Thread 3: Destined Love... (Chapter 61 updated) - Page 17

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Chapter 48

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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!

Jalal’s mesmerized eyes drowned in her fiery eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. But the grip of his sword did not loosen as he defended the next stroke again. “Indeed a great move, O’ Valiant Woman; it seems you are more comfortable in pulling swords than trying to talk out peacefully.” 

“Of course…” The sword clanged ferociously against Jalal, so hard that he had to jump backward in order to defend it. The sword kept on striking as the valiant woman spoke… “Because words can slip, but swords do not. A warrior’s sword can never lie. It is as true as the silvery moonlight in the desert land… It did not lie that night at the bank of the lake, and it will not lie today as well.”  

“Speaking of that, I had passed my test as a warrior with flying colours that night…” Jalal stoke his sword this time, the white-clad warrior almost lost her balance out of the force, and tactfully twirled round an axis to regain the balance.  “You had known my true identity, My Lady, that I am a warrior… My sword gave my identity to you… If you know that swords can never lie,” He span once, twisted his whole body to resist another move from her sword. “Then what is the need of testing me twice?” 

“Because this even this sword is not enough to define you, My Warrior… Perhaps you have hidden your complete identity from me…” She jumped forward, her sword tactfully touching his throat again. Jalal tried moving, but the force of her strokes blocked his way, cornered him against the wall as the blade of the sword almost touching his lips. “You are not only a warrior; even you are not only an emperor… you are much more than that! Show me your true self!”  

“If there is one place where I feel safe opening up my true self, then that is opposite of this blade, My Lady…” Jalal whispered, his lips swirled in a smirk while his eyes reflected a desperate tale of agony... “But I am not sure if that is a right place anymore!” 

“Maybe because you underestimate the capacity of the warrior opposite of your sword…” The owner of the sword came closer, her eyes fixed in his gaze, the urge of passion and longing clearly written there…  

“Or maybe sword is not always a solution. Perhaps love is even more complicated…” Jalal murmured. His left arm slowly curled around her waist, his lips came closer. “The anguish of the lover is often unheard in the clanging of sword!” 

“Or maybe the pain of the lover echoes in the heart of his beloved, the anguish of two hearts mix together in rhythm, just like the chiming of these blades… Only it takes the right moment to hear and feel…” Her eyes drowned in the aura of his glare. 

“If I say you have hidden your identity too?” Jalal suddenly twisted her waist and clutched her from back, his sword touching her throat, his lips brushed through her hairs like a feather. 

“That I won’t deny… Maybe sometimes identities are not about showing… it is about finding out!” She uttered slightly leaning against his touch, her hand trying to find the position of striking back again. “I want to know you; you don’t want to know me, Warrior?” 

“The woman I had known… the woman I loved…” A shadow of despair played on Jalal’s eyes… “Has been declared as dead to me… This is the refusal I cannot accept. This is the unbearable truth I am compelled to bear! The burden of truth is too heavy, it blocks the wish of knowing anything else.” 

“What makes your pain worse, warrior?” Applying force on her left arm, she somehow managed to break his clutch and jumped back, her sword striking ferociously again. “The distance, or the refusal?” 

Jalal stroke with his full force, being unable to resist that with the sword, she was pressed against the wall… Jalal’s sword shined in front of her eyes, and his eyes glowed like diamond in sunlight… “I have learnt to love from the moments of longing My Lady, distance does not give me pain… But when the refusal strikes hard, enabling the forced distance, that hurts like hell… Longing is the game of destiny, My Lady… Refusal is a choice!” 

“You can win the world with your sword, Valiant Warrior… Who can ever dare to refuse you!” She uttered, her eyes drowning in the intoxication of his eyes. 

“She, whom I loved with everything I had!” He murmured, his eyes filled in despair… 

“How can someone refuse you, when you have won her already, My Lord!” She whispered, her eyes wet in the tear of passion… “She had submitted herself on your feet the moment you conquered her heart with the clang of your sword… How can someone refuse you who is already defeated?” 

He smiled sadly, the blade of his sword softly brushed through her lip with passion and love, and he spontaneously pulled her closer… his eyes kissing gently the tears of her eyes, he slowly uttered in trembling voice- “Then tell me, everything I saw in her eyes that night, all the hatred, all the wound, all the pang of refusal… everything was lie, everything was nothing but the mistake of my eyes!” 

