Friends, yesterday's episode was a kind of tableau of the whole Palace and its inmates. Different groups of people were affected differently by the repurcussions of Jalal's decision to marry Atifa even at the cost of his taaj and takht. Naturally then there were some genuinely grieving for the degeneration of Jalal's faculties, while others were out to see where their maximum benefits lay in the situation.
Hamida, Jodha, Ruq, Salima, Mansingh, Atga and other such loyalists and wellwishers of Jalal tried to change his mind for him, but he stayed adamant. The religious clergy, Adham, Sharif, Maham and other inimicals tried to see how best they could resurrect their own power that Jalal had hitherto kept in check.
What about us audiences? Where were we in this whole fracas that erupted as a backlash to Jalal's decision? Were we all tense and hating Jalal for his boorishness and his further insults to Jodha? Were we all distressed by having to see even Ruq, Salima, and hamida close to tears as they faced a defiant Jalal gone totally lattoo on that dratted Atifa? Were we sad and sending dejected SMSes to each other? Oh no, we were not!
Well ... let me tell you! We were all primed till late afternoon yesterday to bear more of Jalal's boorish behaviour, and we had all anticipated an episode where he would again stoop to rudely insult Jodha and coochey-coo to our disgust with Atifa. But then at about 4 pm yesterday a beautiful new promo hit theTV screen in our homes. I say it was a beautiful promo not because it was a beautiful promo in and of itself, but because it let all of us forum members off the hook as far as Jalal's anticipated bad behaviour was concerned. After seeing the promo, which let the story of the next two or three episodes out, we all sat back relaxed and saw the yesterday's "Jalal at his worst" episode with a "sab chalta hai" attitude. Jalal was at his cantankerous best in the episode, but not one of us turned a hair. "Let him do his worst, we are already having a party!" was the general feeling!
What was in the promo that so changed our ability to bear with Jalal at his most cloddish? Well, the promo seemed to show that at the Eid jashn/nikaah the Qazi asks if the couple to be married will say "Qubool hai!". Till then we were shown Jalal in a sera. But at the final climactic moment when the couple have to say "Qubool hai!" the man to be wed looked not at all like Jalal. He was too portly - and in any case no one could tell who he was for the amount of flowers covering his ample face ... although many of us did make a shrewd guess that perhaps Amanullah Khan had himself taken Jalal's place as the bridegroom.
Then in a ghastly "wedding-floor" murder, Atifa drew a vicious dagger across the neck of her bridegroom and declared she had achieved her goal. The beheaded groom's torso fell "kerplunk" like a sack of potatoes, while Atifa's face was splattered in blood. Jodha (and perhaps a few others of the family shown in the frame) were simultaneously unable to move forward even if they still thought the bridegroom was Jalal. This was because a battalion of sipahis then checkmated everybody with swords - and the family and courtiers found they were surrounded by enemy soldiers no doubt orchestrated by Atifa! For some odd reason, Jodha was wearing no jewellery at all despite it being a jashn and a nikaah! The promo also said the date of the grand "wedding-beheading" was to be 21st August (Thursday).
But anyway, what matters was what "shubh-sanket"(!) the promo gave to us forum folk. THERE WAS TO BE NO NIKAAH, FOR THE BRIDE WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE GROOM'S FACE FROM HIS BODY! AND FOTUNATELY THERE WAS GOING TO BE A BRIDEGROOM SWITCHEROO!
Somebody on the forum predicted that since the groom was likely interchanged from Jalal to Amanullah Khan, Jalal may himself be free to order his own troops to surround the enemy troops and thus Jalal may get the better of the enemies. Atga and Mansingh and Todarmal may be in on the game with Jalal. For that matter, Diksha and Jaya and Maddy also started pondering if Jodha was also in a way in the game with Jalal - and they had all been play-acting so far with a grand coup of Atifa and her men planned. Their game no doubt would make Atifa behead her own husband - and then when she uttered that she was satisfied she had won, they would nab her for condemning herself by her own mouth!
The "wedding-beheading" was such a delicious prospect for all of us, that when 8 pm came round and we had to tolerate Jalal showing some of his most impolite, crude and coarse behaviour, we were all not affected. I am sure many forum members were by then enjoying all the scenes with a glee that they knew the forward story - and Jalal could do what he liked in the episode, but in the end his tedaness was going to win the day, so let him be!
