Jodha walked to Jalal's chambers with slow but firm steps. She knew that he would be livid right now but she couldn't leave without telling him the truth. He had already said what he wanted to, now it was her turn. But if only things would have been that easy because there in the middle of her path stood Maham Anga. "Ruk jaiye Begum Jodha. Aap kahan jaa rahi hai?" ("Wait Begum Jodha. Where are you going?").
"Paatal Lok. Aayengi aap humare saath?" ("To hell. Would you like to accompany me?") Jodha muttered under her breath. Thankfully Maham was at a considerable distance from her due to which she didn't hear anything or else Jodha would have had to face another problem. Jodha looked at the lady who had been the wet nurse of her husband and whom he thought of as a mother. She respected Maham for all that she had done for Jalal but she didn't know why every time she was near this woman she had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. As if a hundred rats were nibbling at her insides. She just couldn't help but feel as if Maham was some kind of a danger for her. "Hume Shehenshah se milna hai. Humara unse milna atiavashyak hai." ("I want to meet Shehenshah. It is very important that I meet him.")
"Begum Jodha hum aapko ek muft ki salah de rahe hai. Aap andar mat jaiye. Shehenshah bahut gusse mein hai, kahin wo aapko chot na pahunchade. Iss waqt unse baat karna munasib nahi hoga. Humari baat maniye Begum Jodha garam tave par pani chhidkengi toh woh pani uchhal kar aap hi ka haath jalayega. Jaiye apne hojre mein aaram kijiye. Kal tak vo thode shant ho jayenge tab unse apni baat kar lijiyega."("Begum Jodha I am giving you an advice. Don't go inside now. Shehenshah is very angry, he might hurt you. Talking to him at this moment won't be appropriate. Listen to me Begum Jodha. If you sprinkle water on a hot pan it will burn your own hand. Go to your chambers and rest. He will be a bit calmer tomorrow, you can talk to him then.") Maham tried to convince her to delay the confrontation.
"Aap theek keh rahi hai. Hume unse kal hi baat karni chahiye. Shubhratri Maham Anga." ("You are right. I should talk to him tomorrow. Good night Maham Anga.") Jodha turned back on her heels to return to her chamber. Seeing her leave Maham let out a sigh of relief. "That was easy! She can't go and talk to Jalal or else my plan will fail. I have already taken a risk by letting a man into the harem and not just any man but one who is being hunted down by the Mughal forces. I knew Jalal would lose his cool when he will see his dear Jodha with another man. Tomorrow Begum Jodha won't get an opportunity to speak. I heard Jalal ordering her to leave the palace before sunrise. As far as I know, she will follow his orders. She has too much of the Rajvanshi pride to stay here. Tomorrow will be your last day in the palace and the hearts of the people of this palace Begum Jodha." She too turned and walked back to her chamber thinking that the next day would be one of the happiest days of her life.
Jodha came out of her hiding place behind a large pillar. She knew that if Maham was stopping her then there had to be some problem. Maham won't suddenly start thinking of her well-being. So she pretended to have been convinced. But why had Maham behaved the way she had? Was she somehow connected to this mess? But now wasn't the time to play detective. She had to talk to Jalal first. If the pan burns her hand it is alright but she won't allow it to burn the hands of her loved ones. When Jalal becomes angry he doesn't think straight. He would punish her brother without even knowing the truth. And she won't let that happen.
