shameful and embarrassed face, his anger pounded with disappointment and extreme bitterness; his warrior blood prickled to take revenge from her. He wanted to choke her till death at that instant.

He loudly yelled, "Your silence has proven you guilty. It seems like It was all a pre-planned game. I am sure your family was also involved equally in this. I should have never trusted Rajvanshi. You have proven today that Hindu and Rajvanshi are not trustworthy. You can never rely on them."

He turned the other side while sliding his hands in his hair frustratingly; his anger was at the point he could not think any further than revenge. He stated loudly, "Jodha's parents are coming today for after marriage 'Pag Fere' ritual. I will extremely humiliate them in front of the public that they will beg for their death, I will illustrate to everyone what happens when they deceive Mughals, And then I will burn them alive for this betrayal. So far, they have seen me respecting them, but not seen Jalal's anger yet. I will not spare a single-family in Amer. They will all see real cruelty and will pay for Jodha's deed."

When she heard his spiteful revenge planning, she got tremendously terrified after hearing his vicious retaliation planning on her family and Amer. When it arose to her family's prestige, her Rajvanshi blood boiled up to save them at any cost. She decided to face him with all her bravery, with the hoarse sobbing tone she shouted so loud that it echoed back twice "ENOUGH..." After a pause, she again shouted with widening bloody red eyes, "Enough Shahenshah, I don't want to give you any explanation because you will never understand. You have already decided without even asking me that I am a culprit and I have betrayed you. You have used such ruthless words that I will never forgive you for the words you have used for me today. You have pointed at my character; you have forgotten that I am also from a Royal family. How could I do such low things? Anyway, I don't want to prove myself innocent, but you have given me two promises if you still remember. I hope you still have some royal manners left to keep your words and promise. As per your condition, I spent my entire day and night with you, and you promised me that you would respect and treat my parents well when they arrive in Agra to take me to Agra as per the ritual. And the second promise you had granted me when I won the chess game that one time I can ask for anything I want, and you will fulfill my wish.

So my second wish is that I would like to go back to Amer forever, and you will not tell my parents anything, and you will not take revenge on my innocent Amer people." Then she looked at Jalal with rage and hatred. When he remembered the promise, he gave it to her. It annoyed him to the extreme; he clutched his palm in a fist so strongly that it turned white. His blood freeze in his body; he felt vulnerable and helpless with the promises; he had no choice but to grant her wishes.

He went near Jodha and harshly slapped her not once but twice. The entire chamber echoed again with a harsh sound. Her cheeks imprinted with his fingerprint; the side of her lips began to bleed.

He shouted at the top of his voice, "You devil witch, soulless women, you are disgusting; using promises to save yourself, you whore. You should clap for your victory because Jalaluddin Muhammad is not as low as you. I will keep my word, both of your wishes are granted." then he pushed harshly with all his strength that she falls on the floor... He looked at bitterly and walked out of the chamber.

Maham was happy with her successful mission! Everyone walked out of the chamber with a spiteful, disappointed stare at Jodha. Hamida went near Jodha and politely said, "Jodha, I have complete trust in you, my dear! I know very well that your values are too high; you cannot do such a filthy and disgusting thing."

Jodha hugged Hamida and cried out loud and said, "Ammi Jaan, I am innocent, I have not done anything wrong," but she didn't tell her the truth of Sujamal. Her heart was utterly devastated; she had no desire left to live any longer in Agra, so she decided to keep quiet about Sujamal. She knew if it revealed that she was hugging her brother. She might be forced to stay with him and forgive him, which she was not ready for.

Rukaiya went to Jalal's chamber; she knew it was very much painful for Jalal. It was not hidden from her that he was in love with Jodha. Jalal's extreme anger turned into tears, which came out freely from his constrain control. His heart was sore and throbbing painfully, he was all alone in his chamber, and he could not digest betrayal from Jodha. It was equally hurtful and embarrassing. Jodha was probably the first person he trusted from the bottom of his heart. He was standing near the window with a deep, unbearable aching sting. His tears were slowly dripping from the corner of his sharp, ruthless, but emotionally pained eyes.

Rukaiya put her hand on Jalal's shoulder to comfort him. He instantly tried to hide his tears by turning away from her.

"Jalal, you don't have to pretend with me. I am your best friend; I know how you felt about Jodha. Even if you admit it or not, I can see in your eyes, you loved her, and you can't bear this pain, but you are a Shahenshah, a king, you have seen many betrayals in your life, so be strong and do the justice. You need to find out who that man was. Your anger has taken away your vision right now; you see everything with hate." Rukaiya sadly said

Jalal, with an annoyed look, replied, "You are right, Rukaiya. I need to find him and kill him; I will not spare him, and you are wrong, Rukaiya; I don't have a heart, and I don't love anyone, and I will never love anyone." Then he bitterly stared at her and walked out of his chamber, leaving her alone.

Maham and Adham were sniggering with a victory. "Finally, that sick Rajvanshi is out of our and Jalal's life. Jalal will never see her again, and no one will know the truth." Both of them chuckled wickedly.

"I still don't understand why she did not clarify that she was hugging his brother and why he ran away?" Adham asked confusingly

"Because Sujamal was an enemy of Mughals and Amer when I received a letter from him, I planned this plot, and I knew instead of defending herself, she will try to save her brother... and that's what exactly she did when Jalal caught them red-handed and luckily that coward run away leaving her to angry Jalal. As I know Jalal, she probably lost all of his control and beat her or accused to so ruthlessly, she probably thought there was no use to defend herself, because he will never believe her." Maham proudly explained

"Ammi Jaan, no one can beat you in wicked plotting" He laughed out loud deviously.

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Amer King Bhamal and Queen Mainavati finally arrived in Agra after a long journey. Both of them are so excited and curious to see Jodha. The way Jodha acted at the wedding time, they knew she was too upset at them. They were feeling guilty inside and somewhat worried for her. In two months, Jodha did not write them a single letter or replied to their letters. Her silent retort was making them worried. They were very much eager and couldn't wait to see Jodha and Jalal.

Jalal got the information of their arrival. He instructed his maid to inform them that he is busy in political meetings. He will soon be with them and instructed her to inform Agdha sahib and Mariam Makhani (Hamida) to welcome them with proper respect.

As soon as Hamida Banoo came to know about Bharmal & Mainavati's arrival, she met them. She respectfully welcomed them to the palace and settled them into the royal guest-chamber. She courteously asked for their health and journey. Her cheerful welcome pleased them.

After a while, Jalal sent his maid to inform Jodha about Bharmal and Mainavati's arrival and inform her to get ready to leave for Amer.

After about an hour, Jalal went to see Amer King Bharmal and Queen Mainavati, the entire time; his behavior was freezing with them. Both of them felt something strange about his change of attitude towards them.

Jodha packed up and got ready; then she came to the guest-chamber with masking a fake smile on her face to see her parents. She pretended as if nothing happened and acted she was pleased in Agra.

King Bharmal and Mainavati got shocked, seeing her calm face, there was no excitement in her eyes to see them, and they could see a forced smile on her face.

After the cold welcome, Jodha sarcastically said, "Masa, I can't wait to go to Amer and see everyone. I am missing everyone terribly" then she looked at Jalal for a second to see his expression. Jalal looked at her with a disgusted gaze.

Her words were not reaching her eyes. King Bharmal could see that she was not excited to go back to Agra, and the way Jalal and Jodha looked at each other, he could sense hidden retort towards each other.

Agtah Sahib came to discuss some political issue with Shahenshah, but Jalal did not want to discuss in front of them, so he told them formally "Please relax and enjoy, this is your daughter's house" He said this with a weird tone with deep meaning to it and left the chamber.

Hamida tried to cover up and asked them for lunch.

"According to our custom, we cannot eat at our daughter's house; we will be leaving in an hour." Queen Mainavati replied politely

Jodha went back to her chamber to take Krishana's statue; with a pool of tears and heavy heart, she took the statue and got ready to leave her chamber.

Jalal entered her chamber at the same time. "Why fake tears now? You got what you wanted." He looked at her with fury, then went near her and angrily whispered in her ears, "I will not spare him. I will find him and kill him with my own hands." He bitterly whispered while keeping his angry gaze at her.

Jodha looked at him with intense sorrow and with teary eyes; she chuckled at him after a deep silent pause; she replied, "You were so right, Shahenshah, you have proven that you are a HEARTLESS person and YOU INDEED... CAN NEVER TRUST ANYONE." She closed her eyes when she felt a deep pain in his angry eyes. Even after all his brutality. she was not able to see the pain in his eyes. Finally, she opened her eyes to see him last time ever; her eyes were filled with immense love for him and deep pain. She gazed at him as if this was the last time she saw her love of life.

Soon she gathered herself and ran out of the chamber with sobs. He stood there with a confused feeling. He could sense it was painful for her to leave Agra and him but couldn't understand why. Her words actually pinched him and repeated in his mind as he saw her running. 'You indeed can never trust anyone.' He could feel her pain and love for him in her vulnerable, innocent eyes. Her last words and loving gaze made him think as if he was wrong all the way.

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It was about more than a week now, Jodha left for Amer. Agra Palace was completely lifeless, calm, still, quiet. Jalal felt like birds have stopped chirping in Agra, colors were looking pale, and food has become tasteless. Part of his newborn heart stopped beating. Mourned full sadness surrounded by him. He was again feeling lonely, his life had no meaning left, and his routine had changed. He was behaving like a machine; his decisions became more heartless and cruel. He stopped visiting the harem and spent his nights alone with alcohol. He was missing her. He wanted to curse her, but her parting words 'you don't have a heart' gave him immense sting and shook him entirely. Her deep, intense innocent, and vulnerable, loving eyes were haunting him every second.

The purity in her eyes did not let him sleep peacefully. He felt suffocated; somewhere in his heart, he trusted her, but what he saw was also the truth. Jalal tried not to think about her, but the more he tried, the more he became helpless; her innocent talks, purity, soft lips, and possessive cuddle made him more deserted. But her betrayal was wiping away sweet memories every time he thought about her. As time passed, his anger calmed down, his heart and mind both began to question him. Can Jodha do this? And every time, his heart denied and shouted No!!! She can't betray. It was once again war between his heart and his mind. Her thoughts completely trapped him.

Finally, to come out of this confusing maze, he decided to find out about that man she met that night to know the truth.

He called the very famous and talented sketch painter, who could paint anyone's face just with proper description. Jalal had seen his face; He could never forget his face while hugging Jodha.

As per his description, the sketch got ready; Jalal looked at it and was satisfied with the painting.

Jalal called his best trustworthy friend Abdul and instructed him to paint to Amer and find out every detail about this man in the painting and come back as soon as possible with the information.

On the other side, Jodha pretended to be happy in front of everyone, but her condition was not different from Jalal. Queen Mainavati asked Jodha many times about her relationship with Shahenshah, but she hid every time and pretended to be happy with him. Queen Mainavati knew something was not right between them, but realizing Jodha won't tell her anything, she stopped asking her. Day by day, Jodha became very quiet and kept herself busy in God Krishna's prayer. Her smile completely vanished, and her face became dull. Her life became lifeless. She had no desire left to live. She was deeply in love with him; her anger also vanished little by little, but her eyes showed immense pain. She stopped doing her Srinagar (jewelry and makeup) and started spending time in her chamber. Only two things were giving her peace, painting and Load Krishna's prayer. She drew many paintings of Jalal and her.

It was about three weeks now. Jalal was waiting for Abdul to come back impatiently. Everyone in the palace was worried about Jalal's behavior. He hardly slept or ate. He spent most of his time in his chamber or at work. He forgot to smile and became extremely agitated and short-tempered.

Jalal was in the court deciding on a major issue; there was an attack on one of his states. In between, he received a message about Abdul's arrival. He left this important meeting immediately and got up and ordered Agtah sahib to take care of the problem, and left the court.

He called Abdul to his chamber; as soon as Abdul entered, he asked him, "Did you find any information about that man?"

"Yes, Shahenshah!" His sound was very dim and regretful. Which made him panic more.

"Abdul, tell me who is he???" He asked impatiently

Abdul waited a little bit, looked at Jalal with a deep painful expression; he knew Jalal would be shattered after hearing the truth.

"Shahenshah, It's time for lunch... can we eat lunch, then we discuss further in detail." He cautiously requested

Jalal lost his patience in a few seconds, so he loudly shouted, "Abdul, I don't want to hear anything else... tell me the truth."

Abdul trembled and hitched a little, then continued in a faint low tone, "Shahenshah, his name is Sujamal, he is a cousin brother of Queen Jodha's."

Jalal couldn't believe what he heard; he shouted edgily, "Speak Abdul loudly."

Abdul clearly said, "Shahenshah, he is Jodha begum's cousin brother SUJAMAL."

Jalal knew everything about Sujamal but never got a chance to meet him.

After hearing this, he felt as if an earthquake happened. He took a few steps backward. His eyes widen.

" Ohhh Goddd" .... "Nooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!."

He couldn't stand straight; his legs gave up, he sat on his knees with immense pain.

He screamed out loud, "Nahi (Nooo) YA KHUDA, Ye Kya ho Gaya Hamse! (Oh, God! What have I done?)"

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I want your opinion:

1. Do you think Jodha was at fault?

2. Do you think Queen Jodha should forgive him???

3. Do you think the arrogant king will bend down and go to Amer to get her back????

I hope You enjoy the story, don't forget to let me know. How was the chapter?

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Part 1

"YA, KHUDA! An intense painful screech rumbled out deep down of his throat. "Oh, No, God! What have I done? I have slandered and humiliated my own love." he mumbled in an utterly broke down tone.

Abdul freezes seeing Jalal's condition. As soon as Jalal realized his unforgivable sin, wrongdoing, and cruelty, it looked like someone pulled the life out of him. He had never seen him this wrecked and shattered; he was not only shaken by his condition, but the word 'LOVE' from his mouth was shocking and unbelievable for him. Abdul knew that slowly he began to like Jodha begum, but he never thought he could love someone. He hated the word love. Abdul could see Jalal had utterly lost his mind in a tremor and unintentionally confessed his love in regret as much as he wanted to be there for Jalal and comfort him. He knew Jalal would never like to share his intense pain with anyone. There was nothing he could do to relieve his pain. He wanted to mention Queen Jodha's condition in Amer. Still, seeing his vulnerable condition, he decided it was not the right time to talk about it, so he left his chamber silently and instructed all guards and some administrator not to disturb him at any cost.

Jalal spent the entire rest of the day and a night in remorse. His heart curled up with extreme ache; he was awfully ashamed of himself, thinking about what he had done. Again, emptiness captured his soul. His intense guilt took away all of his energy; he sat on the divan (sofa) like a lifeless body. His repentance was eating him up at a quick pace. His own words hunted him with a cruel laugh. The word 'whore' echoed in his mind repeatedly. Her last gaze with hatred killed him inside. His vicious memories evoked, to make it worse, how he slapped her in front of everyone. How he dragged her by pulling her hair; how he kicked her mercilessly; he looked at his palm pointedly for a few seconds and hit both his fist on the wall brutally until it began to bleed. He loudly shouted and pulled his hair to release the suffocating pain, but there was nothing that could give him peace. The sad day turned into a gloomy night, but he did not turn on the candle lights in his chamber; he hid in darkness.

Guards were worried outside since the entire day Shahenshah didn't order food or not even water. As per Abdul's instruction, no one dared to get inside, but after hearing his violent, painful, angry yell, one of the guards ran into his chamber. Still, when he saw the devil condition of his chamber and his angry growl, without saying a single word, he swiftly turned back and walked out.

He sat in a corner in the dark chamber, thinking about what he had done in his anger. The entire night Jodha's last words echoed in his ears. 'You were right; you can never trust anyone.' He remembered her eyes, which had deep pain and love for him, which he could sense but didn't believe. His dead heart, which was newly born a few days ago, suddenly overwhelmed with many emotions and craved for her nearness and forgiveness. Now his heart intensely desired for her love.

One whole day and a night passed without any food or slept in intense repenting and suffocation. Finally, in the morning, he gathered all his strength and called Mariam Makhani Hamida banoo and Queen Rukaiya to his chamber. Many years later, he decided to call his own mother instead of his Badi Ammi, Maham Anga. His heart very well recognized that he needed his mother's shoulder to cry today. He was so glad that his mother at least stood by Jodha. Suddenly his locked heart doors unlocked for his mother.

Queen Rukaiya and Mother Hamida arrived at his chamber. It was almost afternoon and time for Diwan E Khaas. Jalal was sitting on the couch without taking a shower. None of the maids dares to put their feet in his chamber. Their eyes widen in shock when they saw the condition of his chamber, but when their eyes laid on Jalal. It gave a heavy shock wave seeing his eyes and face was swollen and puffy; his hand was filled with dry blood. His cheeks and nose turned red. He looked depressed and gloomy just in a day. Overall, it looked like he aged in a single day. When he heard a walking sound, he slowly looked at both of them with pleading guilty, as if he had committed the unforgivable crime. His constrained tears were almost ready to spill, but soon he gulped his tears and was left with moist eyes. Just in a day, he looked so pale that they felt he would die any minute. His face looked vulnerable and helpless, and his eyes were dreadful; it was aching for both of them to see him in this state.

With a panic expression, Hamida cautiously walked towards Jalal and instantly took him in motherly warmth with a strong cuddle without uttering a single word. After many years this was the first time Hamida banoo, his mother, felt that he needed her warmth and he will not be offended by her closeness. Jalal hugged her back with the same intensity. Her warmth gave him the needed comfort and the courage to express the truth.

Rukaiya and Hamida were so shocked to see his state they didn't utter a word.

Jalal and Hamida finally apart from their hug. While looking at them remorsefully, he said in a trembling sound, "That was Sujamal, Jodha's brother. She is innocent. I am the one who should be punished."

Queen Rukaiya's eyes got extended, hearing the words 'her brother'. Hamida's mouth dropped open in shock. Jalal failed to control his unwanted tears to spill out from his eyes. All three had tears in their eyes. Even Queen Rukaiya had tears seeing Jalal's visible guilt and pain. Hamida didn't know who she was crying for, Jalal or Jodha. He was completely devastated after admitting his crime. Queen Rukaiya and Hamida both didn't know what to say. How to react and how to comfort him? Hamida was angry and sad at Jalal simultaneously; she knew that's how he grew up. He was told and taught not to trust anyone, not even himself.

Finally, Rukaiya cautiously said, "Jalal, you should apologize for your mistake; What you did was an unforgivable sin. I don't know how queen Jodha will react to it, but you should thank God that you had granted her wishes and promises, which you kept it and as per her wish, you respected her parents when they came to Agra and let her go back to Amer. Otherwise, in your anger, I don't know what you would have done."

Jalal replied in a low tone with a sad expression, "No, Rukaiya, I can't... I cannot face her anymore. I will not be able to see in her eyes. I feel shivers, even at the thought of being in front of her. I have hurt her to the extreme. I have accused her of the divine character; she will never forgive me for this misconduct. I have ruined her life. I have no right even to be called her husband. She was right; I am a cruel monster."

Hamida shouted with a commanding tone while strongly holding both his shoulder, "Jalal, stop crying like a weak common man. I have never seen you this feeble and don't want to see you like this ever again. Never forget that you are a king of kings, and tears make you look helpless and weak. As a king, you do not have the luxury of having your personal life. Queen Rukaiya is right, be strong, face reality, and apologize to Queen Jodha for your crime, and that is your punishment. I want you to go face her, apologize to her, and bring her back to Agra." She said it all in a thick royal imposing voice while stiffening her body. Her sound was filled with power as from Mariam Makhani. She paused a little, mellowed her tone a little, and continued while looking in his eyes, "Jalal, I know very well to get her forgiveness is going to be more difficult than winning any war, but you are a Shahenshah, so act like one. Take responsibility for your actions. Probably you have no idea what problems she might be facing right now? The humiliation of a rejected woman by her husband is not a minor problem. It's about a month now; we have received three messages from Jodha's parents for you to take her back to Agra. It looks like she has not spoken to anyone yet. So go and get her back without wasting more time."

Hamida's words worked like magical energy on him. He realized she was right. He has to face reality; at least he needed to apologize for his grave mistake. He decided to leave for Amer immediately. Hamida and Rukiya felt relieved by his decision. They both knew that this was the only way Jalal will be able to forgive himself. Hamida blessed him, and Rukaiya looked at him with pain and a depressing gaze. She never liked Jodha but didn't hate her either. But obvious jealousy was always there. She closed her eyes and hoped that Jodha does not forgive him, and Jalal comes back alone with his ego hurt, so he finally move on from her.

Jalal called Agtah Sahib, his topmost administrators, told him to take charge in his absence and informed him that he would be Amer.

Agtah Sahib concernedly stated, "Shahenshah, you should not go without soldiers, your life can be in danger. As you know, many Rajvanshis are waiting for this moment."

Jalal confidently replied, "I know this can be very dangerous, but I have to go to Amer and apologize to queen Jodha for my disrespectful act and bring her back with dignity. I have no other option than going to Amer myself."

"I fully agree with your decision, your highness. No one else can bring her back. You crossed all the limits. I will pray that God gives her the strength to forgive you, but I want you to be prepared; there is a very slight chance that she will come back with you. Shahenshah, I am requesting you this for your security; please keep this journey underground. Please do not tell anyone about what trip you are going on, including all administrators and Maham Anga. Jalal agreed without any argument.

Abdul and Jalal started their Journey towards Amer with his small troop.

At last, Abdul got the chance to notify him about Jodha's state in Amer.

"Shahenshah, I need to discuss something significant."After a long pause in a dark tone, he stated, "About Queen Jodha."

Jalal abruptly pulled both of the rim of the harness to halt his horse, "Have you met Jodha?" He asked impatiently; his sound was much louder than he expected.

"No Shahenshah, After finding out the truth about Sujamal, I met with Motibai and requested her to see Queen Jodha, but she refused to meet with me." Abdul regretfully replied.

Jalaal's facial expressions changed to worried; he asked pointedly, "Why you didn't tell me before?"

"Forgive me, Shahenshah, but you were not in stat to hear further." Abdul clarified.

"As per Motibai. Queen Jodha has become very silent; she has forgotten to talk and smile. Also, she skips meals and hardly eats. She spends most of the time in her chamber or at the top of the palace's roof. She is acting normal with her family, but everyone knows something is not right; in the palace, no one knows what happened with her in Agra and why she has altered so much? But the major problem is that all of the Rajvanishi Kings are laughing at King Bharmal and indirectly taunting what happened by trusting on Mughals. The common population has begun to taunt indirectly to queen Jodha as a rejected woman by her husband, even in the palace people have started mocking on her face, she has begun to avoid going out of the palace." Finally, he said, "Motibai told me that she becomes very agitated if someone talks about Agra and especially about you... Her sorrow has turned into extreme anger."

After hearing her condition, Jalal again lost his courage. His face was clearly showing regret and guilt; quietly, he started his journey towards Amer. For three days, his mind only thought about the crime he had committed. He apologized uncountable times to God. He masked his tears during the daytime, but a few drops spilled out every night while sleeping. His heart never felt this much suffocation and pain.

Amer Palace

It was a pleasant evening; Sun was setting down with his glory, and the moon started to play peek-a-boo with clouds. Cool gusty winds were making the surrounding very pleasant.

Every evening it was Jodha's routine to see the Sun disappear in the horizon with his orange blaze. It became her routine to sit alone at the palace's rooftop and think about Jalal till last hope of the ray would get lost in the moon. Even after this extreme disgraceful humiliation, her heart was still captured in his thought only. Feeling of emptiness and pain after watching the sunset was burning her heart, but soon calmness of the moon gave her harmony. No doubt she was angry at him, but even in anger, she remembered a few beautiful moments they spent together. But after recalling those beautiful moments she was feeling angry at herself for her weakness, even after all this, her heart was still desiring for him. she supposes to hate him; supposed to curse him but she couldn't. For her failure to hating him, she punishes herself by doing things that give her more pain.

Again and again, her mind questioned him, as if one day his sound would return with an answer, 'Why have you done this to me Shahenshah?? I had started liking you, probably in some corner of my heart begun to love you! Eventually, you have won. Not once, but again and again, you have successfully shattered my pride and dignity. You proved Rajvashi people are not trustworthy. How could you think that I can be with some other man? How disgusting? Have you never seen love in my eyes? Why didn't you trust me? Without even knowing the truth, you blamed me; you didn't give me one chance to prove my innocence, and when you gave me the opportunity, it was too late for me to tell the truth. You used such ruthless words for me that there was no meaning left to prove myself innocent. I had no desire left to stay in Agra. You called me a whore; I will never be able to forgive you for that. I hate you. I hate you; she screamed in pain, hiding her face between her knees. She felt so vulnerable that she pleaded to Lord Krishna many times to bless her with peace and help her stop thinking about him. But nothing helped because her love for him was much stronger than her hatred. Why can't I forget him? Hate him? Why does he mean so much to me?

Whatever my heart thinks, but Shahenshah, I will never forgive you at any cost. You have pointed at my character, my dignity. I will never see you again' this entire month, every day, these same thoughts roamed around in her mind, and tears became her best support.

Moti came running at the terrace and said excitedly, "Jodha, I have shocking news for you, Shahenshah... himself has come to Amer. He will reach the palace in a few minutes."

"What" She almost shouted with a confused gaze

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Chapter 13 Part 2

Moti repeated, "Jodha, Shahenshah has come to Amer."

Jodha shivered with shock and thought, 'Maybe he is here to humiliate my family.'

When Moti saw, her mouth dropped and opened with a shocking expression. She convincingly said, "Jodha, I know you are angry at him, but he has come from Agra to meet with you and look at yourself, you have not done Srinagar (Makeup) for many days, your hair is clumsy, and look at your dress, from no angle you look like a princess or a Mughal queen."

"Moti, please leave me alone. I don't want to see him." Jodha declared a threatening tone

"But Ranisa (Jodha's Mother) was looking for you, and you should see how everyone is happy. Finally, their trauma has been relieved. I could see King Bharmal's eyes got moist." Moti argued

"Princess Jodha... Princess Jodha..." The sound came from the stairs.

Reva almost ran towards Jodha; while panting heavily, she said excitedly, "Jodha, Shahenshah has reached the palace." Jodha promptly got up and marched another side of the terrace corner where she could see the palace entrance. She saw Jalal was standing at the middle of the gate with Abdul, and many soldiers were behind him. His face looked pale, and his eyes were roaming around. It seemed like he was searching for her. Seeing his mellow and respectful smile towards her family, she realized he probably finds out the truth. The deep line of strain on his forehead and the way his eyes were desperately searching for her; she didn't understand how she should feel. She shivered inwardly at the realization of how excited and happy she was feeling. Her emptiness vanished within a second, but instantly she curbed her flowing uncontrolled emotions.

"Princess, Queen Mainavati wants you to get ready quickly for Shahenshah's welcome," Reva informed in a requesting tone.

"Go and tell Masa I am not going to come in front of him at any cost," Jodha replied in a stern tone.

"But..." before Reva could continue, Jodha shouted dominantly, "Reva, do what I am saying. I will never forgive him for what he has done to me. I will not come in front of him."

Reva informed Queen Mainavati while preparing Aarti for Jalal's welcome that Jodha denied seeing Shahenshah. Without saying a word, she sends Reva back, she knew something happened between Shahenshah and Jodha, and Jodha is upset at Shahenshah.

As per ritual, Queen Mainavati did Aarti and Tilak to Jalal. Hall was filled with many people, but Jalal's eyes were searching for Jodha. King Bharmal and Queen Mainavati both noticed his desperation, "Jamaisa (son in law), if you are searching for Jodha, then you will have to find her in the palace yourself. It is a part of the Pag Fere Rasam (ritual); you have to search for her in the palace." Mainavati made up this ritual instantly, knowing that Jodha won't come in front of him easily

Jalal quickly noticed a surprised expression in everyone's eyes. Also, he had never heard about this ritual. "I am sorry, but I didn't understand." He asked politely.

"Jamaisa, it's a ritual, and the reason behind this is that you will get to see every member of the family and the entire palace; that is how you will become familiar with everyone." Mainavati instantly made up the reason and explained.

Jalal noticed Queen Mainavati's eyes were full of tears; he looked at her, confused. Mainavati, with a smile, said, "Jamaisa, these tears are out of happiness; ever since Jodha came back from Agra, I have not seen her smile; she is missing Agra so much. Thank you for coming here to bring Jodha back."

Jalal realized no one knows anything, and Jodha is in deep agony; her smile has vanished, even in Amer, she is not happy.

Jalal apologized to the King and Queen for coming late to pick up Jodha with the excuse of some political work. He took blessings from all elderly.

Reva ran back to Jodha and told her everything. It was crystal clear to Jodha that he was not there to punish her family. She felt relieved after knowing that. Reva also mentioned the ritual and informed Jodha that Shahenshah has started to search her in the palace.

With fuming anger, Jodha retorted, "Let him search for me for his whole life, but he will not find me. This palace is so big, and I know many places where I can hide for days, and no one will be able to find me."

Now Jalal's search on track, at first everyone was amused to see the King of Kings, Mughal Badshah, Shahenshah E Hindustan was searching impatiently for his queen. His desperation to see Jodha was visible on his face and in the speed of his walk.

Jodha's sister, Sukanya, teased, "Jiju(brother in law), you will not find Jodha Jiji (Sister) easily; you have to pay for what you have done!"

