Thread 3: Destined Love... (Chapter 61 updated) - Page 8

Originally posted by: Shinning_Stuti

Thank you so much dear. Trying to update by tuesday or friday maybe😒

After seeing Tuesday🥳

Then Friday🤓🤔(Friday is tooo late and tooo far)

plzzz try to update not soon, but soonest🤗waiting

Chapter 47…

Waking up while floating in a melodious aura is not a new experience for Ruqaiya Begam. Being born and brought up in imperial set-up, living her whole life in one of the most luxurious palaces of Mughal Harem, she has essentially grown a taste of classy music. The emperor himself is an admirer of it, so there are a special position for the courtesans with beautiful voice and instrument trainings. Most of the time she wakes up hearing their beautiful voices playing with the strains. However, this morning, the feelings was not the same. Because the song she heard floating in the air, is certainly not a classy royal Ghazal; it is a song written in pure Hindustani language with devotional tune, and the lyrics suggesting that this is a praise for some Hindu deity.

“Hey Muralidhar, hey Damodar

Krishna-Murari, hey Natnagar…

Bhul gayi kya binati sunkar,

Hey Manmohan, hey karunakar…”

“Again the Hindu Princess…” Ruqaiya Begam yawned lazily and rolled on the bed. “Hosiyaar!”

Hosiyaar Khan was there in a moment. “Order me, Your Highness…”

“What the hell is happening there, Hosiyaar?” Ruqaiya Begam sat on the bed casually arranging her hairs to make a bun.

“Another drama, My Lady.” Hosiyaar smirked. “Already some Begams have come with a petition. They don’t want to wake up hearing a devotional song of some Kafir.”

“The new Begam is filling the boring lifestyle with charm I must say!” Ruqaiya Begam smiled. “Call someone to get me ready in half an hour. It seems I have to pay a visit again.”

“Pardon Begam-E-Khas. Why would you bother?” Hosiyaar said. “Give her an order to pay a visit. She lives under you, she must understand her position.”

“She won’t understand, Hosiyaar.” Ruqaiya got up from the bed and went to the marvel basin to wash her face with rose-water. “Everyone needs the time to understand what is the difference between the life of a common princess and a Mughal Begam. She is coming from a lower background, too far from Mughaliya customs; so maybe she is misjudging her status. I need to give her the time to adjust.”

“As you wish, My Lady. But don’t make it late; it will be a hazard to you when she will dance constantly on your head.” Hosiyaar warned.

“It is fun to see a pretty doll dancing as well Hosiyaar.” Ruqaiya smiled. “To be honest, I like the princess. She is not like the others, she has the charm. It will be fun to play with her.”

“She is a plaything to you now?” Hosiyaar asked with a smirk.

“Isn’t it? Jalal gave me a new plaything.”Ruqaiya laughed light-heartedly.

“Pardon, My Lady.” Hosiyaar said in a measured tone. “The way she talks, the way she walks, the way she orders everyone… she looks more like a competitor than a plaything to me.”

“Well!” Ruqaiya sighed with a smile. “Maybe that’s even better. A lots of playthings are here Hosiyaar, I am tired of playing with them. Maybe that’s the time to start playing against some living thing.”

“These all sounds joke to you?” Hosiyaar frowned.

“Not at all.” Ruqaiya said. “I am much worried about the rules and regulations of the Harem. But I don’t want to disrespect My Emperor’s decisions by showing her place myself. I would just let her find her place herself.”

“How would you do that, My Lady?” Hosiyaar asked.

“You will see.” Ruqaiya looked at him. “Any news from the emperor?”

“A messenger of court has reached early morning with some political stuff. He told that the Emperor has already headed towards Agra. So maybe today he will reach at the border.”

“Make an arrangement for a celebration in Harem. The function needs to be simple but charismatic. I will especially invite him to join us.” She told in her usual professional voice. “It has been a while since there had been any celebration in Harem. After Bairam Khan’s death he has barely come here… It will be an honour to get him within us after a long time.”

“Of course, My Lady…” Hosiyaar bowed down and left leaving Ruqaiya to get ready.

After a while, when the Begam-E-Khas was escorted to the room of the Hindu Begam, there was already a pandemonium taking place there. Gulal Khan was seen to quarrel with the maids of some other Begams.

“We won’t listen anything Gulal. Tell your new Malkin that my Begam Sahiba would not commit any sin by hearing the name of Kafir deities before listening to the Azaan.”

“Yes, and if she cannot stop shouting like a crow early at morning, she might stay at the servant’s quarter.”

“We won’t tolerate these blasphemy anymore.”

“We have already complained to Begam-E-Khas. If she won’t do anything, we will go to Marium Makani!”

“What is happening here?” Hosiyaar Khan came forward and shouted.

“Look Hosiyaar… They are violating norms of Harem.” Gulal swiftly came beside Hosiyaar. “They are rebelling right inside the palace.”

“You shut up!” Hosiyaar Khan whispered at him before raising his voice. “Gulrakh Begam, Fatima Begam, Nazma Begam… you all are requested to go to your room. Ruqaiya Begam herself has come, she will see the matter.”

