Friends, yesterday's episode was again not a memorable episode in and of itself, but if you watched it carefully you would have got three clear sankets of what is likely to happen during the jashn track. The whole episode seemed to take forward three angles of the story that leads us to these three sankets for the big jashn day.
The first of the three broad story angles was the Slavery Abolition Issue.
Yesterday there was progress on this front when first Jodha and Jalal discussed how serious the problem was. Jodha highlighted the fact that this business of slavery had gone on for so long, almost like a taken-for-granted tradition, that it has now become a deep-rooted malaise in society. Jodha told Jalal of how she had seen some wretched slaves being herded like animals through the city streets ... but while they both could not immediately root out the whole corrupt system, they could at least start with the way the ghulam baandhis were being treated inside their own palace, since charity begins at home.
Jalal agreed that something had to be done, for this issue had escaped his notice all this time. While he was busy with wars and enhancement of the kingdom, the problems of the slaves won at war or later traded in the open market had become worse. Jalal promised to clean up the slavery issue in the Sultanate, while Jodha simultaneously applied herself to clean up the issue in the harem.
Later Jalal was also seen in disguise walking through the city looking and looking at instances of slavery first-hand. A woman was being sold to a rich man as a slave but the man did not allow her to take her very young child with her ... and so right in front of Jalal's eyes, another child was separated mercilessly from its mother. Jalal was so outraged that he wanted to act, but Atga warned him against knee-jerk reaction.
As Atga and Jalal later discussed the matter, it became clear that mere "farmans" from Jalal were not working as the issue was too entrenched societally, to be solved superficially. A strong Law needed to be enacted to abolish slavery once and for all ... and again this Law needed to be introduced with the consent of the praja, otherwise there could be another backlash (as in the case of the Tasneem Marriage Age Law).
I am now wondering if this new Law and its enactment will be one of the high points at the start of the jashn, because Jalal will have the attention of all his invited praja at that point and could address them on this issue and try to carry them along. But would the timing and the place to enact such a Law be appropriate at a jashn?
This law itself cannot be an easy thing for Jalal to achieve, for even inside the harem, people like Mahamanga were seen so heavily opposed to the loss of power they would have when they lose their slaves or are forced to give them their freedom. The power that comes from oppression of people below their standing is a power that superior people always crave and hold on to. For as they say, every boss is only as powerful as the number of subordinates he has. If Maham's own anger yesterday is any yardstick of public outcry, then Jalal can probably expect a fairly serious public backlash if the Anti-Slavery Law came into effect, particularly amongst the affluent masses.
The question here is whether Jalal and Atga and his advisers think the Anti-Slavery Law will have a backlash or not, and whether the jashn would help lull the backlash or not. They may do one of two things: they may either announce the Law subtly before or at the start of the jashn, and hope the jashn festivities will make people forget any backlash and the jashn mood will smooth out the introduction of the new Law and its repercussions on the masses. On the other hand if the Law is expected to mar the jashn festivities with its backlash, Jalal may well postpone the actual announcement until after the jashn is over, when it may be more prudent to take up such serious matters and address public concerns.
What is everybody's feeling on this issue in our forum? Do you all think this Abolition of Slavery will become enacted as a Law and announced during the jashn, or will this be done well before the jashn, or will this be done after the jashn? If the law is to be enacted and announced earlier than the jashn, then perhaps today's (Wednesday's) episode will see that announcement ... and the jashn itself may begin only in Thursday's episode with its high point reached by Friday when Abul Mali's man may attack Jalal. The announcement plan for the Law may affect the timing of the jashn episodes, depending on whether Jalal deems it wiser to announce the Law before, during or after the jashn.
The second of the three broad story angles is the Issue of the Assassination Plot.
Sujamal, who seems to be the key player in helping stave off this assassination plot, was seen roaming the city streets yesterday, still in his disguise, wondering within his mind who that subehdar of Jalal was, who was seen in cahoots with Abul Mali and his henchman. Sujamal kept thinking Jodha may be able to identify the likely subehdar who had an axe to grind with Jalal, but then how was Sujamal to reach Jodha and ask her?
As he was wandering the city, however, Sujamal chanced upon Atga issuing orders to his men for upping the security cover for Jalal. Judging by his deportment, Sujamal thought to himself that this man (Atga) looked like someone senior enough and important enough in the hierarchy, and decided that it would be wise to warn him of impending danger to the life of Jalal. So Sujamal quickly scripted a rough-and -ready paigam on a piece of cloth ... and through a small urchin boy had it handed over to Atga. By the time Atga got the paigam the sender of the paigam was nowhere in sight, so Atga was perplexed as to how this information had come about. But the good part of the whole thing is that Atga did not act dismissive with the information. He took it seriously.
