Friends, I don't know how many of you liked yesterday's episode ... but I really liked it a lot. That's why I have come back to my full form and decided to give you this long post with lots of details on what happened. The spoilers we had had all day yesterday, including that horrendous Maha Somwar promo had prepared us to expect a really ugly Jalal spitting venom at Jodha. In fact even the precap of the previous episode had cleverly edited the scene between Jodha and Jalal to give us a feeling of a really gargantuan MU boiling up between them.
But when I actually saw the episode just one major theme stood in my mind: despite all his deep angst, concern, and anger with Jodha for having made all the mistakes she did, Jalal did not let her down! He betrayed time and again how much he loved her deep inside him. In private he admitted that he could not distrust her - and then he also stood by her in the face of gossips, and made it known to the public that he was in spirit with his wife all the way, and far from decrying her faults and setting her aside in his life, he was glad to see her back and thankful to God that she was safe and sound.
When cries of "Shahenshah Jalal ki mohabbat zindabad!" rent the air at the welcome of Jodha and Jalal, hand in hand, at the Agra Palace, it looked like Jalal had really done the absolutely statesmanlike thing - and also the really heartfelt genuine thing - he could ever have done in the circumstances. In that moment I saw a King I could respect for his public courage in the face of private agony. And even that private agony was just superficial for it hid a wealth of unshakeable love.
Earlier to this arrival at Agra, in the jungle-side khema, Jodha and Jalal had had a fairly vehement exchange. Thanks to the smart thinking of Mansingh, Jodha was forewarned on the state of Jalal's mind before she deigned to talk to him. And Jalal too knew the talk would likely become acrimonious and so he insisted they talk inside the khema and not outside.
Jodha tried her best to explain her reasons for sympathy for the way Khyber was stuck wounded in that deep dry well, but Jalal trounced her arguments by explaining that he too was not a bewakoof. He could very well have killed Khyber despite her so-called "wish" but he didn't for a good reason. He put Khyber inside that well again for a good reason. He wanted his animalistic tendencies to wear down so that he could be controlled and be less of a menace to the people at large. Jalal told Jodha that it was her poor opinion of his brains that made her unwilling to trust his judgement of the situation.
When Jodha thus chastened then pleaded for pardon of her faults, he took up the subject of the gossip she had generated and the general havoc that Khyber had created. "Do you know what all people are now talking about you?" he asked Jodha, "And can you make amends for the soldiers and villagers that Khyber has killed by the dozens? How do we answer those families?" Jodha then thought it fit to explain the hut-stay issue with him. "I cooked food to preserve my babies by eating well. I changed into warm clothes to keep my babies warm" she explained. And then she told Jalal "Anyway I don't care what people think of me and my virtue. The important thing is do you suspect me also?"
Jalal's answer was so fabulous that I got goose bumps! He said "Isn't it strange that despite it all I cannot distrust you or suspect you? Here you don't trust me, but despite that I cannot distrust you!" He said it with a toss of his head in self-deprecation, but the feelings he had for Jodha deep inside did show themselves out. Anger and angst were not really able to cover the three things he genuinely felt for Jodha after this ordeal: he felt love, he felt concern and he felt gratified for her safe return.
I saw all these same three feelings in Jalal's eyes, when earlier the hakima had checked Jodha and asked her what all she went through. When she said "I've had to run around a lot, go hungry a lot, do stressful hill climbing and I even got almost drowned in a fast-flowing river" the look in Jalal's eyes were again that curious mixture of love, concern and relief - masked under a grim expression of veiled anger.
Jalal throughout the episode had a stern mouth and a rigid jaw showing clenched anger ... but his eyes gave him away a lot. He didn't want to talk to Jodha in the khema, I suspect, because he knew not which emotion would escape him - and he wanted to stay angry despite other feelings overwhelming him.
I thought Rajat was sensational yesterday in being able to show as many as four different emotions in his grim face - with his eyes looking like wells of emotion. Paridhi was also great yesterday, because she brought out the twin facets of Jodha very well. On the one side was deep sympathy for Khyber which she expressed as prayers for a better life for his next birth - which even Jalal understood. On the other side was her deep apology but also deep trust that Jalal would not really misunderstand her actions and suspect her. She was sorry for all the trouble she had put Jalal and his family through, which she expressed with heartfelt words. But beneath all this her expression whenever she looked at Jalal held a question in her eyes. "How are you taking it? You do trust me, don't you? What is going on in your mind? You will be able to forgive me, won't you?"