Jalal, with shock, asked, "What do you mean, Sukanya? What have I done?"

Sukanya giggled, seeing the sweat on his forehead. "Jijusa, I am just teasing you, but look at your face. You look like you have done a big crime, and I have caught you red-handed. It is so obvious you came after a month; of course, Jodha Jiji is going to be mad at you."

Jalal, with a deep sigh out and with a sweet face, requested, "Help your jiju Sukanya."

Sukanya gave him a hint "Let me tell you a secret, jiju. Lately, Jiji is either in her chamber or on top of the roof."

Jalal requested, "Sukanya, can you please take me to her chamber?"

Jalal entered into a Jodha's chamber. He saw Kanah's idol and a little temple. He immediately walked out of her chamber and took off his shoes. He was impressed seeing the way her chamber was decorated, simple, but elegant. There was one more room connected to her chamber; it looked like an art room. Jalal's eyes were searching for Jodha only. He knew she is playing around with him, and she is not going to come in front of him that easily. He went searching for her in every corner of the palace.

One hour passed, Jalal was still searching for Jodha. It was humiliating in front of her entire family. Jalal probably would have lost his endurance in any other situation, but he took this as his punishment. Every second, his ego was brutally hurting, seeing amusement in people's eyes.

King Bharmal got mad at Queen Mainavati for this stupid made-up ritual. He was getting worried about what if Shahenshah get upset. Jalal was known for his rage.

It was about two hours since he started searching; Jalal was still looking for her without any clue. He was sweating; he searched for her the entire palace up and down in a vast palace, but she was nowhere to be found! Slowly he was losing his patience, but he controlled his fury and continued on his mission. Little by little, he began to feel embarrassed, looking for her so desperately. Everyone got anxious, but Jodha decided that she will not come in front of Jalal. Finally, everyone started to search for her.

Raja Bharmal, to make the atmosphere light said, "Shahenshah, when Jodha was a little girl, she used to love playing hide and seek, everyone searched for her for hours, but couldn't find and then finally she comes out by herself. We still don't know her secret hiding places in the palace."

Jalal thought. 'I know, Jodha. Once she decides something, she will not easily change her mind. I don't think she will come out easily.'

Suddenly he heard Jodha's anklet. He had heard many anklets sounds before her anklet sound was different from others because this was explicitly made from different metal for her. He asked her while playing chess, why her anklet color looks different. He followed in the direction sound was coming from. Jalal could not see her face, but the person wearing it was about the same height and structure as Jodha. She also dressed like a queen. Jalal shouted, "Stop," but she started to walk even faster instead of stopping. Jalal walked swiftly behind her and caught her; it was not Jodha, but someone else. His anger started to boil up again. He knuckled his fist to control his fury.

He asked irritably, "Why were you running??" She didn't respond and looked down. Jalal got annoyed and said, "Give me your anklet." He looked at the anklet and knew that it was a Jodha's anklet. Now he knew for sure that she was hiding purposely, and this is how she was showing her anger.

He said calmly to the lady, "Can you please tell her that I will not leave Amer without her."

While looking at her ankle, with a deep sigh out, he murmured sadly, 'Queen Jodha, please forgive me. Please come out; give me a chance to apologize to you. Everyone is laughing at me, seeing me so foolish and desperate. Please don't take revenge like this. Please understand my limitations. I am a Shahenshah. I can't act crazy like this; it is so embarrassing.

King Bharmal and Queen Mainavati both got really annoyed at Jodha and regretfully said, "Please forgive Jodha; sometimes she still acts like a stubborn little child."

Jalal said to them, "Don't worry, I will find her tomorrow morning around 5:30 for sure. Everyone got surprised to see Jalal so calm even after so much embarrassment."

Raja Bharmal and Mainavati couldn't understand why Jodha is acting so stupid? They thought she was teasing him; then they thought she is upset at him for coming so late, but now they were so annoyed and disappointed at her for her rude behavior and were pleased with Jalal's patience.

Jalal's chamber was connected to Jodha's chamber. Jodha was still hiding and was feeling guilty for embarrassing him in front of others. She was surprised to see he was able to control his anger. She was worried that she wouldn't hide her feelings; if she went in front of him, she was not ready to forgive him and go back to Amer and face the same people after this humiliation.

Jalal's night passed, twisting and turning. He felt more restless than before; Knowing that she hates him so much that she is not even ready to come in front of him.

Both of them were not able to sleep at all.

It was early morning; Jalal knew very well that Jodha would come out to do Lord Krishna's prayer. No matter what the situation is, she would never give up her divine love of the god? He decided to pretend to be asleep until he hears the sound of Aarti.

First, Jodha went to check-in Jalal's chamber quietly to make sure he was sleeping. Jalal's acute ears heard someone coming inside his chamber; he could sense her proximity. Jalal continued pretending to be asleep. Jodha glanced at him as always; she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. Soon she went back to her chamber to finish a prayer before he wakes up.

In a low tone, she started singing prayer while doing Krishan's Aarti. She quickly finished Aarti and turned with Aarti; saw Jalal standing behind her.

Jalal was shocked seeing her condition. She was not wearing any jewelry, no makeup, and was wearing very simple clothes, but she looked beautiful and divine even in her simplicity. He could see that she has lost weight in a month. Her face became smaller and pale, but her truthful celestial glow kept the charm of her beauty.

Jodha looked at him furiously with a disgusted stare; then, she tried to walk out of the chamber without saying a word. Jalal stopped her in between and stood in front of her blocking her way out. Jodha again looked at him bitterly with an angry face, asked dryly in a sarcastic tone, "Why have you come to this 'Whore' Shahenshah, the King of the kings?"

Jalal got shaken hearing that word from Jodha's mouth. He could see her FIRE and PAIN. he had never seen Jodha this angry. He never expected to hear this word from her mouth. He closed his eyes for a second to gulp her pain and his tears.

He cleared his throat, gathered his courage, and with guilt, he said in a calm tone, "Queen Jodha, I am here to take you back to Agra. I came here to apologize for my grave mistake. Please forgive me; it was a misunderstanding. Now I know what you mean by faith. I should have trusted you. My anger destroyed everything; without informing anyone, you went out of the palace secretly in the middle of the night that made my doubt stronger. When I saw you hugging Sujamal, I lost all of my wits and control of my anger. I completely lost myself in disbelief and said detestable things to you. Please forgive me." when he noticed his words has no impact at all on her, he continued pursuing, "Jodha, I have never folded my hands and bowed down. But today, I am folding my hands and bowing down my head and asking for your forgiveness. Please forgive me, give me one last chance. I promise I will trust you, blindly for my life." His kingly ego was shattering him from inside out; he bowed down with apology the first time. His pain... his suffocation... his guilt... his extreme remorse break down with uncontrolled tears, and his voice turned heavy with deep sorrow.

Even after extreme begging for an apology, she just stood there as if he said nothing. When he saw her completely impassive, her blank stare shook him.

He forwarded his hand and took Aarti. She was still standing without any movement. He cautiously took a pinch of sindoor from the Aarti plate and was about to fill her hair parting (maang), but she stopped him in-between by holding his hand, and with a jerk, she pushed his hand away from her.

"Shahenshah, you had lost the right to fill my maang with sindoor forever when you called me a whore and slapped me. For god's sake, stop pretending. Your crocodile tears have no impact on me. Remember, I will never forgive you for the humiliation. You didn't even try to find out the truth. You didn't allow me to speak up; Now you are pretending and apologizing. Very well dramatic act by the King of the kings Shahenshah E Hindustan, after slaughtering and cutting me into million pieces. Mughal Badshah came here to apologize. But sorry to say, you have already killed your so-called Mughal Queen Jodha in front of your people.

I am only a princess, Jodha, now. I don't understand one thing; why tears. You should be celebrating your winning. Finally, you got succeed in smashing Jodha's pride and dignity in front of everyone; you have won, Shahenshah. It's time for celebration, mission accomplished. You have humiliated me to the extreme and ruined my prestige and dignity. Shahenshah, the game is over; you don't have to pretend in front of my parents or anyone. Our relationship is over. You will never be able to trap me again." She spat venom bitterly in a loud tone than angrily walked out two steps and then stopped and turned back and said heatedly, "Don't you dare to touch me, ever again, and if you have any self-respect, then go back to Agra immediately." then she walked out of the room with an angry face.

**********************************

Chapter 13 Part 3

Queen Mainavati heard the complete conversation between Jodha and Jalal. The entire scenario got cleared in a moment. Now she understood why Jodha had altered so drastically, why she was keeping herself away from everyone. Intense pain in her eyes; Deep sorrow on her face; Her silence; Her fake smile. All of the questions got answered within a second. Her eyes got filled with tears hearing the word 'whore' for a second her Rajvashi blood boiled up with fuming rage, but it cooled off in a second when she saw true regret in his eyes. she looked at the real side of Jalal. She could feel each of his words coming out of his heart, and each word was filled with penetrating guilt and repent for his action. Even though he is a king of kings, a Shahenshah, he bowed down and apologized wholeheartedly. His unstoppable tears were shouting out to her that he loves Jodha more than his life.

While walking out, Jodha overlooked Queen Mainavati, who was standing in the corner. Jodha ran out with a pool of tears in her eyes.

Jalal was completely traumatized by Jodha's reaction. He could sense that she has become like stone. There was not a single impact on her of his repentance and apology. Instead of love, her eyes sparkled at him with fire. His entire body froze when he comprehends that he has lost her forever. His entire world crashed down; he grasped that he will never get his Jodha back; her hatred towards him has vanished all of her feelings for him. He had no strength left to stand; his knees felt jello. He collapsed on the ground in a helpless, shaken, and traumatized condition. His face turned bloodshot red and tears were flowing like a constrain river flooding out freely. After seeing her stony eyes, his courage and faith to bring her back to Agra completely abolished, he had no other option left than leaving Amer and repent for his entire life.

About fifteen minutes later, Jalal felt someone's hand on his shoulder; it was Queen Mainavati.

He swiftly got up and turned towards the other side to hide his pitiful, weak condition from her. But in one glimpse, he observed her dreadful teary condition. He immediately grasped that she had heard the entire conversation.

Queen Mainavati sympathetically put her hand on Jalal's shoulder. "Jamaisa, (Son In law), I know you have made a grave unforgivable mistake; if I knew beforehand, I would have not even allowed you to step in my door." She said in a stern tone

"Please forgive me, Ranisa," Jalal mumbled in a low tone while lowering his gaze down with a gesture of guilt.

"Jamaisa, I have already forgiven you, just because I have seen your true shame and guilt for your deed. I can see you have put your ego aside and bend down and accepted your mistake. But unfortunately, I can't say the same for Jodha; I don't know how she will forgive you. You have betrayed her trust. You have disgraced her and demeaned her the worst way any husband could do. Now it is your responsibility to win her trust back. You have to gather your strength back to conquest Jodha's heart once again. You have to give her some time; I can assure you that she still loves you, but she is smashed by your blames. To win her heart again will be the biggest challenge. Jodha is very stubborn, once she decides something, it's not easy to change her mind, but you are the only person who can smile back on her life. The only reason I still have a slight hope that she might," She paused and requested, "Come with me, Jamaisa."

Jalal walked with her weakly, as if she was the last hope left in his life. She took him to a Jodha's art room. The room was filled with beautiful and amazing paintings. There were a few paintings; those were covered with red velvety clothes.

Mainavati pointed towards paintings and said, "Jamaisa, these paintings are made by Jodha. This entire month, she was in this room painting, and she has painted these covered paintings since she came from Agra. When you look at these, you will realize why I still see some hopes." She blessed him and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the paintings.

Jalal opened the 1st painting curiously.

The entire painting was filled with fire with a color of an orange burning blaze, and Jodha was standing in between the fire; her tears were turning into the fire. She was burning from inside.

He took two steps backward when he saw this painting; his heart shattered into pieces seeing her in this condition. He felt as if someone had poured acid on him.

Jalal pulled the cover of 2nd painting with his shivering hand.

In this painting, In the Jungle, Jalal runs towards her like an angry wild devil tiger. His eyes were spitting fire. His sword was dripping blood.

Jalal couldn't believe he looked that devilish in anger. He felt ashamed of himself.

After looking at the 2nd painting, he had no hope left for her mercy. He gathered the strength to see the next,

3rd painting. He slowly drew cover from the painting.

He was dragging her out of the darkroom while pulling her hair. Everyone was standing looking at him, shocked.

He realized how heartless and cruel he was, the ache in his heart grew deeper. This painting shattered all his courage and faith.

Before he loses all of his strength to see further, he swiftly pulled the 4th painting cover.

He was slapping her in front of everyone; her eyes were filled with tears. He looked like a monster.

He felt like an unknown force was constricting his throat tightly, making it harder to breathe. The feeling of suffocation was killing his last ounce of energy and courage. His eyes got filled with tears and intense pain. He had no courage left to remove the cloth from the next painting. But he could not control himself to see what she has gone through, with trembling hands. He slowly removed the cloth to see the 5th painting.

5th painting

It was Jalal's painting. He was sleeping peacefully in Jodha's chamber, and Jodha was in a white soldier attire, looking at him with deep intense love with a peaceful smile on her face.

This painting showed how deeply she adored him. He was surprised to see this immense love in her eyes. Then, with curiosity, quickly, he moved on to the next painting.

6th painting

This painting was the most precious moment they spend together. In this painting, both were sleeping next to each other under the big tree by the pond; Jodha's head was resting on his shoulder with divine peace on their faces.

This painting was the memory of their first kiss. The first time both accepted each other and lost in that moment. It was a treasurable moment; they were close to each other's hearts for the first time. Jalal's face gleamed with happiness to see this painting, their first beautiful moment together. Suddenly his heart started beating again, seeing this beautiful painting. Jodha still thinks about our beautiful moment together; the thought sends millions of vibes of hope inside his depressed and hopeless soul.

Excitedly he opened the 7th painting with faith and courage.

It was the time when Jalal tried to kiss her in the garden, there was a little rabbit around them, and she was blushing! The orange glow of the sun was making her more bashful.

Jalal was very surprised to know that she still remembers all their beautiful moments. Suddenly his somber face started glowing with a hopeful smile.

He swiftly opened the last painting, which was almost done, but not the complete 8th painting.

Jalal was kissing her on the bed. Half of his body was resting on her. Her eyes were closed, but the deep blush was clearly visible on her face.

That was their most sensual and beautiful moment together! This painting brought the biggest and cheerful smile with a blush on his face.

Jalal realized she still loves him; she loves him a lot. She is still thinking about their precious moments; little by little, her anger is cooling down. 'She loves me more than she hates me.' His hopes came back. He realized that he needs to be around her all the time. He needs to give her some time. His smile came back, and he said, "Awww! Jodha, you are an amazing artist. Your talent has saved me; you are not my challenge; you are my life. I have to win this battle of my life."

Jalal started thinking about how he can get her back. She is not even ready to talk to him. If he tried being polite with her, she will eat him up all the way and kick him out of Amer with her harsh behavior. It's not a good tactic. He thought of something and smirked mischievously and mumbled. 'Hmmm, Queen Jodha, I will win you back by hook or by crook.

Jalal was in Jodha's chamber and resting on Jodha's bed while planning the strategy for his next move and recalling all those beautiful paintings of their beautiful moments and didn't realize when sleep took over him.

He fell asleep on a Jodha's bed.

Jodha came back to her chamber to get ready for the administrator's daily meeting'. She closed the door quickly and got some clothes to change. Jalal heard some noise in his sleep; he recalled, he was resting in her bed. She was so much in a rush that she didn't notice Jalal was sleeping on her bed. She took off her chunni; Jalal slowly opened his eyes and saw her changing clothes. He just smirked seeing her without chunni; her backless blouse, low cut skirt (Chania), and curvy waist made her look more sensually beautiful. She was almost ready to open her blouse, but before that, Jalal made a noise with his throat to warn her... "hhh...ahhh." She swiftly turned back and saw him lying on her bed. She got shocked, seeing him, and she quickly covered her bosom with her hands.

"What are you doing here?" She shouted angrily.

Jalal couldn't hold his laugh seeing her annoyed and embarrassed mixed expressions.

Seeing him laughing shamelessly made her even more annoyed; she yelled, "What is so funny?? Stop laughing and leave from my life and Amer."

Jalal, with an intense gaze, walked slowly towards her with a mischievous grin on his face. She began to take backward steps with each step that Jalal took towards her. Finally, Jalal trapped her between his hands and the wall.

"Shahenshah, leave me alone and get out of my chamber. Don't you understand that I hate you!" She said in a fuming tone while pushing him.

He softly muttered, "Queen Jodha, I know that you hate me, but I don't hate you" then he continued in a genuine tone, "Jodha, I have missed you so much; this entire month, I was not able to sleep one peaceful night." Then softly, he kissed on her cheeks, sweetly, and gazed at her beautiful face. She closed her eyes and turned her face away from him. He cupped her face in his hands, and pleading tone said, "Jodha, please forgive me. I can't live without you."

Jodha opened her eyes with rage and replied, "NEVER," and harshly pushed him away and took her chunni from the table and swiftly covered herself and opened the door and firmly said, "LEAVE" Her sound trembled like she was about to cry.

Jalal softly smiled at her but kept himself calm.

"What is so funny? Stop laughing and leave my chamber." She asked in an agitated tone

He teasingly said, "Jodha, Do you know your nose and cheeks turn red when you are angry, and you look so cute in the red nose. I feel like kissing you again and again." His cute compliment, Jodha couldn't control her blush, but she turned her back towards him to hide it. "Shahenshah, leave. I don't want to see your face ever again." Her words were harsh, but her sound did not match the pace; her tone was shivering, and her body trembled to break down.

Jalal once again gulped his insults and replied, "Queen Jodha, it's our chamber till I am in Amer."

"Don't you have any self-respect? Don't you get it, I hate you?" Tears began to dribble down from her cheeks.

Jalal felt hurt by her rude and harsh words, but he knew what he had done was nothing compared to this. So he swallowed his pride and said, "No, Jodha begum! I know you don't hate me, you probably think that you hate me, but I know you can't hate me from your heart."

"You know what, think whatever you want to think, but I will never forgive you," Jodha replied in a frustrated tone.

Jalal dejectedly leered at Jodha then walked out of her chamber sadly.

When Mainavati entered the divan, Jalal and Bharmal were discussing current political issues Amer was facing. "Shahenshah, most of Rajvanshi has cut the relation with Amer, and in this situation, your sudden unannounced visit could put you in danger. Most of the Rajvanshi awaiting for the opportunity to capture you." King Bharmal concernedly said

"King Bharmal, don't worry, I can handle the entire troop myself alone, and half of my life I have spent on war field and also, for the security reason I came here unannounced, even in Agra no one knows that I have come to Amer," Jalal replied evenly.

Before their conversation continued, Queen Mainavati came to inform about the final ritual of ' Havan.'

"What is this Havan for??" Jalal, with curiosity, asked.

"It's a tradition, and the last ritual of the wedding; in this ritual, husband and wife take their seven promises (vows) again and sit in the prayer together and pray to god for their happy married life," Mainavati explained.

Jalal was very pleased to hear that he asked, "When will this Havan has organized with an exciting tone?"

Mainavati could read Jalal's expression and understood why he was so excited; with a grin, she replied, "In two hours, but before this havan, you need to retake a bath and need to wear new clothes."

Jalal agreed with his eyes expression.

Queen Mainavati went to Jodha's room to inform about Havan. Jodha, with a smile, welcomed her Masa.

Mainavati informed, "Jodha, today I have organized 'Satyanarayana Bhagavan's Havan' for you and jamaisa, for your happiness and long married life. It's the final custom of your marriage."

"Masa, I have no interest in this Havan. I don't want to sit in the Havan." Jodha dryly replied

Mainavatil politely took Jodha's hand in hers and made her sit on the bed.

While caressing her cheeks, Mainavati replied, "Jodha, I am your mother, and I know something is going on between you and Jamaisa, which is not right. In the last month, I have not seen a real smile on your face. My dear, don't take marriage as an easy relation which you can break with no trouble. When two people decide to spend the entire life and stay under the same roof, a problem will surely happen, and you have to give some time. It takes a long time to establish trust with each other. In the beginning, both of them make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you don't forgive each other."

Jodha replied with the argument, "But Masa, some mistakes are unforgivable."

Mainavati, with deep sorrow, said, "Jodha, I agree with you, some mistakes are inexcusable, but it also depends on the individual, how they repent for it. If a person feels guilty for his action, he or she should get one opportunity. Even god forgives the person who repents for his mistakes with heart."

Jodha, with a low tone, replied, "But Masa... I want you to hear me out, then tell me how I can forgive him."

"Jodha... Remember my advice forever, no matter what happens between you and your husband, it should stay between you two. If you involve me today, I might lose respect for Shahenshah, and tomorrow you will forget your dispute with him, but it will impact our relationship forever. I don't know whose fault it is, but I want you and him to talk it out and resolve it."

Jodha nodded her head disappointedly.

When Mainavati realized Jodha is still not fully convinced, she tactfully said, "Jodha, you know that you have two younger sisters, and if something goes wrong with your marriage, then they will end up compensating for it. So you have to think and act as an elder sister as well. You are much matured; I don't need to tell you that your relationship also has a political effect on Amer too."

Jodha looked at her mother helpless; she felt shooting pain rip through her chest when she grasped how vulnerable condition; then with deep sorrow on her face and a few tears in her eyes, she said in a low tone, "Masa, Why always women have to worry for everything... why always it has to be meee who has to compromise?" Shivering sound of pain escaped from her lips mixed with sobs

Mainavati just smirked sadly and replied calmly, "I wish I had the answer to your question, my child, but I don't. Go and get ready in two hours for havan. Here are your clothes and Jewelry" then she walked out of the room gracefully and said to herself. 'Oh Jodha, I know you very well; how stubborn you are, and Jalal made the biggest mistake of his life, but I saw pure love in his eyes for you. He deserves one more chance. Forgive me for forcing you this way, you may feel today that I was harsh, but you will understand me better later.'

Jodha was in her chamber, thinking about what happened since Jalal came. How desperately he searched for her and how he controlled his anger even after she humiliated him in front of her family. He searched for her for hours and hours. His sincere apology, deep pain on his face, and tears in his eyes, he also didn't react when she shouted at him angrily. She insulted him and kicked him out of her chamber; she could sense her painful words were shattering him. All these thoughts diluted her anger a little bit. Ultimately, a very faint smile crawled slowly on her face, and she went to get ready.

*********************************************************

Chapter 13 Part 4

It was time for Havan; everyone was running around for a function's preparation. Many relatives were invited. Arrangements were nearly like a marriage. Jalal got ready and came to the hall where Havan was organized. Dadisa (Jodha's Grandmother) welcomed Jalal and blessed him.

Jodha entered the hall; she was dressed in an exquisite pure slike white and green lehengas and crimson red rich colored dupatta with heavily embroideries of Kundan crystal stones and real gold Zardozi work. Large neckpieces and earrings and a large nose ring were used to adorn her flawless beauty. Even though she was a Mughal queen, but her root was deeply embedded in the Rajput culture. Jodha covered her head with a brocade dupatta. Everyone's eyes got glued on her, seeing her dazzling beauty.

Jalal completely got mesmerized by enchanting beauty. She was blushing faintly; her hazel eyes shyly dropped, which captivated not only Jalal but everyone around. In Agra, she occasionally got dressed, but not like this. In white color, she was looking more divine and pure. Green and red were blending impeccably on her fair skin. Jodha bashfully watched around, and unknowingly her eyes were probing for Jalal. Finally, scanning through the entire area, her eyes caught at Jalal beheld at her without a blink. He tenderly smiled to compliment her beautiful dress-up.

His constant passionate gaze made her nervous and shy. To mask her excitement, she gave him a fake angry stare. Jalal smirked, seeing her antic act.

The Priest announced that it was time for Havan. Both walked together towards the Havan mandap. Jalal seized a chance and held her hand softly while walking. They settle opposite Havan Kund, sitting beside each other. The Priest began the prayer with Lord Ganesh Mantra. Jalal followed as per pandit's (Priest's) instruction; both of them repeated the Mantras.

Pandit gave sindoor thal to Jalal and told him to fill Jodha's Maang. Both Jodha and Jalal looked at each other with an intense gaze and deep sorrow. Jalal didn't want to take advantage and fill her maang without her permission. So he waited for Jodha's eyes to mellow down and allowed him to fill her maang.

Jodha lowered her eyes and bent slightly towards Jalal, approving to follow the ritual. Jalal took a pinch of sindoor and filled Jodha's maang with pure love and promise. Jodha lifts her eyes slowly; tears pierced out from her innocent eyes. All of her bitter memories evoked in a second, but her heart softened slightly when she saw his hazy, moist eyes and guilt on his face. Jalal looked at her with remorse; then, he wiped her tears from her face with a gentle touch. In a low tone, he muttered in her ears, "Jodha, I promise I will never hurt you again, please forgive me."

Jodha beheld at him blankly for a few seconds.

As per Priest's instruction, Jalal forwarded his hand towards Jodha. With hesitation, she advanced her hand towards him. Jalal promptly took a grip of her hand tight with a smile; he whispered in her ears, "Jodha, I will never let this hand go away from me again." Jodha was still not ready to accept him wholeheartedly. She bitterly stared at him, then Priest poured some water in their hands and instructed them to dispense water in Havan Kund after the mantra is finished.

Seeing her miserable, he put his other hand on top of Jodha's hand and began to tickle. Jodha looked at him with an irritated stare. He continued tickling her; finally, she began smiling with a little blush. Mantra finished, and they poured water in the Havan. They both retook wedding vows. Havan ended peacefully. Both took blessings from the elderly.

After the prayer, Jalal informed King Bharmal that they would leave tomorrow morning.

Jodha instantly said in-between, "Yes, of course, Shahenshah has lots of things to catch up, he can surely leave, but I would like to stay here for some more time."

***

Jalal gave her an unpleasant gaze while responding, "But Jodha, as per the custom, I have to take you back to Agra, and that is why I am here; you can always come back to Amer a few days later."

Bharmal immediately agreed with Jalal, but he requested to stay two more days to attend the festival Holi.

Jalal respectfully agreed and said, "I will stay here for two more days since queen Jodha also wants to stay here a little longer; I have no problem."

After Havan, Jalal did not miss any opportunity to pursue Jodha. Still, instead of mellowing towards him, she repeatedly said the same sentence again and again, "Go back to Agra... Leave Amer..." she was completely rude and negligent toward him. Jalal silently gulped her audacious and impudent behavior. He recognized that she needed to vent her anger out, so he decided that he would keep his calm and control his anger no matter what happens.

It was almost dinner time. The entire family got to gather at the dining bench. Jodha and Jalal both sat next to each other. Ameri food was served in a traditional Rajvanshi style. Jodha quietly began to eat. Seeing her too quiet to tease her, Jalal, in front of everyone, offered to feed her a sweet, but Jodha moved her face away from him with an angry look. Jalal kept on insisting and but didn't move her head towards him. Finally, when Dadisa told Jodha not to be too shy, she gave up and took a bite of the sweet, and Jalal, with his charming grin, ate the rest. By every minute, Jodha was getting more and more annoyed with the feeling of being trapped.

Queen Mainavati instructed Moti and Reva to decorate Jodha's room with lots of candles and flowers.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the main hall and just chit-chatting and play games.

Jalal wanted to spend some alone time with Jodha, so he pretended that he was feeling too tired, and while yawning, said, "He would like to rest."

"Sure, Shahenshah, you can go to sleep. Sukanya and I are going to play chess for the entire night, and then I will sleep with her." Jodha instantly replied.

Sukanya replied resignedly with a deep sigh, "But Jiji, I am too tired to play, I also want to sleep, and the whole day I was running around doing stuff for your function; I am done for the day." She pouted.

Jalal smirk at Sukanya with an appreciative look.

"I am not too tired; we can play chopat queen Jodha if you want," Jalal asked in a caring tone while looking at her mischievously.

Queen Mainavati understood the situation; she directed everyone, "Today was a long, and It's about time everyone should go to sleep." then, in an instructive tone, she told Jodha, "Take Jamaisa to your chamber."

"Yes, Masa." With an upsetting gaze, Jodha frowned and replied

They were walking in complete silence. Jalal was observing her upset face.

Jodha unlocked her chamber door and was shocked seeing all the decoration in her room, there were lots of candles burning, and her bed was decorated with beautiful flowers.

Jalal teasingly queried, "Oh...Nice... Queen Jodha, do you sleep like this every night? You are so romantic."

She looked at him with frustration; then she screamed, "Moti...Reva..."

They came to her chamber running and inquired: "What happened, Queen Jodha?"

"Who did all this?" Jodha pointed her fingers towards her bed and asked in an angry tone.

"Ranisa instructed us to decorate your room," Moti replied dimly.

Jalal smiled at Moti and Reva and thanked them for the beautiful decoration. They left with a smile.

Jalal closed the door behind them.

"There is no need to close the door." Jodha tetchily said

"You don't trust me?" Jalal asked.

"Yes, I don't have trust in you, and why do you need to spend time with a whore, Shahenshah?"Jodha bitterly spat.

Jalal shouted, "Enough, Jodha! I don't want to hear this word again."

"Why not... you called me a whore... then why do you feel ashamed now. I will say it again "Whore" what will you do? Slap me again? Hurt me? Push me? Drag me?" Jodha ironically said.