“You are the owner of the world; why do you care about what a random girl’s eyes said to you once!” She muttered desperately. “Can’t you forgive the ignorance of the naïve village girl, who was so drowned in her own fantasy that she dared to suspect and judge you before trying to know you?” 

“Because My Lady,” Jalal whispered… “That naïve village girl is someone I had kept mortgage of my heart and my soul to. Where would I go if my Purnima Bai denies my love, accusing me of playing her all along? Purnima is my world, My Lady… Her refusal scattered my world!” 

She giggled suddenly. Shinning brighter that the blade of the sword, she raised her sword again, crossing that against his sword. “You are like the sky, My Lord… how can a naïve village girl can be your world? Purnima Bai is just a fantasy of another naïve boy named Chandrajeet Rathore.” 

“Really?” He stared at her eyes… 

“Just like Chandrajeet was just a fantasy of Purnima.”

“You are advising me to forget my love, Valiant lady?” Jalal uttered in an amused tone. 

“Because it was not you who loved her. Your Chandrajeet did! Don’t snatch Purnima from her Chandrajeet by claiming her love for you, My Lord… That will not end the pain of longing… And also,” She smirked. “It is easy to win Purnima, Warrior… But it is not so easy to get victory over Princess Jodha Bai!”

Jalal looked intensely at her eyes, his passionate tone getting huskier. “You are challenging me again, My Lady?”

“I love challenges, My Warrior… Especially those where your defeat ensures your victory!” She whispered. 

“Okay! Then, ready to be defeated, Princess…” His husky tone swept over her sensation… With another mischievous smirk Jalal uttered… “Because I have never learnt to lose!”

 She laughed while pressing the sword with all her passion. He stroke, she stroke back. The clanging of the swords of two skilful warriors created an euphony in the lazy air… Jalal pulled a cushion to use as a shield, her stroke torn it down and the feathers started showering like flowers on their head…  Jalal stroke targeting her turban, it fell down opening her cloudy hairs; she took a spin to resist an attack, her beautiful hair whipped on his face like the beloved’s shy touch… He pulled her towards him, she resisted back with the sword, their breathes played with each-other, their eyes smiled with glow… Both of the warriors had forgotten where they are. They had been teleported to a world far from the real one… as if they were back at that calm night, at the bank of that lake in the small desert land… fighting with each-other with full passion, to find the identity of the rivals… How the rivals ended up conquering each-others heart, both of them had no idea… They kept on playing with each other… sneaking for the very moment when both of the hearts ignites the fire of passion again, and they lose each-other in the land of love…

“It does not look like you have any chance of winning today, Princess Jodha Bai…” He smiled. “What will be my reward of winning then?” 

“Don’t be so confident…” She gasped. “The table can be turned in any moment…” 

“Really?” Jalal raised the sword to strike a lethal one, she prepared herself to access and resist the attack, but something unexpected happened. 

“Shahenshah!! Is everything alright!!” 

The voice of the guards all of a sudden broke the concentration of Jalal as he looked at the door annoyed. A moment is enough to lose a battle. He was almost unaware of the next stroke coming, and the fierce hit of the rival’s sword startled him so much that he could not hold the grip anymore. The valiant woman tactfully caught the sword with her left hand, her own sword slightly touching his throat with the glory of victory. “What happened, Warrior? Surrendered your weapon to this poor girl in the disguise of warrior?” She chuckled as her eyes glowed. 

The guards outside of the room had almost ran inside, the cautious swords of hand ready to break in a fight any moment. “Pardon Shahenshah, we were ordered not to disturb you but hearing the sound here we…” They stopped at once noticing the presence of another woman in warrior’s suit in the room of the emperor. The emperor looked annoyed, disgusted and almost angry when he turned at them blocking the view of that woman completely. 

“I explicitly ordered you not to disturb me until I ask for.” He uttered in a cold tone. 

“Pardon… pardon Majesty…” Both of the guards were trembling. “We just thought maybe some intruder have come in and we also heard some sound of swords so…” 

“It did not come to your mind that I would have called for you people if something like that happened?” Jalal shouted in disgust. 