The scene where at night both of them are on the same bed but as far as possible from each other, with their backs turned to each other was the best scene for me. Without words it showed us the true feelings of both of them. Outwardly he wanted to be angry with her, and outwardly she wanted to convince him with her overt words of apology. But when he turned to look at Jodha when he thought she was not looking, there was so much in his eyes - longing for closeness, wanting to feel her presence next to him, wanting and yearning and longing all mixed up. And then when she did the same thing a little later, sitting up next to him and almost touching him when she thought he was not looking ... what a poignant moment! She wanted so much to wipe the distress off his face and eyes. This scene was the sum and substance of the episode for me. It showed me that all other emotions of anger, fear, distaste for what had happened, chagrin, dread and misgivings were all the surface emotions. Inside the heart both were still in deep love with each other, but were afraid that this moment was absolutely not right time to betray it!
I've said a lot about Jodha and Jalal here, but there are some more points I feel like covering about the other characters - which I have done in my comments on the episode (below the episode description).
What all happened in yesterday's episode:
Seeing Khyber lying dead on the ground, both Jodha and Jalal are astounded. The reason for their looking aghast is echoed by Mansingh who says "He gave his life? By why?" Jodha answers "He came to know that no one in this life loves him. Khyber, in this lifetime as a danav' you have suffered a lot. Everybody hated you. No one loved you. " And then folding her hands in prayer Jodha says "May Eashwar give your atma the shanti it deserves. And I hope in your next life you get your due share of love." Jalal seems also deeply moved by the words Jodha says - and he then stands still as she leans on his shoulder, tired and unhappy.
In the next scene we see Jodha sitting inside the khema they seem to have built in the jungle-side. She is still in sorrow over Khyber's death. "He had a right to live and not die. How I wish I could turn the cycle of Fate. Somewhere I feel responsible for what happened. But then if I had not saved him he would have died, I suppose, by hitting his head on the walls of the well." Jodha is thus in a reverie of sorrow when Jalal and Mansingh enter the khema bringing with them a hakima.
Jalal says a bit curtly "She is the village hakima and will take stock of your health." The hakima seems to use a thread to check Jodha's weight by measuring her wrist. "Have you undergone a lot of bodily stress of late?" she asks. Jodha looking at Jalal guiltily says "Yes, I had to run a lot, remain hungry and even climb up and down. And once I got caught in a rapid river and almost drowned". As she was saying all this, a mixture of concern and dismay hits Jalal's face at the hardships she has put herself through. The hakima then says "Thank God you are okay and so are your babies. But at a time like this you really need to take care of yourself better." Jodha agrees that she will - as Jalal gives an expression of exasperation. "You also need a long rest" says the hakima, giving her some medicines for rest. Jalal then walks out with the hakima without a word to Jodha and it makes her frightfully uneasy.
Mansingh who is still in the room tells Jodha "Buasa, I need to talk to you, not as the Mughal Sultanate's Begum but as my aunt. I know you are planning to have a talk with the Shahenshah. But before that I want you to know all that happened when you were not there, so that you can understand what the Shahenshah's mental frame is right now." Mansingh then proceeds to tell Jodha about Jalal's visit to the hut, his discovery of her clothes and that she had cooked food and spent the night there, and the way the Shahenshah had refused to eat anything till Jodha was found. As Mansingh leaves the room Jodha is in some agitation. "Oh my God, I wonder what the Shahenshah thinks of all this. I must find a way to talk to him and give him the right explanations for all this" she thinks to herself.
Outside the khema, Jalal is pacing up and down a stretch of courtyard. Munim Khan coming there thinks to himself, "The Shahenshah is not with the Begum. But how long can he avoid her?" Jalal walks on at that point when Sharif joins Munim Khan. "The Shahenshah wastefully sent me behind the dakus when Khyber had already finished off most of them. Would have been much better if the Shahenshah had let me finish off Khyber" Sharif says with indignation.
At Agra, Adham brings news to his mother Maham that Jodha Begum has been found and is okay, while Khyber has died. But Maham registers no recognition of his words as she is sitting in a kind of half-angry, half-afraid preoccupied daze. "What do you think" Adham persists, "will Jalal take her back after so much has happened?" The question is "Why not?" says Maham to Adham a bit shortly, "Begum Jodha has that which will save her from every fault of hers. She carries the waarises of the Sultanate and so Jalal will never leave her." Adham again persists. "But at least Jodha's shine and audha and the special place she holds in his heart as a Rajvanshi will all be much reduced" he says. Maham starts saying something about Rajvanshis, when she looks as if someone or something may be watching or is in the vicinity. She then controls herself and turns to Adham and says "I'll talk to you later. I have a headache!" Adham looks strangely in the direction that Maham was looking and sees nothing and goes away a bit stymied. Maham again looks in the same direction and gathers herself before herself leaving the room in that direction she had been staring at.