Jalal realized she was not ready to discuss anything normally. she got stuck on the word whore. "Listen to me, Jodha; I am regretful for what happened, but please don't use that word again and again. And if you don't stop, you know what I will do. Every time you use this word, I will kiss you, on your lips, I will do it even against your wish." He responded to her retorts.

"Don't even dare to touch me. You can't force yourself on me, and if you do, I will kill myself; you know that no one loves you because you are a disgusting monster, a cruel, heartless killer, not only that you are a devil and a ruthless person. I am so ashamed that you are my husband; I hate and curse myself because destiny has put your name on my forehead. I hate you. I will never forgive you." She shouted with furious rage

Her hurtful anger shook him to his core; with regret and ache, he said in a thick tone, "I am your husband Jodha, I have asked for your forgiveness many times. I am truly regretful for what happened. I had also suffered the entire month when my anger came down; I realized that you couldn't do this, so I inquired about the truth," he paused briefly and scanned her face; when he saw no reactions to his words, he lost his control.

He continued with a loud and clear tone, "Do you know Jodha; your ego is too big. I admitted that I made a mistake. I even bowed down with folded hands. You saw my painful tears; still, you have not understood my repent but do you even realize why all these things happened? You will never admit your mistake. Why did you go out of the palace without my permission? You know very well, none of the queens was allowed to leave the place without appropriate approval. Let's forget that. You said I didn't trust you, but what about you; you even didn't trust me. Why did you think that I wouldn't consent you to meet your brother Sujamal? You ever thought it was more hurtful to me than anyone. In my life, only one woman I trusted, and that was you" His face transformed from calm to one of anger like a flash of lightning. After a mere pause, he roared loudest, "Yes! I am a heartless, ruthless, devil, monster person, and I am also ashamed of myself. I know, I don't deserve you. I am the worst husband any woman can get; tell me what will give you peace. Do you want to punish me? Do you want to kill me then kill me once, but stop killing me with your words and disgusted look towards me? I can't take your hatred anymore; your words suffocate me and give me unbearable pain." Jalal's eyes were filled with tears.

Complete silence in the room.

Jodha was shaken hearing Jalal's retort and pain, in anger; she realized that she crossed the limit and hurt him with the low tone she replied, "Shahenshah, I agreed that it was my mistake too, I should have informed you in advance, but that doesn't mean what you did, is forgivable. I have told you before that marriage means trust and faith in each other, and you have completely failed in that. I have cried the entire month thinking that you think so low for me. Your words haunted me every day and night. Even I didn't get one night's peaceful sleep. You crossed every line when you accused my character."

Jalal closed his eyes to bear the pain.

After a few seconds, Jodha's tone changed to informative but serious," Shahenshah, I would like to inform you something significant; this was a conspiracy to break us apart."

Jalal instantly opened his eyes and looked at Jodha anxiously.

Jodha continued, "Sujamal bhaisa never wrote any letter asking to meet him at the Jungle cottage and also in the letter it was mentioned that not to inform anyone and see me secretly. He did send me a letter to bless us for our marriage, but not to meet. Also, Bhaisa received a letter from me, which I never wrote."

He rolled his hand through his hair. With an alarming tone, he probed, "What are you saying, Jodha? It was a conspiracy?"

Jodha miserably answered, "Yes! It was; someone knew that I was going to the Jungle. There was no one at the checkpoint; I realized after all this happened. It was part of their plan to let me out easily from the palace." Then, with a cross-question, Jodha enquired, "Shahenshah, how did you come to know that I am out of the palace?"

Without responding to the question, he asked, "Who gave you this letter?"

Jodha responded casually, "Badi Ammi."

Jalal asked, "Jodha, did you have any conversation with Moti that you would meet Sujamal?

Jodha replied, "Yes! I did say to Moti that I am going to see Sujamal bhaisa."

Jalal asked her again to verify, "Jodha, Are you sure you mentioned 'Sujamal bhaisa (brother)'?"

Jodha replied, "Yes, very sure! I did mention Sujamal Bhaisa."

Jalal's expression changed. He was shocked by his conclusion, but he was not entirely sure, so he kept quiet.

Jodha asked him again, "Shahenshah, when I left, you were sleeping peacefully, then how did you find out that I was in the Jungle? Who informed you? I am sure that person is probably the culprit."

Jalal screamed angrily, "Jodha" immediately he realized and controlled his anger, and in a gentle tone, he assured, "Jodha, I will find out the truth, you don't worry."

Jodha, with resentment, countered, "I have a right to know; whoever did this conspiracy has humiliated me and ruined my reputation."

Jalal controlled his fury while replying, "Queen Jodha; I will find out the truth. Once I made the mistake of taking a hasty decision and blamed you for no reason." before he completed his sentence, Jodha sarcastically said, "and called me a whore and slapped me too."

Jalal smirked at the opportunity; he said, "Queen Jodha, I warned you every time you use this word, I will kiss..." before he finished the sentence, Jodha realized and swiftly got up from the couch with an alarming look and ran towards the window.

Jalal went near the window and pulled her closer and grabbed her from her waist. Jodha angrily said, "Shahenshah, please leave me."

Jalal pinned her to the wall.

Jodha closed her eyes and moved her face away from him. Jalal cupped her face with his hands with a firm grip. Jodha's eyes were still closed, and her stubborn anger towards him was visible. Jalal, in a requested tone, "Jodha, please look at me once."

Jodha didn't respond to his request. She stubbornly kept her eyes closed. In a regretting tone, Jalal once again said, "Please, Jodha, you are killing me with your dislike; I am enough wounded, I don't have any more strength to face your hatred. Please forgive me." His voice was filled with deep guilt and remorse. His painful sound touched her soul. She slowly opened her eyes. They looked at each other with intense pain and pure love.

Jalal repeated insistingly, "Jodha, please forgive me. Your words hurt to my core; I will die if you don't forgive me." His intense remorse melted her stubborn heart, and she broke into tears. She cried out loud. Jalal encircled his arms and embraced her in his strong grip.

Jodha hugged him back and said, "You have hurt me too extreme; never do this again; otherwise, I will kill you and myself."

Jalal contently smiled and said, "How can I dare that my Junglee Billi" he squeezed her with his firm grasp and assured, "Jodha, I will never let you go away from me again."

"But I am sure one day your anger will make apart us forever. When you are angry, you lose control of your senses. You forget everything." She got apart from his cuddle and stated in a complaining tone.

"Jodha, I know when I am angry, I lose my control, but truthfully, I lose my temper when it comes to you. In court, In all political matters, no matter how sensitive the issue is, I manage to control my anger, but I don't know why I can't control it when you are involved. I even don't know why, but I expect a lot more from you, even more than Rukaiya. But I promise you; I will never let you go away from me again." Once again, he pulled her towards, encircled his arms towards her small waist, and took her in a tight embrace.

Now there was no room for any words. Soon they lost in each other; In silence, both of them got melted in each other's warmth, their compressed breathing was audible to each other, this passionate cuddle was washing their subterranean pain away.

She hugged him fervently; she wanted his warmth and care for long. Even in her anger, she craved him; his hands were roaming around all over her body; she shyly broke the embrace and ran away to the other corner with a lenient but playful beam. She felt extremely nervous about his closeness and blushed heavily. Jalal went near her and hugged her from the back.

Jodha whispered faintly, "JALAL..." She instantly realized in nervousness, by mistake, she called him by his name. "Let.. me.. go.. please." She completed the sentence in a shivering tone

Jalal also got surprised to hear his name for the first time from her mouth. He turned her quickly towards facing him, "Tell me how I can let you go." In a dim tone, he sensually crooned in her ears.

Hearing his passionate, romantic whisper, she felt goosebumps all over. Her eyes were still close; she was feeling timid. Her cheeks turned red.

Seeing her shivering lips and blushed cheeks, he felt like kissing her lips until she ran of breath, but he wasn't too sure how she will react.

"Jodha, you have called me the first time by my name, and I loved it. It felt like my name became precious today." He whispered sensually in her ear, then softly nibble on her cheeks. "Jodha, look at me; I want to read in your beautiful eyes what do you feel for me." He softly lifted her chin and whispered again in an insisting tone

Jodha slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with love. Jalal inhaled deeply with a desperate sigh, "Jodha, you are looking so beautiful; this white and crimson red dress is making you more beautiful." He softly mumbled while kissing on her forehead, then swiftly he carried her in his arms and put her on the bed before Jalal could make his next move; Jodha stopped him and said, "Shahenshah, I need some more time. Please forgive me, but so much has happened in the past month; my heart is still not ready to go further."

Jalal sat beside her and took her hand in his hand; then, he spoke calmly with a content look, "Jodha, I am feeling so relieved today. By giving me one more chance, you have given me so much happiness that I don't want anything more; I feel like you have put the soul back in my body. I am just happy that you are next to me and not angry with me. I don't want anything, and without you, my life is empty. Jodha, I feel like you have completed me today. I suddenly feel that my heart has begun to beat once again." He put a strand of her hair behind her ear and continued.

"Jodha, how can I explain what I have gone through? I have yearned for you so so much which you cannot even envision. There was not a moment when I have not thought about you. The entire month, I felt like my life crashed down and coming to an end. I watched the sunset every day thinking about you. Even in my extreme anger, I wished you would come back home one day, and we will be together again. I don't know when, but you became the breath of my life."

Jodha's Pov: Jodha's tears came with happiness. She thought to herself. Ohh! in his excitement, he hadn't even realized that he admitted that he has a heart that has started to beat for me. Aww, he said that I became the breath of his liveliness. He is indirectly telling me that he is in love with me. His innocent confession made her utterly happy. He cares so much for me. He also thought about me and grieved for me the same way I longed for him. Probably, he was equally miserable too. Oh god (Kanah), he is so harsh and so loving at the same time. How can I keep myself away from him? I feel like hiding myself in his arms forever. But how can I tell him now that I desire to kiss him? She felt embarrassed and blushed at her thinking.

She couldn't control her desire for long, so she asked in a low, timid tone, "Shahenshah, as per the mandatory requirement...Can... I... kiss you good night?"

Jalal couldn't believe what he just heard. He was stunned. It took him a few seconds to react. He lay down beside her while gazing at her beautiful face. Jodha leaned towards him to kiss him. Her lips curved with desire, she gently kissed his forehead softly, then she kissed his cheeks with a little smooch. The way Jalal was looking at her, she felt too shy to kiss on his lips. She turned her face to the other side. She couldn't lift her eyes. Jalal pulled her towards him and whispered, "Jodha, remember the last time I taught you how to kiss Goodnight!"

Jodha looked straight in his eyes; she wanted him to kiss her. She was too tempted but was feeling shy to kiss him first. Jalal leaned down to her and softly kissed her lips; both of them felt a tickling spark went through their entire body. He slowly pecked on her lower lip to relish the taste of her sweet love and waited for her response. Her desire was at peak to kiss him. she kissed him back with the same craving, she slid her hands through his soft curly hairs. They kissed till they were out of breath. Their kiss was filled with not only a passion but with love for each other. The desperation of the kiss was filled with the feeling of I Long for you; I want you; I missed you. Both were deeply in love with each other, but both were not ready to confess yet. After the kiss, they couldn't stay apart.

He hugged her securely in his arms, and sensually spoke, " Jodha, you are making me desperate and crazy for you. Your touch has evoked a desire for you, and after savoring your luscious lips, I am still relishing the moment. I can hear your every heartbeat and your sweet smell making me desperate. Probably you don't have a clue how difficult it is for me to control my desire. I am more than ready to take you now. I can't wait to make you mine." When Jodha kept her silence, he softly said, "Good night Junglee Billi."

She softly kissed his cheeks and teased, "Good Night Shahenshah E Hindustan."

"Don't kiss me, Jodha. You are making it worse."

She giggled and curtly said, "Shahenshah... You have to wait, and that is your punishment."

"Don't laugh at me, my dear Queen; later, you will end up paying for my punishment; remember more you make me desperate, it will be equally tougher on you when you say YES." Jalal jested while taking deep, sighed in and out.

"What?" She looked at him worriedly with a nervous expression.

He chuckled after seeing her face, "Don't be scared; I won't hurt you." He winked at her and again took her in his possessive cuddle.

Both of them were in desperate need of this warmth after a long depressing separation month. They both slept in each other's arms peacefully the entire night.

Next: Celebration of Holi Festival... (Next track is equally intense and very interesting... Bottom line... Complication in their relation. )

***********************************************************

Question :

1. Do you think Jodha did the right thing forgiving him, or he deserves more punishment?

2. Do you agree with Jalal that Jodha was at fault too?

(Please do let me know; your opinion important to me.)

Don't forget to COMMENT :)

Chapter 14 Part 1

The sun brightened in the horizon with his supreme glory, the hazy melodious sound of birds twittering was making the surroundings more pleasant, and the moderate wind seemed so gentle, quietly moving the leaves along with it. The early morning orange rays slid through the window and woke Jalal with a content smile on his face. After many nights; It was the most peaceful, soothing sleep.

Jodha was still sleeping, resting her head on Jalal's shoulder and holding his top tightly like her possession.

While looking at divine glory, a thought ran through his mind, 'Why can't I see her in pain? Why can't I take my eyes off her? Just because her selfless nature and her purity make her different from others. She knows that she is a queen of my heart, but still, she never showed off to others. I can see the deep love in her eyes for me, I can feel the profound longing for me, but something is holding her away. Earlier, I thought she needed some time to adjust to the new culture and build trust. Surprisingly, her faith in me didn't move a bit, even after my horrible accusations. I feel she deeply cares for me and probably loves me, then what is preventing her from admitting it? No matter what happens, I will never let her go away from me; it feels like sunset down and never rise again without her. Probably I would never admit it, but she is the only person who feels the emptiness of my life. I guess the only option is to wait for the day she accepts me entirely, but I wish I knew what is preventing her from admitting me; this guessing game is making me more desperate. Weirdly, I am feeling out of this world just because she is gripping my top possessively. I am feeling heavenly pleasure just being with you. Her one small smile rouses millions of flowers in my heart.

I have never felt so fresh and energetic in the morning. Waking up in the morning like this, it's an indescribable experience. I have never let my queens sleep with me throughout the night; even with Rukaiya, I go back to my chamber after the sensual pleasure. But Jodha, your presence around me assures me of my heart's existence. He smirked, 'She has not a single clue how my harem queens and concubine are desperate to please me. I have experienced every kind of sensual pleasure, not with one woman but many together, but all this feels too shallow when it comes to Jodha. On the contrary, it's the opposite. I want to please her; just being with Jodha, it gives unexplainable joy.'

It was becoming difficult for him to just look at her; he turned carefully and leaned towards her and kissed her gently on her forehead and moved her head and hand on the side. With his little movement, she realized he was awake. She slowly opened her eyes and saw him staring at her sensually without a blink.

With a smile, he whispered in her ears, "Good Morning, my dearest Queen."

Jodha felt uncomfortable with his passionate gaze. Her dupatta was out of place, and her bosom was exposed; it showed her deep cleavage and bare waist. The sudden realization made her conscious, she swiftly got up from the bed to cover-up, but before she could move further away from him, Jalal pulled her back in bed next to him, leaned towards her, and instantly locked her with both hands. Jodha's face turned red with a blush; she couldn't lift her long and beautiful eyelashes. His constant wanting gaze was making her blush heavily.

"Shahenshah, let me go," she said in a whisper.

"First, you call me by my name, not Shahenshah."

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can," he insisted.

"Let me go, Shahenshah." She irritably said

"I will let you go, but first, you call me Jalal." Replied with his stubborn gaze.

She tried to explain, "I can't call you by your name. Last night it was a mistake."

"A beautiful, tempting mistake." He whispered sensually once again.

"As a Shahenshah, I am ordering you when we are alone; you call me by my name."

"When we are alone, you are my husband, not Shahenshah, so don't command me." He is so annoying I can't call him by his name.

With a pleasing tone, Jalal replied, "Okay, then as a husband, I am telling you to call me by my name."

"No"

"Yes"

"No... NO NO" She stubbornly replied

"I won't let you move from here until you call me by name. Stay here the entire day. I have no problem at all."

"No, Jalal, I am not going to call you by your name. No way," She responded quickly without thinking. Instantly she realized her slip up; she just called him Jalal.

Jalal chuckled, seeing the expression on her face.

The way you say my name it sounds exclusive. The hesitation in your sound makes it much more unique and different than others.

She looked at him bashfully. "Jalal, please let me go."

He smirked at her and said, "I can let you go, but first you have to." before he finished his sentence, she got success in releasing her hand from him and moved away from there. Jalal was still relaxing on the bed, lying down on the pillow and watching her fixing her clothes and hair.

Jodha casually said, "Shahenshah, I am delighted today because it's a Holi and Holi is one of my favorite festivals. Every year we have so much fun."

"We don't celebrate this festival in Agra. I know very little about Holi." He responded.

"Shahenshah, Holi is a Hindu religious festival; it's a festival of colors and love. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's bright colors and saying farewell to winter. Children and youth spray colored (powder) Gulal at each other, laugh, and celebrate, while elders tend to smear gulal on each other's face. We celebrate Holi in a big way in Amer. We have invited many Rajvashi Kings, and few good friends of mine are also coming to celebrate today." she took a brief break and continued in a fascinating tone, "Every year on Holi, we used to play together all day long and at night, dance on Dhol (drum). I miss those days; we use to have so much fun, run out of the palace, going to the lake, horse riding like a free bird. Since I am married, now I am stuck in the palace with all the restrictions." She pouted while finishing the last sentence

Jalal listened to her naive chat and responded in calm, "Jodha, you are so innocent; you still have the heart of a child and enjoy everything with so much enthusiasm. I never got a chance to enjoy my childhood like this. I remember very few things from my childhood. The only part I remember well is me and Rukaiya having so much fun together, but we both had so many restrictions. We got married at a young age, and my father also died at an early age, so I had so many responsibilities."

"Tell me about your friends. Are they coming for Holi?" Jalal curiously asked

Jodha excitedly reacted, "Yes, all of them are coming. Prince Surya Vadan from kingdom Jaipur and His sister Lilavati and Price Dharam from kingdom Kanakpur and his sister Kanika are coming for the Holi celebration. Surya and Dharam are both the best friends of Surajmal bhaisa. Surya and I are best friends from childhood. Lilavati is my best friend, too; we always share every small secret of our life. She is the only one who knows every secret of mine. She just got married; I can't wait for them to come. You will enjoy their company, but everyone will miss Sujamal bhaisa" her sound turned dim at Sujamal's mention.

"So every Holi, you all get together?" Jalal asked eagerly.

"Yes! Almost every festival we get together. They all come here during Ghangor and Holi festivals and stay here for about a week. We usually visit their states to celebrate Diwali festivals. In Jaipur, they have a huge grand fair once a year at the time of Diwali. And also sometimes we all meet at the time of weddings and other functions." She replied excitedly.

With a fit of slight jealousy, Jalal looked at Jodha and enquired: "So do you know all of them from your childhood?"

"Yes!" she carelessly replied.

Jalal's eyes turned suspiciously shady. "Did they come to our wedding?" he asked in a baffled tone.

She scowled at him and sarcastically said, "No!!! No one came to attend my wedding, and I don't need to explain why!" She rolled her eyes at him. "All Rajvanshi kings were against our wedding, including my best friend, Surya. He came before our wedding to see me and tried to convince me very hard not to get married to you. He was even ready to talk to my father. But for me, Amer is everything, so for Amer, I agreed for our alliance."

"Oh!!! So your friend Surya tried his best to keep us apart." He sardonically said

"He is my closest friend, and his intentions were towards my good wish." She responded dryly.

"Oh... so you regret your decision." He bitterly asked

She looked at him pointedly and decided not to answer. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I have to get ready quickly, or I will be late for the temple."

Ohh... she still regrets it, probably that is why she is keeping me away from him. And who is this Surya? She is so excited to meet him, and he advised her not to marry me. Jalal didn't know how to react to this, but learning about Surya created a fit of unknown jealousy in his heart.

"Wow! I am very much interested in meeting this best friend of yours who really, truly advises you for your better life." In a sarcastic tone, he snapped while getting up from the bed; his face looked irritated.

Jodha realized Jalal was getting a little annoyed and envious. So she decided to tease him more. "Yes, Shahenshah! Indeed, he is a very nice person; any girl would be happy to be with him. He is very charming and caring. Also, he is brave and good at sword fighting too. Every time we meet, we practice our fencing together. Do you know, at the time of last Ghangor, when I got engaged with King Suryabhan, my parents received a proposal from Surya too, but unfortunately that time, my engagement was already fixed? His proposal came a little late, and, you know, Lila also always wanted me to get married to her brother Surya. She used to tease us all the time, she always thought that I loved Surya, but I don't blame her; we were so close to each other. We were together all the time and the way Surya cares for me, she always suspected, but for me, Surya has always been my best friend and advisor."

Jalal, with anger and fire in the heart in an annoying tone, asked, "Oh! So your best friend wanted to marry you?"

Jodha, with a defending tone, replied, "Why? What is wrong with that? You are also married to your best friend!"

His anger boiled up with jealousy; tetchily, he enquired, "Did you also wanted to marry him, Jodha?"

Jodha looked at him from the corner of her eyes and smirked, seeing his sore face. She enjoyed seeing his anger and possessiveness about her.

She responded in an austere, calm, and collected tone, "I don't see any reason why not? He knew me very well; he respected me. He cared about me; He is a good looking, handsome prince and future king of three states. He is also from a royal family Hindu Rajput and my best friend's brother, and most importantly, he always trusted and supported me in my every decision."

Hearing, Jalal's entire body burned in the blaze, his eyes turned dark; he shouted, "Enough, Jodha, I got it, he is faultless, and he is the finest. Now can I go and get dressed for the big celebration of Holi?" With irony, he stated in an asserting tone.

Jodha coldly smirked and pretended as if nothing happened; "Hmm Certainly, Shahenshah!"

He crossly got up and walked towards the door.

"Can you please wait, Shahenshah," she yelled.

"What?" he grumpily responded.

To tease him more, she asked, "Shahenshah, can you help me pick a dress for today? I want to look my finest today."

"Queen Jodha, your best friend, is coming today, why don't you ask him to help you? I am getting late." he frustratingly replied.

Jodha, with a little grin on her face, probed, "Why do you sound so grumpy? Are you jealous of Surya?"

Jalal realized his behavior showed his jealousy. Suddenly he changed his tone and replied in a usual manner, "Why would I be jealous of anyone? I have everything I want, including you, if you remember I conquer you."

"How can I forget that I very well know that I am just one of your trophies for Amer conquer?" She replied bitterly.

"JODHA..." he almost shouted... and frustratingly rolled his hands through his hair and closed his eyes to control his anger. After a brief pause, he said in a low tone, "Jodha... you know how to play with my words and hurt me."

Seeing him sad, she regretted her choice of words.

"Shahenshah, I have got something for you." She overlooked his last remark and changed the subject.

Jalal, with an upset look, asked, "What?"

She gave a gorgeous Rajvanshi outfit to Jalal. All over white with a red border, silk Sherwani Kurta and silk Dhoti with a long pearl necklace and said, "Shahenshah, It's a Holi today, and I will be thrilled if you wear this outfit."

He looked at the dress dryly. "Why do you want me to dress like a Rajvanshi. You will be ashamed of my Mughal dress in front of your friends?" He asked techily.

"It's just a gift from me. When we met for the first time, you were in a Rajvanshi outfit, and I wanted to see you again in a Rajvashi outfit, but it's your choice. If you don't want to wear it, then that's fine." She looked at him disappointedly.

Jalal took the outfit from her hand and walked out of there without a word.

Both of them thought at the same time why they fight all the time. Jodha regretted making him jealous, and Jalal repented for mentioning about his conquer at Amer.

Jodha took a shower and quickly finished her daily prayer. Her hairs were still wet. She picked an entirely white outfit with a red border to match Jalal's outfit to wear. She wore all the jewelry made out of beautiful white and red rose flowers.

Jalal also got ready and finished his daily routine; he did Namaj; he met with Abdul to ensure everything was safe and secured. After that, he went back to Jodha's room in the Rajvanshi outfit.

Jodha noticed him in the outfit but didn't comment on anything, which dismayed him. Jalal expected some reaction or comment from her seeing him in Rajvanshi dress, but she didn't say anything.

Maybe, she is still upset. Jalal thought

Jodha was still getting ready; her long, shiny, curly hairs were still a little wet. She looked divine and beautiful in a white outfit with white and red flower jewelry. Jalal never imagined her in flower jewelry; she looked simply stunning.

Jodha finally couldn't hold herself and complimented him casually; while looking at the mirror, she said, "Shahenshah, do you remember when we met for the first time? You were wearing a Rajvanshi outfit; I was completely stunned; you looked so royal and appealing, your confidant, your magnetic personality; my heart stopped breathing for a while after seeing you. When you looked in my eyes and said, you will come back, I knew you would come; I don't know why, but I felt like I've known you forever."

Jalal's anger disappeared with her compliment. While gazing at her, he asked her sarcastically, "Do you still feel you know me?"

She knew what he wanted to hear; she quietly looked at him. Deep pin-drop silence for long seconds. To change the topic, Jodha curiously asked, "How am I looking?"

Jalal scanned her from top to bottom and confusingly said, "Something is missing!" He walked near the mirror and stood behind her, then took a pinch of sindoor from the sindoor box and filled her maang with love; then, with a content smile, he said, "Now you look complete."

Jodha modestly gazed at him; both were standing and looking at each other without a blink. She bent down with teary eyes and touched his feet to take blessings from him. Jalal was astonished; he put his hand on her head, blessed her, and held her from her shoulders.

Jodha got up with mixed expressions. With a blush on her face, moist shy eyes, and low tone, she informed, "It's Holi today, so it's a custom, the wife takes blessings from her husband." Her shy smile made him crazy, and the way she took blessings and gave him so much respect, he felt overwhelmed. With a soft touch, he kissed her forehead. She felt so shy that she couldn't lift her eyes to see his face.

Jalal pulled her slightly towards him, and in a whispering tone, he said, "Why just blessings? I can give you much more, my dear queen," then he encircled his hand on her waist.

Jodha bashfully mumbled, "Shahenshah, let me go, the door is open."

"Do you want me to close it?" While beholding her gaze, he asked with a tease.

Seeing his intention, she responded in an insisting voice, "Shahenshah, please let me go!!!"

Jalal released her and walked towards the door while staring at her with desire. He closed the door, then with a mischievous look, he walked towards her, seeing his intentions, she coyly walked backward, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

She mumbled in a low tone while looking at him, "Why have you closed the door, Shahenshah? What are your intentions? "

Jalal grabbed her from her waist and smirked at her, and asked, "You want to know what my intentions, Queen Jodha?"

Jodha realized she asked the wrong question. She lowered her eyes.

He sensually gazed at her with his piercing eyes and replied in a low tone, "Jodha, I have closed the door because you have made me so crazy for you; with these alluring colorful flowers and white dress, you have mesmerized me. Every day I see you, and you look more and more beautiful; day and night I am just thinking about you only. My patience is betraying me, and I am slowly losing control. I want you to want me, like my all queens. I want to see the desperation in your eyes for me. You have become my life long obsession. How can I let you go?"

Jodha blushed; hearing praise and his indirect confession, she mumbled in a very faint tone, "So, What do you want?"

Jalal drew her closer and whispered in her ear with a seductive gaze, "I want you" then, with a sensual touch, he kissed her soft pink rosy lips. She closed her eyes and responded to his kiss. Jalal paused to see her desirable look; he took a strand of hair behind her ears, ran his finger on her face, and stopped at her lips. He cupped her face and kissed her again, but this time with more desire. He squeezed her cheeks and kissed her lips with a delicate smooch; he wanted to relish her, taste her sweetness; he nibbled her lips, his desire increased with sparks in his body. He lost all his control over his craving; he started kissing her all over her face with a cavernous lust for more than he grabbed her hair wildly to lift her face so he can kiss on her neck.

Jalal's relentless fervent touch gave her pleasure. She hummed, "Ohhh, Jalal... Ahhh... I am losing my control. let me go."

"Jodha, Don't control... you are the only mine, I will not let you go today," and he tugged his hands on her wet hair and kissed her wildly on her earlobes.

"Jalal, Don't seduce me... don't touch me... please let me go," she said in a whisper.

Jalal, sensually with deep longing, replied, "I won't... Jodha"

Jodha responded with anger and wildly bit his lips that made Jalal angry. He madly started to kiss with a smooch on her soft lips and bit her on her ear lobes then on her neck; his hands began to play around all over. They were so close there was no breathing space between them. Jodha's yearning was also increasing with each passing second, and she was again losing her control. Her loose wet hair and fragrance of jasmine flowers made him fanatical. Their craving and thirst for each other were growing; Jalal took off her dupatta from her shoulders and pulled down her blouse hurriedly and pecked on her shoulders softly but sensually. Her low cut deep neck blouse was showing her cleavage beautifully. Jalal's eyes drooled over it, which created a fire in his yearning. He moved a little more downwards and kissed her with a bite on her collarbone and with this intense touch, Jodha hissed in a sweet pain "Ahhh" hearing her own sound of moan, she blushed and felt shy, she tried running away from him, but Jalal was holding her dupatta. It stretched and came out of the final grip of her dress. She turned her back and covered herself with her hands. Jalal slowly walked towards her and hugged her from the back. He locked her entire body with his broad arms firmly and kissed her on her cheeks with love. He moved her long hairs towards the front; he had never seen her beautiful curvy shape, spotless, creamy, pale, and smooth skin. He started to kiss her softly, slowly on her back; his wet kisses on her back gave her a deep shiver in her entire body; his touch and sensual kisses were sending millions of sparks in her body. It was becoming impossible for her to stay apart from him. she turned towards Jalal and hugged him tightly, crushing herself into him. He hugged her back with the same passion, then slowly moved down a little and sensually sucked her on her teasing points.