Jodha cried buckets and so did Hamida, Ruq and Salima, but no one said "Oh how sad!" They knew this crying was just a two-day thing before the beneficial-bhandaphod on Thursday. I have never seen so much calm hit the forum as I did yesterday afternoon, and I have never seen such messages of glee on my mobile phone despite the episode being meant to be showing a horrendous, obstinate and cussed Jalal.
There were a couple of moments of great joy also in the episode. The "hair-pulling" fight between Ruq and Atifa was the best of its kind I have seen on the small screen. Ruq was a thorough fishwife, and cursed Atifa roundly and soundly for changing her purchase order of some ittars being sold by an ittarwalii ... as she tugged at Atifa's hair so hard Atifa's head rolled around on her neck involuntarily! And then to crown it all, Jalal appeared on the scene as some sort of referee to hand out the red cards, and started howling at Ruq for her battle-axe impersonation. "Ruqaiya Begum" he shouted as he walked like a man possessed towards the hair-in-hand ladies. "You may be the lady of the harem but don't forget I am the Shahenshah! "(Hear, hear!)
Jalal then continued. "Is this your Mughaliya tehzeeb and tameez? Atifa is my Begum to be" he hollered at Ruq, to which Ruq said "She is here to ruin us, mark my words. She will never become your Begum." "It's not my marriage affecting you" Jalal said then with menace in his voice "it's the loss of your precious audha!" (Give that a standing ovation, folks!)
Jalal continued on again, unabated "Now Atifa is going to be of that status that you will never see! Your problem is that you want all the perks of your positions without doing your duties to your husband!"
This tirade against Ruq by Jalal was so good that I am sure Maddy and I must have enjoyed seeing this scene repeatedly! I am quite sure Maddy must have been jumping up and down on her chair, rubbing her hands excitedly. And I was personally so happy to hear Jalal finally giving it to Ruq that I almost whistled like I was in the front rows of a theatre full of rowdies. Anyway Jodha then fired Jalal in defence of Ruq, which in the precap made Ruq so tearful and grateful that Jodha had even withstood a talaaq dhamki from Jalal in return for defending Ruq.
All in all, a good evening's fun was had by all, for the promo had taken all the strain and distress off our shoulders and allowed us to enjoy the episode and its eccentricities with an eye on the forthcoming Thursday!
What happens between now and Thursday is just academic for me. I am looking forward to the Big Day when heads will roll (literally) and we will have enough action, blood and gore to make the last two months of Atifa forgettable! Nothing like washing off the stress and strain of a disgusting two month Atifa track with some dramatic and barbaric slaughter and then an annihilation of the blood-drenched enemies! That should slake the thirst of all among us who have been wanting to tear into the script, stab it and shred it mercilessly to bits!
So let's await Terrible Thursday with unholy glee!
What all happened in yesterday's episode ...
Jalal is walking down one of the Palace corridors when he finds his mother lying in wait for him around a corner. He is unable to look up into the eyes of his mother, for Hamida is wearing the most accusing expression I have ever seen. Hamida says "We need to talk" and Jalal promptly dismisses all the sentries by saying "Takhliya". His mother then just launches at him "What is this you are doing? You are so ashamed yourself that you are unable to look me in the eye. You are a King and a father to be, who has no time to give attention and care to his wife, and here you are running behind a married woman?" Jalal tersely replies his mother "Kings do this all the time. The marry again and again. I am just doing what my position let's me do. I also know exactly what I am doing. Let's see how far the Qazis go to thwart me. You have now said what you want, but I have decided my plan of action and I will not be changing it!" Jalal then walks off without a backward look, with steely determination in his eyes, as his mother stares at his departing back, her eyes full of unshed tears!
Meanwhile the Qazis and Maulvis as a group are in discussion. "We as a group have to show him religion is higher than the Shahenshah. On Eid, if he goes ahead with his plan, we will dethrone him," they all collectively decide.
In another room in the Palace, Ruq and Salima are trying their best to dissuade Jalal. Ruq launches her favourite argument. "If you allow yourself to be dethroned then what happens to my status and audha? How can you do this?" she wails. Salima however tries to remain calm despite severe provocation. "Shahenshah you are doing a very big galti," she says, "you will turn the people against you". Jalal cuts back at both of them "I know what I am doing. You can both of you stop hoping for anything else. This nikaah is going to happen, come what may. Meanwhile you both had better see that you do everything to make it memorable!"
