DISCLAIMER:
THIS IS MY OWN WORK OF FICTION. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ANY OTHER PERSON'S WORK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER FORUM IS PURELY UNINTENTIONAL AND I BEG MY PARDON FOR IT.
Part 7 - Page 32
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Part 8
(Banner Credits by ..Tahniat..)
In Jalal's Chambers
Jalal was impressed with Benazir. She was an excellent dancer and an even better seductress. His deductions though were from the point of view of an artist with a keen eye for talent rather than a victim of a charmer's charms.
He got up from the bed and walked around the room. Despite the courtesan's coaxing and cajoling, Jalal had somehow restrained himself from getting drunk. The last time he was drunk, the consequences had been disastrous. He was still staring at Benazir, probably, letting himself loose, allowing himself to be enticed by her when he felt something crumple under his foot.
He looked down to find a lone anklet. Jalal bent down and retrieved it, out of habit. He knew it was hers. "Har baar aapka payal aapka saath kyon chod deta hai, Jodha Begum?" He murmured. He stood up still clutching it as if it were a prized possession, intently scrutinizing it, no longer interested in the beauty wanting to entertain him.
Jodha Begum was here... He thought. She had come here. She left without meeting him. Odds were she had seen him with Benazir and had stormed out in anger. He should have felt happy, pleased, and vindictive that he was being these days. He had wanted to revenge his insult. Somehow, today he didn't feel like it.
He was sick of these games. Tired. Fatigued. Jalal had had an intuition right from the time Benazir entered the room, he just knew something would happen. He did not know what. I guess, I must talk to Jodha Begum, maybe come off as adding salt to her wounds, he thought.
Suddenly, he sensed a movement. While Jalal had been preoccupied in his thoughts, Benazir had somehow inched closer to him and was now almost throwing herself at him.
"Shehenshah, don't you want to take some rest after a long day of work?" She cooed. "Let me offer you some wine to rejuvenate you." She said, going to get the wine.
"No. Benazir. Not now. I realised I had some important work to do. I will meet you later. I would like to have some privacy now." Jalal cut her off.
He was taking advantage of Benazir to make Jodha Begum jealous and insecure. And he knew for a fact that she indeed was. He personally had no interest in her. Only beauty with no brains did not appeal to him. He preferred a mix of everything- beauty, intelligence, kindness, essential feminity, yet a certain boldness and courage and an ever burning fire of passion, someone who would incite passion not only in his body but also his mind. Slowly, a silhouette of a person appeared in his mind, a picture that fulfilled his every need, his every desire; JODHA, the name itself meaning fearless.
Shehenshah Jalaluddin Mohammad never realised whether it was sheer coincidence that Jodha Begum had every quality that he so admired or he had started admiring every single trait of hers.
Outside In the Courtyard
"Jodha Begum" Someone called out to her. She quickly wiped her tears and turned around to find Ruksaar Begum beckon her. "Pranam, Ruksaar Begum. How can I help you?" She asked, noticing that Ruksaar Begum too was part of the crowd that was merry making in the courtyard outside the Harem.
"Well, we were wondering if you could join us in our small jashn. Sometimes, we Begums gather, eat, drink and gossip. After all, Shehenshah has no time for us. We could at least take time out for ourselves. If you could be a part of this jashn, it would be an honour for us." She implored.
And the others agreed too. "Yes, Jodha Begum." "Join us."
As much as Jodha tried saying no, the Begums were very insistent and she too felt, she could do better with some distraction. "Thanks a lot for the invitation. I will stay here for a while before retiring for the night." She said with a smile.
Jodha sat down with them plastering a small smile on her face. She really did not feel like enjoying the noise and din. "Why don't you have a drink with us?" A Begum asked simultaneously preparing one. "No. No. I don't drink." Jodha protested.
"Just once. I am sure nothing will go out of hand." She insisted.
"No please. As I said, I don't drink." Jodha persisted.
Ruksaar Begum interjected, "It is okay. Please, pass on some sherbet for Jodha Begum.