“Yeah, I know what she will do.” Gulrakh Begam came forward with twisted lips. “She did nothing when this woman made a path for sin in Harem with that idol of the Kafir God. And now she is singing prayers in the morning! What did she do?”

“Don’t talk about something you don’t understand, Gulrakh Begam.” The Begam-E-Khas came in front, making Gulrakh Begam a little uncomfortable. Ruqaiya Begam put her eyes in her eyes, and stated in a calm voice. “Begam Jodha holds a Farmaan from the Emperor giving her rights to worship in the Harem. If you have anything against it, complain to the Emperor in the court. Don’t shout and hamper the peace of my place. Do you understand?” She looked at the surroundings. “Everyone, I already listened to all of your complains, you should wait and expect me to give statement. Who gave you the audacity of making noise here before I speak anything about it?”

The women looked dissatisfied but they kept quiet. Ruqaiya looked at Gulal Khan. “Do I need to invite your Begam Sahiba to come here and see me? She does not have the etiquette of welcoming me from her doorstep?”

“I am sorry it came to you that way Ruqaiya Begam.” The curtain of the room moved and Jodha Begam came out of her room. “I was getting dressed when all these started. I sent Gulal with the message of apology for keeping you waiting, but it seems none heard it in the noise.”

“I see…” Ruqaiya Begam came forward and scanned Jodha from head to toe.

“Please come inside while we talk, Ruqaiya Begam?” Jodha offered. Ruqaiya raised her hand to refuse the offer. “I am not here to chitchat with you, Jodha Begam. I have complains against you.”

“I guess these all are about the Bhajans I sang today morning while worshipping.” Jodha nodded.

“Wow, great that you understand.” Ruqaiya Begam mocked. “Now Begam Jodha; it is fully understandable that you won’t take anyone’s order for your great pride for being the first Hindu Begam of the Emperor, but do you consider that sometimes you have to compromise something in favour of the people living nearby, especially when you are sharing a grand palace here? Your Bhajans are creating problems in daily lives of other residents of Harem. Hell, I myself is not very fond of the idea of waking up every day listening to some Bhajan-geet. What do you think?”

“Well, I am sorry that my voice created problems in your daily activities… If you request I will not sing that loudly… or I will stop singing or…”

“Great!” Ruqaiya smiled sarcastically. “I had thought that you will frighten me of going to the emperor. So, from now on, you are not going to sing in Harem. There are people who does not want to be contaminated at the first hour of the day by listening to the praises of Kafir deities. I gave you the permission of worshipping doll here that does not mean you can sing praises of its name anywhere you want.”

Jodha lowered her head. The top of her nose was getting red slowly.

“You have anything to say?”

“Yes, Ruqaiya Begam!” Jodha looked at her eyes suddenly. “I want to know the exact problem… it is because of the sound, or because of the content of the song?”

Ruqaiya chuckled quietly. “So you are going to debate now, that you were given official farmaan of practicing your religion and these Bhajan-Sadhan comes in your religion and…”

“No you are wrong, I won’t.” Jodha said in a firm voice. “It just feels strange… I have heard a lot of singers practicing beautiful songs from before sunrise; it seems everyone enjoys that melody… but when it comes to my Bhajans, it causes problems in daily activities… everything just comes down to this division of religion at the end, does not it?”

Ruqaiya started smiling. “My dear, you know what you are talking about? The singers about whom you are talking are the royal courtesans! They sing for the entertainment of Emperor and the Queens. They do not sing to some imaginary deity!”

“To me art is same in its every form. There is no division between the melody of love and tune of devotion.” Jodha laughed. “You people have tastes for music; you adore melody; but you want to restrain me from singing? Is not it hilarious?”

Ruqaiya stared at her for quite a moment. Then she burst out of laughing. Along with her, the other Begams, the maids and the eunuchs also started laughing.

“Ohh…oh dear! You really want to sing that much?” Ruqaiya spoke taking a small pause. “You want to appreciate your songs just like those girls? Great! Hosiyaar?”

Hosiyaar Khan pressed his lips to stop from giggling and came in front. “Hukum, Begam Sahiba!”

“I told you about the celebration tomorrow, remember?”

“Yes of course, My Lady.”

“You don’t need to assign any singer.” Ruqaiya looked deeply at Jodha’s eyes. “Jodha Begam, our new queen, will sit in the seat of the royal courtesan and perform her beautiful melody in front of all of us… just like those royal courtesans who entertain us and get paid for it.”

The whole hall burst out in laughter again.

“It will be great, Begam Sahiba! At last the princess will show in front of everyone what class she belongs to!” Gulrakh Begam mocked cruelly. “Why only song? We would like to see how you dance as well! You know how to dance Mujra like those tawaif? Go get some training! That is your class, after all.”

Jodha stood like a stone, suddenly stunned in humiliation.

“So finalize it, Hosiyaar!” Ruqaiya’s eyes shined cruelly. “Jodha Begam, I had thought I might have to show you your real place eventually. But it does not need anymore. You yourself chose your place in this Harem… Let’s go, Hosiyaar. You people, go back to your places.”