Having thus drawn a blank, both Ruq and Salima leave tearfully when Jodha arrives there to talk to Jalal. She is outwardly extremely calm and betrays no sentiments. "I have come here," she says "not just to remind you of your great dialogues of prem or even of the vachans you gave me during our marriage. In fact, to tell the truth our marriage was a deal for the unity and good of both our prajas. It's the same praja now that are going to turn against you. Will you not try even to save the situation with the praja?" Jalal then sneers at her with his worst look of denigration. "For the disrespect and insults you have given me of late and the way you have belittled me consistently, I have no reason left to even listen to you. You have lost the right to advise me" he says, with condemnation and stubbornness, and walks away. Jodha is left speechless. She sways in the aftermath of his tongue lashing and almost knocks down a nearby vase!
Meanwhile in the Palace courtyard a group of Rajvanshis working under Jalal are all addressing Mansingh whom seems to be the superior one among them. "If Jalal gets dethroned, we don't want to work under whoever succeeds him. We'd rather have our freedom and hold our heads high as Rajvanshis rather than bow to a lesser or immoral ruler of the Sultanate to whom we owe no allegiance" they say. They ask Mansingh if he too will join them in leaving the Mughals. But Mansingh says he has sworn loyalty to Jalal and will support Jalal whatever his decisions.
In Maham's room Adham is rubbing his hands with glee. "At last we have the moment when we can strike at Jalal," he tells his mother. "We can easily grab the takht from under Jalal as the Maulvis force his dethronement!" But Maham starts firing at Adham. "No, you will do no such thing precipitately," she warns, "This is not the right time. Wait and watch! If you do the right thing at the right time you can be saved. Give me time to see how the wind blows after this Eid. Then I will advise you correctly." But Adham wants to have nothing to do with Maham's advice. "I will work on my own in this" he insists, much to Maham's extreme exasperation!
In her hojra, Jodha prays to Kanha with tears in her eyes and indignation in her voice. She remembers in flashback all the promises of deep love that Jalal made to her and then also the scenes of his awoving love for Atifa! "What is this Kanha?" she cries in prayer. "My father gave me in balidaan to the Shahenshah, and look what has been achieved from that sacrifice? What has happened here? Have I done something wrong? Have I committed a mistake? No! How can this happen to me Kanha?" She breaks down in deep sobs as Zakira and Moti try hard to pacify her.
Meanwhile in another corner of the Palace, Jalal meets with Atifa. "Are you happy now?" he asks her. "Yes," she replies "I am happier than I've ever been. But is it true that you won't be King after this marriage?" Jalal just shrugs his shoulders and tells her with a smile "I'll look after all that!" and he wears a distant and pensive look in his eyes!
In their own room Sharif and Bakshi too are discussing this horrendous decision of Jalal's to marry Atifa. Sharif mocks him, while Bakshi is finding it difficult to digest her brother's behaviour and is unable to defend it. Just as they are talking about this Adham comes there requesting to talk to Sharif.
When they are both alone, Adham tells Sharif "My mother has grown old and lost her sharpness. She doesn't agree but I think this is the best time for you and me to now strike Jalal and make that claim for the takht!" Sharif gives it a shrewd think-through. He reckons to himself "If Maham is not yet helping Adham, that's a clear indication that the timing is not yet right. Also I don't want to get face to face with an unpredictable Jalal. We can never say what he will be up to. I should certainly not involve myself now with Adham's plans." But having decided thus, Sharif holds his cards close to his chest and sends Adham off with a tangential idea. He says "Why don't you go and spread the gossip around the praja that Jalal is contemplating quitting his throne for this marriage to a married woman. If the praja rise up in disgust, we may get a better chance at grabbing the throne if we are seen as cleaner and better contenders." The stupid Adham is entirely thankful to Sharif for this brilliant idea - and says he will forthwith do the gossip-spreading!
At various parts of the Palace, thus, various groups of people are looking at their own positions as a result of this upheaval caused by an adamant Jalal, willing to throw away his takht and taaj for this married Atifa's love! Another group of Maulvis is in a huddle saying "We have to use this opportunity to once again raise the positions of all Ulemas that Jalal has trammelled over." At other towns and villages and cities, other smaller kings of smaller fiefdoms look at Jalal's example and decide they too will challenge their own Maulvis and will no longer subjugate themselves to the diktats of religious men.