“Forgive us, Jahanpanah! Forgive us!!” The guards started almost crying. 

“Go now! You are forgiven this time.” Jalal dismissed the guards and sat on the couch slightly exhausted and full in fury. “A bunch of idiots! They had to come just in the moment I was about to win this!” 

The princess standing beside, his sword proudly dangling in her hand, started giggling suddenly. 

“Don’t laugh so much!” He glared. “You won this because of your damn good luck and my idiot guards!” 

“Poor guards got scolded for no reason but to protect their emperor.” She was still giggling. “I really did not imagine that you are so childish that you shout on your guards to lessen the trauma of losing a swordfight!” 

“I don’t!” Jalal sighed hopelessly. “That’s not the point!” 

“What the point is then?” Jodha chuckled again. “Getting defeated by me? Or losing the challenge?” 

Jalal looked at her eyes, then smirked. “My Lady, there is still a plenty of time to win my challenge… You will see…” 

“I will be honoured to lose My Lord! But for this battle, you are defeated.” She laughed while handing him the sword. 

“I would not if there had not been this distraction.” Jalal said. 

“I disagree. In a war you usually get more distraction than this.”

“Yes, but there I have to keep my eyes open in every direction. Here I was too much concentrated on my rival.” He smirked. “This is cheating, My Princess, to hypnotise your rival with the magic of your eyes…” 

She smiled bright while red blush flashed in her cheek. She readily changed the topic. “May I suggest you something? You must rethink about your security again. Someone broke into your room and attacked you, fought with you, and all your securities did was to peep in after a really long time. It’s a different thing that they had to get scolded for that too.”

“Yeah, right… It’s not that everyday everyone will sneak into my room from the rear part of the palace by climbing the wall only to challenge me with her sword with the intention to ‘know’ me and…” he looked around his room. “…vandalize my only bedroom in this process. Usually people try to break into my room to kill me. You know, if I exclude your special talent of killing a man with your eyes…” 

“I must say your tongue has more killing spree than your sword.” She giggled. 

“You are knowing that today?” Jalal’s voice suddenly sounded gloom, which dropped a curtain of seriousness in the air all of a sudden. She looked him into the eyes, her eyes glittered for no reason and her lips trembled, unable to utter anything. 

Both of them stood silent for a moment, searching for words… 

The bell of the palace rang to announce the time in the afternoon, eventually helping Jalal to catch the word first. “Allow me to say something…” He uttered, his eyes filled in pain of love… the same eyes Jodha used to see every night in her dreams in her lonely room of Amer fort. 

“Well…” She tried to smile, suddenly unable to bear the pressure of emotion of the moment. “Maybe later…”  

“Believe me, if I don’t get the chance today, we will lose it forever…” Jalal said. “I am sorry, Princess Jodha!” 

“Why you would be…” She said in hurry. “It is me who should be apologizing… for distrusting you, for misbehaving and hurting you without understanding… you know…” She sniffled… “Like I said… the naïve village girl Purnima had been so drowned in her dream world that she shut her eyes, without even looking at the truth…” 

“Then I must apologize for not realising the pain of that naïve village girl…” Jalal smiled. “Don’t worry Begam Sahiba. I assure you that the naïve village girl is not that naïve like you think… Give her time, she will find the source of dream in her reality… and she will find her Chandrajeet.” 

“Really… and what Chandrajeet will do?” Jodha asked in an emotional tone. 

“He will wait in a corner… Amusedly watching how her Purnima grows from a blossom to flower, how she fights with all odds, climbs all the walls of distance… just to reach him!” Jalal paused for a while, then looked at Jodha. “Thank you!” 

“What for!” 

“For making me realise such an easy thing I was struggling to feel! I was distancing myself from everything as I was unable to see the line between my reality and my dreams… you cleared everything with that one stroke with your sword.” He uttered in an emotional tone. “No matter what disguise you clad in which reality, you will still be the mysterious valiant woman with the sword whom I met at the bank of the lake; and I will be the warrior, playing the euphony in sword to show my identity… to win you in every stroke!” 

Jodha lowered her eyes, the fiery warrior slowly turning into a shy teenager girl… Then she looked up, smiling at her emperor. 