She had turned around, was about to go, when Jodha called her from back.

“Begam Ruqaiya…”

Ruqaiya Begam looked back. Jodha was looking straight at her. Her eyes reminded the devastating forest-fire which burns down everything in a moment.

“I will show everyone in which place I do belong. Right at tomorrow.” She uttered in a chilling voice. “I promise you that!”

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The horses reached at Agra fort prior to the afternoon. At last.

Jalal sighed a breath of relief staring at the flag of Mughals hoisted from the highest peak of the fort. He always does. The structure of red-sandstone gives him a kind of security, a feel of authority which no other place has given him ever. At the same time he feels like he has come back to his own place, his home.

This time, for a change, the feelings was a little different.

Agra fort did not have Purnima Bai before. She was here inside his heart, in his dreams; in the flow of Yamuna, in the shine of the stars, in the sooth of the moon. But now Agra fort has Purnima Bai. In her physical form, right inside his Harem, along with hundreds of other women, in disguise of Princess Jodha Bai.

While being escorted to the inner section of the royal palace, a strange emotion clouded his thoughts again. He felt lost, he felt broken. He felt like he has lost his love, his Purnima forever. His love was alive in those nights of longing, in those lone tears… the purity of that love is contaminated by reality of this four wall boundary. Purnima Bai will never come to his dreams again; he will never be able to love her like he did.

“Welcome home, Jalal!”

The voice of his mother broke the line of his thought. Jalal moved forward and kissed on his mother’s hand. The queen mother kissed on his forehead as a sign of blessings. “I was worried about you Son.” She said. “I heard about the attack last night.”

“Yes, Ammijaan. The assassin is under arrest, but it seems the man is deaf and dumb; no name has come up.” Jalal said. “However, I wish my team of interrogators will surly come up with the name of the real conspirator by any means. You need not to worry, Ammijaan. It is not so easy to kill the Emperor of Hindustan in his sleep.”

“I really fear my destiny, My Son!” Hamida Begam sighed.

“My Emperor is the ruler of his own fate, Marium Makani!” Maham Anga smiled. “Jalal, I hope apart from the attack of last night the journey was peaceful for you?”

“Yes, Badi-Ammi.” Jalal nodded.

“And it was successful as well, I hope.” Maham Anga added.

Jalal paused for a moment and stared at her face. Then a slight smirk appeared at his lips. “Not as successful as I thought it would be, Badi-Ammi. But you know that better than me, isn’t it?”

“W…what do you mean, Jalal?” Maham Anga felt the chill in her spine.

“Nothing.” Jalal smiled again. “I have a good news for you, Badi Ammi. Adham is coming back from Malwa.”

“Oh… I am… I am sure he is missing his family here, but it is not wise to leaving his own province so frequently, I think.” Maham Anga tried to smile.

“You need not to worry, Badi Ammi. He is coming back to Agra forever. He needs to stay here, closer to me, closer to all of us. Don’t you think?” Jalal told in a very calm voice.

Maham nodded with awkward smile. She did not look carefree though.

“We can talk about these later.” Marium Makani intervened. “Ruqaiya Begam, escort the emperor to his room.”

Jalal gave a meaningful smile to Maham Anga again before going towards his room along with Ruqaiya at his side. In the path he could see the beautiful view of Anguri Baag. The garden is getting decorated with grandeur.

“Is there any event I have missed to remember?” He asked his chief consort.

“There is no other occasion worth celebrating than your homecoming, My Lord.” Ruqaiya smiled. “Tomorrow I am organizing a small celebration right here along with everyone in Harem. I expect your presence.”

“Tomorrow? Is not there already a formal celebration in court to felicitate the army or something?”

“Yeah yeah, I know that better than you.” Ruqaiya chuckled. “Hence I have scheduled my function at late of night. When your formal stuff will be over.”

“Yeah but…”

“Jalal!” Ruqaiya pressed his hand making it sure that no one is watching. “Don’t say no. It has been really a while since you were present in a celebration of the queens. All of the queens, all the women of the Harem wait for a glance of you, Jalal. Won’t you give them that?”

“I am honoured that they do… But Ruqaiya, does really by presence leave any impact on the daily life of any of them? Seeing me is like an exciting entertainment to them…”

“What is there in the lives in those quarters other than these stolen moments of exciting entertainments, Jalal?” Ruqaiya looked at his eyes. Jalal looked startled, he could not say anything.

“Leave it. Come to the celebration for me.” Ruqaiya wrapped his arm with her arm and pleaded earnestly going surprisingly against her nature. “Do you remember when was the last time we spent night together?”

“Yeah I do…” Jalal said unmindfully. “I was talking about something while you kept snoring. Usually it ends that way… either you bore me or I bore you and we both sleep.”

They had entered into the bedroom of the emperor. Ruqaiya sat on the bed without taking the permission. Jalal smiled. “Is it some kind of protest? You won’t let me to get rest until I promise you to be present at your celebration?”

