Friends, I frankly couldn't see what was so "Maha" about this Somwar episode! Pretty much everything we saw in the last precap and the two subsequent promos happened. We now have come to the stage when unless we get the new promo we have no clue as to what to expect next in the serial.
Jalal has not only declared his intention to marry Atifa despite the fact that she's still not divorced, but he has even declared himself ready to give away his crown and his takht just to marry her. And further he has declared that this marriage he will undertake purely for love since all his previous marriages were marriages of convenience. He married Ruq for his father's sake, he married Salima for Bairam Khan's sake, and he married Jodha after a deal with Bharmal. This time he will marry Atifa purely and solely for love!
Folks, although this looks like a dire situation, caused because Jalal is really in love with Atifa, the very fact that he is upholding a married woman's hand and saying "Even if I am a guneghar by religious law, I will still go ahead and marry Atifa" is what is giving me the absolute confidence that he is up to something else - maybe his own saazish to unmask someone else with a sinister plan.
Jalal doesn't seem to me to be a man who will throw over his takht and his taaj for Atifa - or indeed for any woman. The very fact that he is behaving beyond the contours of what I have seen of his personality so far, makes me feel that he is up to some strategy of his own. If it was true love for Atifa ... I mean genuine, beautiful pure love for Atifa ... he would have surely waited for her divorce for a couple of months before marrying her with the dignity that a woman he loves deserves.
Many a true and great lover in history has had to wait for the woman he loves to be free, and then he has married her with all the decorum and unsullied prestige she deserves! Here instead Jalal is actually reducing Atifa, the so-called object of his deepest love, to some sort of illegitimate marriage, without religious or legal or social sanction. He is ready to marry her on Eid, barely a couple of days away. He is willing to sink the "paakness" of the Ramzan Mahina and set a pathetic example to his people of his morality and religious values by throwing religion to the winds precisely during the Holy Month!
Is this how we would expect a man, ardently in love, to treat his greatest beloved, especially when he knows that he is King and can anyway bend all rules whenever he needs it? Would he choose to bend rules immediately and get into a marriage of indecent haste, or would he give his beloved the time to get free of her previous encumbrances and claim her as his in the style and ceremony she deserves? Jalal seems so ready to shamelessly rewrite the rules of law in his kingdom within the Ramzan month to suit his urgent needs, that it is all looking so unlike the religiously-devout Jalal we know. The very deliberate-seeming disregard for religion is betraying that his to rush with the Atifa marriage has some other reasons!
I feel as if I am watching a man hell-bent on forcing an issue to its head. There is some plan Jalal is working on which requires him to precipitate matters and bring things with haste to a point of no return. Is there someone who needs to be exposed forthwith? Is there some plan of Atifa or her husband that needs to be exposed without delay? Is Atifa his bait in the exposure of someone else? Or by a strange twist, is Atifa his own henchwoman masquerading as his love-interest to help in the unmasking of someone? Is there some urgent danger to someone - maybe Jodha and the waarises - that warrants that Jalal can hold back things no longer?
This is after all still the "epic love story of Jodha and Jalal" and even the latest Zee tweet says their love is now about to take a new turn. So it is my feeling that some dire life danger is in the offing for Jodha that Jalal wants now to quickly bring out in the open and subvert.
Even if he wanted to yesterday he could have stopped with just saying he loves Atifa and wants to marry her by Eid, and that would have been shock enough. But when the maulvis then challenged his right to the throne, I thought I saw some glee in Jalal's eyes that the religious men were helping the speed of his actions by their cornering him and declaring him unfit to rule the kingdom after doing zinakari. This seemed exactly what Jalal wanted to hear and he was ready almost to lift the crown off his head any minute and say "The takht and taaj are of no use to me, all I want is to marry Atifa." I thought that argument he used about wanting to marry Atifa for "love" as he had never been able to do in his earlier marriages, was to just reiterate to all present the degree of desperation he wanted to convey - as well the justification for the reason he seemed in an awful hurry."
A very valid question may be asked here: "Even if Jalal has a teda plan, where is the need for him to be continue being rude and insulting and peeved with Jodha? He can choose to keep the plan away from Jodha for her own benefit if necessary and we can understand that - but where is the need to be so curt and offensive to Jodha almost as if he was spurning her and pushing her away from himself deliberately?"