“So tell me…”  Jalal relaxed himself on the couch. “How much are you successful in your mission today? Did you get to ‘know’ me?”

“Never mind.” Jodha cast a sassy look. “I have lifetime to know you, My Warrior! It is your trial to make that journey of knowing worthy!”

“Well then…” Jalal chuckled. “I might have to get ready for the courtroom now. There is a ceremony which I must attend… So no matter how much I wish to have another fight with you to conquer you back, I have to go!”

“Of course, Shahenshah! Extremely sorry for spoiling your nap.” Jodha smirked. 

Jalal was about to get up, then he smiled awkwardly looking at Jodha. “You are not going to free me that easy, are you?”

“Let’s admit it, My Lord…” Jodha came closer, her bold eyes reflecting mischief… “You have lost the duel today. You owe me. And you cannot leave the place without paying… against the rule of warriors.”  

“What do you want my lady?” Jalal stood up keeping hands on his waist, his eyes smirking back. “Another fight to make a draw?” 

“Nah!” Jodha twisted her lips. 

“Then… want to keep me hostage and charge ransom on my heart?” 

“Do I really need to win a duel to do that?” 

“Yeah true… then maybe you want my life at stalk?” 

“Holy hell! How could I ask that… you are the emperor after all!” She smiled. “I want a very small thing that the emperor can give me in eyeblink.” 

“Sounds terrifying enough. What is that?” Jalal frowned amusedly. 

“Just…” Jodha’s jawline tightened. “I want to sit beside you on the throne in the function of evening.”

Jalal’s smile changed into a confused glare as he looked startled. “You want to sit beside me on the Mughal throne?” 

“I think the throne is big enough.” Jodha smiled. 

Jalal chuckled confusedly. “Jodha Begam, no Begam has ever sat right beside the emperor on open courtroom in front of the other officers before. Not even my chief consort…” 

“I am aware. It is worth a try…” Jodha’s smile was intact. 

“It is the throne of Mughal, Princess Jodha. Only the deserving one gets to sit on it. You cannot claim to have a sit on it unless you are worthy!” Jalal frowned. 

“Let’s leave the decision of worth on the hand of destiny, Majesty… I am talking about rights.” Jodha was still smiling. “I owe you in this duel. Fulfil my demand and free yourself.” 

“Really…” Jalal raised a brow and smiled dryly. “You have only been here for less than a week and you are already claiming the right of Mughal throne?”

“Who wants the right of throne, My Lord!” Jodha laughed brightly. “I am demanding the right of being your wife.” Her eyes shined. “Majesty, as your wedded wife cannot I claim to sit by your side, to stay by your side at anywhere, anytime, at any condition?”

Jalal’s serious face was slowly getting straightened while his eyes was full of admiration. “Princess of Amer!” He laughed out suddenly. “The folklores are so true about you! And how wrong I was to think that I already know you completely!” 

“So, why don’t we ride the journey of knowing each-other together, side-by-side, My Lord?” Jodha’s eyes danced. 

Jalal smiled and nodded. “As you wish, my queen!”

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Wonders happen in the court of Agra every day. Wonders keep on happening in Mughal Empire since Jalaluddin Mohammad has become the real emperor with powers in hand. 

But this evening, the royal people of Agra witnessed something they never thought they would. 

The ceremony of felicitating the army started with a huge enthusiasm like always. Though the underlying current of tension was prominent in the air with the absence of Adham Khan, the disapproval in the face of his followers and the unwanted presence of king Bharmal, Prince Bhagwant Das and Prince Maan Singh in the court, everything seemed all perfect. Before the emperor came into the hall. 

The whole courtroom chanted of the Emperor’s glory when he stepped on the pedestal and took a sit on the grand throne. The court-musicians played glorious music, the maids showered petals and rosewater to welcome his majesty. With his usual majestic smile in his lips, the emperor looked at the audience who are eagerly waiting to hear him. 