Up until that point I was breathing a sigh of relief that Atga had done the wise thing to believe in the paigam and its contents, but then he subsequently did something so foolish that I don't know what to think of his intelligence now. Sharif was sauntering through the streets (probably trying to get a measure of the level of security around) when he came upon Atga, fresh with the paigam in his hands. The guileless Atga then told Sharif everything about the paigam and its contents. He said "I have received word from some guy I cannot locate that there is khatra to Jalal's life from Abul Mali during the jashn". Sharif was momentarily aghast that word had somehow got out about his plans with Abul Mali, and Sharif was himself wondering who the informant could be. But then Atga compounded his error by telling Sharif further "I need you to take care of Jalal's security. Please stay close to Jalal throughout the jashn." Sharif couldn't believe his ears. Atga seemed to have handed Jalal's head on a platter to Sharif. Now what more was needed than for Sharif to stay close to Jalal throughout the evening so that Abul Mali's henchman could go through with the assassination plot with his prey marked out for him by none other than Sharif?
Meanwhile another two small developments also seemed to be in the works. While Jalal was talking to Jodha, he got word that Raja Bharmal had come to Agra to meet Jalal. Since Jalal was momentarily tied up with Jodha, he sent word that Bharmal should be met by Hakim Mirza and Mansingh and he himself would meet his guest shortly. Also in the precap, Abul Mali was seen talking about the timing of the assassination attempt. He was suggesting that the jashn should be allowed to start and proceed without suspicion till it reached a crescendo, and in that high moment of public euphoria and laxness of security, the murder attempt should be made.
So now it looks like all the key players are in position for the assassination attempt. Sharif has been given the happy task of guarding Jalal (i.e. exposing him to the murderer). Sujamal is in the city in disguise not knowing who Mali's co-conspirator, the "secret subehdar" is, but is aware of the plot to assassinate Jalal. Sujamal is also aware of the quid pro quo between Abul Mali and this subehdar to follow up on the assassination with another plot for "something" to be given to the subehdar in exchange (i.e. abduction of Jodha, which Sujamal does not specifically know). Jodha has no clue about the assassination plot unless Sujamal manages to reach her before the jashn to warn her against the "secret subehdar". If Sujamal fails to reach information to Jodha or Jalal, he is bound to try and intervene during the assassination to prevent it and may himself get hurt seriously in the process. Bharmal seems to have arrived with Mewat recaptured. If Sujamal is seen and recognised by Sharif before the assassination attempt, Sharif may well try to frame Sujamal after the assassination attempt is made. Bharmal could then help exonerate Sujamal if he is caught for the assassination attempt by suspicion falling on him. On the other hand if Sujamal himself sees no way out other than to take the murder weapon on himself to save Jalal, then it would probably break Jodha's heart, and she may plead for his pardon with Jalal. Either way, Bharmal may reconfirm to Jalal that Sujamal would never have killed Jalal's cousins from behind, and Sujamal may confirm that is was Sharif's men who did this with the bodies when they were en route to Agra.
The permutations and combinations of what may happen are open to endless speculation. All we have achieved in yesterday's episode is that all the key players have now congregated at Agra and have a rough idea of their appointed places to occupy in the setting for the high and complex drama during the jashn.
The third of the three broad story angles is the Issue of Declaration of Jodha's Love.
Yesterday, in a cute scene almost at the end of the episode, Jalal comes to Jodha's room just as she is inspecting all the new fine clothes that Hamida has gifted her. Jalal makes an off-the-cuff remark about her wearing his favourite colour green, but then reveals his real intention in coming to Jodha. He says "I have been given the dhakka by you before for venturing a suggestion but still despite that I have to come to ask you for something. Will you accompany me to the jashn tonight and be by my side through the evening?" Jodha readily agrees.
But Jalal doesn't stop at that. He brings up another topic that has remained incomplete between them. Talking of the reasons for the jashn (the snake poison ingestion by Jodha to save Jalal's life), Jalal asks Jodha "You still haven't told me why you drank the poison that day ...why you saved me ..." Jodha demurs saying "I told you, it was to save your life!" But Jalal is persistent. "No tell me the real reason why you needed to save my life?". He asked this twice. Jodha was unready to give the answer and they both knew that Jodha was hesistating to come out with the real truth.