Ruqaiya smirked mischievously. Her unusual behaviour seemed very sweet to Jalal. He came closer and cupped her face lovingly. “Alright My Empress, I will go. For sure this time.”

“You have to come. Else you will miss something very interesting.” Ruqaiya commented.

“Really, what?”

“Our new resident of the palace… she is something real interesting!”

Jalal’s hands slowly lost their grip from Ruqaiya’s cheek. The bright smile of his face paled and shadowed in the cloud of thoughtlessness. Ruqaiya did not follow, she kept on talking. “She is one hell of a proud peacock. Daughter of a defeated Hindu king, and acts like a blue-blood Mughal Princess! From the first day of her arrival she is butting head against the Padshah Begam, can you imagine?” She laughed. “Really I never expected that kind of fire in a little princess!”

“What’s with the fire! Sometimes the fire within a random common girl holds the power of burning the hardest man of the empire. Fire, blood and royalty… do they really have connection, Ruqaiya?” Jalal said in an unmindful tone.

“What?” Ruqaiya could not fathom anything.

“Nothing!” Jalal sighed. When he looked up, his face clearly portrayed shadow of agony. “Ruqaiya, will you do one thing for me?”

“Whatever you wish, Jalal…”

“The Princes of Amer…” Jalal cautiously avoided forming the lump inside his throat. “She is important. I have vowed to protect her honour. Will you keep the honour of my vow by giving her that due respect?”

“Jalal… She is from different material. She does not need your vow to protect herself.” Ruqaiya smiled. “Well, sure she needs your Farman to throw it upon my face if I order her anything!”

“Then don’t order her anything which goes against the order of me, alright?” Jalal stated calmly.

“Jalal, have you ever seen me not respecting your orders?” Ruqaiya countered. “But trust me, there are a lot in the world of Harem that you cannot see from outside. If the princess wants to survive that world, she has to learn the rules of Harem rather than making own rules. Or this world will grab her.”

“Rules change, Ruqaiya. Rules have to change for the people…”Jalal smiled delicately.

“Maybe I am too conventional, but to me breaking the rules only bring anarchism.”

“Not when the ruler is strong.” Jalal said. “Let me give you a free advice. Be the ruler by making and breaking the law; don’t be the slave of it. Else the law will choose someone else to be its ruler.”

“You are the experienced, I cannot argue with the emperor about ruling.” Ruqaiya got up. “However, have rest now and don’t forget about tomorrow. Allow me to leave.”

Ruqaiya was about to go. Jalal hesitated a little before calling her back. “Ruqaiya…”

“Yes Jalal?”

“About the princess of Amer…” Jalal tried to control the trembling of his voice. “Is she alright here?”

Ruqaiya laughed. “Like I told you, she is living like the empress here, making and breaking rules as you said.”

“Please make sure she gets all the comfort she deserves. I request you this, Ruqaiya.” Jalal said in a silent tone.

“My goodness Jalal?” Ruqaiya frowned. “From when you started worrying about the comfort of a queen you just married?”

Jalal did not answer, he turned his back and gazed at the river from his window. Ruqaiya understood the gesture. “Have a good day, My Lord.” She bowed and left the room.

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“The emperor has come! The emperor has come!” A young eunuch rushed through the hallway of the Harem and broke the news to the women sitting together. The news surely spread a little excitement in the environment of the lazy afternoon, but no one got enthusiastic enough to get up and give prize to the announcer. The poor announcer left while the queens in his mind.

“So that’s why Ruqaiya Begam is not in the Harem from noon.” Nazma Begam commented while throwing the dice. “Ready to play with the Emperor’s brain right from the beginning.”

“The new one has a lot of pain in her fate.” Gulrakh Begam chuckled.

“People should be worried about their fate much than others.” Ruksana Begam twisted her lips. “There is a celebration tomorrow and the emperor is invited in the Harem. Are you prepared enough to welcome him, Gulrakh?”

“Don’t advise me, okay? Get worried about you. What was the last time he saw you? He does not even recognize you…” Gulrakh fused angrily.

“You people fight how much you want. I am pretty sure from now on Shahenshah is going to stay with Ruqaiya Begam only. At least till she gets pregnant” Nazma whispered. “You know what I have heard? Maham Anga herself had come to meet the Padshah Begam. They both were discussing about the heir. Ruqaiya Begam will not get anyone the chance to bear the first child of the emperor, understood?”

“Oh kill me!” Ruksana commented. “She thinks herself our owner and she is only the first consort of the emperor now. If she becomes the queen-mother then can you people imagine? Gosh!”

“You better keep your mouth shut. If Hosiyaar Khan hears you, your tongue will be cut off understand?” Gulrakh pinched her feet. Then suddenly got excited looking something. “Hey hey… look who is coming!”

“Hello Begam Jodha!” Ruksana Begam swiftly got up and stood in front of Jodha. “Come, have a sit with us and play a game. 10 Asharfi per winning.”

Jodha glanced once at the board of gambling, then refused modestly. “Maybe later. Actually I heard something which…”

“Oh Gulal is such a faithful one.”Gulrakh Begam giggled, clearly annoying Gulal Khan. “Once upon a time he used to be the first one to deliver the news of Shahenshah’s homecoming in the hall of Harem. And now all he does is to whisper it in his malkin’s ear.”