In the next shot, Atifa is seen playing the veena and practising her music. Ruq and Hoshiyaar are walking towards her room as they discuss the preparations for the "mousiki". Just then Hoshiyaar's clever eyes spot a khwaja sera who looks like an impostor. "That was a man dressed as a khwaja sera" says Hoshiyaar and Ruq suggests they should immediately follow him as he is heading for the harem, specifically Atifa's room.
Before Ruq can get there the khwaja sera enters Atifa's room shouting "Atifa" and then letting down his guard he says "I am Aman (her husband). I am sorry and ashamed for all that happened between us. I need your pardon, that why this elaborate disguise. The Shahenshah is not in Agra at the moment, so listen to me, let's flee this place before he comes back." Atifa is discomfitted to hear this and meanwhile Ruq enters and hears the tail end of this conversation by the husband.
"What's happening here? How dare a male enter the harem?" shouts Ruq at the husband and wife. The man replies "Huzoor, this is my wife here. She has been kept here under duress, without my permission. It's my right to meet her." "Shut up" says Ruq, "Do you know who you are talking to? At this minute I can have you jailed, do you know that? If I see you here again, I can even take your life!" Atifa intervenes to beg pardon from Ruq on her husband's behalf and says to her husband "For God's sake, go from her. Don't try to come here again as I don't want to see your face."
These are harsh words from Atifa that make her husband balk, but there is not that conviction behind her words that she truly is sending him away with all her heart. Atifa looks like she feels something for her husband. Ruq then presses her point "If Jalal should see you here he will have you plastered into a wall". Atifa looks terribly scared to hear that. "I will not let this go easily. I want my wife back with me at any account" says the determined husband before he walks away. Atifa looks distraught at seeing her husband in this state of being scolded. Ruq rounds on her "If you have such love for your husband, then forget about living in this harem in such luxury" she says, "for this harem doesn't allow brothers and husbands here or any male, other than the Shahenshah." Atifa says "I am sorry, ma'am, but I didn't call him here. I was waiting here for the return of the Shahenshah." Ruq replies "This is the last chance I give you for I rule the harem - and don't you dare transgress its rules." Atifa nods in agreement.
At the khema in the jungle, Jodha walks out of the khema in the courtyard in search of Jalal, but not finding him anywhere she asks a sipahi for help in locating him. But hardly has she spoken to the sipahi when Jalal himself appears and asks "Are you looking for me?" There is still that expression of concern mixed with anger in Jalal. Jodha starts talking to him when he says with a steely look "Not her, not here" and they adjourn into the tent for talks.
Insiide the khema Jalal is turned away from Jodha as she talks to his back. "Shahenshah, when you came to save me on that hill I thought all was okay between us again. But since coming here you have not said a word to me. I have realised my faults, and mistakes ..." Jalal rounds on her with deep anger in his voice "Oh really? Are you really sorry for your faults and aware of them?" Jodha decides to fully explain herself. "Shahehnshah" she says, "please try to understand. In that dry deep well Khyber was in miserable pain. It was inhuman and every minute of it was a "paap" against your name."
Jalal's anger bursts out "And so what did you do? How many times had I told you before that Khyber was not a man, he was a darinda, a half-animal, incapable of having the mind of a proper man. In spite of my warnings you went to show him sympathy. And that bewakoof misunderstood your feelings. Just think for a moment, Jodha Begum, why instead of killing him, I had him put in that dry deep well? If I wanted to I could have thrown your "wish" out and killed him at that execution spot. Jodha Begum, I kept him in that well so that he could work off his animalistic tendencies and get control of his excessive behaviour and he could be out of range to create harm in other people's lives. But you thought I was without brains and that this ruler of the Sultanate is a bewakoof? You had no trust in my decisions!"
Jodha replied after silently hearing him "No that was not my intention. I now realise my faults. For hurting your feelings please forgive me." Jalal puts up a hand and says "Bas Jodha Begum, every fault is not easily forgiveable. Do you know what kind of gossip about you is now going around? How many soldiers of ours Khyber has killed ... don't those families demand answers? How many villagers has he killed, don't we owe them answers? I hold you responsible for all this. The things that are private between us I tried to keep within myself without showing my anger outside so that your dignity is intact. But it doesn't mean I am not upset with all this. You never lose a chance to throw the dinity of the Sultanate and me into thin air. Can you ask pardon for all this?"