“In this auspicious moment, I would want to convey my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who is closely associated with the administration of Mughal Empire as they are the sole reason of all the prosperities of the empire.” He started. “I would never be enough grateful to those soldiers of the empire who fights with life on stake every day to make their empire the largest and the greatest of the whole universe. I am proud to say that the Mughal army is the mightiest when they fight together for their emperor, and I believe from my heart that one day they will conquer the whole world in the name of Mughal dynasty… Today in this courtroom I want to celebrate the success of my army and the bravery of my soldiers.” 

The whole hall cheered. The emperor looked up for a moment, then signed something to the eunuch standing at the side of the wall… He stood up to speak again. 

“Also in this event I would like to celebrate our most recent victories which are very pivotal for the future of my empire. The first one being the victory over state Malwa, a kingdom which the Mughal Empire was desiring for a long time. And the second one is the most important. The Mughal dynasty has got the most powerful clan of this Hindustan as her ally. The Rajputs of Amer has been bonded with the Mughals with the bond of relationship…” 

Some of the officers face looked uncomfortable while most of them looked neutral. But the next sentence from the emperor startled everyone present. 

“Before welcoming my very dear friends and relatives King Bharmal, Prince Bhagwant Das and Prince Maan Singh in this felicitation, I would hereby like to introduce someone very important to the whole empire. She is the reason the Mughals and Rajputs are together in a bond, she is the reason of strengthening the base of both the clans together for the prosperity in future. I am very honoured to announce that today my new queen, the princess of Amer Jodha Bai will be glorifying the court with her presence among us. She will be felicitating the army herself.” 

The courtroom took a long moment to digest the fact before the mechanical chanting started. A transparent curtain was dropped in front of the half of the emperor’s throne and the Rajput woman took her seat there in firm steps. This is probably the first time a queen is sitting right beside the emperor of Mughals on the royal throne. Some of the people stared in awe, some of them had clear displeasure in their eyes, and the representatives of Amer teared up proudly. 

The program started with an announcement. The Princess of Amer handled everything beside the emperor with natural royal elegance. The emperor then announced Amer as a free province under Mughal supervision and declared a mansab of 5000 cavalry. Maan Singh was requested to stay back and get trained in the army with the offers of prospects as commander in Mughal force. The impossible became possible and the emperor of Mughals Jalaluddin Mohammad created History by binding the mighty and brave Rajputs with the Mughals forever… 

Jodha stole a moment to gaze at the face of her husband from under the curtain. The man is gorgeous. The royal robe with golden-embroidery and the turban carved with priceless gems look dull in front of the glow reflecting from the majestic personality of the emperor. The way he looks, the way he talks, the way he nods head in affirmation, everything has the power of hypnotizing. Something stung inside Jodha’s heart as she remembered the playful face of very common Chandrajeet Rathore in that hut. Where is that glimpse of Chandrajeet in this blazing proud face of the Mughal Emperor? Or maybe they are similar, in deep down… she needs to drown in the depth of him, to find him, to know him… And she will do it! At the same time she felt completed from inside. She has got the man with the glory of an emperor and the heart of a lover… what more could she wish for? 

“What are you thinking Begam Sahiba?” Jodha’s thought was suddenly interrupted by the whisper from her side. Two shining eyes were looking into her eyes as well, probably after stealing moment from this tiresome event like her… 

“Am I now free from the condition of yours?” He muttered again closer to her ears. 

“It is not so easy to get rid of me, My Lord…” She whispered. 

“I don’t even dare to think of that… By the way, how do you feel sitting in this throne?” He asked. “Is it a thrilling experience?” 

“Not more than sitting beside my husband. I had been dreaming of my marriage and my husband since I was four years old.” She smiled playfully.  

“Really? I never even guessed that!” 

“Well, you hardly know me.” She giggled softly. 

“Yeah yeah…” Jalal muttered. “By the way, enjoy sitting on the throne for another hour. Because it is not so fun when you have to sit here every day and carry the burden. You know what, people can kill and get killed for this throne, but never knows what price he is paying just for sitting here!”

“I know…” she smiled sympathetically. “But don’t worry… now I am here to sit by your side… I will take half of your burden automatically.”

Jalal gazed at her eyes dreamily for a longer moment, then sighed with a smile. “No one ever said that to me!” He uttered. 

Jodha stared at him face, her eyes suddenly filled in a different emotion. She started feeling tender affection for the grown-up man. 