“You don’t need to accuse Gulal Khan.” Jodha said. “I am pretty sure you all have idea about the emperor’s arrival.”

“O yeah… much before than you did.” Nazma Begam smirked.

“Then why…” Jodha chuckled surprisedly. “Don’t get me wrong, were not you all, along with the other Begams of this Harem, are supposed to go to the gate and welcome him?”

Three of the women gazed at her face amusedly.

“No I mean…”Jodha felt uncomfortable. “The emperor has come to the palace. He should be welcomed by all his wives. Does not the royal custom say this?”

“O my dear!” Gulrakh Begam burst out of laughing. “Do you know where you live? Jodha Begam, in the world of Harem it is a clear rule that we don’t go to the emperor. The emperor essentially chooses whom he wants to see, and we follow that order. Ruqaiya Begam is the chief consort, and she has already decided who should be present at the gate in order to welcome him. We were clearly not on that list.”

Jodha stared at their face. Slowly a sad smile projected at her lips. “You don’t go to him; if he orders, you go. The emperor decides if you should see him or not! What about your wish, your concern, your love for him?”

Both Nazma and Ruksana giggled. “He is the emperor, everyone loves him, everyone is concerned about him. He does not need us to show him that!”

“Maybe he does not. But does that mean you do not need it too? You do not need to feel that you love, you do not need to show that you care?” Jodha’s voice raised in excitement. “It is only his rule, and nothing that you wish matters at all? Or you people do not at all want to love or feel concerned for him? All you need is the wealth and comfort?”

“Don’t teach us what we want.” Gulrakh Begam said in fury. “We know how to respect royal customs that’s all. We do not believe in that rural show-off of running to the door for a sight of your emperor like a dog. Maybe you are from that background and all you know is to act like a pet dog. We are Mughal queens, we know how to respect the emperor.”

“Maybe… but you do not know how to respect yourself. Or how to respect a relationship!” Jodha sighed a frustrated sigh. “You people believe you are the wives of the emperor. But you don’t want the rights of a wife, you don’t want to fulfil the duties of a wife. Gulrakh Begam, you compared me to a dog for showing concern; but I am sorry that I could only think of an analogy to define you in this matter… your relationship with your husband is nothing more than a slave and an owner. You buy your comfort in exchange of the physical pleasure you provide him! You know, I might pity you, knowing the fact that there is nothing you can do about it. But seeing how happy you all are in this situation, how content you all are being only a slave and selling your self-respect to buy wealth and comfort; all I can do is to hate you all!”

“Don’t worry Jodha Begam, you will learn it soon and then you will not hate us.” Nazma Begam said mockingly. “My father is one of the highest ranked generals of the empire, and Bairam Khan Khan-E-Khana himself chose me as a queen as an award to my father. I had been officially announced as a Mughal Begam in the court in front of Marium Makani herself. I also had thought a lot of things back then, you know? That I will be the love of his life, the queen of his heart… But you know what?” She smiled. “When I grew up, when the curtain of useless dreams were removed from my eyes, I could see the truth. The definition of relationship is different here, Jodha Begam, don’t judge it from fairy-tale stories. Here you live a life of a Begam without even seeing your husband’s face for a single time. Here your husband probably does not know your name or how you look like when you stay with him after a long time. Get used to it, you will enjoy the life. There is a lot of things worth living for in this Harem. A lot of things you could never even dream of in your old life, live for them. Don’t start hue and cry for starting a relationship of husband-wife with the emperor.”

Jodha bit her lips. A drop of tear silently shed from her eyes while she quivered in an unknown rage. “This cannot happen.” She uttered very slowly. “This will not happen to me!”

“Why, you are that special?” Gulrakh Begam laughed again.

Jodha wiped the tears of fury from her cheek. Slowly she looked at Gulrakh Begam’s eyes. “Yes, I will make myself special enough to break this! I have to! I would die before living a life like you all.”

Leaving everyone behind, she paced towards the exit of the women quarter, tears flooding her eyes. Standing under the vast sky outside the Harem, she finally let go the tears and covered her face, sobbing. For the first time since she got into the fort she was feeling such humiliated inside. It felt like someone slapped her hard while strangling the pride of her womanhood.

A soft touch on shoulder brought her back in reality. She turned around. “Moti?”

“Where are you going Baisa?” Moti asked in a comforting tone slowly wiping the strain of tears off her cheek.

“I… I will meet the emperor now, Moti!” Jodha said, voice still trembling in emotion.

“No Baisa! It is probably not a good choice. We are in a new place, we have to abide by the orders. We cannot go against it all the time.” Moti warned. “Besides, maybe you should wait. Maybe the emperor himself will come to you.”

Jodha shook her head tiredly. “No, he won’t Moti!”

“Don’t believe in all those bitches, Rajkunwari Sa.” Moti said. “Things are not same for you. You both had loved each-other.”