Jodha wasn't wrong when she said that she was going to hell. Jalal's chamber did look like hell at the moment and her husband was the devil who was going to fry her in hot oil. Jalal had completely destroyed his chamber in a fit of rage. The chamber looked as if it had faced a storm. A storm named Jalalluddin Mohammad. The beautiful vases that were placed on stands at various places in his chamber and which were filled with the most fragrant and beautiful floweres, lay on the ground, shattered and the flowers were scattered on the floor and crushed under Jalal's rampaging feet. The heavy settees and tables made of the best teak, oak and mahogany wood were being overturned like toys by his strong arms. Almost at the end of this destruction, Jalal reached a corner of his chamber. He was about to destroy the easel placed there when he noticed the painting that it held. It was the painting of the same person because of whom he was so destroyed and because of whom he had delivered the same fate to his chamber. "Aapne humare saath aisa kyun kiya Jodha Begum? Kyun dhokha diya hume? Kyun humare jazbaaton se khelti rahi aap? Kyun?" ("Why did you do this to me Jodha Begum? Why did you cheat me? Why did you play with my emotions? Why?") he uttered in a broken voice. Yes he was angry but along with that he felt heart broken by whatever he had seen.
"Mohabbat karne lage the hum aapse. Aapne pehle humari mohabbat ko uss dhakke se thukra diya. Humne maan liya tha ki shayad aap tayaar nahi thi aur aapne apna mann badal diya. Aur ab, hume pata chalta hai ki aapne vaisa kiya kyunki aap kisi aur se mohabbat karti hai. Kitne bewakoof the hum! Dil toot raha hai humara Jodha Begum magar na jaane kyun vo abhi bhi aapki begunahi ki daleelein de raha hai. Kyun lag raha hai hume ki kuch toh hai jo hum dekh nahi pa rahe? Kya hai jo aap hume bata nahi rahi Jodha Begum?" ("I was in love with you. You earlier rejected my love with that blow. I believed that you were not ready and had changed your mind. But now I come to know that you did that because you love someone else. My heart is breaking Jodha Begum but I don't know whyi even as it shatters, it still advocates your innocence. Why do I feel that there is something that I am not seeing? What are you are not telling me Jodha Begum?")
"Aapko vahi batane aaye hai hum yahan." ("I have come to tell you the same.") Declared a voice. "Aur hum poori baat bataye bina yahan se jayenge nahi." ("And I am not going to leave until I tell you the entire truth.") She declared with a firm voice that showed determination to complete the task.
Jodha had heard Jalal talking just as she waswabout to enter his chamber. When she entered, she observed how messed up his chamber was. He was taking out his anger on lifeless pieces of furniture. She was worried that he would irritate the injury on his right hand that he had got when he had banged his hand on the wall in her chamber but she pushed that thought aside. She was here to tell her part of the story and leave, not only his chamber but Agra as well. She saw Jalal standing in one corner. He had turned when she spoke. Whatever was behind him hidden by his large frame. His hair was messy and his face was glistening with sweat and reflected anger. She didn't look at his eyes because she knew that she won't be able to speak a word of she saw thhatredfo they would hold for her now. Even if he was at fault here but he meant a lot to her and even his baseless anger directed at her would hurt a lot. She didn't know when this happened and how but it did. He had made his own place in her heart and it was not a small one and neither was it meant for a friend. Maybe she was falling for him after all.
Jalal turned around and he saw Jodha standing at the entrance of his chamber. Once again he was mesmerized by her. He was amazed by her talent of maintaining a calm demeanour even when everything outside and inside her mind is in utter chaos. He observed that even if she had managed to put herself together and had become quite presentable, her eyes were still red and swollen. Just some minutes ago he had left her a dishevelled, crying mess. It hurt him now when he thought of her beautiful eyes filled with tears and her cheeks stained with them. He had put on his angry mask to hide his emotions from her and he hoped she didn't see his eyes because she wasn't the only one who had been crying andathey would easily give away his emotional state. She had hurt him but still it hurt to see her in pain. She was that important to him. Somehow she had made her own place in his non existent heart. He didn't know when this happened and how but he knew that he loved her and he realised it now when his heart was shattered to pieces.
"Aapne humare kaksh mein aakar apni baat karli thi. Uss samay aap bolte rahe aur hum sunte rahe parantu ab hum bolenge aur aap sunenge." ("You came to my chamber and said what you had to. That time you talked and I heard but now I will talk and you will listen.") she started in a firm voice. Even though her voice was firm Jalal detected some strain in it.