This is the part that confounds me and everybody else on the forum, I think. At one level, I have been assuming so far that he is separately angry with Jodha for the Khyber issue and the way she insulted his guroor and refused to trust his decisions and took matters into her own hands with near-disastrous results. Yesterday again in the precap he tells Jodha "I would have listened to you if you had not insulted and disrespected me, but I now have neither the time nor the mind to listen to you."
But since the episode yesterday I find myself questioning if even this rudeness to Jodha is part of his plan somehow. Why do I think so? Because anything carried to excess is making me suspicious of Jalal. He has carried the need for marrying Atifa to an extreme limit and that makes me suspicious. Similarly he is carrying his anger for Jodha to an extreme limit and that is also making me suspicious. If he was really so much in anger with Jodha, why did we see come conflict between the love in his eyes and the harsh words on his lips in the khema?
And surely Salima too would have noticed if he was actually still angry with Jodha? Yesterday Salima said something important. She said to Jodha, "If it had been any other Begum who did what you did, he may never have forgiven her. But he not only forgave you but also displayed publicly his special feeling about you. If anyone can bring him back it is only you. For you are special to him in some way even now."
So then what is causing Jalal to do these two things simultaneously: he is on the one hand pushing for extreme haste in marrying Atifa despite her already-married status, and he is again pushing the limits of curtness with Jodha despite having lost a lot of the real anger he had about her Khyber episode.
In all this folks, I wonder what the role of Amanullah Khan is? I am seriously beginning to change my ideas that Atifa and Amanullah may be anti-Jalal. In fact I am now veering towards the theory that Diksha has put into my head that both Atifa and Amanullah Khan may actually be henchmen of Jalal himself, that he is using as his own spies to unearth something - some danger - to Jodha and the waarises.
Why is it likely to be a crime against Jodha and the waarises and not an assassination attempt on Jalal himself that he worries about? His very abrupt rudeness with Jodha suggests to me some sort of need to keep Jodha away from himself while he is on this suspect trail. Maybe he needs to guard her against being too close to himself as he works out his own chaal against the saazishers. This could explain why he is taking too much trouble to act as if still angry with Jodha and wanting her nowhere near him. By being rude and insulting, could it be that he is keeping Jodha at a "safe-distance" away from himself?
If this theory holds good, then I must also suppose that the suspects of the impending crime against Jodha and the waarises are people within his own family - like Maham or Ruq? Maybe Mahchuchak also has a stake in killing off Jodha and the waarises, but surely even Mahchuchak needs people of her cultivation nearer the scene of crime and she can't orchestrate everything from Kabul? I am still remembering that SBS tidbit that Ruq will try to murder Jodha. That bit of info is keeping Ruq in my mind as a suspect - perhaps she is in cahoots with Maham?
Okay, one last bit of questioning: if the idea of Jalal was to protect Jodha and the waarises from being murdered, why does he have to pretend love and marriage haste with Atifa, assuming Atifa was his own henchwoman? The only explanation I can give myself for this is that he wants probably to give the feeling that he is no longer Jodha's protector. He wants to show that he now loves someone else to an uncontrollable degree, and that Jodha is being left unguarded. He is probably baiting the suspect to try the murder of Jodha giving the suspect reason to believe that he himself now at the height of his love for Atifa, and least interested in Jodha anymore. Could this be the reason?
Folks, I am all full of questions at this stage and floating along with a few untested theories that I have shared here. Meanwhile Diksha has done a whole post and sent it to me by PM so that I can post it for her. (She is having a busy day and not able to come to the forum herself, so I've posted her piece on her behalf).
Diksha's post is just below my own post. I would urge all to read Diksha's theories because she has consolidated all the spoilers, promos, precaps and other sources of news we have been getting and tried to construct some possible theories using all of that! Needless to say I am very impressed by her Theory No. 5!
What all happened in yesterday's episode ...
The episode begins where the previous one left off ... with Jalal asking Ruq "Where is Atifa" and then qualifying his question by saying "I meant I hope her husband has not been troubling her in my absence?" Ruq answers by saying all is well. Jalal then pointedly takes leave of his mother but ignores Jodha and leaves the room.
He directly goes to Atifa's room, where she is crying. She says she is extremely happy to see Jalal as she leans on him. He gives her a half hug. She says "I heard Jodha Begum was your favourite, and in the search for her I thought you may have forgotten me. I know I should stay within my limits, but I dream of you and you have become so important to me." Jalal gives her another hug and says "I will always come back to you. Jodha Begum incidentally has become a big problem for me these days and with her harum-scarum ways she gives me only trouble. But with you I get utter peace." Atifa then says "I am so afraid someone may separate us. My husband is still lurking here, not letting me off the hook with a divorce." Jalal then pacifies her "I'll do whatever it takes to get you". She leans against him again, and Zakira who is hovering at the entrance of the room sees all that is happening.