“Did I really love the same man!” Jodha sighed. “Then why everything changed so drastically! Why I am unable to recognise my love? The man I loved does not belong in this world Moti, he does not fit here! How am I supposed to accept he and the Emperor, the owner of all the women in this Harem are the same person and I am none but a very small piece of his plaything from this Harem! Oh God!”

“Pardon Rajkunwari Sa!” Moti told in a sensible voice. “Remember, when the marriage proposal came, we all had imagined Harem much more worse than it actually is. It is not that you have come in an unexpected place where you are dreaded to lose the pride of your womanhood, Baisa. You are frightened of losing the pride of your love. Believe in me, keep faith on your love.”

“Keeping faith!” Jodha smiled hopelessly. “I am having problem differentiating what is real and what is not, Moti!”

“Maybe both are real, Baisa. What you had known was just a part of what you are seeing now. You had been in love with the part, and your love will be complete only when you could love him completely accepting his whole reality.”

“I hope you are right, Moti!” Jodha sighed.

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The day passed, the evening passed, the night strolled lazily across the Yamuna bank. The grand palaces of Agra are slowly slipping under the blanket of darkness with the hope of fresh start with the new sun. Jodha lit a small lamp near the window by her bed, her eyes teared up while staring at the steady beam of light.

She had waited for him. He did not come.

Gentle breeze of the river swept through the window, as if the nature herself wants to comfort her burning heart. Jodha stretched her palms to cover the flame of the lamp. The gesture suddenly flashed out a suppressed memory from past… The first night in that hut… the first night she crossed her limits by meeting a stranger at late night. The flame was burning steadily in that hut, he was gazing at her eyes being mesmerized; and she, while staring at him, could only think a single thing… who is this valiant warrior whose eyes spark brighter than the flame of fire… and the magical spark of those eyes slowly hypnotized her, and she gave away her everything, surrendered her whole self to the enigma of those eyes…

Drops of tears fell from her eyes. “Where are you, Chandrajeet! How am I supposed to find you in this world of hardship and hypocrisy?” She murmured.

The whole fort was drowned in the darkness. But light was coming from the other side of it. Jodha stared through the window, gazed at the source of the light. Right opposite to her window there is another window, and light is coming from there. Jodha knows whose palace is this. The Emperor himself lives in there.

The emperor is waking at the night too… along with her.

Months ago, in the broken hut of that dessert land, they used to wake together. The whole nature used to celebrate their love, and the time used to stop…

Tonight, they are waking together. The nature is celebrating… the moonlight shining like silver beam on the waves of the river, the night blushing silently while putting the curtain of dark on her face… But they are not together. A never-ending rift has separated both of them. Not the gap created by the brick walls… the distance is much more longer… Jodha has lost her Chandrajeet in that rift. How she will mend that rift and find him again?

“Not Chandrajeet, Begam Sahiba. I am Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad, your emperor. Address me as Shahenshah from now on…” He had said that night. His voice full of authority, majestic aura… and pain. He was hurt. Clearly hurt by her words… And So he pushed her aside, he refused to accept her, to forgive her for hurting him!

“I gave you your space, I would expect a little privacy from you now!”

The rock of tears strangled Jodha’s heart. Why did not you understand, My Love? I don’t want space from you! The space, the rift, the gap between us is killing me! I cannot bear this distance anymore! Not anymore! If you don’t come to me, I will go to you. If you push me away, I will go to you again and again and again. I hurt you because I could not recognise you, I insulted your love for me. Moti was right, I was so mad in love with Chandrajeet that I refused to believe that there might be something more in him which is yet to be recognised. I won’t do the same mistake again. You are as vast as sky, let me be the bird who is able to fly freely on your heart… Let me absorb you completely in my heart… Let me be free in my love.

The night darkened, sleep slowly washed over the tire and exhaustion from Jodha… The lamp of the window kept on burning, along with the light from the opposite palace…

Little did Jodha know, two pair of longing eyes from that palace are gazing to the flame of lamp in her windows as well, with the same pain burning in his heart…

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“We will reach to the entrance of His Majesty’s palace after crossing this garden, Begam Sahiba.” Gulal Khan told hesitantly. “But are you sure that you want to meet him on person right in his restroom. Begam Sahiba?”

“Is there any other option Gulal?” Jodha smiled walking at the pavement of the garden.

“I don’t know, maybe we could have asked for a permission from Ruqaiya Begam?” Gulal suggested. “I know she might be rude, but at least she won’t cut off our head for this. She is compassionate enough from that point of view, and she forgives people for bigger mistakes…”

“Why? Your Shahenshah will cut our heads off if we go to meet him?” Jodha asked amusedly.

“Shahenshah is great! But his soldiers and body-guards are not.” Gulal almost cried. “Begam Sahiba, let’s go back.”

“Nothing will happen, Gulal.” Jodha assured him. “Don’t worry.”

“And why the hell our Kunwari Sa will go to your Begam Sahiba to get the permission of meeting the emperor?” Reva snapped. “She has already humiliated a lot by asking her to sing in the function of Harem. What does she think of herself?”