Jalal, in a whispering tone, asked, "Do you like my touch Jodha?"

Jodha was at a point where she wanted more; she wanted everything; her desire was at the mountain. Jodha, in response, hugged him tighter and began to kiss him wildly. Her urge was so strong; every kiss left marks on his neck, cheeks, and lips. Without wasting a second, Jalal quickly took off his top; it worked like a magnet for Jodha. His rigid, muscular body, the warm touch of his skin, and his manly scent made her forgot all her shyness. Their bodies collided with passion. She wanted to enjoy every second of their obsessive encounter.

Jalal was still in his senses because he was the one who seduced her to this point and got astonished to see her wild passion and enjoyed her longing for him.

He murmured in her ear, "Jodha, do you love me? Are you ready to go further?" Jalal knew with his experience that there was no way she would stop at this point. He didn't want to go further unless she admitted her love for him. He knew that it was important to her, but she had no interest in listening to him. She kissed him on his open chest and hugged him so madly. He's muscular; strong, broad shoulders made her senseless .she wanted to melt in his arms forever. She got lost in the magical warmth of his body. The first touch of his sensual skin sent flashes in her entire body; Jalal could sense her eagerness and curiosity to explore further. He swiftly carried her to the bed, and she immediately lay down and pulled him towards her. Jalal was on top of her putting his weight on his hands gazing at her beautiful zealous seductive eyes.

Jalal could sense her desire for wanting more; he asked her again, "Jodha, Do you love me? Are you ready to go further?" This time he didn't whisper; it was loud and clear in his voice that it was not a statement, but it was a firm question, and he wanted the answer! But he was sure she would not deny it; he saw her desire was at an extreme peak.

The strong voice of Jalal woke Jodha up from the most beautiful dream of hers, and she realized that she was utterly lost in his arms; Jalal was on top of her, he kissed her again on her cheeks softly with love and asked her, "Jodha, do you love me?"

She knew that they went too far again, and if she stops him now, it will be disappointing for Jalal. Jalal could tell her stormy eyes were widened in shock; her expressions were wholly changed; he could read her denial thoughts before she even replied. He had seduced her to the extreme, but she was out of his spell now.

Jodha finally responded sadly, "Is it crucial to answer these questions? You are my husband, and you have a right on me."

Jalal asked her again with resentment, "Jodha, please tell me you love me, and you want to go further."

Profound silence followed; only the sound of their panting could be heard. He knew something was there, which was stopping her from completely accepting him.

Jalal disappointedly got up from the bed and bitterly said, "Queen Jodha, I will make sure I don't cross my limits from now on. Until you are ready, I will not touch you, not till you accept me completely."

Jodha could feel his controlled anger towards her. They both got up and got dressed quickly.

Jalal walked towards the window and stood there thinking hurtfully, 'why does Jodha always stop herself? I can see in her eyes lots of love for me, but I can't understand this behavior of hers.'

Knock on the door. Jodha opened the door.

**********************************

Chapter 14 Part 2

Knock on the door.

Jodha beheld at Jalal

Sukanya marched into the room excitedly and greeted cheerfully, "Good morning Jiji." Jodha responded with a cold smile.

Sukanya asked worryingly, "Oh, Jiji, you are not ready yet. Everyone is waiting for you." Then innocently, without thinking, she probed, "What happened to your flower jewelry? Why is it all smashed."

Jodha and Jalal stared at each other with mixed expressions of shyness and anger. Sukanya grasped instantly that she had asked the wrong question, so swiftly, she changed the topic. "Jiji, Masa is waiting for you and seems like you forgot we have to go to the temple."

"I was spending time with your Jiju; It seems he is too lonely in Amer. Can you please spend some time with your Jiju so I can get ready?" Jodha sarcastically requested Sukanya while rolling her eyes at Jalal.

Jalal released a deep frustrating sigh along with a disappointing thought dwelled in his mind, 'What is she thinking of herself? She doesn't respect me or my desire and now rolls her eyes at me.'.

Instantly Sukanya grasped the rift between them; with a live act, she said with enthusiasm, "I would not miss a chance spending time with my gorgeous and loving Jiju."

"It would be my pleasure to spend time with young sweet and beautiful shali(Sister in law)." Jalal grinned at Sukanya while strolling towards the door.

Sukanya teasingly asked, "Jiju, how were your night and chopat game?"

Sukanya's humble approach and understanding pleased him; he playfully said while observing the Palace's artistic side, "I wish I played chopat with my dear sister-in-law instead of your Jiji."

Sukanya blushed at his response. "Ohhh, Jiju, you and Jodha Jiji are a perfect match. No one can beat both of you in bantering."

Raja Bhamal's nervous words strained to Jalal's sharp ears. 'Why Jodha is taking too long; we are going to miss the auspicious prayer time.'

As soon as Raja Bharmal saw Jalal walking in the hall, King himself, along with everyone else, got up from the couch to welcome him. The king greeted Jalal in a polite tone, "Good Morning Jamaisa, Happy Holi!"

Jalal also greeted courteously while looking at everyone, "Good Morning, Happy Holi."

Everyone sat after Jalal took his place on a couch. With excitement, King Bharmal explained, "Jamaisa, on every Holi, we all go to Kali ma temple in the morning to pray; it's a ritual we all follow."

Mainavati asked in a very faint tone, "Sukanya, where is Jodha?"

"Masa Jiji is getting ready; it will take her a little more time," Sukanya responded while looking at Jalal with a concealed smirk.

Mainavati smiled with an awkward look at Jalal. Mainavati mumbled to herself, 'Jodha, it's time for prayer, and you still not ready' she sighed loudly.

At last, Mainavati said with hesitation, "Raja sahib (King Bharmal), we need to leave now; otherwise, the auspicious time for the prayer will be missed."

When King Bharmal nodded, Queen Mainavati instructed, "Sukanya, you come with Jodha later."

Sukanya pouted, "But Masa... I have been ready since this morning."

Her heart sank at the thought, 'She won't be in the palace when Surya arrives.'

Seeing Sukanya's pale face, Jalal offered, "Don't worry about Jodha; I will bring her to the temple. You all continue."

King Bharmal got shocked at Jalal's declaration; he responded with a confused, mumbled tone, "But Shahenshah, it's a Hindu temple. It will create many issues, don't worry, I will arrange for Jodha to come to the temple.

"King Bharmal, don't worry, I will bring Jodha," Jalal confirmed in an assuring tone.

King Bharmal's face turned pale at his statement. He nervously stated, "I appreciate the gesture, Jamaisa" then they all left for the temple.

Jodha got ready and came out to the main hall with pooja thal and saw only Jalal was there; she inquired, "Where is everyone?"

"They all went to the temple," Jalal responded in an impassive tone.

"Ohh... What about me? How will I go?" Jodha asked in a sad tone.

"Don't worry; I will take you to the temple," He calmly responded.

"No! It would be best if you don't come to the temple," she said tetchily with a little anger in her eyes.

I am just too worn-out; she is defying me for whatever I say. She is testing my patience.

Jalal, with a confused expression, asked, controlling his fury, "Why not?"

"I don't want to discuss it... but you are not coming to the Kali Malta temple." Her tone was filled with resentment and bitterness.

With his sharp memory, Jalal recalled how his soldiers ruined the Kali Mata temple in Amer and took all the Jewelry from there, and Jodha fought with those soldiers. And that was the first time he heard about Jodha.

While beholding in her eyes, he said in a regretting tone, "I know why you don't want me to visit the temple. The past was shameful, which I understand now; I was wrong and disrespectful towards the Hindu religion. After seeing your devotion to God, my thinking has changed towards all religions. I wholeheartedly regret my past action. But at that time, I never thought I was hurting Hindu people's feelings. I hated Rajvanshi then and took revenge; my soldiers did this crime."

"Shahenshah, I took a pledge in front of Kali Ma that I will cut your head and bring it to her feet for dishonoring her respect. And look at my destiny, I am so helpless, for the same person I am putting sindoor in my maang for his long life." Tears dribbled from her face.

"Jodha, please take me to the temple." He responded sadly, in a pleading tone.

Without any communication, in silence, Jodha and Jalal reached the temple. With respect, Jalal took off his shoes, crown, and sword, and gave it to Abdul; then Jalal went inside the temple. His action shocked and surprised her. Going to the Hindu temple could create a big controversy politically; she knew he would face Mughal priest detesting. Due to security reasons, no one else was allowed in the temple other than the temple priest and Royal family members. After a few minutes of prayer, Jodha bowed down towards Kali Mata then began to do Aarti with a melodious sound.

After the Aarti, Jalal went near Mata's statue and apologized gently for his immorality and sin. He bowed down for his mistake and promised that he will always respect all religions, and requested forgiveness on behalf of Jodha for not keeping her promise.

Jodha again got another shock seeing him bowing down with guilt.

The temple priest watched how Jalal pleaded to Mata for forgiveness; his words and genuine guilt touched the priest's heart. He came near Jodha and Jalal, and he said courteously, "Shahenshah, you have poured your heart out to Goddess Mata and put your ego aside and bowed down to her. Jodha's pledge was to your head down under goddess feat, and while bowing down, you have fulfilled her promise. Kali Mata forgives those who repent honestly.

Seeing this significant change in Jalal, tears trolled down from Jodha's eyes. She could feel the shift in Jalal. When they got married, he was an arrogant and egotistic king who didn't care about anyone else than himself, but little by little, his heart was gradually opening towards humanity. They both got blessings from the priest for a long and happy married life. After his confession and apology for his deed to the goddess, Jalal felt relieved and blissful.

Both of them reached the Palace in silence. Moti came running to Jodha while panting; she informed Jodha in a thrilling tone, "Prince Suryavadan and his sister princess Lilavati with her husband, they have arrived. And Prince Dharam Singh and his sister Princess Kanika will be reaching here any time."

Jodha's face glowed in a flash, and sorrow disappeared. Her lips curved with a genuine smile. "Where are they?" She asked impatiently

"They all are in the big hall with Raja Sahib," Moti informed.

Jodha excitedly began to walk faster towards the hall. Jalal observed her expression and excitement bitterly. In the anticipation to see her friends, she forgot that she was walking with Jalal, disregarding him she almost ran and reached the main hall and loudly shouted "Lila" wrapped her hands and hugged her tightly. Soon both of them recovered and wished each other for their wedding. Lila introduced her husband, King Sangram Singh, to Jodha.

Jodha realized that she completely forgot about Jalal in the excitement; she swiftly turned back to see him and saw Jalal was watching her impassively from the passage. Jodha very politely requested, "Shahenshah, can you please come inside? I would like to introduce you to my best childhood friends."

Even though Jodha's childish act bruised Jalal's ego, he ignored it and walked inside gracefully with an impassive expression while scanning every person in the hall.

Jodha introduced Jalal to Lila and King Sangram Singh, and then she introduced prince Surya Vadan. Jalal got impressed with his personality; he thought, 'Prince Surya indeed looks royal.'

"I have heard a lot about you, Prince Surya Vadan..." Jalal said in a cynical tone. His eyes had dark, mysterious anger.

Surya began a conversation in a casual tone, "Please call me Surya. I have heard a lot about you, Shahenshah E Hindustan."

After a brief pause, he said in a chilled sarcastic voice while looking straight in Jalal's eyes, "Shahenshah, so finally, from your eventful life, you spared your precious time for Jodha, to take her back to Agra."

Jalal felt someone poured burning oil in his ears. He replied, mirroring his tone, "Of course, Surya! How can I leave her here alone?"

Surya haughtily countered, "Shahenshah, you are mistaken; she is not alone here; she has many close friends and her family here with her. I am sure she is feeling more lonely in Agra than here," then angrily, he added, "What took you so long?"

His tone, His concern, and his overprotective attitude towards Jodha, Jalal's Jealousy began to roast; He heatedly countered, "Sounds like you are worried more than you need to for your close friend." Jalal gritted his teeth while responding.

Surya responded proudly while looking at Jodha with deep care in his eyes, "Yes! I do admit Shahenshah; I can't see tears in Jodha's eyes."

Jalal's furious eyes lingered on Jodha; To conceal his boiling fury, he inhaled sharply.

Jodha shivered to see his calm demeanor look. She realized the inflammation between Jalal and Surya; both were about to burst with fire. Before anything goes wrong, Jodha came in between to control the situation and told everyone, "I think it's time for lunch; let's eat first, then we have the whole day to chat."

Jalal released a deep breath while walking toward the dining hall, but along with a horrific thought, dwelled in his mind. 'Jodha is too immature; she has seen how I am being treated in Agra. Hundreds of people surround me to assist; The Scholars, the kings, administrators, ministers wait for days to meet with me. My queens starve to see my gaze. My every word counts as the supreme verdict. I have bent down for Jodha so much that her friend treats me as an ordinary husband; how dare Surya questioned my intention. Jodha, I don't know how long I will be able to keep my calm. I accepted the humiliation when you were upset with me; I accepted you do not want to consume relation with me, but I can't tolerate you, and your friend does not respect me. Rukaiya is way more matured when it comes to showing power and authority. It would be best if you learn to respect me as a king and your husband.'

In a very gentle and caring voice, Surya asked Jodha while beholding her without a blink, "Jodha, how are you doing?"

Without putting much thought to the answer, she responded to Surya with a thrilling voice, "Much better after seeing you all."

Jalal viciously smirked at her word. The way Jodha looked so comfortable with Surya, her words, her actions, slowly driving him towards the edge; she was fueling his Jealousy and anger.

While they were going towards the Dining Hall, Prince Dharma and Kanika entered the hall. Jodha greeted Dharma warmly and casually to Kanika then introduced them to Jalal.

Kanika viewed Jodha with envy in her eyes. "Jodha, you are so fortunate to have a Majestic King as your husband." Her eyes rested at Jalal lustfully. While staring at him, she muttered, "He is not only strikingly handsome and good looking, but he is a supreme king of Mughal Dynasty, Shahenshah -e- Hindustan, and you are the queen of Hindustan. Commendation, Jodha." Her shrilling orbs were drooling all over Jalal and his robust personality.

The way Kanika praised Jalal and the way she glanced over him put fire in Jodha's heart. In a sarcastic tone, she snapped, "Yes Kanika, I am fortunate to have a husband like him, who has five hundred queens and five thousand concubines in his harem and can still marry again," with a taunt, she added, "You also have a chance my dear Kanika!" The words spilled out much sharper than she expected.

"Good to know that I still have a chance." Kanika winked at Jalal with a tease to annoy Jodha.

Jodha never liked Kanika; they always clashed with arguments and fights. Kanika also hated Jodha throughout her life as her supreme competitor. Although Kanika was beautiful and talented, Jodha beat her in every challenge. Therefore, she was ever ready to put Jodha down in front of others.

Jalal looked at Jodha with an angry stare. Seeing his calm and cold demeanor, she realized she crossed her confine; her words were too sharp in front of her friend. She softly invited everyone to the lunch table.

Jalal noticed while eating, Surya was often staring at Jodha and strived to interact with her. All of his attention was towards Jodha only. In a sincere tone, Surya stated, "Jodha, you look much better than two weeks before. I am glad to see you at least outside."

"Oh... So, you came to visit Jodha two weeks ago?" Jalal stopped eating and queried in an exasperated tone.

"She needed a friend, so I was here to stand by. Probably you don't even care what she was going through; you have too many queens to worry about." He heatedly responded.

"Seems like being an opportunist, you don't miss any chance to please your friend. But let me clarify yes, I do have many queens to worry about, but Jodha is my one of my closest one, and she is mine and only mine to worry." Jalal replied in a calm but stern tone.

To relieve stiffness, Jodha cheerfully said to all, "I am so glad you all came; we will have so much fun together."

Jalal's retort shook everyone. Everyone simply smiled and nodded.

Jalal was burning in the fire, the way Surya was taking care of Jodha, making sure she eats enough, and Jodha was equally paying her attention to him. She seemed so content and free around him. Kanika was irritating Jalal while repetitively asking silly questions about Agra and how he feels about being so superior and all. He is a man of few words, not used to speaking informally with an acquaintance. Here he felt ordinary, and outsider and Kanika's annoying behavior pushed him to the limit.

Jodha observed how Kanika was persistently staring at Jalal and interacting with him to impress him, which maddened Jodha.

Since morning Jodha's behavior was outrageous, and after seeing Surya, it added to his fume. On top of it, Jodha's sarcasm while talking to Surya and Kanika bothered Jalal. So, to ignore Jodha, Jalal began to flirt with Kanika. Jalal looked at Kanika with an intense gaze and showed extra interest in her.

Jalal overlooked everyone and praised, "Kanika, you have exceptional taste in Jewelry and clothes. Your Jewelry seems unique and antique. Let me see your bracelet; It's out of the ordinary; I will order the same for my beloved queen Rukaiya."

His beloved queen Rukaiya's piercing words reverted to her heart. Jodha's attention ultimately diverted from others to Jalal. Jalal's sudden attention towards Kanika alarmed her. It was too shocking for her to see him praising her. She thought I have to force him to even talk with me and look at how he is drooling over her, and he never said a word about my dress or Jewelry. With squinted eyes, she gave him an irritated gaze. Jalal saw her upset expression with his cornered eyes. He disregarded her and asked, "Kanika, tell me, do you like Holi?"

Kanika, with her sassy regal arrogant attitude, tweeted, "Oh!! No... Not at all, Shahenshah... I hate Holi. you know it's so messy; I don't want to ruin my skin with all these colors??"

While looking at everyone, Jalal revealed, "I am glad you all are here; this is the first time I will celebrate Holi. Let's hope we all have fun celebrating Holi together." At the end of the sentence, Jalal looked at Kanika and stated, "Right, Kanika."

In a luring tone, Kanika crooned, "Oh sure,...Shahenshah, if you are willing, then I have no problem playing Holi with you. we will have lots of fun."

Now it was Jodha's turn to get jealous, seeing Jalal taking extra interest in Kanika; she fumed. She responded tetchily, " But Kanika, you just said you don't play Holi; it's so messy, and what about your skin?"

To tease Jodha more, Jalal replied instantly, "This time, Kanika will play Holi with us, right, Kanika?"

Kanika excitedly replied, "Oh sure, Shahenshah, I would do anything to please you!"

Jalal, with his impassive face, smirked at Jodha harmlessly as if nothing happened.

Finally, after lunch, they all decided to rest for a while and get back together in two hours.

Jodha casually said, "Shahenshah, why don't you also take a rest?"

With a mysterious smile, Jalal spoke, "I had a sound sleep yesterday with my beautiful queen after many weeks; I am not at all tired; I will go and finish some priority task with Abdul" Jalal watched

Jodha also smirked at his statement and blushed, recalling sleeping in his arms. Everyone else left with Jalal other than Lilavati.

From childhood, Jodha and Lila were best mates. They shared every single secret of their life. "It's been a long time we have talked; if you are not tired, we can sit outside in the fresh air; it is a beautiful day today." Lila requested.

Jodha happily agreed, and they both went outside and sat on a bench. Outside the main hall, they sat on a bench. Jalal was in the main hall, sitting on a daybed waiting for Abdul, he heard a Jodha's voice from the window. He saw Jodha and Lilavati sitting outside, talking to each other. The daybed was so near the window that he could hear their conversation.

Jodha cheerfully said, "Oh...Leela, I am so happy to see you here again. I can't believe we both are married and resting together alone on the same bench and chatting."

"You are right Jodha, just in several months, everything has changed. I have wept and missed you so much. I wanted to come to see you when I heard about your fiancé Suryapratap Singh's death and your sudden wedding, but my father was against your wedding, so he didn't allow me to attend your wedding. I cried, I begged, but it didn't work; I regretted it so much when my friend was in need, and I was not there. I was helpless; please forgive me, Jodha." Lila's tears started flooding out.

Jodha wiped her tears and said, "Forget about the past. It was my destiny, and I don't feel regret for it. I was chosen to save my land, and I am proud of myself for saving my Amer at the cost of my dreams."

After a long pause, to change the mood, Jodha eagerly asked, "Leela, Are you happy?? How are your husband and his family? And I want to know every detail about your first night?" She giggled.

Jalal smirked hearing about the first night.

Lila excitedly replied, "Oh, Jodha, I can't wait to tell you everything. I am so so so happy that I can't describe it in words; I feel like I am the most fortunate person on earth. He not only loves but cares for me, and my in-laws are very loving and caring. He loves me so much that he has promised me that he will never marry again. He treats me so special before I desire; he knows it; he can even hear my unspoken words. Jodha, I never thought falling in love will be this beautiful. You know when I requested him that I wanted to come here to see you, without any question, he dropped his primary task and consented to come with me."

Jodha contently said, "Lila, I am so pleased; my dear mate found the love of her life. But you do deserve it; you are so nice and caring anyone would fall in love with you."

Lila warily asked, "Jodha, how is your life?? I probably know it was challenging for you to adjust in Agra, but I observed in Shahenshah's eyes, he does care about you a lot."

Jodha didn't know where to start from; she took a deep sighed out and continued, "Lila, I had never imagined that my life would change this drastically. I wanted a simple life like yours; I envy you so much. I am the Queen of Hindustan, but you know Jalal has three official wedded wives and more than five hundred queens and thousands of concubines in his harem. Everything is so different in Agra; I feel like I am trapped in the dungeon. Women have so many restrictions there, and no one knows about our culture. Jalal didn't even know the meaning of Aarti, Sindoor." Bit by bit Jodha's tears began to free out; she continued in a hoarse voice, "I have not told anyone, Lila, but we have not consumed our marriage yet.

Jalal closed his eyes, pain smeared through his core. Even though he knew everything, but hearing words from her was heart-shattering.

"What? Why?" Lila asked worriedly.

After a small pause, she continued pouring her heart out, "Lila, I have fallen deeply in love with him that I fear if I accept him, I will not be able to live without him. He doesn't love me, but I know he likes me a lot. I have often felt he genuinely cares for me, but still, I don't know if he has trust in me. Lila, his one tiny touch makes me crazy. I want his love... I crave his love... I just want him to love me... I cannot share him with so many women. I don't want to wait for him for months to see his one gaze, but that's my destiny. I have to share him among thousands of women. So I have decided that I will never let him come close to me. You know he is my first love, and sadly, I know he will never love me the way I love him. He claims that he doesn't have a heart to love; therefore, I decided to keep my distance, so I don't feel possessive about him."

"Jodha, I have seen a longing in his eyes for you. He is probably craving for you too. You cannot keep him away; you disrespect marital vows, Jodha; I noticed Shahenshah is too possessive for you. As far as my information, he has fulfilled all your conditions; Amer is much more secure and protected under Mughals. I understand his harem is filled with women, but Rajvanshi kings have multiple wives; we have seen that; you have to accept your destiny." Lila advised while wiping Jodha's tears.

Lila, the reality is very different from the books and words; I also understand he has to fulfill his duty, but I feel unbearable pain in my heart whenever I see him with queen Rukaiya. I think he loves her and she is also his best friend and special queen. She is everything to him; she manages the harem and helps him in political matters. I have often seen him with other queens. I cried when I was alone; it was too painful, unbearable. I don't know why I am so possessive about him. I am so tired of my life; I don't want to go back to Agra and don't want to stay in Amer without seeing him. Many times, thoughts emerged in my mind to end my worthless life. In Agra, no one likes me in his harem; some of them treat me as an ordinary maid, but I have learned to ignore them, and I don't blame them. I didn't bend down to his wishes; therefore, he treated me poorly, so everyone in the Palace treats me the same way. I am not blaming him; he tried to reconcile with me a few times, but I have not let him come close to me because of my dilemma. I don't think he ever accepted me as his wife in front of others. My value in the Palace is less than a piece of furniture. I have heard such bitter words from them that I've even forgotten how to fight for my self-respect. I have learned to walk out without any response quietly."

Leela regretfully said, "Ohh, Jodha, you have altered so much. Entire Rajvanshi called you a fiery princess. Why have you stopped fighting? Why do you let other queens treat you poorly?"

Jodha was sobbing deeply, "Leela, you know that if your husband doesn't respect you, no one else respects you, and when I was getting married, I knew what I was getting into."

Jalal closed his eyes, hearing her pain; it was unbearable for him.

Jodha continued with a sad tone, "Anyway, I am proud of my sacrifice, at least my Amer is safe, my family is happy, but I only have one regret that I will never be able to give myself to him." Jodha was in so much pain; this was the first time she was able to talk about her fears and feelings to someone. Lila hugged her with tears in her eyes. They both were so much in sorrow; they couldn't say a single word. Jodha cried her heart out, and Lila hugged her to give her warmth.

Jalal got shocked hearing everything. He never imagined that this is what was in her heart and mind. He didn't know that she feared losing him, which is why she is keeping herself away from him. Jalal felt her ache in his heart.

While sobbing, she continued, "Lila, I love him so much that I can't imagine my single minute without him, but he doesn't love me, and he never will; I have a fear once I give myself completely to him, he might not come to me again. What if I am just a one-night stand for him?"

Lila wiped her tears and said, "Jodha, don't think like that; I saw in his eyes that he deeply cares about you. He likes you."

Jodha said regretfully, "Lila, I know he likes me, and he will give me everything, but not his heart. He claims that he doesn't have a heart. If I accept him, then my expectations will increase, and it will kill me if I have to wait for him for days to come to me. In the current situation, we don't have any expectations from each other."

Jalal realized what Jodha wants; Jodha wants his heart and love; at least now he knew what was stopping her. He learned how possessive she is about him. She can't share him with anyone. He didn't know how to react to this.

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Chapter 15

After hearing Jodha's agony, 'Jalal felt sudden heartache; instead of feeling cheerful, he felt restless. He always thought that she could not forgive him for his past deed, but her problem is worse than he ever imagined. Jodha is running away from her own feelings. She wants to possess my love for herself only, and she knows that I will never be able to give her that, so she decided never to accept me. As he recalled her wording, he rolled his hand through his hair frustratingly. She loves me, but she hates being my queen. Does she really feel like she is trapped in a confined? Does she feel suffocated with me? I guess she would rather be happy being a Rajvanshi, probably with Surya. She thinks her friend Leela is more fortunate than her; she envies her. What the hell; she is a queen of Hindustan, and that's not enough for her. I can't believe that she desires to have her life, and she still curses her destiny.' Jalal bitterly muttered silently.

A chain of mixed thoughts was running through his mind.

He deeply sighed. 'I was waiting to confess her love for me for so long, but now after hearing it, why it feels so shallow? I don't know much about love, but one thing for sure, she doesn't love me. Why don't I feel as happy as I should?? Does she really love me? Or it's just she thinks that she loves me? Why she put herself into conditions? If she loves me, then why she can't accept me with who am I? Every second we spend together is precious for me, but apparently not for her.'

He smirked bitterly at his confusion. 'He had never visualized even in his dream that she loves him so much and to this extent of possessiveness, and it bothers her that he has so many women in his life. Isn't it just an excuse to avoid me?'

He tried to give reasons to her thinking, 'Probably she feels this way because we are from different cultures, which is why I never thought from her point of view. I never realized that she dreamed of having a husband who has only one queen. What she wishes and demands are more than I can give. I have to fulfill my responsibilities towards other queens. Somewhat I feel her love for me is calculative and conditional.

I hope one day, she could read my underlying emotions for her. I will never admit that she is significantly more important in my life, perhaps more than queen Rukaiya. Certain feelings do not require words to express them; you have to feel them. The day you understand my unspoken words, your fears will disappear. Jodha, your love for me has probably not grown deep enough to understand me. How could you possibly think that I wanted you only for one night? Why are you so unsecured? Can't you see in my eyes? Can't you read my unspoken words? Can't you feel your tears shatter me?

I guess I am elated because at least you think that you love me, but at the same time, I am hurt to hear this bitterness.

Jalal was confused and was having mixed thoughts. On one side, he did understand her pain and was happy to know that she loves him so much, but on the other side, he was upset that she doesn't trust him and she doesn't like being his wife.

Abdul's arrival sidetracked Jalal when he was deeply lost in his chain of thoughts when he was standing by the window.

Seeing Jalal's lost and puzzled face, Abdul worriedly asked, "Shahenshah, Is everything good?"

Jalal masked his inner turmoil and took Abdul to the other corner of the chamber so Abdul cannot hear Jodha and Lila's continued conversation. Jalal inquired further about the security and other arrangements for their journey towards Agra. He was concerned since Jodha was going to travel with him back to Agra, and they had only twenty Soldiers with them.

"Yes, Shahenshah, everything is secured, and I have arranged for the entire journey." Abdul skimmed at Jalal again; he immediately understood something was bothering Jalal. They were childhood friends, and Jalal always shared his personal feelings with him.

Abdul asked in an anxious tone once again, "Shahenshah, is everything alright? You are looking a little lost. "

"You are right, Abdul, today I am lost, and for the first time in my life, I can't find a way out... I am unable to understand my own feelings, " Jalal responded in a dim, sad tone.