Jodha then replies more sedately and with awareness of her mistakes and his righteous anger "Yes I know people are talking about me in gossipy ways, for they ask why I cooked food for Khyber. They don't realise that I did it because the babies in me needed sustenance and I had to eat to keep the babies well. And so too with the clothes I took from the hut. I had to keep warm for the sake of the babies. Anyway I don't care what others think of me. But you, do you also suspect me?"
"You don't deserve an answer after all that you did - but I will answer this" says Jalal with resignation and stilled anger "Despite my wishes to be contrary, I am unable to suspect you Jodha Begum! Isn't it strange? You don't trust me, but I don't suspect you!" He walks away from her with an expression of personal anguish, as she stares at his departing form, feeling all mixed up herself.
At night they both occupy the same bed, but sleep far away from each other, with their backs turned to each other. But despite the anger on his side, he cannot help but turn to look at her with longing and concern in his eyes when he thinks she is not looking. And likewise, when she thinks he is not looking, she sits up and gets close to him, no doubt yearning for his embrace and yet feeling distanced from him. The feelings on both sides for each other is palpable. Their mutual agony is so exemplified in this scene as they try hard to keep away from each other.
In the morning Jalal returns with Jodha and his troops to Agra where in the courtyard the whole family and courtiers are assembled for their welcome. Hamida especially is happy to see Jodha and does her aarti of sorts with some incense. Jalal is standing near some praja who are discussing whether the Shahenshah will forgive and take Jodha Begum back. Jalal is very aware that the gossips have to be silenced from talking ill of Jodha. Despite his anger on one side, his feelings for her overcome him. He goes close to Jodha and takes her hand in his with authority and then walks with Jodha towards the entrance of the Palace. There he raises Jodha's hand still holding it tightly and says to the public "Thank God Jodha Begum is back with us safe and sound. Let us all pray in thankfulness." The public raise slogans of "Shahenshah Jalal ki mohabbat zindabad!" which gratifies everyone there including Salima and Hamida, while Ruq looks displeased and Sharif looks downright disgruntled. Jodha is clearly thankful for Jalal's gesture. Jalal's face, however, has not yet registered any happiness at all, he is still so angry. Jalal leads Jodha right into the Palace rooms still holding her hand and lets go of her hand only once they have seated her inside.
Hamida says "Thank God you are well Jodha" when Jalal inquires of his mother if they are all well too. Ruq says "I have called the Shahi Hakima to check you up and the babies as well. " But Jodha thanks Ruq and says Jalal has already had the hakima visit her in the encampment. "Oh thank God, " says Ruq sarcastically yet over-politely, "at least Jalal has some concern about the well being of his babies." Jalal looks like he is about to give Ruq a fitting reply when Hamida says instead "Ruq this is not the time for such talk." "I know that AmmiJaan" says Ruq, "But the right time has to come soon when Jodha needs to be shown what her faults are?" "Your anger is right Ruqaiaya Begum" Jodha says resignedly, "and to all of you whose feelings I have hurt I want to say a deep sorry."
Jalal then seems to get off this topic into another one exercising his mind. He asks Ruq in a low tone "In my absence was everything here okay?" She replies in the positive. Then with a bit of hesitation he asks "How is Atifa?" Jodha is suddenly shaken up. Then Jalal further adds to Ruq "I mean to say I hope her husband has not been troubling her in my absence?' Jodha still looks shaken and quite upset. Ruq looks guilty.
In the precap, Jodha and Moti are in her hojra when Zakira comes running in breathless. "Jodha Begum, the Shahenshah has announced his nikaah with Atifa!" she says barely able to contain herself. "What?" says a startled Jodha, as if she cannot believe what she is hearing!
My comments on this episode:
Folks, aside from all that I have written about Jodha and Jalal in my opening remarks there are seven other smaller items that I wanted to comment about ...
Jalal's understanding of Jodha's feelings for Khyber
Contrary to what a husband would feel for his wife, after knowing that the darinda had fallen in love with her, I thought the way Jalal handled the situation after Khyber's death was wonderful and very eloquent as to his real feelings for Jodha. Both he and Jodha are shocked to see the dead Khyber lying on the ground. In fact he is as shocked as Jodha which suggests to me that the last moments before Khyber died, when Khyber himself handed Jodha over to Jalal, had imprinted itself on Jalal's mind. When Jodha said her prayers to God to give Khyber a less painful life next time, Jalal stood still as he let Jodha lean on him and he seemed to absorb her feelings. The fact is that Jalal knew by then that Khyber has fallen in love with Jodha. Later when they had that mutual discussion in the khema he said one sentence to Jodha that betrayed that he knew this. He says "How many times had I told you before that Khyber is not a man, he is a darinda, a half-animal, incapable of having the mind of a proper man. In spite of my warnings you went to show him sympathy. And that bewakooof misunderstood your feelings."