Later Zakira is in Jodha's hojra pounding some herbs for Jodha, as Jodha is thinking about Jalal's new partiality for Atifa. She has reveries of her own stay at the khema after Khyber's death and her arrival at Agra with Jalal. She particularly remembers how ambivalently Jalal behaved with her at those times. Meanwhile Zakira is in in some sort of uljhan. "Should I tell Jodha Begum about what I saw and heard in Atifa's room?" she wonders, but then she thinks to herself "No that will only hurt Jodha Begum. Let me keep it all to myself!"
Just then Salima enters the room and Jodha asks her to sit for a chat. Salima begins by asking Jodha "Is everything OK between you and the Shahenshah?" Jodha tangentially starts talking about the events that took place during the last stages of Khyber's life. "Khyber, poor man, gave his life to save me and the Shahenshah. But I think the Shahenshah is also responsible somewhere for all that happened, for it was his decisions that led to all this fracas" said Jodha. Salima cut in sharply, hoping to din some sense into Jodha's head. "Forget the past, Jodha Begum, you have a job on your hands now to try and bridge the gap that has grown between you and the Shahenshah."
Jodha then replies "I tried to talk to him, but he just shows me his back. He is not even looking at me. He now has a new interest Atifa, so why will he look at me or listen to me," she says plaintively. Salima then sagely says "If there is one person who can bring him back, it's you Jodha Begum. First of all, from the day of the arrival welcome you got, we could see that he has forgiven you. That in itself is a big thing. I am sure he still feels something for you, and I am equally sure that it's because of this chasm between you that he is even going to Atifa. You have to now do your best to get him back."
At this point, unable to hold herself back any further, Zakira adds "I just saw Atifa with the Shahenshah. She is too clever and reminds me exactly of Benazir. Her answers to the Shahenshah sound too much like Benazir. She is up to something sinister!" Hearing this Salima adds a final exhortation to Jodha "Bring him back, Jodha Begum." Jodha then starts seeing the sense in the arguments of these two women who are in her corner. "Yes, you are right! I will get him back. In fact I will lose no time in trying to meet and talk to him as fast as I can" she resolves.
Jalal meanwhile is seen going to the mazhar. There the camera also pans to show us that Amanullah Khan is already praying there, and among the ladies in their special enclosure is also Atifa. After the Qazi has given his usual homilies, Amanullah Khan gives the Qazi some eye signals and the Qazi gets the message. The Qazi and Amanullah Khan then go towards Atifa standing with the ladies and call her out from the group.
Atifa is already looking surprised and a bit alarmed by this singled out attention when the Qazi takes a very firm tone with her. "My dear child, what you are doing is a major gunah against religion. That's why I have called you here to have a talk. As long as your husband is there in your life, if you refuse to live with him and seek another man, you do such great gunah that all your prayers are in vain and your visits here to the mazhar and your duas will all go unfulfilled. This is the law of the religion. You are refusing to live with your husband and are going directly against God and law. Be warned that nothing but dire punishments from God will befall you!" Hearing all this Atifa wears a look of deep alarm. The Qazi seems to have succeeded in making her very scared of her own situation.
In the next scene we see Jalal at the DEK surrounded by his courtiers. Jalal is engaged in discussion with Todarmal about distributing a huge amount of money as charity. Maham immediately interjects and declares the amount to be too huge and that it will cause a dent in the treasury. But Todarmal then goes on to explain to Jalal how there are long-range benefits to charity. Money given to farmers and poor people and others of a deserving ilk will soon get repaid as debts of gratitude to the King and thus improve Jalal's standing with his people and the love and affection he gets from his people. Jalal is very impressed with Todarmal's arguments.
Just then , however, a sipahi abruptly enters saying he has a paigam for Jalal. He says Atifa is urgently wanting to meet Jalal! Jalal's enemies like Adham and Sharif are half-sneering that this was all that was needed - Atifa trying to push herself into a meeting at the DEK - but Jalal surprises all by saying he will himself go urgently and meet Atifa.