"Shahenshah... Can I ask you something?" Abdul asked cautiously

Slowly Jalal lifted his eyes to read; he noticed his left foot was flexing out of nervous reaction, then dryly reacted, "Hmmm."

"Are you in love?" Abdul warily asked in a low tone.

Jalal, with shaken expression, replied too quickly, "NO! NO Way! Abdul... I am the Shahenshah E Hindustan, and I do not own a heart. How can I possibly love someone when I don't have a heart?" then, with resentment, Jalal asked bitterly, "Why are you asking me this question?"

Abdul smirked sarcastically at Jalal, "Do you know Jalal, when you came to know that queen Jodha was innocent, your immediate reaction was dreadful. I have never seen you in this much pain in your life. I never imagined that you could cry for your mistake. When you were screaming out loud in agony, you confess your feeling unknowingly, "Yaa Allah... Why I have tarnished my LOVE?"

Jalal's disappointed eyes quaked; in a peevish tone, he retorted while gripping the side of the couch firmly, "Abdul, don't cross your confines. I do not recall saying Anything like that. I do not love Jodha; No way... It was my grave mistake to misunderstand her, so when I realized the truth, I was in dreadful condition because I had punished her cruelly, but that does not mean that I love her. I felt guilty at that time, and in extreme guilt, my tears came out; it was just that moment's weakness. I don't love anyone... Never forget Jalal does not have a heart to love."

Abdul sardonically replied, "Shahenshah, I have known you for many years... I can tell you one thing for sure that you are in denial of the process of falling in love. First, you hated her to your extreme, and then you're hate turned into companionship, closeness, building trust, and followed by denial mode and possessiveness. I can see it in your eyes; when you see queen Jodha, your face glows, and your eyes sparkle with a hidden smile. You have never cared about any woman like this in the past, not even queen Rukaiya. Even in your hatred, you cared about queen Jodha. Jalal, you can hide your feelings from everyone, even yourself, but not from me. I know you too well; she means the world to you."

Jalal got up from the couch; he gazed at Abdul with a depressing gaze, then turned his face toward the window then he directed in a stern tone, "Abdul, you may go now, and I don't want to discuss this any further. I don't want to waste my time in useless talks."

Abdul grinned scornfully at him and walked out of the hall.

Jalal released a deep, relieved breath while looking at Jodha, but along with a dreadful thought, his mind dwelled once again; Am I in love with Jodha? Why am I thinking so much about her? Why her forgiveness is so important to me? Why her pain gives me heartache? Why every statement made by her impact me so deeply? He was emotionally charged up but was not ready to admit his own inner feelings for Jodha. He knew that he was yearning for her to love him unconditionally; he knew that she became his obsession, and he can't live without her, but he couldn't accept that he was in love with her. It really bothered his manly ego that she hated being his wife... She envies her friend and wishes to have her friend's life. Jodha had unknowingly crushed his self-esteem again.

As Jalal reached the window, he heard Lila talking to Jodha.

"Jodha, you need to accept him the way he is; you can not hold down to the past and hide behind your possessive fears. If you love him, trust him, then don't put your confines; set him free if he truly yours, then he will come back to you." Lila advised.

"Lila, believe me, I have tried, but he has failed every time. He takes one step towards me and takes ten steps backward. I wish I could tell you what happened with every detail; I am just keeping to myself; if you come to know why I am in Amer; what your dearest friend has suffered, you would advise never to put my feet in Agra. No honorable women would forgive. I wish I could tell everything, but now I am bound to a marriage relation; so, his honor is mine, I can't share the details. He is here to reconcile with me, and I forgive him, but I will never accept him. Maybe one day, I will allow him to fulfill his marital rights, but I will not let my heart tangle again. I will protect my soul. Lila, I have too much bitterness inside me; but I am feeling relieved talking to you, feeling as if with my tears washing my bitterness." Jodha closed her eyes to gulp the pain.

Lila hugged to comfort her. She silently prayed to god to show a path to Jodha.

To divert Jodha's mind, Lila said in a concerned tone, "Jodha, something has happened to Surya; in the last few months, he has changed so much. He hardly talks to anyone; Bapusa (Dad) and Surya had a big fight. Surya was so upset that bapusa did not allow him to support Amer against the Mughals. Since then, I have not seen one smile on his face. He became so short-tempered and grouchy. I don't know what has happened to him suddenly. I am so thankful to Sukanya; she stands by him in this difficult time. She even came to my wedding and stayed with me for four weeks."

Jodha, with puzzled gape, replied, "Oh... but what has happened to him suddenly? He looked fine today; he was normal and excited to see me. I will talk to him; you don't worry, and I know my little sister is grownup now."

As Jodha and Lila were busy talking, Surya walked up to them with a smile on his face and sat next to Jodha.

Seeing Surya there, Lila thought she should leave them alone, so Jodha can determine what is bothering him. Lila said, "Let me go and check on him (her hubby) and left from there, leaving Jodha and Surya alone.

"So Jodha... ready for Holi??" Surya began a casual conversation.

"Yes, of course... Are you ready to color your face like a monkey-like every year?? "Jodha jested.

"Hmmm... Let's see who looks like a monkey this year..." He answered while looking at her intently.

"So, tell me, Surya, what's going on. Last time when you came to the palace, I was not in a state to even talk to anyone, but you don't seem happy." Jodha asked him concernedly.

He heavily exhaled out and sadly continued while looking deeply into her eyes, with love, "Jodha, I have really missed you. You have no idea how desperately I have missed you. Why has everything changed??"

Jodha felt uncomfortable with his sudden approach and replied in a casual tone to hide her awkwardness, "Surya, nothing has changed. I am still that same Jodha, but why are you looking at me like this, as if you have never seen me before." She really felt awkward with his constant stare; he never acted like this before.

Surya, without breaking gaze at her, gloomily replied, "Jodha, after your marriage, I have seen you all dressed up as married women, and you look so beautiful in sindoor and flower jewelry. I have never seen you this beautiful. You really are glowing." Surya was again lost and started gazing at her passionately.

Jodha felt very uncomfortable talking to him alone for the first time in her life. She instantly got up from there with an excuse, "Let me see if Jalal and everyone else is ready to play Holi." but before she could leave, Surya captured her wrist and said in an insisting tone, "I need to talk to you." Jodha could not deny his request, so unwillingly, she sat again on the bench next to him.

On the other side, Jalal was boiling in anger seeing Surya holding Jodha's hand. His intense sound created a fire inside him. How dare he said Jodha looks beautiful, and Jalal got more upset at Jodha seeing her sitting next to him after his obvious flirting. He knuckled his wrist to control his anger.

After a pause of silence, Surya continued with a deep sorrowful tone, "Jodha, after your marriage, I have realized that I am madly in love with you. I am incomplete without you."

With an extreme shock, Jodha got up from the bench angrily, but before she could say Anything, Surya demandingly requested, "Jodha, please let me finish. I understand it's too late; you are married now, but it was killing me inside. Since your marriage, I haven't slept peacefully, even for one night. I was concerned and scared for you, whatever I have heard about Jalal, it scared me and made me more worried about you. Everyone knows that he is a womanizer and has hundreds of women in his harem; he doesn't respect Hindu people. I was terrified for you, Jodha; I deeply feel guilty for not supporting Raja Bharmal in the war. It was not in my hand, but at least I could have supported your father in the war to save your dignity. Jodha, I always knew you were more than a friend for me, but I never realized how I felt about you until I had completely lost you. I LOVE U Jodha... I love you so much; I can never love anyone else." Surya and Jodha both had tears in their eyes.

Jodha was hurt seeing Surya in so much pain with lots of concern; she said, "Surya... you are my best friend; perhaps more than a friend. I still remember those days when we were little kids and spent hours playing together, but my destiny is Jalal, and it's all written beforehand. At the beginning of my marriage, I cursed Kanah(God) and myself for my fate, but what we heard about Jalal is not true. We both hated each other to the extreme initially, but even in his hate, he always took care of me. Now we both respect each other; Surya cares about me a lot. He has a very good heart, but it is lost somewhere in his past. He has gone through a terrible time; with all the betrayals he has gone through in his life, he cannot trust anyone. His betrayal made him ruthless and heartless, but Surya, you need to understand very clearly that everyone's destiny is written beforehand, and you have to accept the truth that I can never be yours. Surya, I am madly in love with Jalal, and I have given him my heart for the next seven lives."

With little anger, Surya pulled Jodha towards him and said, "Jodha, I don't think you love him. I can see in your eyes there is love for me; don't lie to me that you love Jalal."

Jodha, with anger, got up from the bench and pushed him away. "Surya, No, I don't love you, and I have never loved you."

Surya realized he went too far in his emotions. He instantly controlled his emotions and said in a regretting tone, "Jodha, I am sorry for everything that just happened; I just want your happiness and our innocent friendship. Please forgive me; this will never happen again."

With a cold smile, Jodha responded, "Surya, you are my best friend and will remain that forever" with awkward feelings, she got up and started walking towards the hall.

Surya casually yelled, "Jodha, wait, I am going for sword practice, do you want to join me?"

Jodha looked back and said, "I would love to, but I have to do lots of preparations for the Holi function; some other time, maybe."

Jalal saw and heard their conversation's every word; he was burning with fire inside.

How could Surya love Jodha? How dare he touched her? She belongs to me only. He was flaming in Jealousy. He smacked his hands hard on the wall to control his rage.

Jalal quickly came out of the hall and said, "Jodha, I am going for sword practice. Do you want to join?"

Surya replied instead of her, "Jodha is busy with Holi preparations, but I am going for sword practice. Let's go practice together; I would really like to see If you can stand against Jodha or not!" His sound was filled with challenging sarcasm.

Jalal snapped back, "It's been too long my shamshir (sword) hasn't gotten a chance to taste Rajvanshi blood."

Jodha heard Jalal's sarcasm and realized what Jalal was doing? But before she could say Anything... Surya instantly countered with a challenging tone, "See you at the practice ground," then he left.

Jalal wickedly smirked at Surya, but his frustration was clearly visible on his face. Both of their tones showed an extreme need to defeat each other... intense Jealousy and anger were boiling inside them. It was a perfect opportunity for Jalal to take his fire out at him and crush his (Surya's) pride with his sword.

Jodha asked exasperatingly, "Shahenshah, what is in your mind? Make sure it's just a practice fight. Don't hurt Surya."

With fury, Jalal raised his eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes and countered in a deceptively calm tone, "OH so my dear queen is worried more for her friend than she so-called husband. It seems like you care about him more than you do about me."

Jodha sensed his pulping Jealousy towards Surya, "Shahenshah, you misunderstand me. I care about you more than anyone, but I also know you very well; when you are angry, you can't control yourself, and you make unforgivable mistakes. I just want to remind you once again; this is just a practice fight, and if you lose your temper and hurt Surya, I will never forgive you. "She warned him in a stern tone.

Seeing Jodha defending Surya, Jalal lost all of his endurance. He bitterly gazed at her and austerely said in a thick tone, "Pray to your Kanah(God) for your Surya, to save him from my wrath."

Jalal could not accept the fact that someone else can love Jodha. His Jealousy was at the peak, and Jodha added fumes to it. Seeing his intention, Jodha decided to join to see the fight; practically, she shivered, seeing extreme anger and the monster in his eyes.

Surya and Jalal both entered the practice area. Jalal looked at him and said, "Surya, there is no fun in the contest unless there is a challenge."

"What is your challenge?" Surya answered arrogantly.

Jalal countered deviously with an impassive face, "Surya, if I win, then you will have to give me what I ask for, and if you win, you can ask for anything."

Surya sarcastically, "Anything? Are you sure?" His question was more in terms of the statement.

Jalal could read in his eyes a deep desire for Jodha.

Jalal's eyes turned dark, his jaw scrunched, but his expression remained unreadable, and then he replied acidly, "Yes!!!Anything!!!" while scanning around, Jalal thought; Surya, I can't wait to show you the real sword fight; it seems like you have not seen a real warrior yet.

Surya impatiently replied, underestimating Jalal's skill, "Looks like it's the biggest challenge of your life Shahenshah."

Jalal snapped back at him. "You are right about that, Surya; I indeed have many precious things to lose. It must be so easy for you, but it's not that easy for me." Jalal paused and grinned at him wickedly and continued, "So do you accept it." Once again, he made sure Surya accepts the challenge...

"I accept your challenge Shahenshah." Surya arrogantly replied.

Jalal purposely looked at Jodha darkly and smiled at her ruefully when he accepted the challenge himself.

Seeing Jalal's intentions, Jodha forgot to breathe for a few seconds out of extreme fear.

Jalal moved his sword in small circles to warm up, and then they started their fight. Jalal waited for his first attack to see his strength. Surya attacked Jalal's chest first. Jalal blocked it with a strong attack back on him, then with a sudden and very fast, aggressive fling, he attacked Surya with his arms and ran towards him to make it harder for him to hit.

Jalal was very much impressed with his defense and his strong attacks and tricks. They both were continually attacking each other with different skills. A few times, Jalal lost his balance, but he quickly recovered too.

Jalal unexpectedly jumped with few flings and attacked Surya. Surya lost his balance, and witnessing this, Jodha screamed out of fear, "Surya watch out" Her concern for Surya and the sudden scream distracted Jalal's mind. His mind was diverted for a few seconds as he looked towards Jodha, and Surya took advantage of the opportunity and controlled his balance and attacked Jalal on his shoulder. Jalal got injured on his shoulder and his chest; his left shoulder began to bleed.

Seeing Jalal injured, Jodha's tears began to flood out; she didn't know whom to stop. With extreme anger, Jalal fought back with double strength and speed. Within a few minutes, Jalal trapped Surya's sword and knocked him on a side with a strong push; Surya lost his balance. Before Surya could gain his control back, Jalal flings his sword away from him with a swift and aggressive move, and his sword stopped at Surya's neck and glanced at Jodha with fuming rage in his eyes and disappointment.

Jalal threw his sword away and extended his hand towards Surya to help him get up. A winning smirk crawled on Jalal's face; his ego got satisfied with his winning.

Surya genuinely smiled at Jalal and respectfully said, "Shahenshah, I am so happy you have won; I am glad my best friend's husband is fearless and a great warrior. Shahenshah, as per the challenge, you can ask Anything from me, so tell me what you want from me."

Jalal sarcastically replied while gazing at Jodha, "Surya, I am glad you understood who is well-deserving of precious things." He briefly paused and continued while keeping his steady gaze a Jodha, "When the right time comes, I will ask for it, so remember your Rajvanshi promise."

Jodha felt relieved at the end of this jealous war between them. Seeing Jalal's hand full of blood, Jodha ran towards Jalal with concern; she held his hand with care and asked: "Is it painful?"

Jodha had wounded his ego when she supported Surya during the fight. He replied sarcastically with a bitter gaze, "These wounds are nothing compared to the wounds you gave me today." With a jerk, he took his hand from her hand and walked out from there.

Jalal, Jodha, and Surya entered the main hall together. Kanika was seating on the divan. She saw Jalal was bleeding and used the opportunity to show her concern; she loudly yelled, "Oh my god, Shahenshah! You are badly injured. What happened??" She ran towards Jalal and held him close to give him support. Jalal also used this opportunity to annoy Jodha; he continued walking with Kanika.

Kanika shouted, "Dasi(maid), Bring turmeric paste for the wound." Jalal put his hand on Kanika's shoulder to annoy Jodha. Kanika got excited seeing Jalal's interest in her.

Kanika instantly misunderstood and thought that Jalal is interested in her; he likes her attention and looks like he doesn't care about Jodha. This is the perfect chance to be a queen of Hindustan.

Jodha ignored Kanika and came near Jalal to support him and help him, but Jalal avoided even looking at her.

Reva brought the turmeric paste for Jalal; Kanika asked timidly in a whispering tone, "Shahenshah do you want me to apply for the medicine on your wounds?"

Jalal crossly gawked at Jodha; then, with a little grin, he responded to Kanika while looking at Jodha, "Yes, sure, Kanika, you are very caring and loving." then instantly he took off his kurta (top), so she can put medicine.

Jodha got irritated and felt jealous seeing Kanika so close to Jalal.

In a low tone, Kanika said, "Shahenshah, can you please sit on this divan so that I can rub the medicine properly..."

Jalal sat there without any hesitation. It was a small divan; Kanika sat next to him and began to rub the medicine softly while gazing at his strong muscular shoulder. After putting the medication, she helped Jalal in putting his top back on. She leaned on him very close a few times; even Jalal felt uncomfortable.

Jodha was standing there in a corner and quietly watching them; she was burning in a blaze of Jealousy. Her anger was at the highest peak. She looked at Jalal disappointedly.

Surya was also surprised by Jalal's behavior. Jodha was very annoyed and mad, so she decided to walk out from there.

She saw a bowl of flower jewelry on the way, and to gain Jalal's attention; she decided to make him jealous and teach him a lesson. She took a hair veil made out of Roses for herself, and in a seductively sweet and loving tone, she requested, "Surya, how is this veil??"

Surya could sense why she suddenly changed her tone. Even he didn't like Jalal's behavior and ignorance towards Jodha. He purposely replied loudly, "Jodha... it's wonderful, and this will add charm to your beauty."

As soon as Surya praised Jodha's beauty, Jalal's anger started to simmer gradually. As per Jodha's plan, his mind got diverted from Kanika.

Jodha and Surya both knew Jalal was listening and watching them. To sidetrack him from Kanika and make him more Jealous, Jodha gazed at Surya intensely and then with a puppy face; she requested, "Surya, can you please put this veil in my hair??"

"Oh, sure!" Surya replied with an amusing grin on his face, knowing what game Jodha was playing to make Jalal jealous... he carefully put the veil in her hair.

To add more fumes, Jodha asked him, "How does it look??"

Surya glanced at her passionately without a blink for a while; he forgot Jodha was playing to make Jalal envy. He murmured loudly, "Jodha; your beauty doesn't need any rose veil. Your face always glows like a rose."

Jalal was prudently listening and watching them with a hostile look. His simmering anger made him lose all his patience; he couldn't hold himself anymore. He swiftly got up from the divan, walked near them and gave a dreadful look to Surya, and harshly pulled out the Rose veil from Jodha's hair and said in a thick tone, "Jodha, you look even more ugly in this" his scorching Jealousy was obviously visible in his eyes.

She responded to his exasperation in the same manner; she looked at him with the same fume and replied in a thick tone, "Shahenshah, excuse me, but I have not asked for your opinion. Why don't you give your opinion to Kanika and spend the rest of the afternoon chatting with her? I will fix my hair myself, and I very well know why suddenly you think that I am ugly looking." She wrinkled her nose at him angrily and moved all her long beautiful, opened hair from back to front while leaving her entire back exposed unknowingly. She was wearing a backless blouse and low waist Chania (skirt). Her dupatta covered very little of her back; she started walking off from both of them. Her delicate, curvy back was looking too sexy. Jalal noticed Surya was staring at her lustfully. Jalal utterly lost his temper; his anger was not in his control anymore. He swiftly walked towards her, and while walking, he shouted out loud, "JODHA... STOP"

Jodha instantly turned towards him with a bothered gaze. Jalal, with an extreme fiery look, held her wrist very tightly with one hand. Seeing Jalal's simmering anger, Jodha got really scared. Jalal harshly grabbed her hair from the front and brought them back to cover her backless blouse with his second hand. Jodha immediately realized why he moved her hair at the back and why he lost his temper. His eyes widened and turned red; in anger, Jalal forgot that he held Jodha's hand. He gripped her hand very cruelly, her glass bangle broke and pricked inside her vein, she began to bleed profoundly from her hand.

Jodha winced in pain; tears prickled out of her cheeks. She tried to release herself from his grip, but Jalal's anger was at the peak. He couldn't see her pain or hear her wince. He didn't even realize she was bleeding severely. Darkness entirely took over his senses.

Jodha shouted, "Shahenshah, You are hurting me." Her voice did not reach Jalal's ears. She screamed again with sobs, "Jalal... it hurts..." When she called him by his name and sobbed, Jalal came back to his senses, and then only he felt her blood in his hand and realized she got hurt by him and started to bleed. Seeing Jodha's blood, his face was filled with terror; he forgot everything. He loudly roared, "Call hakim (doctor), before anyone could think. Jodha ran away towards her room.

Moti came running and brought turmeric paste to apply on her wounds. Jalal took the paste from Moti and ran towards Jodha's chamber. Surya and Kanika were shocked; everything happened so quickly. Surya felt guilty for what just happened.

Jodha came to her chamber and cleaned her hand with water, but the bleeding did not stop. Her tears were flowing down her cheeks. Jalal went into the room; he felt guilty, seeing her hand full of blood. Without looking at him, she yelled in a harsh tone, "Leave me alone, Shahenshah."

Jalal ignored her request and carefully took her hand in his hand and applied turmeric paste to the wound to stop the bleeding. Seeing her condition, Jalal felt completely broken and vulnerable.

Jodha looked at him with hatred and disgusting gaze, then said with cynicism, "We play Holi with Gulal Shahenshah...not blood" Then, with fury, she pulled her hand away from his hand and with anger, she continued, "Leave me alone Shahenshah; you can never change. I hate you; please leave and don't waste your time on me; Kanika is probably feeling lonely." Words came out of her mouth without even thinking.

Jalal gulped her harsh words and replied in a guilty tone, "Jodha, why do you like to make me angry. You know, once I am angry, then I have no control over myself."

"What have I done wrong, and why do I have to face your anger all the time?" Jodha sadly replied

Seeing her stubborn attitude finally, Jalal began to lose his control again; he replied in a stern tone, "Jodha, you are my queen, and how could you behave like this?? In Agra, you always put ghoonghat (sari's veil) and cover yourself. What happened here? "

Jodha irritably replied, "You are forgetting Shahenshah; this is my home, and this is how I have grown up here. There is no need to be in ghoonghat or parda(veil). In the Amer, everyone is my own people. We don't have restrictions on women like in Agra for daughters to cover with a veil." Then in a low tone, she murmured, "In Agra, we have to take even permission to breathe Even."

Her silent murmur hurt Jalal intensely. An entire day's events came in front of his eyes. He recalled every word said by Jodha, how Jodha feels about him, his Jealousy. His helplessness converted into extreme bitterness and resentment. He lost all his senses and replied egoistically, "Queen Jodha, if you feel suffocated in Agra... If you think Agra is like a jail. If you think I am not the right life partner for you, you will not have to come with me tomorrow. I don't want to force you to come with me; I want you to be happy. If you think you will be happy without me, I am giving you all the freedom you want. You just said in Amer everyone is your own people, and I can see you have excellent friends here; people around you love you a lot. You can spend the rest of your life here. You will be free... No restrictions... No Jalal... No Agra... No suffocation... No hatred... As per your wish and desire, we have not consumed our relation yet. You can marry again and start afresh life, where you will not have to share your husband with anyone. I know! I am not your dream, man; you are free to fulfill your dreams."

Finally, he said, "Jodha, my happiness is in your happiness; either you accept me the way I am, or you are free to stay back in Amer if you want. If you don't want to accept me as your husband and don't want to give me my right as your husband, then you can stay back in Amer." Jalal's manly ego was hurt to the extreme. He couldn't take it that Jodha thinks he is not the right husband for her and doesn't like Agra. Finally, he said bitterly, "If you want to stay in Amer, I am ready to give you Talaq (Divorce)."

Jodha's eyes widen with extreme shock; without a blink, she stared at him. It took her a few seconds to comprehend what he just said in his anger and ego. She had no clue suddenly where all this was coming from? Her face turned red, and she looked like someone had just slapped on her cheeks harshly. She was still standing there frozen and in shock. The sound of the word Talaq (Divorce) echoed in her mind louder and louder again and again. She felt completely broken, hearing the word Talaq. She had no strength left to say even a word.

Jalal immediately realized after saying what he had done in Jealousy and anger, but it was too late. His harsh words were already shot out. He was shocked to see Jodha's reaction. In a fraction of a second, she looked like someone had taken the life out of her body; she looked in awful condition.

Jalal shook her with a panic attack, "Jodha."

Jodha came back to her senses. She asked him in a thick, deadly tone, "Do you want to give me 'Talaq'? You are giving me an option that either I accept you or leave you?" Tears spill out from her silent eyes. She wiped her tears and continued before he could answer her question with a declaration of her decision "As per your wish Shahenshah; I have made my decision. I will come to Agra and accept your condition. I will do everything as per your wish." Her expression was unreadable, and the tone was deceptively soft. She glanced at him impassively; with no expression, with silent tears, she folded her hands and requested him in a clipped, stern, and authoritatively calm tone, "Can you please leave me alone for a few minutes?"

Jalal had never seen her that terrifying. Her calmness and deadly soft but clipped tone, and impassive eyes scared him to his core. He shivered, thinking about what she is up to? She looked and sounded dangerously calm. Jalal immediately felt she was up to something, and there's no use in talking to her right now; she is too angry to speak. Jalal, without saying Anything, walked out from her chamber fearfully.

Jalal cursed himself for his brutal anger and felt really frustrated at himself for not controlling his anger; he never wanted Jodha's acceptance forcefully.

Jodha gathered herself, changed her dress, wore the most expensive and gorgeous beautiful dress with beautiful Srinagar (makeup) and amazing Jewelry, and got ready to attend the Holi function.

Jodha walked into the main hall with Royal dress up and in Ghoongat. She was dressed like a newly wedded bride. Everyone was surprised to see Jodha all dressed up. Jalal got really scared witnessing this change in Jodha. Her calmness with ghoongat, the deep silence in her eyes, a painfully fake smile on her face. After seeing this change in Jodha, he was sure that she was up to something big; he felt as if this is the silence before the Tsunami.

Lila asked Jodha with a surprising tone, "Jodha, why are you dressed up... you know in Holi, your dress and jewelry will be ruined."

Jodha replied, "Lila, I am a married woman now; I need to stay with my limitations with a composed tone. I am the queen of a Mughal Dynasty. I cannot even talk to another man, and I just realized that I am not a kid anymore. You all go; I will stay with masa(mom)."

With Jodha's behavior, Jalal felt broken inside. With an almost pleading tone, Jalal requested, "Jodha; please come with us; I want to enjoy the Holi function together."

Jodha calmly responded, "Shahenshah, please accept my apology, but I will go to the temple and some other places to donate things with masa. That's also a part of Holi. Please go ahead and enjoy" and with a little smile, she walked out from there. Jodha finished other rituals with her mother and didn't play Holi.

Jalal also had no interest in playing Holi without Jodha. After dinner, Jalal went to Jodha's room to relax. He was feeling suffocated with this change in Jodha. His fear was increasing with every passing second.

Jodha came back to her room and calmly requested, "Shahenshah, Can I sleep with Sukanya, Masa, and dadisa(grandmother) tonight? I don't know if I will be able to see them again or not. "

Jalal was extremely shocked by her wordings. He asked, "What do you mean if you will be able to see them again or not?"

Jodha hesitantly replied, "Forgive me; I mean, I don't know when I will see them again."

Jalal wanted to talk to her. She sounded very calm; with this change, Jalal was scared inside. Her eyes were scarier than her calm tone. Her eyes were filled with complete stillness waiting for tornadoes.

Jalal with a fearful sound; "Jodha, can we talk for a little while first, and then you can go."

With request, Jodha replied, "Shahenshah, it is really late, and tomorrow we have to start our journey very early in the morning, and I want to see everyone, all my friends, family in the palace before I leave; I want to give them my memory. And I want to give you something too." Jodha gave him a nicely wrapped painting. Jalal opened the painting, and it was his favorite painting - both of them sleeping under the tree, calmly and peacefully in each other's arms. Seeing the painting, Jalal felt extremely happy and looked at Jodha. Then in a very calm tone, Jodha said, "I want you to remember us like this."

With worry, Jalal thought she gave me a gift, suddenly and why is she saying remember us like this. She is puzzling me; he said soberly, "Jodha, this is a very precious gift. I will keep this with me forever. This was the most peaceful sleep in my entire life. But Jodha, you are really frightening me with your changed behavior and gift. Tell me, what is in your mind?? Please discuss with me."

Jodha smiled at him impassively and said, "Don't worry, Shahenshah. Everything is fine, and I am just one out of many. Shubh Ratri (Good Night) Shahenshah." She went near him, cupped his face with her hands and loving kissed on his forehead and cheeks, and then walked out of the room. Jalal never saw this look in her eyes. He watched her walking out of the chamber. Her deadly silent eyes haunted him with scary thoughts the entire night.

Next morning... Raja Bharmal, Mainawati, Dadisa, and everyone, including Surya, respectfully gave both Jodha and Jalal goodbye wishes. Everyone's eyes were full of tears, and with a heavy heart, they all gave a farewell to Jodha.

They finally started their Journey towards Agra; half-day had passed. They had crossed the border of Amer and entered the deep Jungle.

Since they left, Jalal wanted to apologize to Jodha for his bitter words and Talaq's word (Divorce). His heart didn't get peace for even a second; She didn't allow him to clarify or apologize for his behavior and just quietly accepted his condition without even a single argument. It was hard for him to accept that she just accepted everything without any retort. She loves to argue about every small thing, and he knew very well that something was brewing in her mind, but he failed to comprehend what it was. He knew she loved talking all the time, but her sudden silence and changed behavior made him suffocated.