"Aap humare kaksh mein aaye aur jo aapne dekha uske anusaar apni dharnaye banakar hum par krodhit ho gaye. Hum mante hai ki agar koi bhi pati apni patni ko kisi par purush ke saath dekhe toh usse krodh aayega. Parantu kissi bhi sambandh mein ek doosre par vishwas karna aavashyak hai. Hum par vishwas karna toh door ki baat, aapne hume satya batane ka avasar tak nahi diya." ("You came to my chamber and based on what you saw you arrived at your own conclusions due to which you were angry at me. I agree that if a husband sees his wife with another man he will be angry. But in any relationship it is very important to have faith in one another. Forget keeping faith in me, you didn't even give me a chance to tell you the truth.") she voiced agitatedly. He could see her emotions through her eyes. She was upset but much more than that she was hurt. And it was the same kind of pain which had been reflecting through his eye. It was the pain of being heart broken. He was confused. Why was Jodha heart broken? She had a man who loved her and had even taken the risk of entering the harem of the Shehenshah of Hindustan, Jallaludin Mohammad... or was there something that was going completely wrong?
"Aapne kaha ki humare kaaran apka hriday toot raha tha parantu aapne apne kadwe shabdon se humare hriday tod diya Shehenshah aur un toote hue tukdon ko aapne apne hi pairon tale kuchal diya." ("You said that because of me your heart was breaking but you broke my heart with your harsh words Shehenshah and you crushed those pieces under your own feet.") Her eyes were blurring with tears but she wiped them and walked towards him. Jalal wondered whether she was hurt by the his harsh manner or the words but his questions would soon be answered.
"Aapne hum par aarop lagaaya ki humara vish pina keval aapka vishwas jitne ke liye kiya gaya natak tha. Ki hum aapke liye nahi parantu kisi aur ke liye uthe the. Shehenshah vish peene ke paschat humare paas koi bhi kaaran nahi tha jeevit rehne ka. Humne Maasa ko vachan diya tha ki hum apne pati ke pranon ki raksha karenge aur humne uss vachan ko nibhaya. Kaha jaata hai ki aurat ki doli maike se uthti hai aur uski arthi sasural se. Toh bataiye hume, kyun jeevit rehte hum? Parantu hum uthe aur kisi aur ke liye nahi, aapke liye uthe. Aapne hume jeevit rehne ka kaaran diya tha Shehenshah. Aap hi humare jeevit rehne ka kaaran hai." ("You said that me drinking the poison was a facade to win your trust. That I didn't wake up for you but someone else. Shehenshah, after drinking poison I had no reason to live. I had promised my mother that I will protect my husband's life and I had fulfilled the promise. It is said that a woman's palanquin leaves her maternal home and her bier from her husband's. So tell me why would I stay alive? But I came back and not for anybody else, I came back for you. You gave me the reason to live Shehenshah. You are my reason to live.") Her voice was strained with emotions. Jalal looked into her eyes and saw a number of them swirling inside their depths. Anger, hurt, pain and... No it couldn't be! He couldn't believe what he saw! Did he just see... love? Before he could confirm she turned around.
"Shehenshah, mante hai ki hume vivah ke samay aapse prem nahi tha parantu kisi aur se bhi nahi tha. Agar hota toh hum Johar kar lete parantu aapse vivah kabhi nahi karte. Vivah ke paschat aapne jis prakar humare vicharon ka aur bhavanaon ka maan rakha, vipatti ke samay humara saath diya, uske karan humari aapke prati bhavanaye badalne lagi. Humne aapse kaha tha ki ab hume aapse ghrina nahi hai. Sach much mein hume ab apsse ghrina nahi hai. Usse bahut door. Ab kadachit hume aapse... prem ho raha hai." ("Shehenshah, I accept that I did not love you during the time of our marriage but I wasn't in love with anybody else too. If I had been, I would have committed Johar but I would not have married you. After the marriage the way you respected my thoughts and emotions, supported me during the times of crisis, due to that my feelings for you changed. I had told you that I don't hate you anymore. It is the truth that I don't hate you. Far from that. Now I might be... falling in love with you.") The last sentence was said in such a low voice that Jalal almost missed it. She had started falling for him too? The realisation stunned him. If this was the truth then who was the man in her chamber?