Adham, meanwhile, goes to the praja and does a thorough job of brainwashing them against Jalal. Soon the irate praja all congregate outside the walls and gates of the Palace shouting "Shahenshah Jalaluddin Mohammed Murdabad!" The air is rent with cries of opposition. Inside the Palace Mansingh and Atga look disconcerted by all this public protest at the very doorstep. Mansingh tells Jalal "The public are irate and at the very gates." Atga too says that perhaps Jalal should try to speak to the public to calm them down. But Jalal is rigid and ruthless. He says "There is no need to speak to them. I am the King and a King can do whatever he wishes. Set the army around the Palace and if the protestors don't disperse, set the cannons upon them! I rule by fear. Those who oppose my decisions are to be treated as bhagis!" Atga is aghast at this decision!
Again inside the Palace a little later, Jalal is stopped in the corridors by a fearful Atifa. "The people will hate you if you do this!" she says with trepidation as the protests of the praja outside the Palace grow louder. "Let them all hate us, it doesn't matter to me. The only thing that matters is both of us" Jalal tells her.
Jalal is also rather rude and insolent to all the people working on the preparations for the Eid ka jashn that he wants arranged for the date of his nakaah. He feels he has barely seen signs of getting ready. Howevere, people everywhere in the Palalce on the job of preparations for the jashnlook dispirited. Despondence and gloom accompany the readying for the nikaah. The ladies at work everywhere - in the kitchens, with the decorations - are weary and dejected at the prospect of a nikaah soon to be followed by a dethronement of Jalal. In her own room Jodha too is beset with worry. "This decision of Jalal's to leave the throne, what will it mean for my babies?' she ponders. "Surely they deserve better than this?"
Just about at that moment an interesting development takes place. An Ittarwali selling rare floral perfumes enters the palace and there is a traffic jam of bandhis trying to take bottle of perfume from her. Ruq appears there and chooses three fragrances for the Eid celebrations. But unfortunately Atifa also comes there and overrules the three fragrances chosen by Ruq and chooses her own three preferred scents. The Ittarwali, sensing that Atifa is to become the new centre of power starts favouring Atifa's choices. This makes Ruq so angry that Ruq then does the fishwife act!
She grabs Atifa's by the hair and rattles her head and shouts "Who do you think you are? And who do you think I am? How dare you countermand my instructions here?" Atifa makes squawking noises that she is sorry about what she did but it is a weak response to the belligerence of Ruq that gets louder and louder. Jalal who is passing by takes in the spectacle and runs to Atifa's rescue. He gives Ruq the lambasting she has never before heard. "She is my new Begum" Jalal says to Ruq, but Ruq retorts "She will never become your Begum. She has come here to ruin us, but you are unable to see that!" Jalal fires back "You say all this because your audha is precious to you. It's always your audha!" This heated exchange of words between Ruq and Jalal continues, while Jodha silently reaches the spot.
Seeing the lay of things, she immediately decides that enough is enough from Jalal. "Is this how you treat your childhood friend and first Begum?" Jodha asks. "Remember, you too have a responsibility to your other Begums. I will oppose you word for word here. You have no right to ruin Ruq's life and snatch her apmaan. If you dare to change and turn into this indecent man, I will leave Agra once and for all!" Jalal is momentarily taken aback but rallies round fast. "Oh, so you want your freedom. In that case immediately after Eid I will give you your talaaq" he says to Jodha. Atifa has the shamelessness to look happy to hear this!
In the precap, a tearful and grateful Ruq is talking to Jodha with a voice that is loaded with resentment against Jalal. Ruq says "How can Jalal give you talaaq when you were only defending me!"
What do you think will happen today folks? More of the filler scenes of people waiting for the Eid ... or will we get some clues to the switcheroo of bridegrooms at the last moment ? Will Atifa reveal any of her "plans" or will Maham behave differently enough to give us deep suspicions? Any guesses?
And what say everybody? Shall we declare Thursday and Friday as Party Days? Any good ideas? We deserve to let our hair down after putting up with the ghastliest track in JA for near on two months! (Talking of letting down hair, please be warned ...nobody is allowed to pull another person's hair at the party!)
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