Winds were blowing high. The night was getting gloomier and gloomier. The moon was brightly shining with his glory. The wintery cold started to give a shiver. At last, after an entire day's journey, they reached their pre-planned destination. They stopped their journey for the night. They were very far from any villages. Everyone's tent was set up ahead of time.

Jalal couldn't wait to see Jodha. He walked towards her Palanquin and gave his hand to support her to come out of it. Jodha came out of the Palki(Palanquin). She gave him a faint smile. Jalal felt relieved seeing her smiling at him and again got surprised with her sudden change. She looked exhausted and pale due to the long journey.

Jalal asked concernedly, "Jodha, How are you feeling? You look very tired, and you have not eaten Anything since morning."

Jodha replied in a mellow tone, "Shahenshah; I would like to talk to you. Can you spend a few minutes with me?"

Jalal warmly smiled and replied, "Jodha, I am desperately waiting to talk to you. If you don't mind, can I go and check on security. I will be back in five minutes."

Jodha insistently requested, "Shahenshah, please, it is essential. I want you to spend the next thirty minutes with me, and then you will have all the time you need."

Her calm sound again creeped out Jalal to his core. He shouted out loud and called Abdul and ordered him to check on the place's security; then, he held Jodha's hand and took her inside his tent without wasting even a second.

Before Jodha could say Anything, Jalal said in a hasty tone, "Jodha, What is in your mind? This change in your attitude is scaring me. I have never felt scared in my life, but I think you are up to something. Please, Jodha, tell me that you have forgiven me for my harsh words. I don't know when I am angry, what happens to me."

Before Jalal continues further, Jodha said in a haste tone, "Shahenshah; I really need to say something."

Jalal noticed her breathing was a little short, and she started to sweat in cold winter.

Jodha looked at him with deep, intense love and continued in a calm tone, "Shahenshah, I want you to know that you have a significant place in my life. I want you to know that I have a lot of respect for you. I know you have a golden heart, and one day you will find it, but promise me that you will never hate me for any of my decisions and will remember me forever." Her heart was scorching while thinking about the consequences. Jalal was sitting on the bed, and Jodha was sitting on the couch. She got up and tenderly cupped his face with intense love in her eyes; tears trickled down on her cheeks.

Jalal was feeling guilty, and her talks gave him a fearful shiver; he held her from her waist and pulled her closer, and asked her with concern, "Jodha, I am feeling suffocated with your silent eyes. Please tell me, why are you talking like this?" Before he could finish talking, blood started to spill out of her mouth. Jalal, with shock, screamed out loudly, "JODHA... JODHA... what have you done?" Then he saw the poison bottle in her hand slid out from her hand and fell on the floor. With a loud cry, Jalal shouted, "Koi hai??"(Is somebody there).

Abdul came running into the tent and saw Jodha in Jalal's arm with blood flooding out of her mouth, and then he noticed the poison bottle on the floor. He got shocked and stood frozen on the spot.

Jalal yelled, "Bring hakim (doctor) Abdul... GO FAST...do something quickly." Everyone was running around to help Jalal... Jodha was resting in Jalal's arms with closed eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes and, with a low tone, said, "Shahenshah, It's no use... I took the poison three hours ago, and you will not find any medicine for it."

Jalal's eyes dazzled with tears; he asked in a pained tone, "Why Jodha...why??"

Jodha, with the same pain, "Shahenshah, please forgive me... I had no other option left. I can't humiliate my parents and can't accept you without my heart's permission."

Jalal cried out loud, "Jodha, I will never forgive you for this." He closed his eyes to control his extreme pain and anger. He was utterly shattered and broken.

Abdul ran inside the tent with a panic tone. "Shahenshah, we don't have an hakim in our group, but there is an Ashram(Hermitage) within the fifteen-minute distance. I am sure we can get some help from there."

Jalal came back to his senses and instantly replied, "Abdul, we don't have time to bring anyone here... it will be too late...we need to take her there immediately."

Jodha was still conscious; she said in a pleading tone, "Please Shahenshah... leave it; nothing can be done now.

Jalal, with tears, roared out loud, "Shut up, you stupid. I will never forgive you for this." He carried her in his arms and swiftly ran towards his horse. Abdul and Jalal rode their horses as fast as they could and reached the Ashram, but Jodha was completely unconscious by that time.

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I hope U R enjoying the story so far

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Do you think Jodha Loves Jalal?

Is Jodha right to ignore him just because she doesn't want to share him with others? Do you think her love is unconditional???

Chapter 16

Chapter – 16 Part 1

It was pitched dark, gloomy night; Six horses ran from the middle of the deep jungle at the speed of a ray. The roar of the tiger frighten Jalal; he knew time was slipping from his hand. He was not scared of a tiger, but every passing minute was scaring him. While riding his recalled her word, 'Many times, thoughts emerged in my mind to end my worthless life.' He cursed himself for not reading her silence. He wanted to reach as fast as possible.

Finally, they reached Pandit Raghavendra's Hermitage. Jalal carried Jodha in his arms; her pulses were dropping precariously. Even in her unconscious state, it was clearly visible that she was struggling to breathe. Her face turned ashen, and her lips turned white. He was losing his patience and senses with each passing second. Soon nervousness and panic captured his intellectual stability.

Jalal impatiently yelled at the top of his voice, "Open the door." He waited for an answer for a few seconds, but instantly he got aggravated. He was not ready to wait any longer for a response, so he kicked the door in an alarming thrust. It was the middle of the night; everyone in the Ashram was sleeping peacefully.

Jalal shouted once again with his piercing screech, "HELP... Can someone help?" his roar awakened every person with a sudden shock. The Hermitage's chief Pandit almost ran in horrified tremor towards the door and glowered at Jalal with little resentment, but soon he understood the situation when he saw Jodha in his arms. Fortunately, Jodha was one of his students; he recognized her immediately.

Jalal anxiously pleaded, "I have no time to explain the details panditji, she requires medical attention quickly. Do you have any Hakim (doctor) in your Hermitage? My wife has drunk poison, and she does not have much time left." He took a brief pause to see Pandit's reaction; when he didn't receive any response from him, he continued in a begging tone, "Please help me, I will give you anything you want, you can take my life, but please cure my queen." Pandit looked at Jalal with a confused expression. His tears and vulnerable condition was painful to watch.

Pandit replied in composing tones, "Please calm down, child, put Jodha on the bed; I will try my best to save her." Jalal got surprised to hear her name, but at that moment, he had no interest in finding out how he knows her name or have any other conversation.

"Do you know how many hours ago she took poison and when she lost her consciousness?" Pandit inquired in a composed manner.

"About three hours ago," Promptly, he responded while staggering with anxiety; his entire body was shivering out of fear. For a while, he had forgotten that he was a king and acted like a common man trying to save his wife. At that moment, he did not care to mask his emotions.

First, Pandit checked her pulse and eyes to see how deeply poison has impacted; his calm and impassive face filled with fearful expressions after checking her vitals.

A graceful old lady Trishla, Pandit's wife, and some students stand near the door, watching Jalal and Jodha. Seeing Pandit's expression, she could tell that Jodha's condition was critical. She was shocked to see a strong man shivering and frightened, Lady Trishla instantly got a glass of water to calm him, but Jalal denied it.

Jalal could see she was sinking; her breathing was too short, and she was struggling to gulp air. She looked in terrible pain; he never felt this scared before in his life; he felt like everything had vanished. His heartbeats were so rapid that his ears began to ring with that. His hands were shaking, and unstoppable tears were flooding out. He did not care that he was crying in front of ordinary people. As always, when it comes to Jodha, he forgot his wits and lost senses; he never imagined, not even in his dreams, that she could take such a drastic step.

A few minutes later, he took a little control over himself, gradually his wisdom came back, and he skimmed through the people and surroundings. His eyes fall on a small Krishna temple in the corner of the room. Right away, he instructed Abdul to take off his shoes out, and he also went out of the room to take off his shoes.

He came inside and sat in front of the Hindu temple, which surprised Abdul. He folded his hands and bent down; his eyes were filled with remorse and tears. He recalled how Jodha lit Diya before praying, so he first lit the Diya (candle) with divine faith and began to pray. In a pleading tone, he prayed, "Lord Krishna, Now Jodha's life is in your hand, so please cure her. She has worshiped you day and night, and also, she has immense faith in you; I am begging you; If you have to take someone's life, then take mine instead of her. I am the one who is the culprit; I deserve to die, not her."

Pandit stopped for a moment when he saw his intense repent in front of God. Abdul was shocked seeing Jalal praying to a Hindu god.

After the prayer, his mind again got diverted towards Jodha. Her condition was getting worse and worse with every passing second. He silently slurred, "Ohh... Jodha, why have you done this? I will never forgive you for this senseless and scary foolishness."

He was walking back and forth, running his hand through his soft, tousled black hair. He was repetitively blabbering and asking Pandit again and again about her condition in a panicked tone."

Abdul was horrified, but he was surprised to see Jalal's condition; he couldn't believe that this is the same person he knew from his childhood. He always stayed calm and controlled under challenging times; even when his father died, he was not this terrified and concerned. Jalal, who always acted as per preplanned strategy and always balanced, was almost awful and unbelievable to see him out of his mind and carried away wholly. His face... His walk... His talk... His fear... everything was obviously visible on his face. None of his emotions were masked. An enormous impatience and nervousness in his sound were freaking him. Abdul was concerned for Queen Jodha, but more for Jalal.

Pandit gave Jodha an ark, so she began to spit out poison and blood from her mouth.

Seeing more blood flooding out from her mouth, Jalal's eyes filled with terror; he sat next to her and murmured while holding her hand tenderly, "Why didn't you kill me instead of punishing me this way. I'd rather die than go through this pain. It feels like my heart is going to burst anytime. Jodha, I am so feared that I am losing all my senses; what if something happens to you? I cannot bear to see you fading. Without you, I will not survive; once again, I will be empty and soulless. Oh god, I don't know why I was cruel; Why I can't control my anger when it comes to you. I guess because you are the only one who has touched my soul and became part of my heart, so I expect more from you. Please come back and forgive me; I will never hurt you like this again. For God, sake, wake up." He burst out with sobbing and tears.

Three hours had passed, but there was no sign of improvement in Jodha. Panditji made Jodha throw up the poison with the help of medications, but still, there was no improvement.

Jalaal asked Panditji repeatedly and impatiently about her condition; he could read evidently that his hopes were sinking as the time passed. Another thirty minutes passed. Jalal began to feel suffocated; his headache increased with extreme pain. He felt like his head would explode soon; suddenly, his body was covered with beads of sweat. Due to severe stress, his heartbeat rapidly increased. His own words began to haunt his ears louder than before. 'Talaq (Divorce)' He sensed his body his giving up slowly.

By every passing second, he was losing his little leftover patience. For a few times, he even lost his temper and manners when he noticed no improvement and has not only shouted, but threatened Pandit, "If something happens to Jodha, I will not spare you." and then a few seconds later, he apologized for his action. Lastly, Panditji stopped paying attention to Jalal. He could see that he is nervous and worrying about the unknown. Panditji, without any response to Jalal's acts, was quietly doing his best, treating Jodha. It was still dark but close to morning. After six hours of treatment, there was no improvement in her condition; even it got worse to a point Pandit was counting silently her last few breaths left. Her breathing became extremely slow; her pulse was almost nil. She was not indeed struggling to breathe; her chest slowly moved up and down; as if no strength was left to proceed further.

Panditji, with a frightened and troubled expression, at last, he declared in a low tone, "I don't think I will be able to do anything more. I have given her anti-poison medication to reverse the effects of poison, but I don't see any effect so far. It seems like she has given up; her inner strength and desire to fight has died. Seems like she has only a few more breath left. Unfortunately, it is out of my hands to save her now."

Jalal couldn't believe what he heard and saw; his heart started beating faster, his blood boiled up with worry; his anxiety was at an extreme. He started feeling short of breathing. He said in a stammering tone, "No... Jodha...No Jodha... You cannot leave me. I will not let you go." Suddenly, he lost his balance; he couldn't stand still... his legs felt like jello... his vision began to fade. He could not see Jodha clearly; within seconds, he collapsed next to her bed on the floor.

Abdul and Panditji both got terrified seeing Jalal's condition. Pandit loudly said, "He got a panic attack." He instructed Abdul to start rubbing his legs and loosen up his clothes.

As soon as he lost consciousness from the real world, he saw a vision in his unconscious state; he was running frightened in a very dark cave-like a crazy man, there was no one around, and he was alone, it was pitch dark, and he was screaming madly "JODHA... JODHA."

His eyes were pouring with unstoppable tears. He just ran aimlessly; Soon, far away, he saw a dim brightness with his low faded vision, ran even faster towards the light, his tears were making his vision blurred. He wiped his tears coarsely to see further. When he saw Jodha, standing close to the light waiting for him to catch up, once again, he felt his heart began to beat. He ran as fast as he could towards the bright radiance of his life. He could see she didn't cross towards the light as she was waiting for him precisely between dark and light crossover. Instantly he realized that, once she crossover, he will lose her forever. He knew she was going away from him to an unseen world. He shouted out loudly, "Jodha, wait for me," she was fighting and struggling to wait for him, but some unknown force was pulling her to cross over. She heard his loud sound; she turned back with teary eyes and stopped for a second and shouted so Jalal could listen to her. "Jalal, I don't want to go."

He reached near her and tried to grab her hands, but she was out of his reach. They were able to see each other clearly. In a pleading tone, Jalal said, "Jodha, Please don't leave me alone here; please don't go."

With enormous tears, she responded in a pained tone, "Jalal, I am trying, but I can't come back from here. I have no strength left to come back, but I will be right here waiting for you till you come; you have to go back; you have so many responsibilities to fulfill, but before you go back, I want to tell you something." after a brief pause she confessed, "Jalal, I love you, I love you more than my life. My heart and my soul belongs to you only, and I will wait for you till eternity."

Jalal roared with anger, "Jodha, I am tired of you... Why everything has to be decided by you? If you are leaving, then I will cross over with you. You can't leave me in the middle. You have to come back for me; what we share is love. A deep, profound love; what I feel... there is nothing that possibly can be deeper than this. I cannot live without you; if this is called love, then yes, I love you; I love you more than anything else in the world. Your powerful love has transformed me; I will leave everything to be with you; nothing matters more compared to your love. I have a heart, and that belongs to you only. Jodha, please come back; come back for your Jalal; Or I will cross over with you. Please try harder to come back to me; he forwarded his hands and said, give me your hand; I will pull you back, and if I can't, then you have to take me with you."

His words suddenly gave her immense energy; with all the strength, she gathered herself and advanced her hands towards him, and Jalal swiftly grabbed her hands and pulled her in his embrace.

Jalal felt water on his face and heard Abdul yelling, "Shahenshah."

Jalal came back to sense and saw Abdul's worried face. He realizes he had lost consciousness, and then he recalled what happened in his dream. He immediately realized Jalal with anxious expressions and got up to see Jodha with all his strength.

Panditji calmly asked, "Shahenshah, How are you feeling?"

Jalal had no interest in responding to his question; he asked him impatiently, "How is Jodha?"

Panditji, with a cheerful and surprising tone, replied, "Shahenshah, this is a miracle. Jodha came back from another world. She had stopped breathing, and her pulse was nil for more than five minutes. Suddenly, she began to breathe again, and the medicine has also started working; her heartbeats are also absolutely normal now. With God's blessing, she has survived, and she should be awake within a few hours."

Jalal's stress was relieved, and with a content feeling, he folded his hands with teary eyes and said, "Panditji, You have saved my life today. I will be obliged to you my entire life. Please, tell me what I can do for you? You will get anything you ask for."

Panditji cheerfully replied, "Shahenshah, thank you for this honor, but I don't want anything. I have minimal needs, and they're already fulfilled. Also, I can't take anything from you since Jodha was my student. I have to save her life." then Panditji put his hand on Jalal's shoulder with a smile and walked out of the room with Abdul to arrange for medicine and their stay for the night.

Jalal sat beside Jodha; he pressed his perfectly shaped lips against her lifeless pale cheek. Jalal was still shocked by Jodha's suicide attempt. He was feeling agitated at Jodha for this drastic crazy decision. Many thoughts roamed around his mind while waiting for her to come back to consciousness.

Finally, after an hour, early morning, Jodha's hand moved slightly. Jalal was sitting on the floor beside her bed while resting his head on her bed. When he felt a small movement, his heart began to beat briskly. He instantly grabbed her hand, sat beside her on the bed, and waited for her to open her eyes.

She felt her eyelids were heavy to lift; after some struggle, she slowly opened her eyes. After a few seconds, her fuzzy vision got cleared, and she saw Jalal sitting beside her, holding her hand with his dreadful face. It didn't take her long to comprehend that she has survived the suicide. He's furious and angry eyes were staring at her without a blink with piercing gaze mixed with extreme love, care, and resentment. After a few seconds, her face strained with a line of fear. She didn't understand how to react to this situation. Out of guilt, she was not able to see in his captivating eyes for long.

Eventually, Jalal broke the silence while controlling his extreme fury. In a bitter, sarcastic tone, he said, "Welcome back to your HELL life, queen Jodha."

Jodha pulled her hand away from him, and slowly with her hand support, she sat on the bed. "Why did you save my life?" She blurted frustratingly

The way she asked, her tone annoyed him further. He lost all of his control, and his temper went out of the roof. His major weakness, his anger, again took control over him; before thinking further, he got up from the bed and slapped Jodha on her face, then loudly yelled, " What do you think of yourself? How could you take this drastic decision? How dare you? You are the most stupid, senseless, crazy person I have ever known; you didn't think once about me, do you even realize that you have almost killed me? You have hurt me the worst way you could today. I have never felt this much pain in my life."

He paused for a moment, realizing what he did; he exasperatingly rolled his hand in messy hair and continued in composed but in a grumpy tone, "Do you know Jodha, in our relationship you have always decided everything from the beginning. I know I have made many mistakes, but I have always apologized. And let me tell you something; I wish you would have understood my unspoken words. Your space in my life is very distinct, and yes, you are the only one capable of making me cry, smile, and hate. Every small action of yours has an impact on my life. Today successfully, you broke me into million pieces. Not once, but I have died many times in the past few hours. Once again, I apologize for everything I have done, including saving your life, and in the future, I will have no expectations from you. I will never request you for my rights. You can live your life the way you want. You decide everything." Jalal moved back two steps away from her with moist eyes; he looked utterly broken and shattered. He instantly turned around and began to walk towards the door.

Before he could walk out, with all her strength, she got up from the bed quickly, and with teary eyes, she regretfully called, "Shahenshah...please... wait." Her sound was trembling with hesitation; she was feeling fragile and was not able to stand correctly.

Jalal heard her unsteady sound and realized she had gotten up from the bed; he swiftly turned back and walked towards her to keep her from falling. He wrapped his hand around her waist to support her from falling. Jodha slowly opened her eyes and gazed into his eyes with love without a blink; after a few seconds, she said in a faint tone, "Forgive Me." with a heavy heart and tears in her eyes, she understood his discomfort, anger, and pain she caused him. Seeing him in this condition, she realized that she was utterly wrong to take this drastic step. How vulnerable and helpless he sounded in his anger; even though he slapped her, she could feel how angry but sad he was. To comfort his pain and deep wounds, she straightened up and hugged him tightly with all her strength, which somewhat surprised him. Jalal gulped his tears while crushing her inside him. After a long cuddle, duo apart with relief.

"Shahenshah, Please forgive me; I don't know what had happened to me; when I saw you flirting with Kanika, deep down, that pinched my heart, and when you ignored me, my brain stopped working, and on top of it, you asked for Talak (divorce) and gave me an ultimatum to accept or leave you. Which tore me apart completely; I never thought that you could leave me just like that. I got aggravated, thinking about how you could force me to accept you. You don't care about my feelings, or maybe you want to get rid of me. I felt I had no option left; nothing was in my control; that is why I took this drastic step." She tried to defend herself for her action.

Jalal responded in a mellow tone, "Jodha, you know my anger very well, and you always argue for every little thing, but this time you didn't even say a word about your feelings. Why didn't you talk to me? Why didn't you fight with me? Yes, I know I was wrong to give you an option to pick for your life, but you decided to leave me forever, by no means, not once thought about me, how I would feel after you die; How will I live my life without you? How I will forgive myself?"

When she saw him defending himself and complaining, she answered back in an irritable tone, "I was so angry at you, and yes, I wanted to punish you by killing myself. Somehow I knew it would give you the same pain. And just so you know, when I am outraged, I become very silent and punish myself. I am like that since my childhood; If you remember, I fasted for three days to punish Lord Krishna because I was angry at him for choosing you for me."

"Oh, so that is how you punish?" Jalal scornfully protested

Jodha snapped, "Shahenshah, in your anger; you just punished me by slapping me. You are worse than me."

"Jodha, my anger is much better than yours. You are way too dangerous and brainless, stupid." he briefly paused and continued in a severe tone, "Jodha, remember that you mean the world to me. If something would have happened to you, then I would have demolished myself and the entire world to punish your God." Jalal retorted back crossly.

Jodha felt a little shy and awkward with his indirect confession. She envies him, how easily he could express his inner feeling in a word which she could not.

His encouraging indirect confession gave her the courage to express her inner feeling in words, "Shahenshah, I didn't know that my life is that important for you, but I want you to know that you have a very special place in my heart too. Your smile brings happiness to my life; your anger gives me tremendous pain, and your bitter words shatter me downright. Every action of yours has a significant impact on my life too. My heart breaks into pieces when you look at someone else with love.

You know why because I think I am in..." Jodha realized she went too far and was about to confess. She stopped abruptly and turned away from him.

Jalal smirked and mischievously asked, "Jodha, you think you are in... WHAT?"

She turned back towards him timidly and answered in a low tone, "Shahenshah, I think I am in..." she paused for a few seconds and continued again, "I think I am in pain, and I need to sleep." She playfully giggled and moved back to the bed.

Jalal gazed at her beautiful, innocent smile and her nervous face. His anger got vanished entirely. He sat beside her on the bed and cupped her beautiful, delicate face with both hands, then slightly bend down and softly kissed her forehead. After a few seconds, while looking directly into her eyes, he said in a steadfast and stern tone, "Jodha promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you will never take this drastic step in your life."

"Shahenshah, I promise you, I will never do something like this unless it is a matter of my self-protection." She assured him

"I will protect you my entire life; you will never have to worry about that." He kissed her hand gently and advised, "You need to relax and take rest entire day and night; you are under panditji's medical observation, and if you feel better tomorrow, then we will continue. And you are going to ride with me on my horse. I will not leave you alone for even a minute." He stated in a commanding tone before leaving the room.

Panditji and his wife both came to check Jodha's condition and make sure everything is okay.

Seeing disappointing Panditji's stare, Jodha felt embarrassed for her drastic step. She was not able to look straight into his eyes. She mumbled in a low tone while looking down, "Guruji, Please forgive me... thank you for saving my life."

"Jodha, you should not thank me, you should thank your husband for saving your life. He was in a vulnerable condition... Even though he is a Mughal, he prayed to Lord Krishna to save your life. He was under so much stressed that he lost consciousness when I declared that your condition is critical, and I had given up all hopes. Your life is a miracle, and his love has brought you back to life. You are blessed to have a husband like him." He responded austerely

"I am too regretful." She mumbled regretfully.

The next morning, Jalal got ready and came into Jodha's room to check on her health and saw Panditji and his wife, both of them spend the entire day and night with Jodha "Panditji, How is Queen Jodha's health? Can we continue the journey today??" He asked politely

"Yes, Shahenshah, Jodha is doing fine, and you can continue your journey." He replied cheerfully

Jodha and Jalal took blessings from Panditji and left the Hermitage.

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Chapter 16 Part 2

Note: I have added Hindi Song from Jodha Akbar Movie. I have also translated for the readers who don't understand Hindi. Thank You :) Don't forget to vote and comment. ;)

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It was a beautiful wintery morning; hot rays of the sun were mingling with the cold wind and making the ambiance pleasing.

When Jodha argued to rode separately on her horse, Jalal scooped off her feet without a single word and straddled around his black Arabian stallion in front of him. She pouted and asked, "But why?"

"You have two options, ride with me or palanquin. You still weak to ride yourself." With a stern tone, he stated.

She decided to keep quiet. Jalal ticked his tongue, and his stallion began to gallop. Jodha immediately stirred up both sides of the rein. Jalal's one hand cuddled her stomach, pulled her closer to his broad chest, and the other muscular hand controlled the bridle. In silence, both were enjoying the warmth of each other.

Both of them were feeling fresh and cheerful.

In the past few days, everything changed between them. They were perceptually feeling closer to each other than before. All of the events... Jealousy... Anger... Possessiveness... and even her suicide, turned out to be fruitful. Jalal realized that he does have a heart and belongs to her only. He decided to give her as much time she needed to accept him the way he is. He wanted her to realize on her own that love is not based on any conditions. He wanted her to love him the way he loved her; he was ready to do anything for her happiness, even at the cost of his suffering. He wanted her to trust him that he is hers forever.

She felt awkward and shy, sitting so close to him; his manly scent made her fanatic. His closeness was giving her a tickling sensation.

Abdul and all warriors were keeping enough distance to provide space for the couple. When Jodha was dying, all of the warriors saw how their King fainted and deeply fallen in love with Queen Jodha.

She got lost in the rhythm of the tapping sound. Her ears rang with Panditji's words; she is lucky to have a husband like him. In a silent, peaceful ride, her mind and heart also both felt cleared; she questioned herself, 'Why does she have a fear of losing him when he genuinely cares for her? It shouldn't matter if he loves her or not, but she loves him, and then why I have constrained myself in conditions. He wants me, and for his contentment and happiness, I will do anything. I don't care if he comes back to me or not, but I will cherish and live with those memories my entire life.' She again blushed but felt confused about how to express to him that she loves him.

Jalal pulled her a little closer to him and whispered in her ears, "Queen Jodha, What you were saying yesterday, that you can't see me with anyone else, Why? Do you know why you feel that way?"

She irritably thought, he is too smart and knows everything and is still asking me, he has not admitted his love yet, and he is playing with me to confess it first. Hmmm.

She looked back at him and responded innocently, "Shahenshah, I really don't know why I feel that way!"

"Oh!!! I know why because you are jealous." Jalal teased.

"No... No way, I am not jealous of anyone."

"Ohhh... I see... then why you were so mad at Kanika and me? I wasn't even that close to her." Jalal queried her to irritate.

Her chest constricted with envy as soon as she heard Kanika's name, she lost her temper and wits, she responded with fury, "Shahenshah, I just don't like Kanika, and don't lie; I saw how you were praising that devil Kanika. Ohhh, Kanika, I love your Rajvanshi outfit, and what a beautiful necklace. It looks so good on you. Oh, yes, you were surely playing with her. I don't even remember you ever said anything about my clothes. And also, how shameless you are, you took off your top without any hesitation, and that witch rubbed medicine on your chest. You know what." she continued in an angry tone. "I think you made a big mistake Shahenshah, why didn't you marry that Kanika? One more would have added to your list of queens; then you can call her 'Only yours Kanika'" Jodha protested without taking a gasp.

He enjoyed her possessive and jealous attitude; he chuckled, "Oh... so that means my queen is jealous of Kanika."

Jodha squinted her eyes, "You started again; I am not going to talk to you and No... I am not jealous of anyone." She pouted annoyingly.

"Oh, I understand it's okay... so queen Jodha, what you are saying is that you have no problem with Queen Rukaiya and my closeness," Jalal added to tease her further.

Jodha looked back and yelled, "Stop horse right now; I don't want to ride with you anymore. I will come in a palanquin, and then you can dream of your queen Rukaiya without any interruption. "

Jalal grinned at her angry face, then kissed her cheeks quickly and said, "Do you know, when you are angry, your cheeks turn red, and you look so delightful."

"Don't kiss me in front of everyone like this; we are not alone here." She timidly mumbled.

Jalal pulled her closer and said sensually, "Oooh, so that means you have no problem if I do this when we are alone."

"Shahenshah, I don't have a problem with your queens; I am not jealous. You can do anything with them, and you forgot that you promised me that you would not come to close me without my permission, and I have not allowed you to touch me yet." the words came out sharper and louder than she meant them due to her jealousy and his teasing.

Before she could continue, Jalal stopped her; his ego bruised by her sharp response, he retorted in a serious tone, "Queen Jodha, I know my limits, and I have no interest in coming close to you."

After a few minutes of silence, Jodha questioned sternly, "Shahenshah, You have so many queens; what difference would it have made in your life if I had died?

Jodha, why can't you understand my unspoken words. Do you really want to know what my life would be without you?

"Jodha, I want to share one of the poems I have heard long back. Maybe these poetic words help you to understand what you mean in my life."

Without You,

Words would have been silent, and eyes would have been full of sorrow,

Only this would have been my fable of life,

Every wound can be healed sooner or later,

But the place you have in my life

Would never be replaced by anyone

Would have stayed empty forever

Just like me, always hollowed and empty.

Jodha was stunned and dazed to hear his indirect confession in a romantic poetic way. She looked back straight into his eyes to see the depths of his feelings.

"Why would you've felt this way?" She mumbled

Jalal smirked and didn't respond to her.

After a few minutes of silence, "Shahenshah, did you like my friend Surya?"

"No!!! I don't want to pretend I am not jealous. Yes, it indeed bothered me to see your and Surya's closeness. How dare he touched you and put a flower in your hair. Whenever Surya looked at you, I could read in his eyes; he feels much more than friendship. Yes! I am jealous of you and Surya's friendship, and don't ask me WHY." Jalal furiously replied, reminiscing Surya holding her hand.