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Jalal expected a jovial atmosphere in Harem while he was taking an entrance. He was a little surprised when he did not find any. Of course the decoration was grand, the welcome was warm, there was not even a little hole in the perfectly organised celebration; but a suppressed tension was swirling in the air, everyone working mechanically and wearing fake smile in their face. Even when Ruqaiya Begam came to welcome him, he clearly witnessed the fury disguised under the veil of courteous smile. 

“We are honoured to have you in our celebration, Your Majesty. I am glad that you came.” She uttered in a cold tone while walking down the hallway. 

“Your voice is not sounding enough glad.” Jalal murmured. 

Ruqaiya smiled bitterly. “Does not matter, Majesty.” 

“Come on Ruqaiya, talk to me. You know I don’t appreciate the habit of silent treatment.” 

“Nothing Majesty…” Ruqaiya looked at him. “We all were just a bit surprised seeing the Rajput Princess by your side in the throne. I understand the deal with Rajputs were important, you might want to treat the girl with . But letting the princess sit on the throne was…” 

“I do understand who deserves to sit where, Ruqaiya. I don’t give people importance without any reason.” Jalal told in a serious tone. 

“Letting her sit beside you was a political decision?” Ruqaiya asked half-heartedly. 

“No. It is a gesture of the emperor to a respectable, deserving lady who has become an important person of this empire.” Jalal said. “I guess there is nothing more to talk about this. And I am not answerable to anyone for letting my wedded wife to sit beside me.” 

Ruqaiya nodded grimly. “Of course, Majesty. Who am I to question your decision. I just…” she sighed. “Pardon me, My Lord… It is not that I am sceptic about it… if you think she is deserving to sit there maybe she is the most eligible one… but she has only come here for less than a week and she is sitting right beside you, this just… just seemed a little odd in eyes… ”

“Yes, she is newer than everybody else, Ruqaiya…” Jalal looked into her eyes. “But she wanted to be by my side. Something which none had offered me before… no matter how much older they are, no matter if they were supposed to be by my side for last ten years, none has ever wanted that from me.” His voice toned down in a husky gloom. “I have not let her to sit somewhere she deserved, Ruqaiya… That seat beside me belonged to her, and she proved that to me.” 

Ruqaiya stared at the emperor’s eyes for a long moment, then sighed gloomily. After coming to the grand hall she offered his seat. The other queens welcomed him heartily, the beautiful concubines poured drinks, the musicians started playing. Ruqaiya called Hosiyaar Khan closer. “Hosiyaar, Call Gouhaar Bai to sing tonight. Immediately.” 

“What about the Hindu Begam, My Lady? Are not you supposed to show her the place where she belongs and what she deserves tonight?” Hosiyaar whispered with surprise. 

“You don’t understand Hosiyaar!” Ruqaiya murmured. Her face was becoming scarlet in embarrassment, her eyes blurred in unshed tears. “She has already proved where she belongs and what she deserves. If I try to pull her down from her place, I will pull myself down. I can’t do that! If the Hindu Begam sings today, none would be more ashamed and humiliated than me!”

Hosiyaar’s eyes were sharpened in confusion, though he excused himself from asking something more and left the place. Ruqaiya sat awkwardly at the Emperor’s side. The chandelier was suddenly dimmed, and the various small lamps of the walls started glowing. The stage in front of the seat of the emperor was curtained, a red ray of light illuminating that. A very slow tune of Veena started ringing in air. The whole atmosphere suddenly became enchanting, like a piece of fairy-tale in midst of the imperial Harem. 

“Begam Sahiba…” Hosiyaar uttered from the back of Ruqaiya suddenly. “I have called Gouhaar Bai for performance. But she cannot. Jodha Begam has already arranged the stage and got ready for the performance… I ordered Gulal Khan to request her to back off, but she politely rejected that offer!” 

Ruqaiya covered her face with both her palms.