Just then, when it almost looked like Jalal would get Jodha to admit that she wanted to save his life because she loved him, an interruption came in the form of a message that Raja Bharmal had arrived. The moment of declaration of love between Jodha and Jalal was lost again, it seemed. But I see this as a clear sanket folks, that when Jodha is faced with the attempt on Jalal's life, and when Sujamal perhaps intervenes to take the poison dart upon himself to somehow save Jodha's suhaag, Jodha will break down (as the spoilers suggest) and Jalal will console her (hugs please!) and there in the midst of the highly emotionally charged moment of near loss of Jalal from her life, the words of love for Jalal will escape Jodha's mouth and thrill Jalal to the core of his being!
That penultimate scene yesterday was a clear clear ishara that the words Jalal asked Jodha for, which has even now remained incomplete between them, are about to be uttered at the moment of climax at the jashn!
I am not sure what we will get for today (Wednesday's ) episode, but I wish the jashn would start, for I am losing patience. Let's wait and see. Meanwhile, there is one scene I want to detail from yesterday's episode ... and that is that last scene between Jodha and Jalal when he wanted her to admit why she saved his life. I loved that scene, because I saw what eagerness there was in his eyes to know the answer, and what shyness there was in her eyes to speak of it. Both knew what they were talking about but they were circling the subject like a cat and mouse ... very cute!
"Why did you drink that snake poison and save me? " he asks ...
Jodha and Moti are in her room with all the piles of new clothes that Hamida has gifted for Jodha. "Which one should I wear for this evening?" Jodha asks Moti. "Wear the one you like" says Moti. "If I knew which one that was, why would I ask you?" says Jodha plaintively.
Just then Jalal enters the room and he's got a suggestion even as he enters. "Wear the colour green" he says, "It looks great on you!" Moti quietly leaves Jodha and Jalal alone.
"Why did you take the trouble to come here yourself?" asks Jodha, "If you had sent for me I would have come to you." Jalal replies "Oh that's true, but as they say, it is not good to disturb someone who needs to get ready. And besides, since the jashn today is in your name, I thought I would come personally to take your permission."
"You are the Shahenshah", Jodha says, "what would you need permission for?" "Oh there is a reason" he replies. "There was one occasion when I took the liberty of making an advance without permission and got a dhakka that I can still remember." They both lapse into memories of that incident. He looks wistful and she looks a bit guilty.
Then he changes tack and says "Anyway, since the jashn is in your name today, will you do me the honour of accompanying me to the jashn this evening?". Jodha replies rather quickly "It would be my pleasure, Shahenshah!" He looks very happy to hear that and sys "Thank you, Jodha Begum."
Then he seems to remember the reason for the jashn and says "I still remember that day when to save my life you drank that snake poison. But you know something, till date you have not told me exactly why you did that?" he looks straight into her eyes and she has a look of being trapped in his gaze, not knowing how exactly to answer that. She then says "I did it to save your life, Shahenshah!" "But that's just the point" he replies "Why did you put your own life in danger to save mine?" "I've replied that same question so many times to you, I am sure you know the reasons" Jodha replies. "You know Jodha Begum, that is not the real reason. You did not save my life because I am your Shahenshah or even your husband. For God's sake, I beg you, please tell me why you did that?" there is a note of pleading in his voice. His eyes are so eager to know. He moves closer to her in anticipation of her answer.
"I did that ... because ... I had to do that ..." Jodha says cryptically. "Oh, no, not another untruth" he says, refusing to accept her answer. "You are always fobbing me off with a vague answer. This time I insist on knowing the true answer, so tell me." He looks expectantly at her and she seems almost ready to speak up ...
... but a baandhi then enters with a message to Jalal that Raja Bharmal of Amer has arrived and wants to meet him. Jalal says "Ask Hakim and Mansingh to take care of him. I will be there presently."
Then Jalal looks back at Jodha after the baandhi has left and says "Hmmm... this time too kismet has not been with me. But believe me, Jodha Begum, I am very "ziddi" and sooner rather than later I will get the answer from you that I am looking for." He smiles at her, and there is knowing in his eyes. She smiles back shyly and there is knowing in her eyes too.
For today, the cat has given the mouse a warning and a wee bit more time. The mouse knows it cannot hold back the truth much longer - for the cat knows it all even without saying. But the cat is an adamant cat and will not let the mouse off so easily. The mouse is secretly thrilled!
Okay so much for today. Let me leave with a few 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡"#@&%$#@*%&*#@" 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 at the Creatives for the Javeeda scene (pathetic waste of our time!) and that scene where the two begums are fighting over a ring at the harem (what was that all about?).
Five useless minutes of precious episode airtime got shaved off because of Javeeda and the two women and the ring! Do we need this kind of time-filling crap?
I know why this is being done, though. This is so that the jashn can have a delayed start and reach its high point at the very end of the Friday episode, when the assassin is poised to strike Jalal ...and then the Creatives will hang us out to dry for the weekend!
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