"Why don't you like Surya and my closeness? Why it bothered you? Shahenshah, you always say that you don't have a heart, you don't love anyone; then why this jealousy. In what way am I special in your life? You said yesterday that I could make you cry; smile. Why am I so important? Are you falling in love with me?" She asked him directly without any hesitation.

Jalal stopped his horse suddenly with annoyance and said, "I don't know the answer to your stupid questions. I have no interest in talking to you; you can go and sit in a palanquin." Both were stubborn and nervous to admit their feelings openly.

She knew why he was upset; she knew that he had fallen in love with her, but do not want to admit..."You sure, Shahenshah? What if I ran away from you? I thought you didn't want to leave me alone for even a minute." She provoked.

"Jodha, enough... if you want to ride with me, then keep quiet." He said dominantly.

A few minutes later, "I am tired... how far our tent is?" she complained.

Jalal replied, "It's not too far now; we should be there in a few minutes."

After some time, "Jodha, I can't wait to go back to Agra; it's been more than fifteen days." Jalal casually said.

"But Shahenshah, I wish our journey never ends." She innocently answered.

Her innocent response touched Jalal's heart deeply. he pulled her very close to him with love and whispered, "That is why Queen Jodha, YOU STAY IN MY HEART." This was the first time he acknowledged that he has a heart.

Jodha looked back at him without a blink with astonishment... She wanted to hear this for so long, and Jalal even knew what he meant. Instead of feeling like losing something, he felt utterly content; he felt that he had won the entire world. For the first time, he lost something, but he felt immense pleasure losing his heart to Jodha.

Tears swam out of Jodha's eyes in happiness, "Shahenshah, you just acknowledged that I stay in your heart." She asked in a hesitant tone to confirm.

Jalal contently smiled at her and again repeated with a sincere tone, "Yes, Jodha!!! No one else can stay in my heart other than you; you have found my lost heart." They both looked at each other with the gratification of intense love. Jalal hugged her from the back; she instantly rested her head on his chest. Silence prevailed, and in stillness, both of them adored each other's intimacy. A tiny half-smile graced Jalal's lips when she gripped on his top tighter. He simply caressed her.

Other guards and Abdul slowed down and stayed behind when they noted Queen Jodha was cuddling Jalal intimately.

About fifteen minutes passed, it was almost time for sunset; they were passing through beautiful mountains. Jalal saw a beautiful river next to the large open ground and thought this is the perfect place to stay for tonight, and a smile crawled his lips when he saw their tents. Their journey paused by the tents. Jalal instructed Abdul to verify if everything is secure and their tents and food are ready.

Jalal was so pleased with the beauty of the place; he wanted to spend some time in Jodha's warmth alone. He soberly asked, "Queen Jodha, would you like to come for a walk near the shore of the river? I really would like to see the sunset with you today..."

Jodha simply smiled and nodded her head, then began to walk with him. The vast mountains and green trees surrounded the entire area. It was a peaceful, quiet, cold winter evening; the sky was turning orange with the glowing shadow of the sun. The light was fading slowly towards nightfall. The birds ended their journey and were back to the warmth of their nest. They were walking toward the river in a deep silence between them. Both of them were feeling a little hesitant and shy of each other. They finally reached the shore. It was a breathtakingly beautiful, relaxing, and romantic sandy shore and the perfect sunset timing, and the sky completely turned deep orange with the colorful shades. The feel of the cool evening blowing breeze was fanatic.

Jalal and Jodha both sat by the sandy shore, looking at nature's beauty and waiting for the sun to hide and the moon to bloom.

Jalal closed his eyes to listen to the musical sound of the river waves; both of them were deeply in love with each other. Their hearts were beating faster. Finally, Jalal slowly held Jodha's hand and pulled her towards him. She was desperately waiting for him to approach. She put her head on his chest with love; he put his hand around her waist; there was no need to talk. Just being with each other, they felt content... The feeling of love was in the air. The way Jalal was staring at her without a blink, she felt uncomfortable under his penetrating constant passionate stare.

"Shahenshah, don't look at me like this." While blushing, she requested in a faint tone.

Jalal grinned at her romantically. "Can I request you for something, Jodha?"

"Yes, Shahenshah."

"Can you please sing something for me in your melodious and magical voice?" Jalal requested.

"What do you want me to sing?" she asked timidly.

"Jodha, I want to hear how you feel about us."

She grinned... And nodded her head and began to sing a beautiful song in a melodious voice.

Jalal lay down on the sand, but he never broke his gaze from her. His eyes were purely filled with intense love and passion for her.

Song from Jodha Akbar Movie song

samay ne yeh kya kiya, badal di hai kaaya

(What's the time has done, it has changed the whole thing)

tumhe maine pa liya, mujhe tumne paaya

(I got your love, and you got my love)

Mile dekho aise hai hum, ke do sur ho jaise madhdham

(We have met like, two tunes of melody are met)

koyi na jayada koyi kam kisi raag mein

(We both are equally made for each other)

ke prem aag mein, jalte dono hi the

(That we both are burning in the fire of love)

tan bhi hai mann bhi, mann bhi hai tan bhi -

(Our soul, body, and mind all have become one.)

Hearing those intense words from Jodha, Jalal couldn't hold himself to express his feelings for her. He started singing, matching with her tune.

hmmm hmmm hmmm...

mere khwaabo ke iss gulistaan mein, tumse hi tum bahaar chhayi hai

(Because of you... flowers blossom in the garden of my dreams)

phulo mein rang mere the lekin, iname khusbu tumhi se aaye hain

(I have filled colors in the flowers, but it got an aroma because of you)

Jodha completely melted seeing him singing those passionate, romantic words for her.

As soon as the song finished, Jodha felt very nervous and self-conscious about confessing her love through a song, she got up from there swiftly, but before she moved away from him further, Jalal got up and hugged her from the back and asked her in a whispering tone "Do you feel what you just sang?"

She turned back towards him; her eyes were lowered, her cheeks turned pink, she hid her face in Jalal's chest. Jalal encircled his hands, and they softly embraced each other.

After a few seconds, Jalal cupped her face so look into his eyes, "Do you really feel what you just sang? Do you love me??" He asked softly once again.

With blush and shyness, Jodha hid her face with her hands and turned to the other side. Jalal pulled her hand, grabbed her from her waist, lifted her face, and asked her again. "Jodha, do you love me??"

She looked at him and replied in a dim and hesitant tone, "Yes, Shahenshah, I have fallen in love with you."

"Shahenshah, Do you also feel the same what I feel for you?" she implored the same question.

Jalal looked in her eyes with deep, intense love and responded in a clear and loud tone, "Yes, Jodha, I love you so much that I can't even express in words how much I love you. I can't live without you even for a second. When you were dying, I felt like without you, I am nothing. You complete me, Jodha... I love you... I love you a lot."

Jodha was feeling so shy that she couldn't lift her face to see him directly.

Jalal, with a soft tone, asked her, "Jodha, can I touch you. I want to make you all mine. Do I have your permission??"

Jodha, with blush, ran out of the Jalal's grip. He ran behind her and grabbed her from her waist, then cupped her face with both his hands and asked, "Do you want to consume our relation further? I want to feel you... I want to make you completely mine."

She looked at him with a flushed face and nodded her head, giving her consent expression. Jalal hugged her tightly and squeezed her in his arms " At last I have won your heart," he whispered, then he kissed softly on her rosy lips. Their sudden confession and kiss made her feel very nervous. Her heartbeat was rapid; Jodha broke the kiss and tried to move away from him. Jalal pulled her again with a firm grip from her waist and said in a seductive voice," Jodha, I have waited for you for so long that I am almost gone crazy dreaming about you. Now you have given your consent, so I will not let you go away from me for even a second. I will not spare you today; I want to make love to you the entire night. Our two souls will become one tonight for eternity. I am so desperate to make you mine."

"Shahenshah, please let me go; someone will see us like this; it's getting dark, and it's not safe."

Jalal smirked at her and said, "I am your husband, and your security is my responsibility; when I am with you, you don't need to worry about anything. But if you still want, then we can go back to our tent."

Jodha politely requested, "Can I request you for something? Can you wait for one more day??? I would like to have our first night in Agra in your chamber! Since my childhood, I have waited and dreamed for the first night. I want to feel like a newly wedded bride, and I want to wear the choice of your the most beautiful outfit and precious jewelry. I want these moments to be the most memorable and beautiful moments of our lives, and I want to cherish them for my entire life."

Jalal cupped her face with love and replied, "Queen Jodha, I have devoted my entire life to you; I can wait for you till eternity, and one night is nothing, but no doubt this wait will feel like an eternity." He drew her closer and kissed her cheeks softly, then moved towards her lips passionately. But before he could claim her lips. They heard the sound of a horse coming towards them; they both got the alert.

******************************

Hello Friends: Please post your comments and Vote. Your words motivate me to write further.

1. Who loves more Jalal or Jodha? (I know, stupid question.)

2. Which character is complicated, Jalal, or Jodha?

3. Do you think Jalal's anger issue is resolved?

CHAPTER 17

"Shahenshah, did you hear the tapping sound of horse steps? Does it seem like it's headed towards us? "Jodha dreadfully slurred while stepping behind him; her face turned pale.

Jalal instantly pulled his sword out and got ready, and stiffened his back straight. He turned towards her; he could see the lines of worry crease her forehead. He assured her in a confident tone, "Don't worry, Jodha, when I am with you, you shouldn't worry about your safety; I can handle an entire army single-handed." By the time his sentence finished, they had viewed Abdul on the horse coming towards them. They both felt relieved and smiled.

Seeing Queen Jodha behind Jalal, holding his shoulder tightly, Abdul mischievously smirked at Jalal; his eyes were dancing with humor. He said in a bubbly tone, "Shahenshah, yours, and Queen Jodha's tent and dinner are ready."

A signature smile of mission accomplished smeared on his face. While looking at Jodha, Jalal replied, giving a hint, "Queen Jodha will stay in my tent tonight Abdul, plan accordingly."

"Sure!" Abdul looked at Jalal with a mysterious gaze, a cheerful smile curved his lips. His eyes sparkled with eagerness, "It will be arranged Shahenshah, but it is getting darker, and we are not much familiar with this region, so I request both of you for your safety that you should come back to the tent." Once again, Abdul beamed while looking at Jalal,

Jalal responded, approving, "I do agree with you, Abdul, we will come back in a little while, and I am aware that this area is very lonely; I will be cautious, but I would like to spend some alone time with my queen." He gave him a meaningful gaze and playfully simpered.

Abdul slightly nodded his head, then teasingly responded, "Hope you have a pleasant time, Shahenshah, see you soon." And left happily, Jalal could read in his eyes how content he was feeling seeing him pleased. The way Abdul and Jalal talked mysteriously, Jodha felt embarrassed and shy.

"Shahenshah, why did you said that you want to spend alone time with your Queen? What Abdul is going to think about us?" She whined while walking towards the big stone near the river.

"Oh... simple, he is going to think that we are going make love queen Jodha." He whispered in her ears, playfully.

"You are shameless." She pouted with a hint of blush on her face.

He smirked in jest while taking her hand in his.

"Queen Jodha, it is so pleasant and calm here" He sat on the golden sand, which was glowing in the last few rays of the sun, and drew her slightly to sit next to him. Both of them sat on the sand near the big rock next to each other while holding hands like two love birds. The soothing sound of water, chirping birds, and the peaceful wind was giving them serenity.

"I don't get enough time to enjoy the beauty of nature from my tiring routine." Jalal disappointedly mumbled while inhaling the freshness.

"Naturally, how can you spare time? You have so many queens to spend time with." Jodha sarcastically replied; sadness in her tone was evident of her jealousy.

He chuckled at her whiny tone. With a deep sighed out, he responded, "Jodha... I don't know what you have done to me; I love your jealousy too. Instead of getting irritated by your insecurity, I am enjoying the fear of losing me in your tone."

'Am I sounding that desperate that he is thinking I am envious? But I can't control my irritation and thinking; I logically assumed that he spends time with his other queens.'

"Why would I be jealous when I know for sure that you like me a lot? And, I don't want anything else, I even don't want any of your queens to know that you..." she stopped in between and felt nervous for admitting. Instantly, she moved her eyes from him to mask her emotion from him. She hugged her knees, embarrassedly.

"But I don't like you anymore, Jodha." He responded in a composed, impassive tone while glancing at her adoringly; he was enjoying her flushed and shy manner.

'Oh, he doesn't like me? What?' She swiftly turned her face towards him with shock and puzzled expression.

"I use to like you, but now I love you. I love you more than my life Jodha." He replied in a promising tone; a hint of amusement was playing on his lips.

Jodha lowered her eyes and shrunk herself once again, "Shahenshah, please don't stare at me like this; I don't know what is happening to me, but I am feeling weird." She slurred diffidently.

"Don't be self-conscious, "he whispered in her ear.

She grew silent and watched the horizon.

Jalal grinned, seeing her blushed, shy face; he lifted her face by putting his finger under her chin and then whispered, "Oh Jodha, Why are you blushing so much today?"

Jodha looked down again and got lost in thought...Why am I feeling so shy? His piercing gaze is raising my heartbeats. I feel curls in my stomach, and I can't control my flush. Oh God!!! How can I mask my emotions from him??

Why is she feeling suddenly so shy? Why am I feeling so conscious of approaching her? Usually, none of my Queen act this way. I have so much dream for her when she says yes... so wild... I don't think she will be too open or wild sensually.

Jodha took a deep sigh out then she moved a little bit far from him as her shoulder was touching his. Then to change this romantic conversation to a casual one, she mumbled dimly, "Shahenshah, Indeed, it is so beautiful and pleasing today."

"Hmmm... I agree, indeed beautiful... radiant... divine... angelic... charming... dazzling... so delicate," Jalal whispered seductively while gazing at her without a blink; then he moved a little closer to her.

Jodha's heartbeats began to beat even faster. She could sense all this admiration, and his piercing gaze was directed towards her instead of the Moon. She again slightly slid away from him and without looking at him. This time precisely, she pointed her finger towards the sky and said, "Look at that beautiful full Moon; see how beautifully it's mellow light. It seems like the entire river is glowing with the dim light of the Moon. The blue water looks so glossy."

Jalal was utterly lost in her charming beauty; when he didn't respond, she continued while gazing at the full Moon, "Do you know Shahenshah, there are lots of tales about full moon night. A full Moon has a lasting impact on human emotions. People tend to think with their sentiments on full moon night."

Instead of looking at the Moon, he was gazing at Jodha's glorious face without a blink. He replied with a mysterious smirk on his face, "Jodha, I can't explain in words how I am feeling at this moment; the feeling of my heart is so divine. The feeling of being with you is giving me the pleasure of being in heaven, and your beauty is making me crazy. You have done some magic on me. Well... I am not able to take my eyes off of you then how can I watch the scenery. I have also heard that on the night of full Moon, people go crazy, wild and mad, and I desire to go wild." The last sentence he whispered so low as if it wasn't stated for her to hear.

Jodha couldn't control herself after hearing his intense praise; she slowly turned her face and said in a low tone, "Shahenshah, don't look at me like this... You are making me crazy. Look there; the Moon is looking so beautiful among the shining stars."

"I am enchanted by your beauty. It is so difficult to keep myself away from you. I want to kiss every part of your body. I want to make love to you."

Jodha hid her face with her hands. She wasn't able to control the grin on her face... His words were melting her like ice on fire.

Jalal came very close to her and softly pulled her hands away from her face. Warmth seared her skin at his touch; his words made her so nervous that she didn't open her eyes. He grinned, looking at her face, and whispered while gazing at her, "Jodha, do you know, your eyes always talked to me, they always conversed with my heart about your desires and your unspoken words. Your eyes always gave me assurance and peace that you loved me even when you were upset and angry with me, but why are you hiding your eyes from me? Look in my eyes. I want to read what are you thinking?"

Jodha slowly opened her eyes; her face broke into a radiant smile; she teasingly replied, "Hmmm... So you can read my eyes; then tell me what am I thinking right now?"

He looked at her with his lustful gaze, he moved a bit towards her, then opened her hair from her hair clip; her long and shiny wavy hair began to blow on her face, with an adoring grin, put her hair behind her ears, and slowly he ran his fingers through her face. He mumbled, "Do you really want me to tell you what you are thinking right now?"

She felt shivered in her entire body; oh god, why am I feeling so embarrassed, I can't even lift my eyes. His alluring gaze was making her crazy. I want him to take me in his arms and make love to every inch of my body; I am craving for his touch but feeling so weird to approach him. And the way he is looking at me and praises my beauty makes me crazier and is deliberately coming closer, so I respond. I should avoid looking in his eyes; his eyes are hypnotical and magical. His whispers are like a magnet. I can't control myself. She flushed while thinking, looking straight in his eyes.

He slowly moved closer to her, but the more he came close to her, the more she bent down and backed away from him. Finally, she was almost lying down on the sand. Jalal locked her between his arms; His eyes dazzled in excitement and passion. She was panting so loud that her heartbeats were clearly audible. Her face had a mixed expression of excitement, unknown fear, and shyness. She couldn't look into his mesmerizing eyes for long; soon, she closed her eyes to suppress her desire. Jalal smirked; seeing her pink cheeks, he whispered in her ears, "You want me to kiss you and hug you, that is what is in your mind, isn't it, Jodha?"

Hearing his sensory murmur, she slowly lifted her eyelids. She felt mortified, knowing he could read her thoughts. Both of them looked at each other with deep desire; he bent down very close to her; their faces were only an inch apart. She could feel his breath on her face... Half of his body was resting on hers; their lips were only an inch away. She was waiting for him to kiss her first; her lips trembled in anticipation of his touch. Her heartbeats ran at the speed of the jet, but Jalal was waiting for her to move first. His sharp, captivating, but caring, lustful eyes were giving her a tickling sensation. Her desire for his touch was making her desperate... she couldn't wait any longer. His masculine shoulders and enchanting gaze added fire to her passion. She finally gave up, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him nearer, then gently she kissed on his lips for a few seconds. The mellow touch of their lips ignited the fire in their bodies. Jodha looked in his eyes with intense craving, and with an undertone, she said, "Shahenshah, I am madly in love with you. You have mesmerized me so much that you even control my inner desires for you."

He slurred in her ears, "No, Jodha, I have not done anything, but you have enchanted Jalaluddin Muhammad in your spell. Your beauty is driving me nuts. I have never smelled such an irresistible scent. Your heavenly aroma is making me fanatical and wild for you."

His sensual words excited her further. She cupped his face and kissed on his lips, softly at first, but his confession and love created waves of fiery passion in her. Slowly her soft kisses turned into eagerness. She didn't even realize when she went wild. With a tight grip, she hugged him, squeezed herself towards him. Jalal also got lost in her passion; he responded madly, the gentle touch was gone, the soft kisses turned into bites and smooches. He was glad she was wearing minimum jewelry due to traveling. He sucked on her neck, bite on her collarbone. She closed her eyes to relish his touch. He softly bit on her earlobe, making her moan louder and faster. He kissed her on her lips with a thirst for more. His sensual nibbles provoked her erotic desires for him. He put his entire weight on her; so she can feel his too aroused sensation. She felt him rubbing his stiffness on her stomach; it aroused her further. She madly pecked him on his neck with her sharp teeth, with her sudden unexpected attack; Jalaal hissed in pain. She whispered slowly but sensually, "Jalal, I can't wait for tomorrow." and bit on his earlobe with passion again.

Jalal was surprised to see her desperation and her yearning; he has always enjoyed wildness in love. Her ardent natural craving turned on Jalal to the extreme. He dug his hands in her hair starkly and kissed on her lips with steamy hot bites. He wanted to ravish every part of her body; he pulled the sleeve of her blouse to relish her cleavage and breast. Her milky, creamy round breast was screaming for sucking. As soon as he bites on her cleavage, she moaned softly... "ahhh" and squished his shoulders tightly....there was no room even to breathe... her moan was getting louder and louder.

He wanted to feel every inch of her body, so he whispered seductively, "Jodha, I can't wait for tomorrow either..." He took off her nose ring and impatiently began to kiss her briskly, he had been with many women before, but he never had this powerful desire for anyone yet. On this cold wintery night, their touch was creating waves of heat in their bodies. Both of them were burning in fire. He desperately wanted to explore further, but he recalled her wish to give her the best pleasurable experience; he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to control himself. Then swiftly, he moved away from her, breaking their hug, and said, "Jodha, I have promised you, and your wishes and dreams mean the world to me. I am so ready to take you now, but I also want you to remember our first night forever."

Jodha bent down and, with deep passion, kissed him on his lips with bite and whispered." Oh, Jalal, I can't stay away from you any longer. Please don't stop; I never felt this way. I can't control myself."

Oh, Jodha, You make it too difficult; I want to take you now and so hard, but It's your first time. I want you to remember the pleasure, not pain.

He hugged her tightly, embracing her entire body in his arms, and he put his weight on her delicate body to calm her down... then he said in a low tone, "Jodha.... I love you so much..." His intense deep passionate hug cooled her down.

She came out of his magic charm and realized she was entirely wildly lost in their passion. She pushed him a little and swiftly sat on the sand... she was blushing heavily and feeling very embarrassed of her wild desire for him. She covered her face with her hands. Jalal softly pulled her hands away from her face and cupped her face, and said, "Jodha...ohhhh... Jodha, you are just beyond my imagination!!! Your desire has alarmed me... I can bet you are going to be demanding in bed... I thought you are too shy to be wild, but you always pleasantly shock me. I have seen many passionate women but never a combination of shy and wild yet." he paused, and then again, with a mischievous expression, he asked, "Are you sure we should wait till tomorrow? I can't wait to taste your wildness?"

Her face turned tomato red utterly with embarrassment she hid her face in his chest. They were in each other arms for a long until their yearning sated for a while, after few minutes; He softly said while running his fingers in her soft and silky hair, "Queen Jodha, it is late. Let's go back to the tent."

She replied in a crabby tone, "Ohhh Nooo, I don't want to go, god knows when we will be together like this again. I want to enjoy this moment fully."

He broke the hug and cupped her face, "Why are you always so insecure? We will have many nights like this together."

She anxiously crooned, "Shahenshah, Once you are in Agra, then you won't have time for me. You will have political work during the day and so many Queens during the night. I don't know when you will be able to spare some time for me."

Jalal replied in an upsetting tone, "Jodha, I wish I can spend every second of my life with you. I have a much stronger desire to spend the time you then you desire for it. If it would be in my hand, I would never stay away from you for even for a second."

She responded with doubt, "Hmmm...Shahenshah, I can't beat you in sweet talk. Let's see once we reach Agra; then I will see how much time you spare for me."

"Will see then," Jalal murmured impassively.

"This place is so calm and peaceful, I don't want to go back to the tent yet, but if you insist, then you have to carry me to the tent. I am not coming on my own," She stubbornly protested.

Jalal grinned and said, "Jodha, you are so unpredictable. We have to go; it's not safe to stay here too long." then, swiftly, he scooped her in his arms so quickly as if she has no weight. "Any other orders for Shahenshah, my queen." He asked mockingly.

She looked at him with blush and said..."I was just kidding; Please put me down."

Finally, with little chit-chatting, they reached back to the tent and ate dinner. While eating dinner, both of them were lost in each other's thoughts. Jodha nervously asked, "Shahenshah, can I request you for something if you don't mind?

"Hmmm..."Jalal nodded his head.

"Can I sleep in my tent tonight?"

Jalal teasingly asked, "Why? Don't you trust me?"

Jodha timidly replied, lowering her eyes, "I don't trust myself."

Jalal smiled and said, "Yes, I want you to sleep in your tent too" then, with a mischievous tone, he added, "I can't control myself if you sleep with me tonight" she shyly looked up at him, and he winked at her. She swiftly walked out of his tent with a heavy blush on her face. Jalal watched her leaving with a deep sigh out.

At the Palace:

Maham with resentment, "Atgah Saheb, You have kept this big secret from me that Jalal went to Amer to bring Queen Jodha back. Don't you know that I love Jalal more than my own son Adham and how dare you did this? Have you forgotten that I am a chief administrator of this saltant? You have disappointed me."

Aftab stiffened and replied, mirroring her tone, "Wazir E Aliya, I have just followed Shahenshah's order. No one in the palace knew other than Queen Rukaiya and Maryam Makani Hamida banoo. I was doing my duty, and Shahenshah's security is more important for me than pleasing you. If I have to hide any secret for his safety, I will not hesitate to do that again. Anyway, tomorrow morning Shahenshah will arrive at the palace with Queen Jodha; you can discuss this matter directly with him."

Maham stared at Aftab Sahib with fuming anger and walked out from there. She was burning inside with fire; 'Brainless Jalal is bringing that whore back to the palace, Queen Jodha, this time with your fortune, you were able to survive, but next time you will have no chance. No one can save you from me, you impious wicked Rajvanshi.'

The next day, Early morning, Jalal and Jodha both got ready and came out of their tent to go back to Agra.

Jalal looked at Jodha with a playful look and went close to her and crooned in her ear, "Uff... queen Jodha, you have done some magic on me. The entire night I was dreaming of you in my arms and much more. Are you ready for tonight?"

She flushed at his question and nodded her head affirmatively, then quickly walked away from him. They both were so excited, happy, and eager for their first night. Their mind captured by romantic visions of their first night.

In three hours, they reached Agra palace. Everyone welcomed Jodha with respect. News of her innocence spread in a flick in the entire harem. Every single one knew by this time; it was only their misunderstanding.

Most of the harem women were jealous of Jodha since Shahenshah himself went to pursue her. Rukaiya was passing by the hall. She heard from the outside Queen Nadira talking, "Shahenshah is behaving differently with this Rajvanshi Queen, in a short time with the witty schemes she has trapped him and came too close to Shahenshah...I couldn't believe at first that King himself went to pursue her. Let's see if Shahenshah accepts her as his Queen now or not," One of the Queen worriedly stated to a group of ladies who were chit-chatting while playing chopat game.

"Actually, we should not be worried, Shahenshah comes to us only once in a blue moon, but I am sure this Rajvashi Queen will set our egoistic, rude Queen Rukaiya straight. I can't wait to see Shahenshah treat her poorly." Other Queen who hated Rukaiya for her arrogance responded.

"We should not let this Rajvanshi take the top place; we need to stand by Queen Rukaiya; after all, she is ours. I mean Mughal, and we don't know how that Rajvanshi bitch will treat us; we all should demean her." The most beautiful Queen of the entire harem, Queen Pinaz stated stridently, who was totally unsecured of Jodha stated. She very well knew how Jalal was charmed by Queen Jodha's beauty. Even Jalal told her in his drunken condition that he like his arrogant Rajvanshi Queen.

"Pinaz, you are mean to queen Jodha, you always treated her poorly, she is so innocent and naïve, why you make a joke of her all the time, you even laugh on her face and expect others to behave the same. She never utters a word even though King has married her officially; she never expected special treatment from anyone. I feel sorry for her, she has no one to talk and Shahenshah so many times insulted her publically ruthlessly, and I had heard that he even slapped her when he thought she was disloyal." Bahar Begum politely scolded Queen Pinaz.

"She was all pretending to get our sympathy. Forget about her; let's play. Why we are wasting our time" Queen Pinaz changed the topic.

Rukaiya was already feeling uncertain since Jalal left; she knew that eventually, Jalal would pursue Queen Jodha for her forgiveness. Instead, she played nice and told him to pursue Queen Jodha to gain respect in Jalal's eyes. After hearing the other Queen's conversation, it bubbled her fury further by every second; her insecure feeling was increasing, and with that anger toward Jodha.

Queen Rukaiya and Hamida Banu both came to the palace gate to welcome Queen Jodha and Shahenshah.

Seeing Jalal and Jodha together, Hamida's eyes were filled with tears; she contently said; "Welcome back, my daughter Jodha." then she took her in a warm cuddle and kissed her forehead, "I am so happy to see you back. Please forgive all of us for this big misunderstanding and your humiliation." She apologized gracefully, her happiness evident in her glossy eyes and emotional tone.

Queen Jodha instantly felt depressed seeing Mariam Makhani apologizing, "Ammi Jaan, please don't say sorry, you were the only one who really trusted me and also I should apologies for my mistake. I should have informed someone before leaving the palace. Please forgive me, I have missed you a lot, and I am so happy to be back to my home and see you all again." She responded warmly in a soft tone.

Jalal was watching both of them with content feeling. He always wondered why they got along so well and trusted each other blindly.

Rukaiya forced a small smile towards Queen Jodha and dryly welcomed, "Queen Jodha, welcome back to the palace! I hope you have learned your lesson for not following rules, and in the future, you will not repeat this kind of mistake and waste Shahenshah's precious time."

Jodha got shocked hearing Rukaiya's sharp and bitter words.

Jodha replied politely, "Queen Rukaiya, I will try my best to follow the rules." Rukaiya stared at her sharply with her firm posture. The way Rukaiya spoke, upfront, bothered Jodha, and the most Jalal's silence pierced in her heart. Still, for Jalal, it was normal to see Rukaiya in this manner, so he didn't even realize that Jodha might have felt bad hearing Rukaiya's harsh words.

Rukaiya broadly smiled at Jalal and excitedly said, "Welcome back, my dear Shahenshah. I hope your journey was not too boring?"