“I hope the emperor will do something about it when he hears this.” Leela commented. “You are going to complain him about this, right Kunwari Sa?”

“Of course not.” Jodha laughed. “He is the emperor, Leela. He is not sitting here to solve the petty problems of ladies of the Harem.”

“Well then, what will you do, My Lady?” Gulal asked.

“You expect me to share the experience of the first meeting with my husband, Gulal?” Jodha pressed her lips to hold the escaping laughter. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you going?”

The maids grinned nervously seeing the face of the questioner. Gulal started stammering. “My…My Lady… Jodha Begam wanted to see Anguri Baag so…”

“You should not lie, Gulal.” Jodha said firmly and looked at her. “Pranaam Maham-Anga, I intend to meet the Emperor.”

“You want to meet the emperor?” Maham Anga’s eyes caught surprise. “Really? Right in his restroom?”

“Yes, if he is there in the room.” Jodha said.

“Unbelievable!” Maham sighed before mocking. “My Queen, do you have any tiniest idea about the etiquettes and norms of the royal family?”

“I am born and brought up in a royal family, Maham Anga. That family was bigger in size and not occupied with hundreds of sheltered people.”

“Well then…” Maham suddenly realised what she told. “Wait, what did you say??”

“Nothing.” Jodha smiled. “I want to see the emperor. Tell be the procedure and the norms of meeting him. From where do I need to seek for an appointment? From you?”

A deadly grin appeared in Maham’s lips. “Are you insulting me, Begam Sahiba?”

“When did I insult you?” Jodha chuckled. “I was just wondering if you are the one who decides with whom the emperor should meet or not so…”

“Well My Lady!” Maham stated proudly. “You are right. I am the one who decides with whom Jalal will meet and with whom he won’t. I decide a lot of things in Jalal’s life. So behave.”

“Well, I never had an idea that the foster-mother actually has so deep influence in adult son’s life that she will decide whether his wife should meet him or not. Sounds creepy.” Jodha smiled.

“My God! You are too much over-smart, aren’t you!” Maham Anga chuckled suddenly. “And too blind to understand the difference between your motherland’s garbage and this fort. Forget whatever you did there, Jodha Begam. And forget about the dreams of meeting your husband. Go back to your chamber.”

“You are stopping me from meeting my husband?” Jodha looked straight at her eyes.

“Yes I am.” Maham Anga’s eyes sparked. “And get this inside your thick skull, Hindu Princess, you will never be able to meet Jalal in person. You have no idea about my powers here. You will die crying in your little chamber of Harem, and the sound of your cry will not reach to him. I will ensure that.”

She left with proud footsteps. Jodha stared amusedly at her.

“This woman…” Reva gritted her teeth. “What now, Princess?”

“Let’s go back.” Jodha said.

“What about meeting the emperor?” Leela wailed. “I say, let’s try once. The guards of the palace of the emperor will listen to you Kunwari Sa…”

“No they won’t. Maham Anga will ensure that…” Jodha said. “Let’s go back.”

“So you are losing hope?” Moti asked.

Jodha chuckled again. “Hope is a big word, Moti. Gulal? You know everything about the palace right?”

“Yes I do, My Lady.”Gulal said proudly. “About each and every passage and loopholes.”

“What is the alternative entrance of the emperor’s palace?” Jodha asked grimly.

“There is no such alternate entrance, My Lady… There are some secret gateways from Harem or from the safehouse of Yamuna in case of emergency, but they are too much in secret. Only Ruqaiya Begam knows about those.” Gulal stated.

“Not possible. There must have been some place… Think Gulal, think… Which is the place where the maids of Harem secretly meets with the soldiers of the emperor. Or the servants of the emperor smokes stolen weed hiding from everyone?” Jodha said. “There is no such place in this world where these things do not take place behind the back of the royals. And you know it.”

“Well…” Gulal said hesitantly. “At the end corner of the Harem there is an extended land, still under construction… If we walk straight from there we will reach to the backward of the Emperor’s palace… But…” He looked nervous. “That place is abandoned and fenced. And safeguarded with thick walls. There is no way one can penetrate in unless he climbs the wall and…”

“Great!” Jodha smiled naughtily. “Moti, Reva, Leela, you go back. And Gulal, you will show me the place.”

“What??” Gulal looked stunned.

“No… no Jodha no… I swear to God if…” Moti murmured horrifically. “This is not the playground of Amer Jodha…”

“Yeah, this is more challenging.” Jodha grinned. After a long time the light of the old mischievous and adventurous princess dimmed everything.

Moti sighed hopelessly.

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It was really a tiresome day in the court. Generally the addition of any province in the Mughal empire increases the workload; in addition, because of Adham Khan’s great deeds in Malwa a lot of things were left to be arranged. After back-to-back meetings with the officers without a single break, Jalal at last realised that he also needs a little rest to run his engine. No matter how strong he is, sleeplessness of nights after nights and working without any break is not doing any good to his health. He needs a little nap of one hour at noon or he will crash down right at the celebration in the evening. So calling it a day he directly moved towards his restroom while taking a vow that he will not think of anything else other than sleeping. The guards were standing at the main entrance lazily, they bowed down when he showed up. “I am going to rest for an hour, I don’t want anyone to interrupt me.” He ordered before going inside room.