As Jalal enters Atifa's room, he is very angry that she has interrupted his official work with her personal concerns. He shouts at her saying "I hope you have a decent excuse?" Atifa then says "What am I to do? My husband point-blank refuses to divorce me and I want to be with you, what can I do? I am not free to be with you!" Jalal barely answers. He goes away from there in thought, his brow creased and his manner defiant.
As he nears the DEK he hears Adham holding forth "Jalal is besotted with this Atifa. Her interruption of the DEK was nothing short of an insult. What are these new goings-on at this Palace that we have to tolerate? How can Jalal entertain a married woman like this in his life?" Jalal enters the DEK saying "I heard you Adham. But I'd have you know that I am the Shahenshah and above all laws. To suit myself I can create new laws or bend old ones. There can be no rules or laws against my wishes." Jalal then turns to sit on the throne and says with the authority of a proclamation "I hereby make an elan that on Eid I am going to marry Atifa!" Atga is more aghast than all the rest. He says "But Huzoor, she is still not divorced. Let her get her divorce first ..." but Jalal cuts him short "Despite that I will still marry Atifa!" he says peremptorily.
Jodha meanwhile in her hojra is taking pains to look her best. Moti remarks that she is doing the right thing by planning to meet the Shahenshah and follow Salima Begum's advice. But hardly does Moti say that when Zakira comes running into the room, all breathless with running. "Jodha Begum," she gasps, "The Shahenshah has just made an elan that he is going to marry Atifa!" Jodha is so taken aback that the only word that escapes her is "What???"
In the next scene we see again that Jalal is at the DEK, and this time surrounded not just by his courtiers but also by all the women of the family and by the whole group of Qazis and Maulvis. Hamida querulously says to herself "What is this Jalal is doing? He's ranged all the religious men against him by his decision!" True enough, the head Qazi comes forth to Jalal and says "If you persist in doing this zinakari with Atifa, I am afraid you will have to lose the throne for the law does not permit the actions you plan to take - and you definitely cannot continue to rule."
Jalal then shocks everybody by handing the Qazi his crown and says "I am ready to forego both my throne and my crown in order to marry Atifa." He holds Atifa's hand aloft. Jodha sitting in the audience is upset as is Ruqaiaya - and we even see Salima's face screwed up in disgust with an expression we've never seen on her calm face before!
Jalal then goes on to say "Why am I doing all this? That's because I have never married before for love. My marriage to Ruqaiaya Begum was arranged by my father before I even knew what was happening. My marriage to Salima Begum was forced out of protection I had to give her after Bairam Khan's death, and my marriage to Jodha Begum became a political deal. All my marriages were not for love. But this time, even if I am declared a guneghar I will marry Atifa for love! I will not leave her!"
Jodha later is seen pacing up and down her room very upset, while in her own hojra Ruq is throwing a small tantrum in disgust. Both women decide to step out of their hojras, no doubt to accost Jalal, but instead they bang into each other in the corridors. A very interesting conversation then ensues, when Ruq tells Jodha, "You at least are carrying the waarises and have some audha thereby. But what about me, this Atifa is now going to make me lose my audha as the Begum-e-Khas!" Jodha says "At this dire moment, are you still thinking only of your audha?" But Ruq replies sharply "What else does a woman in my position have? I can never bear children. The BEK audha is all that I have. You thought you had his "dil" but now look where you are too!" And then in a final lashing out of unrestrained anger Ruq says to Jodha "It's all because he's angry with you that he's marrying this Atifa - and you have caused me to lose my audha as the BEK!" Jodha has no answer to this devious argument!
In the precap of the episode, Jalal is having a talk with Jodha alone - or rather it looks like she has finally managed to get him alone to ask him about all his elan. Jalal tells Jodha "If you had respected me more and not insulted my guroor, I may have listened to you. But now I have neither the time nor the mind to listen to you!" Jodha is gobsmacked.
Friends, do keep an eye out for the new promo that may hit the screen shortly. The scenes of the previous promo have all already appeared in yesterday's episode. I have a feeling that due to the backlash of the TRP drops that the PH and Channel have recently seen, and due to the irate phone calls and messages they are continuing to received, they may have changed around the script a bit to give the viewers more of what they want and less of what they don't want.
I am eager to see if the any promo will show some "beginning" of the unravelling of the Atifa mystery. Maha Somwar with its high point of desperation of Jalal may give room to a Maha Brihaspatiwar with some big clues suggesting an end to the track. Let's hope so. My tail is up!
Anupamaa
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