"Rukaiya, I am fine. I hope everything is fine in our sultanate and harem." Jalal looked at her lovingly and replied

He treated her with a casual hug and kissed her on the forehead. Jodha saw them hugging and kissing, which gave her a little pinch in her heart. Instantly to hide her obvious jealousy, she turned her face to the other side.

"Ammi Jaan, Where is Badi Ammi (Maham Anga)? Why isn't she here to welcome us? Is everything alright?" He asked surprisingly

"Yes, as far as I know, everything is fine; I am also surprised Maham didn't come to welcome both of you," Hamida replied carefully

As always, Jalal walked towards his chamber with Queen Rukaiya, and Queen Jodha watched them walking with an envious stare.

He is not even entered the palace and has already forgotten me; before leaving, he didn't even bother to see me one gaze. Jodha thought dubiously; her joyful content face turned ashen.

Jodha's uncomfortable gaze and evident jealousy were not hidden from Hamida's vigilant eyes; she instantly grasped that she was a bit upset seeing both of them together.

To comfort her, Hamida took her to her chamber and casually conveyed, "Whenever Jalal comes back from any trip. Usually, Jalal first meets with Queen Rukaiya; they are childhood friends. Rukaiya is his first queen, so whenever he comes back from a long trip normally, he sees her first, unless anything significant, and also Jalal spends that night with Rukaiya. This routine has become a custom now, so don't feel that he is ignoring you."

"Ammi Jaan, but he has promised me that he will spend the night with me tonight," Jodha informed in a hesitant tone with a timid expression.

"Masha Allah!!! Ameen!... Wao!! Wonderful. God will surely make this come true, Jodha; you have given me such big happiness. I was waiting for this day for so long." Her eyes got moist after hearing that Jodha has finally decided to accept him. Finally, she realized why Jalal looked so content and different. Tears rolled down from her eyes. She hugged Jodha again and kissed on her forehead.

Unfortunately, Jodha had many enemies in this palace. One of her biggest enemy Maham Anga, who was standing outside and heard their conversation and folded her fist in anger and fumed.

Jalal entered his chamber with Rukaiya. He took off his crown and overcoat and lay down on his bed to relax. Rukaiya also desired to sit next to him on his bed, but she knew Jalal doesn't like to share his bed with anybody, so she stood next to his bed and asked him dryly. "How was your trip Jalal."

Jalal could sense the sarcasm in her tone. he replied in a clipped tone, "Fine... tell me what is going on here, and did we got success in finding Abul Mali."

Rukaiya got shocked by his short answer. She wanted to hear what happened in Amer. While looking at her fingers, "No, Jalal, We haven't gotten any success in finding him, and from many states. We have started getting complaints about his terrorism. His people are harassing common people." After a brief pause, she continued in a little rigid, sarcastic tone, "Jalal, you need to pay attention to sultanate since you got married to Queen Jodha, your mind has diverted from your target, you have not conquered any other state in last six month."

He gazed at her threateningly. "Rukaiya, It doesn't matter where I am; my priority is always this sultanate and never forget that you are talking to King of the Kings, and you don't need to remind me of my duties." After a brief pause, he continued in a stern tone, "Queen Rukaiya, I need to rest. You may leave."

Jodha and Reva both set up her chamber again. She put Krishna's statue back in a small temple and lit up the Diya. She thanked Lord Krishna for bringing Jalal to her life and save her dignity. After prayer, she sat on the daybed to relax and closed her eyes. Something was bothering her, but she didn't understand what it was; then she recalled Queen Rukaiya's bitter words and Jalal's silence. She questioned why Jalal didn't say anything; maybe he also thinks that I broke the rule. She pondered on this thought for some time but soon asked herself- Why am I thinking so much about this? He loves me a lot, and He can't be supporting me all the time. He has many other duties too. She confronted her thinking and decided not to think further about Queen Rukaiya.

With exhilaration, Jalal called Abdul and instructed him to bring the best Rajvanshi decorator, jeweler, and Rajvanshi dress designer.

Abdul teased, "Today, you seem much happier than usual. If I'm not mistaken, it seems like my best friend heartless King has fallen in..." He was still scared to use the word LOVE in front of Jalal...

Jalal blushed at his comment and admitted, "You are right, Abdul, I'm madly in love. Today I'm so happy and content that I can't express it in words. Jodha and I will first time come close tonight; our souls will become one for eternity. I want to give her every kind of happiness. I want to repent for all of my mistakes."

Jodha was missing Moti, her best friend, 'Moti, I wish you were here. Today is the best day of my life, and you not here to dress me.' Jodha was lying on her bed and was lost in thinking about their confession of love. She blushed, recalling Jalal kissing her.

Jalal entered gracefully with his signature stiff posture to Diwan E Khaas, instantly everyone bowed down and greeted him, soon the court began. Supreme administrator Aftab sahib informed him about the entire war and how they have defeated Abul Mali and took over the states. He also told him about how Abul Mali ran away and now is secretly harassing common people in few states.

Atgah sahib mentioned many small issues related to administration, some Rajvanshi's planning etc. But Today, Jalal was only able to concentrate on the leading essential problems. As soon as Atgah sahib began to inform about other routine issues and solutions, his mind diverted towards Jodha. He started to daydream about their first night between the court; his heart and mind both were not ready to work. He was looking very distracted and was only replying in yes or no. Everyone got surprised by the change in his behavior and yes or no answers. After a few distractions, he realized he could not concentrate anymore. So he got up in the middle of the running court and dismissed it. Hamida smirked knowingly, seeing Jalal's state of mind.

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Chapter 18:

Jalal walked out of the courtroom with a smirk on his face, surprising everyone. His mind, his heart, and even his thoughts were captured by their upcoming dreamy first night. He was feeling so excited, happy, and joyful. While gazing at Jodha's portrait, Jalal inquired, "How is the preparation going?"

Seeing Jalal's impatience, Abdul grinned and replied casually, "Shahenshah, I have sent people to bring the finest jeweler and dress designer as requested, they will be here any time, and the chamber decorator began to work as per your instruction. May I ask you why you are constantly smiling and glowing as if you have won the entire Hindustan?"

"Because I am feeling out of this world. No words can express my feelings. My heart is sending blissful vibes. Today, after a long time, I feel as if the day is too long. My patience is on edge; I can't wait for tonight. I have always felt like I am short of the hours, but today it's different. My mind doesn't want to think about anything other than Jodha. Do you know being in love is so strange? It gives you immense pain, peace, and happiness, all at the same time. Today I feel that I was in love with Jodha ever since my eyes laid on her, it just took me so long to comprehend, but my heart always loved her even in my extreme hate; I never hated her from my heart. Every pain I gave her, I suffered twice more than her. I had seized and locked my own heart all these years, but now I feel I have been released from suffocation, and my heart wants to explore every emotion that exists. Ohhh... Abdul, I can't express enough; to feel this, you need to fall in love." Jalal conversed openly with his dear friend.

Abdul was shocked to hear so many words from him. Jalal is known for his silence and a few necessary words only. Even as a friend, he only spoke in a sentence or two.

"Finally, you have accepted that you own a heart. I should be thankful to Queen Jodha; she has found your heart. I had never thought my ruthless, relentless, and heartless friend would talk like this one day. Your smile has surprised me with contentment. The first time, I have felt as if you have opened your heart freely to me, today's words coming without any measuring. Shahenshah, you have no idea how happy I am for you. Today I feel like calling you Jalal like I used to call when we were kids." Abdul wholeheartedly responded.

Jalal's expressions changed suddenly, hence in a severe tone, he asked Abdul, "Did you find out who was on duty at the palace gate on the night when Queen Jodha went to Jungle?"

"As soon as we reached the palace, I requested the details from Atgah Sahib. Shahenshah, very soon we will discover the real culprit." Abdul responded confidently.

"Abdul, a sudden thought came in my mind yesterday, why we don't match the handwriting with the letter Queen Jodha has given me. Also, find out who was on mail receiving and dispatching duty that week." Jalal recommended assuredly.

Conversing and thinking about this conspiracy. Jalal's blood boiled up; he firmed his posture and clutched his knuckle on the chair and continued in a thick tone, "Abdul, I will not spare the culprit who tried to separate us and gave her enormous pain, tears, and humiliation; I ensure he will plead for his death."

"Jalal, don't think about that now. Just enjoy the day; it's your day today. You don't worry; I would try my best to find out as soon as possible." Abdul replied concernedly.

A maid interrupted and informed them about the arrival of the jeweler and designer.

"Hmmm... Now the King of the Kings will spend his precious time in purchasing clothes and Jewelry for his beloved queen all by himself!" Abdul teased sarcastically.

Jalal gawked at Abdul petulantly. "Abdul, you may go now."

Abdul left his chamber with a grin on his face.

Both vendors came into Shahenshah's chamber with panic, surprise, and excitement. This was the first time Shahenshah wanted to pick Jewelry and dress by himself. Previously, he always used to describe what he wanted and ordered it.

After spending more than thirty minutes looking at the different color of dresses and various types of Jewelry, he picked a stunning and lavishing silk green Chania choli with red chunni with excellent detailed work with real studded diamonds, emerald, ruby, and gold on it. He also picked out a matching emerald and precious ruby Jewelry set for Jodha. The way he took an interest, vendors left with astonishing and happy faces.

When Abdul returned to Jalal's chamber, he noticed he was lost in looking at the outfit and Jewelry. He mischievously jeered; while clearing his throat, he stated, "What people say is so true. Shahenshah, once a person falls in love, he becomes useless." He chuckled, seeing Jalal's irritated face.

"You know, my dear friend... the feeling of love is not in everyone's destiny, very few are blessed with this fortune, that's why some of the envious and jealous people has made up this statement." Jalal snapped back with a smug smirk on his lips.

"Anyway, Abdul, you can jeer in jealousy. I want to do the very important and useful thing is to meet with my love." He taunted again with a friendly smirk while getting up from the chair.

He ordered his maid to bring the dress and Jewelry to Jodha's chamber.

On the other side, Jodha and Reva talked about what happened while returning to Agra.

Reva was in shock when she heard of her suicide attempt. "Omg... I can't believe you, queen Jodha; how could you take this drastic step." She scolded gently.

"I know I made a mistake, but at that time, I thought Shahenshah doesn't care about me and want me, and you know how he got angry at me in front of Surya and Kanika. I was so heartbroken when he gave me an ultimatum, either accepted or divorced him." Jodha tried to justify herself.

"Queen Jodha, you know Shahenshah's anger; when he is upset and angry, he doesn't think much; he unleashed his rage without much thought, but you know he does care for you. He came himself to pursue you; he apologized and repented for his mistake. You didn't come in front of him for an entire day. He searched for you madly and looked embarrassed in front of your family, though he didn't complain even once. You were rude and stubborn in Amer and obviously making him jealous. No man can allow his women close to any other man. Moti and I noticed how frustrated Shahenshah was, seeing you and Surya so close to each other.

"You know Reva; I am so scared of everything, the way we got married, the way he disrespected me publically... not only accused me but slapped me. After that, almost every woman in the Harem spitted at me, curse me with such disgusting language. Not only Shahenshah, but many women called me whore. I have no courage left to face or fight with any of them. I only look strong outside, but I am broken from inside, and I don't want to face harem politics and those queens. Once, people used to call me fiercely princess, but there is no fire left in me. I don't want anything but him and his love only." She sounded so weak and helpless, which shocked Reva. She could feel her princess for the first time so feeble and broken.

You have to understand; he is the King of the Kings. Usually, a powerful man like him doesn't bend this much unless he is in love. Sometimes it's not easy to admit the feeling, so give him some time; he will confess his love for you." Reva politely made her understand her point of view.

"Reva, he has already confessed his love for me and..." She paused briefly and continued timidly, "And, I also confessed my love for him, and tonight, he has invited me in his chamber." She blushed heavily.

Reva got so overjoyed hearing about their love confession. She replied, "Oh, I am so delighted, Queen Jodha!" she mumbled while hugging her elatedly.

"I wish Moti were here; we all would have celebrated this day together. Moti and I knew long back that you were in love with Shahenshah, and we were eagerly waiting for this day to come." Reva impatiently stated.

"Of course, I knew you both were teasing me all the time, and you decorated my chamber in Agra with flowers." Jodha narrowed her eyes, and crossly responded.

Reva chuckled, seeing her pouting, "Jodha, today I will dress you up, even better than Moti. I would make you look so pretty that Shahenshah would go wild for you and won't let you sleep the entire night." Reva harassed her.

"Reva, now you are making me nervous. What are you planning to do?" Jodha was well-aware of Reva's adventures and unique styles.

With amusement, she promised, "Jodha, have patience and trust me, I will not do anything out of the ordinary, no experiment today. Let me start my preparations now." She quickly made a face pack (paste) from black sand with rose water, Sandalwood, turmeric, and a lot of other Ayurveda stuff, then she turned towards Jodha and said, "You would be glowing like a pink lotus in thirty minutes."

Jodha asked uncertainly, "Are you sure... I have never applied any face pack in my life, and also, this face pack looks so black."

"Trust me; this paste will work like magic; your face will glow immediately," Reva assured with confidence.

"Okay... fine, put it on. I hope what you say is true. I want to look my finest." Jodha agreed.

Reva applied the black face pack on her face and instructed her not to wash her face until she returns. "Jodha, now you relax and dream about your romantic night with Shahenshah. Let me prepare for henna; I would be back in a few minutes."

Jodha was relaxing on a chair and heard the announcement of Jalal's arrival; before she could think or do anything, Jalal came inside the chamber. Jodha rapidly put on a long veil to hide her face.

Jalal instructed the maid to keep the things on the table and leave. When he saw Jodha in a long veil covering her face, he was surprised by her weird behavior.

"Queen Jodha, are you alright? Have you forgotten that I am your husband? Why this long veil in front of me?" Jalal asked confusingly.

Jodha cursed Reva and murmured to herself, 'Was it necessary for him to come at this moment only?'

Jalal came near Jodha and hugged her from behind and hissed, "Are you angry with me?"

"Not at all, Shahenshah, but..." she nervously answered.

"Then why this long veil between us?"

A sudden idea popped in her mind; she cunningly replied, "Today is our first night, so I have decided not to show you my face until tonight."

Jalal grinned, thinking Jodha is acting dramatically, "Don't punish me. I won't leave your chamber without looking at your beautiful face and look, what I have gotten for you. I have chosen a dress and matching jewelry for you myself." He insisted lovingly.

Jodha turned slightly and saw the big royal plate on the table. Oh god, what should I do? He is not going to leave soon. Then she said in a phony angry tone, " Shahenshah, you have become so adamant, but you can see my beautiful face tonight only."

Jalal got surprised seeing Jodha's strange attitude. He thought, why is she sending me away and hiding her face? Not even appreciating the dress. No, thank you. "As you say, Queen Jodha... You know your wish is everything to me; okay, then I will leave now, see you tonight." He replied disappointedly in a sad tone and turned to walk towards a door.

Jodha ignoring his sad tone, replied instantly, "Yes...yes, please go."

Now Jalal's doubt became stronger; something was wrong.

Jodha said to herself with a sigh of relief, "Uhhh... thank god you have saved me..."

Jalal swiftly turned back and quickly took off the veil from her face, saw her in a black face pack, and out of sudden shock, he screamed, "Ghost...ahhh."

Jodha also got scared and screamed, "AAAA hhhh aaahhh."

Jodha ran to the washroom and cleaned her facemask, and came out.

Jalal laughed out loud like a little child; seeing him laughing as crazy, Jodha pouted and asked gallingly, "Are you happy now looking at my beautiful face?"

"Truly, Jodha, I never expected you in this look." Seeing him is still laughing, Jodha also joined; they both cackled out loud.

"Jodha, why did you put the black paste on your face?" He asked naively.

"To look more beautiful for tonight." She answered quickly but so innocently; realization hit her after saying; she felt embarrassed. Out of shame, she ran towards the door, but before that she could, he pulled her and pinned her to the wall, and mouthed in her ear, "Why you want to look beautiful tonight?"

She looked down at her figures timidly.

"Why" He slurred while swiftly kissing her cheeks.

"Let me go. I will tell you tonight." Jodha mumbled shyly in a dim tone

"I can't wait anymore," Jalal honestly said while gazing at her.

"Shahenshah, You brought a gift for me, let me see."

Jalal released her from his grip and walked towards the dress and Jewelry and gave it to her and said, "I have picked everything myself...I want you to wear this tonight," then he said in an undertone, "If you don't want to wear anything then it's better. I would be thrilled with that too." He winked at her, and with the lustful look, he beamed at her and left. He stopped and turned with a sensual gaze, "I would wait for you in my chamber tonight." Jodha nodded her head with a slight grin and watched him walking out.

Reva came in with a bowl of Mehandi and saw Jodha's washed face; with little resentment, she asked, "Why did you wash off that face pack so quickly?"

Jodha grouchily retorted, "Reva, today, your face pack almost got me killed. You know, Shahenshah came after you left and he was so afraid looking at my face that he ran away. I felt so embarrassed today because of you."

Reva giggled out loud and asked, "Omg!!! Jodha...Did he see you in this face pack?

Jodha, with a crabby face, " Yes, he saw me."

"Jodha, don't worry, he will go crazy for you tonight anyway, when he sees you all decked up. Now let's focus on your beauty; I have got henna for you. I want you to dress like a bride with stunning henna. It is so beautiful outside; Can we go out and apply Mehndi on your hand?" Reva casually asked.

Jodha got so excited to hear about applying to henna; she eagerly replied, "Oh wow, henna. I love the smell of henna. Yes, let's go out."

Jodha and Reva came out in the garden, sat on the bench, and began to put Mehndi. Reva endlessly teased Jodha, and Jodha blushed while talking about Jalal. Rukaiya passed from there and saw Jodha, who was busy talking with Reva and looked too happy and excited. Her face was glowing, and she was all dressed like a proper queen. Rukaiya was upset with Jalal for not sharing the details about Amer, so she decided to find out from Jodha.

Rukaiya came by the bench where they were sitting and asked in an ironic tone, "What's the matter, Queen Jodha? You are looking so cheerful today. I haven't seen you this happy ever in this palace, and why are you applying henna today? Is there any special occasion?"

Jodha looked at Rukaiya with respect and answered calmly, "Pranaam Queen Rukaiya, nothing special, it's just that I am feeling elated today, so thought of applying this henna."

Reva didn't like the way Rukaiya was enquiring about Jodha. She thought why Jodha is listening to her. Why isn't she telling her what special occasion? No one respects her here because everyone thinks Shahenshah doesn't like Jodha, but I cannot see everyone insulting my Jodha. I will tell Queen Rukaiya why Jodha is so joyful today. Reva interrupted in between and scornfully replied, "Queen Rukaiya, Let me tell you why Queen Jodha is shining like a star and glowing so much. It's because Shahenshah has invited queen Jodha to spend their first night with him.

Rukaiya fumingly shouted, "What is this nonsense, Reva? Keep your mouth shut, you cheap low-class maid. I am not talking to you; don't you ever dare to talk in between."

"Queen Rukaiya, Reva is like my sister. Please don't call her a cheap or low-class maid and whatever she has said is true. Shahenshah has invited me to his chamber to spend the night with him." Jodha politely responded in a low tone.

Rukaiya's temper went out of the roof. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She yelled, "What is this nonsense, Queen Jodha? Are you out of your mind? Don't get too excited; it has never happened that after returning from his long journey Shahenshah has spent his night with any other ordinary queen. So stop even thinking that Shahenshah would come to you to spend his night, and just for your information, Jalal doesn't share his personal space with anyone. Today he has never allowed any of his queens to touch his bed, and you are telling me that he has invited you to his private chamber. What the heck is this! How stupid of you to lie like this? Stop creating drama to get Shahenshah's attention. Let me remind you something, never try to cross your limits and compete with me, or get ready to face the consequences. You have seen me calm so far; you don't know the consequences of my anger. Don't lift yourself so much in the air that you fall on your face.

Jodha was shocked to hear these bitter words from the queen Rukaiya. She never saw queen Rukaiya this much angry and dominating. She insulted her, threatened her, called her a common queen.

Jodha responded confidently in a stern tone, "Queen Rukaiya, wait, you have called me a liar and a common queen, and you have threatened me, then you better listen to my answer too... I respect you a lot, but it doesn't mean that you would insult me by calling me a liar. I am not scared of you, so stop threatening me. I know very well you are Shahenshah's favorite and chief queen, but it doesn't mean those others are of no respect. And yes, I will spend my night with Shahenshah and in his personal chamber, so do whatever you can. And I also know my limitations very well, But you need to come out of your ego and pride, or you would be left with nothing except embarrassment."

The first time someone replied to Queen Rukaiya, her anger was pulping with fire. She screamed out loudly, "Queen Jodha; you are so proud of your beauty! Okay, Now, I will show you who I am? Let's see how long you can stay in this harem." she walked away with fuming anger.

Many other begums heard their angry, hot, and fiery conversation. Every one of them was stunned and shocked, seeing Jodha's response to chief queen Rukaiya. None of them ever dared to stand against her. All were laughing at Jodha's foolishness for messing up with Rukaiya. Everyone said one sentence, "It's time for Jodha's countdown."

Jodha saw other begums talking to each other and laughing out loud while gazing at her. She didn't want to involve herself in harem politics, so she went back to her chamber and finished her henna there.

Reva worriedly said- "Jodha, What all has happened? It's all my mistake; please forgive me; I had no clue my one sentence will drag the matter to this point, and Jodha, what have you done? Why did you mess up with a queen Rukaiya? You know nothing about her; she is such a sharp and cunning lady. Also, she has control over Shahenshah's mind and his entire Harem. I am so worried; she will not spare you easily."

"Stop it, Reva; I don't want to listen to anything about Queen Rukaiya and ruin my mood. I want to think about Shahenshah today. But I am feeling awful for Queen Rukaiya today for breaking her heart. I didn't know that Shahenshah spends his night with her after every long journey. If I had known about it, then I would never have asked him to spend his night with me today."

News spread in the entire Harem like a fire. Everyone was talking and guessing where Shahenshah would spend his night today. The majority of women were sure that Shahenshah would go to Queen Rukaiya.

Resham, Maham's maid, ran to Maham's chamber to give this news. After hearing that, she also fumed. She couldn't believe that Jalal will change his usual custom for that Rajvanshi and her ears burned hearing that Jalal invited queen Jodha to his private chamber. She said in a wicked tone, "I will not let this happen. Jalal must not treat Jodha like his chief queen; she is low class, cheap queen and has no respect for herself even after this horrible insult she came to palace."

Rukaiya was fuming with anger and thinking- "Little by little Jalal is getting away from me... I don't care if he likes queen Jodha until the Harem is under my power. But if she tried to take away my rights and control, I will not spare her. After all the insults and embarrassments by Jalal, she still came back to Agra. But today, she will come to know her rightful place in this Harem when Jalal will spend his entire night with me; she was still in the delusion that as always, Jalal will come to her.

It was almost close to evening time. Jodha began to get dressed; she wanted to look most beautiful tonight.

Jalal finished his political work since he was not there for fifteen days, lots of crucial pending work, he had to finalize. He also wanted to see Maham as she didn't see him since he returned and didn't attend the DWK. When Maham's maid informed Jalal that Wazir E Aliya is too sad has not seen anyone today. He was sharp enough to recognize Maham was upset at him for not telling her about his trip to Amer.

After finishing all work, Jalal decided to visit Maham. As always, Jalal smiled at Maham and tried to hug her causally, but she responded very coldly. "Have I made any mistake, Badi ammi? Are you upset with me?" Jalal came to the point quickly.

"Shahenshah, I am fine, and you don't have to worry about me. I am just a worker and a servant of Mughal Sultanate." Maham used her emotional weapon with fake tears.

"Why are you talking like this? You know your value in my life. I respect and trust you more than my own mother. Please don't hurt me like this and tell me why you are so upset!" Jalal responded in a miserable voice.

"If you had thought of me as your own, you would have told me about your plan before leaving for Amer and would not have hurt me this much. Do you think I am your enemy?" Maham masked her cunning smirk and asked with phony cries.

Jalal sadly responded, "Badi Ammi, please forgive me; I didn't know you would get this much angry. When I left for Amer, I was not in my senses; I was too upset and lost in the guilt of my deed. Even I don't know how I got there; I had no intentions of hurting you. Won't you forgive your son?" He genuinely justified himself.

Maham, with crocodile tears, hugged Jalal and said, "Can any mother stay angry with her son for so long?" She paused briefly, then continued in a severe tone, "Shahenshah, I really need to talk about something essential. If you don't mind, can you please sit for a few minutes?"

She called Resham and instructed her to bring a drink for Jalal, then she began, "Do you know how sad Queen Rukaiya was? You weren't here for so many days, and on top of that, you had gone to queen Jodha's kingdom. Jalal, Rukaiya is your chief wife and your best friend; please take care of her. After so many days today, I have seen her looking happy and vibrant after seeing you. Ever since you got married to queen Jodha, you have been ignoring Queen Rukaiya. You should spend some time with her too. She looks after all your wives; you have responsibilities towards her. I would suggest you quickly finish your drink and go straight to her."

Jalal realized he completely forgot about Rukaiya. He was lost in his thoughts while drinking; Rukaiya is probably expecting me tonight. I should personally go and tell her that I will spend the night with a queen Jodha instead of her. So he decided to go to queen Rukaiya's chamber before going to his own.

Jalal finished the drink and said, " You are right, Badi ammi; I forgot about Rukaiya; she might be waiting for me. I would directly go to see her from here." He smiled and left.

Rukaiya was very overconfident that Jalal would come to her only, and then she heard the announcement of Jalal's arrival. She ran towards him and hugged him tight and said, "I knew you would come."

Jalal also hugged her warmly and asked, "How is she doing?" Rukaiya excitedly, "Finally, you came back Jalal, I missed you so much. I was waiting for you for lunch, but you didn't show up?"

"Rukaiya, you know I was so busy today, and also I had to complete many pending works, so I did not get time to see you, and you know this very well that how important you are for me. You are my best mate and also my first queen. How can I forget you! But today I want to talk to you about something personal. Something about my heart."

Rukaiya asked surprisingly, "What did you say, Jalal; You want to talk with me about your heart? Are you joking?"

"Yes, Rukaiya, I have fallen in love with a queen Jodha; I truly love her from the bottom of my heart. First time in my life ever I have opened up my heart but..." Before he finished his sentence, suddenly, he started to feel dizzy. Everything began to move around him. He could not stand straight; in a few seconds, before he could understand further, he fell on the bed and knocked out to sleep. Before passing out, he mumbled in a shallow tone, "Call Healer."

Rukaiya was shocked, seeing all of a sudden Jalal knocked out, sleeping. He was breathing fine and looked like sleeping, but to verify, she requested the healer privately.

Rukaiya had mixed feelings. She was thrilled that Jalal came to spend his night with her, but she felt miserable knowing that Jalal was in love with a queen Jodha. Of course, she knew about it for a long time that Jalal was in love with a queen Jodha, but he never admitted it. For Rukaiya, her status was more important than anything else. She said to herself- "Jalal, you can spend your nights with anyone, but I will be your chief wife, adviser, and Ruler of your Harem. I know after spending some time with Jodha, your love fever will get down; you will come back to your Rukaiya."

Resham ran towards Maham's Room with a cheerful expression and said, "Mission accomplished."

Maham smiled wickedly and said- "Now that Rajvanshi would come to know her real identity and place in this Harem." then she instructed wittingly to Resham to spread the news in the Harem that Shahenshah is spending the night with a queen Rukaiya.

Jodha was lost in her dreams and getting ready for her special night. Reva did a neat braid on her hair with a diamond clip on them. She put on all the makeup with extra care. Her henna came out dark and beautiful. She wore the gorgeous, beautiful Royal dress and Jewelry given by Jalal. She was pleased to see how carefully he picked the Jewelry with color coordination. She loved chandelier style earrings with a matching necklace and pretty armband. Finally, she put the waistband on; then she put on a big bunch of beautiful colorful bangles. She put on her favorite big round nose ring. She was looking prettier than on her wedding day. She was blushing while looking at herself in the mirror. At last, she put Kajal in her eyes. She was glowing with her divine beauty and blush.

At last, the time came to go and see Jalal. She walked towards his Room with the vision of her dreams. Her heartbeat was running fast; her legs were moving slowly. She felt many butterflies tickling in her stomach. As she came near his chamber, her feet were feeling jello. She was feeling too nervous and excited at the same time. At the gate of his chamber, everyone knew that Jalal was expecting queen Jodha. So without any interruption, she entered his private chamber. What she saw she couldn't believe her eyes. The entire chamber was decorated in Rajvanshi Style. The look of his chamber was utterly changed. There were hundreds of candles lighted in this huge grand chamber. Chamber as a whole filled with fragrance with Sandalwood, which gave an amazing divine feeling. The luxurious, splendid round bed was full of Rose petals. She felt Jalal's touch in every little thing; he had carefully picked her favorite flowers and fragrances to her like. She could feel his efforts to please her; he redecorated his chamber with Rajvanshi colors and decoration. Finally, her eyes laid on their FIRST memory of their love moment painting. Divinely, peacefully, sleeping under the tree painting hanging at the center of the wall across their bed. Seeing all this, warm tears dribble down her cheeks. She felt overwhelmed by Jalal's thoughtfulness.

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