As the other Begum tried passing the jug on, another queen, discreetly poured something into it. The former looked at her in shock when she said, "Let us have some fun too. Anyways, there is no harm in it."
Unsuspecting Jodha drank the juice which also contained wine...
Sometime Later
Jodha guffawed for a joke extremely poor on the humour quotient. The inevitable had finally happened. Jodha Begum was drunk. Heavily. After the first drink, she herself had asked for more. They all had a great time pulling each others' legs as to the last time the Emperor had favoured each of them.
As the gathering drew to a close, Jodha stumbled back to find her chambers.
She giggled sheepishly, mumbling to herself " Why ... *burp*can't I find my own chambers? I don't know what is ... *giggles*...happening to me. Why does everything look so different? So what if HE doesn't talk to me, I will... Nooo... Wai... Why will I... ta.. talk to him? Wait... Who... am I talking about?"
"Are, Ambe Ma,... My" Jodha tripped on her own two feet. She shut her eyes anticipating a very sharp tryst with the ground. But before she could fall, a strong, muscular pair of arms encircled her waist. Jodha slowly, frightfully, opened one of her eyes. She opened both her eyes. Two angry eyes were looking back at hers.
"Jodha Begum, what kind of insolence is this?" Jalal angrily hissed.
Jalal had strolled out for some fresh air when he heard the tinkling of an anklet. He knew it to be HERS. He could recognise the sound from anywhere. He looked around to find Jodha Begum stumbling and shuffling. Is she sick or is she hurt? He had hurried towards her.
She was so close to him that her fragrance was invading his nostrils. Her doe eyes, innocent and playful today, fearfully staring back into his. His hands moved of their own accord around her slender waist. He pulled her against him. Oh. How he wished he could take this woman in his arms!
As his head cleared, he realised, she wasn't in her senses. Ya Khuda, Jodha Begum is drunk! He swore under his breath. What the hell?
"What did I do now; don't keep reprimanding me all the time." Jodha pouted. This in between pauses and hiccups.
"Jodh..." Jalal stopped himself. He looked around to find guards and bandhis all looking in their direction. This must look very bad. He must take her in.
He put his arm around her and held her hand with his other, gently guiding her inside.
"Where are you taking me? I am sleepy. I want to sleep. This goes to Shehenshah's chambers. Why are you taking me there? I don't want to go there. SHE will be there. I don't want to see them." Jodha complained petulantly. Half her words incoherent.
Jalal just gave her an exasperated look. She will be the death of me.
In Jalal's Chambers
"I had to bring you to my room because this was the closest and I did not want you to make a laughing stock of yourself, do you understand?" He sternly told her. Jodha looked at him, puppy faced, seemingly, afraid of his angry demeanour and nodded her head like a child would when reprimanded by the mother.
"Why is this room empty? Where is Shehenshah?" Jodha asked, looking around the room. Jalal stared at her dumbfounded. "I am the Shehenshah and I am standing in front of you."
Jodha giggled "Nice joke, Moti. You really think, I can't make out the difference between Shehenshah and you? He is so strong and muscular and you are so tiny like an ant in front of him. His voice is so husky that you can melt hearing his voice..." A faraway look in her eyes. Jalal was shocked. Well, shocked would be a very mild term for it. He was appalled.
He had always known Jodha wasn't as unaffected by him as she portrayed. But hearing it straight from the horse's mouth had an extremely different thrill to it. God!
"But, you know what... I hate that Benazir. She has somehow trapped him in her charms. You won't believe what I saw today. I saw THEM in here. Right in this room. How I hate her! She has almost literally, snatched Shehenshah from me." The petulance gone, the hidden pain and hurt were now visible.
Jalal inched closer to her, and whispered in her ear " Why are you so bothered? Don't you hate Shehenshah?" He had taken a chance there. But he had to know. It was now or never. It was true that a drunk man speaks the truth.
"Because I Don't Actually Hate Him..." Jodha whispered slightly blushing.
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Part 9 - Page 42
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Edited by najma123 - 10 years ago
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