"Vo vyakti jo aapko aaj humare kaksh mein dikhe the vo koi aur nahi balki humare Sujamal Bhaisa the. Vo Agra bhes badal kar humare svasthya ke bare mein poochhne aaye the. Hume vo Ambe Maa ke Mandir mein mile. Vo uss ratri laut hi rahe thi ki tab unhone Abul Mali ko mehal ke kisi vyakti se baat karte suna. Vo aap par Jashn ki ratri ko prahar karne ka shadyantra rach rahe the. Issi kaaran Bhaisa Jashn mein bhi aaye thi aapki raksha karne. Uss vachan ka palan karne jo unhone hume bachpan mein diya tha. Parantu aap par prahar karne ka jhootha aarope bhi unhi ke sar mad diya gaya. Hum ratri mein unhi se Mandir ke peeche milne jaate the. Aap Bhaisa ko dhund rahe the issi liye humne aapko satya nahi bataya. Aapke virudh shadyantra kaun rach raha hai ye janne ke liye hi vo khwajaserah ka bhes badal kar mehal mein ghuse the." ("The person whom you saw in my chamber today was none other than my brother Sujamal. He had disguised himself and had come to Agra to ask about my well being. I had met him near the temple of Goddess Amba. He was going to return that night itself but he had overheard Abul Mali talking with someone from the fort. They were planning an attack on you on the night of the Jashn. For the same reason Sujamal Bhaisa had attended the Jashn to protect you. To fulfill aapromise that he had given to me in our childhood. But the false allegation of attempting to kill you also was made at him. He was the one whom I used to meet behind the temple. You were on a hunt for him so I hid the truth from you. To find out who was scheming against you he disguised himself as an eunuch and entered the fort.") saying this she turned to face him. Her cheeks had fresh tear marks. Those tears felt like acid drops to his heart.
"Aap humari baaton par shayad vishvas na kare. Parantu aapko satya batana humara kartavya tha. Hum iss asatya ke kaaran apne bhaisa ke praanon ko sankat mein nahi daal sakte the. Aap Sujamal Bhaisa ko dand de dete issi liye humne apko satya batana uchit samjha. Hume jo kehna tha hum keh chuke. Ab hum aapse aagya chahte hai. Shubhratri Shahenshah." ("You might not believe me but telling you the truth was my duty. I couldn't let this lie endanger the life of my brother. You would have punished Sujamal Bhaisa, so I thought that telling you the truth will be the best thing to do. I have said what I had to. Now please excuse me. Good night Shehenshah.") saying this she turned on her heels and left his chamber. And she had just one thought on her mind. "This might be the last greeting I give to you Shenhenshah because now I am leaving."
Jalal began processing the information that Jodha had just bombarded him with. "It was SujamaI whom she used to meet behind the temple in the hut. Abul Mali was again planning to kill me and that too with the help of someone from the palace. That means that there is a constant threat to my life. It was Sujamal, her brother, in her chamber today. All this time while I was doubting her she was trying to protect me. All this mess is because of a misunderstanding. She had a valid reason for not telling me about her meetings with her brother. She wanted to protect him. How could I doubt her character? What have I done? I doubted her and arrested one of her brother's, again. I need to go and talk to her. I need to ask for her forgiveness. I need to mend things between us before it is too late. Before I lose her. I need to go to her and now. I hope that she forgives me." "Ya Khuda! Ye kya kar diya humne?" ("Oh God! What have I done?")
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