Putting off the robe and turban, he went to the counter beside his bed to pour a little water from himself. Suddenly something stirred his sixth sense. He felt presence of a second person in the room for an instance. Gazing at the mirror he caught an instance movement of something behind his grand bed and royal cupboard.

Another assassin, straight inside his bedroom? How is this even possible!

Swiftly pulling out the sword off his waistband, he was about to call the guards, but he could not. Someone has covered his mouth from behind. A cold metallic sensation touched his throat.

He should have been scared or pissed off. But instead he was lost, mesmerized.

Because he knows the touch. He is very familiar with the touch.

And before he could utter a word, a sweet melodious voice, a very familiar, close-to-heart voice whispered in his ears… “Don’t move, Valiant Warrior! You are under my mercy now. I challenge you for a duel combat!”

“Great! A challenge for duel after sneaking right into bedroom!” Jalal loosed the grip with an instant tactics, and stroke his sword. Two swords clang with each-other in crisscross, and two sparkling eyes pierce in Jalal’s eyes. The warrior is dressed in white, with a white turban covering the head and the face. Only the eyes are visible, those eyes… who had captured Jalal’s heart at the first sight.

“Clad in the warrior suit, armed with the sword, who are you in the disguise of woman, Veerangana, came here to take away my peace?” Smilingly, Jalal took off the cover from the face of the warrior.

The glow of the room suddenly amplified as the fierce beauty showed her face. Shining like sunshine, the valiant woman stroke her sword again, whispering… “I want to know you, My Valiant Warrior!”

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Stuti di 🤗

What a nail bitting update

This Ruk😈 Maham 😡 but the gem of update Jo 😎 star of update Moti 👍🏼 and enjoyable character of update Gulal 😆

Those two vamp started being headache now

one dare to humiliate Jo

by asking her to sing 😡

So another dare to stop her from meeting Ja 😡

But but just like I said previously if I get to see strong Jo😎 I will like Ruk scene but here you make me intrigued by Jo Maham scene 🤣

What a sarcastic counter strike both of them faced by my Jo 👏

Love it from start to end 👌👌👌👌👌

Ruk way if talking about Jo with Hoshiyar 😆she thought her new plaything then a competitor must say her own fear is being awoken😆 not taken shape yet but it's going to 😉

I sensed a bit more when she get curious to know why ja is so interested in jo comfort but I was laughing throughout the scene of Ruk telling about Jo to Ja 😆

It remind me about my fifth class Monitor😆 who will always find way to trouble me and complain to class teacher 🤣

But cherry on cake was how within few words Ja gets to scare Maham 🥳

And then she got Insulted by Jo even though it took her minutes to realise 🤣

Nevertheless the well penned emotions and life of Harem Deweller's how their hopes dream were cursed and they adjusted accordingly to so called law and protocol

However I was looking forward to Jo Ja meeting but you end the scene with Ja trying to figure out the warrior identity he already realised it's women in disguise of warrior 😎I mean it's women warrior😆

My Valiant Warrior!” Oh yes only yours

Stuti di I found the update short 😒 please update next soon 😳 take care 🤗

Thanks for updating today 🤗🤗

Oh and Me first

Awesome chappy Di

Want them together

Clear their differences

Update soon Di

Thanks for Pm Di

That is not done you made us clif hanging for joja meeting first time in Agra. I really love this Jodha who know how to give reply when they insult her instead of listening their banter.

Fabulous episode. Waiting for the next update.

Amazing update.loved each and every part.. your writing is so intriguing that every update seems small..I love this valiant jodha.keep updating. you are an amazing writer.

Thanks for the update🤗..the concept of the story is soo good..the characters r so developed

great to see Jodha know what she wants (jalal) and what she deserves 😎

also Jalal have told rukaiya that he won't tolerate any disrespect towards Jodha in his own way.

I really liked the way Jodha talked to maham😈..she talked like a empress which she definitely is

I really hope Jodha shut everyone mouth with her own way and then afterwards jalal take her with him ☺️❤️and leave everyone behind especially ruks jealous🤣

Jodha should later take steps for betterment of other begums i really feel bad for them😭

Overall nice update...i really hate that cliffhanger i haaateeee it🤢...and i think u should update fast because u stopped at the wrong time😡💔

Not done...😭

Firstly no face to face scene...

Secondly short update (but beautiful one😊)....

Please clear the ice between jo ja in next chappy and some good moments between them...

Update soon...👍🏼

🤗

You ended the chapter at that juncture that to wait till the next chapter is going to be so difficult, but no worries, we all will eat your head till you update it soon😆

I wonder how an intelligent and smart guy like jalal managed to have so many useless people around him, including hukka, maham and chamchi begums.

But no worries now since a priceless diamond like jo is in his life now.

I am really excited how jo will manage to outsmart pea brained hukka and gang at the function. And also hope jo dosent have to waste anymore of her precious time with these useless gang (including badi tummy, i mean badi ammi😆