Mansingh's role as the nephew warning the Bua was perfect
I liked the way Mansingh chose the right moment to tell Jodha everything about Jalal's state of mind before she had her talk with Jalal. I also liked the way he said "I want to talk to you not as the Begum of the Sultanate but as my Buasa." We all know that Mansingh already had a talk with Jalal that while Jodha always wore her sympathy on her sleeve she was not the type to cheat on her husband and elope and spend the night with the darinda. Jalal had then calmed down Mansingh's fears by saying "I know ... I just don't know what Jodha's bigger fault is: her ziddi or her naram dil?" Having thus prepared Jalal for a calmer disposition towards Jodha, here Mansingh was trying to prepare Jodha to face Jalal by telling her about how Jalal has found the hut and learnt of the cooking and clothes changing, and how Jalal himself had not eaten for days till he found Jodha. Mansingh has been Cupid personified! Love you, my boy, for loving both Jodha and Jalal!
Adham and Maham show some curious behaviour
That conversation between Maham and Adham was not strange. It was natural that Adham should be trying to speculate (like everybody else!) whether Jalal would truly forgive Jodha and take her back. But Maham's expression throughout the scene was very curious. As Adham talked she looked very scared somewhat like someone who is hiding something and therefore wanting Adham out of the room fast. He eyes were looking preoccupied and stealthy. Then she replied Adham by saying "Jalal will never leave Jodha for she is carrying his waarises." Maham got up to say this but again kept turning furtively to her left as if seeing somebody there. Adham then replied that surely Jalal would lose a bit of the attraction he had for Jodha and the Rajvanshis ... and then that word Rajvanshis made Maham extremely uptight again. She started openly staring to her left and Adham also looked to see where she was looking. She pleaded a headache and sent Adham out of the room, but still Maham continued to look at that something to her left and then she herself went towards the left and she went out of the room. Strange! Was someone else in the room there? Who?
Atifa betrays fondness and care for her husband
The scene where Ruq catches Atifa's husband masquerading as a khwaja sera and asking Atifa to flee with him was very revealing of Atifa's real feelings for her husband. Overtly she kept saying "Go away" to him and to Ruq she said "I didn't invite him here, I am waiting for the Shahenshah". But at every turn when Ruq pronounced dire punishments would await the husband if he ever transgressed harem rules again, Atifa showed deep concern and fear for her husband's well-being. She is in some dichotomous bind I think ... on the one side feeling a lot of feelings for her husband, and yet on the other hand trying to entrap Jalal with mock feelings of love for him. Today the exact nature of Atifa's feelings for Jalal became apparent as she betrayed the exact nature of her feelings for Anmanullah Khan!
Ruq was less than we thought she would be!
Thank God for that ... Ruq started her diatribe against Jodha in a sarcastic vein, and for a moment I thought Jalal looked ready to shut her up and once again take Jodha's side. But Hamida controlled Ruq immediately saying this was not the time and place to be blaming Jodha for negligence of the babies, and Jodha herself also shut Ruq up by immediately giving an apology to everybody. Thank God for this scene with Ruq being well caged in! Maddy, you must be quite happy that very few words could escape Ruq's ready mouth?
Why did Jalal discuss Atifa with Ruq?
It was also curious to me that Jalal asked Ruq, of all people, where Atifa was. He had a kind of secretive stance as he talked with Ruq although everyone in the room could hear what he said. But he did give the impression as if he was having a private word with Ruq. Then he qualified his interest in Atifa by saying he had asked if her husband had troubled her in any way while he (Jalal) was absent. Now this question and its non-answer are both interesting. Why did Jalal ask the very question for which he already seemed to know the answer - for I feel sure Jalal knows that Amanullah Khan tried to visit Atifa! And why did Ruq hide this fact from Jalal by saying nothing happened in his absence? Hmmm ... I smell teda-ness here!
The precap seems to soften the nikaah blow to Jodha
I had expected, after seeing the dratted nikaah promos, that Jalal himself would ruthlessly and rudely tell Jodha he was desperate to get married to Atifa. I thought that would have been very cruel. But yesterday's precap shows that Jodha gets the news from Zakira ... and then perhaps Jodha goes to accost Jalal and he confirms the news. It was a slightly softer blow to Jodha coming from Zakira and not Jalal directly and mercilessly, so for that I am very thankful!
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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