And suddenly, an enthralling voice put an extra charm to the already magical area, leaving everyone spellbound. Jalal’s heartbeat stopped for a moment as he looked straight at the source of the voice… The curtain of the stage has dropped, and in the midst of the pedestal, there is the woman with a veena in her hand; her open hairs lays freely through her waist under the curtain of the veil, she is wearing a plain set of red and white Lahenga, a very little ornament carving on her beautiful features. Only the pinch of vermilion, the exquisite Maang-teeka and the beautiful nose-ring is shining brightly in the reddish and yellow glow of the room… Her eyes are closed, as if she is drowned in meditation to the deity of music. Jalal gazed and gazed… and eventually the whole surrounding became a hall of illustration to him. Only he was real, she was real, and real was the beautiful song, which is floating in the air as the only bridge of reality and dream… 

Rowaat rowaat kal nahi aaye,

Nishidin mohe biraha sataye,

Yaad aaye aab unki batiyaa…

Aaye na balam…

She opened her eyes, she looked at him. There was tears in her eyes… The tears of pain, tears of longing , tears of love… all the pain of yearning of all these months, all the stored tears of the heart is melting out through the euphony of the song, and she is floating in that euphony, in search of her love, with the hope of him hearing her urge in this flow of melody… to acknowledge her pain of longing through the lyrics…

Tarapta beeti mori unn bin ratiyaa… aaye na balam…

Kya karu sajani, aaye na balam… 

And he kept on gazing and gazing, his heart overwhelmed in emotion, his eyes eventually could not hold a single drop of tear. He could clearly see the picture of that night in front of his eyes. Both of they had known it was the last night. It was the last time they were sitting together, and there was no way they will be meeting again. In spite of this they promised to wait for each other that night… , “No matter how much I try, but the truth is I will always wait for you, I will always yearn for you… I know that this will be in vain, I know you will never come, I know maybe it is not ethical in society, might be a great sin… but still I… I will never forget you, Chandra! Never!” She had told… The moonlight was showering blessings and both their lips had mingled with each other with the promise of waiting for each other throughout the life… Nights after nights he had been alone in his grand restroom, staring at the moon, reminiscing that last moment together… days have passed, nights have passed, but the moments of yearning did not end… Each and every moments of that loneliness, each and every tear of that distance are the witness of their love… and today her song is reminiscing those moments of love only…

Bhor bhai aur sanjh dhali re, samay ne li angdayi

Yeh jag sara neend se hara, mohe neend na aayi

Main ghabraoon, dar dar jaaoon

Aayein woh na aayein, aayein woh na aayein

Radha bulaaye kahan khoye ho Kanhaiya

Aaye na balam

Ka karu sajani aaye na balam… 

The whole hall is full of people. But she was not singing for them. She was not singing for herself as well. She was singing for him, just for him… To let him know how much she has missed him, how much she has longed to see this moment to be true… each and every word of her song, each and every tune of her melody is dedicated to their love… the evening belongs to them… only to them… 

Hai matwari preet hamari chhupe na chhupaye

Chhupe na chhupaaye

Sawan ho tum main hoon tori badariya

Aaye na balam

Ka karu sajni aaye na balam… 

The song ended, the beautiful melody of Veena quietly mixed in the air. The lights and the chandelier are ignited again. But no one uttered a word. Everyone sitting in the hall was spellbound. 

Jodha stood up, head bent, hands folded. Without a word, Jalal walked towards her. She looked up in his eyes, he gazed at her eyes… She would clearly see the unshed drop of tears stored in his eyes. He could clearly read the words in her glassy eyes… 

If only it could be the broken hut instead of this grand palace! 

“I am honoured to get you as my audience this evening, Your Majesty…” Jodha said in a modest tone, trying to keep the emotions of her voice checked. 

“Jodha Begam…” Jalal uttered in his mesmerized tone, his eyes still wet in emotions. “May I tell you now, that you have won me completely?”

“I just wanted to offer you some sooth, Majesty…” Jodha smiled. “I am glad that I could made you happy!” 

“Happy is an understatement!” Jalal’s voice broke a little. “For me you just opened a window which I thought would be forever in my whole life!”

An awkward pause for a moment. Both of them tried to check their emotions. Jodha spoke up after a moment. “What is my reward then, Your Majesty?” 

“Anything you want.” Jalal smiled. 

Jodha took a long breath. Staring at his eyes she uttered- “I want to be that window of your life forever.” 

Another moment of silence while they kept on gazing at each other. “This is not your reward, My Lady. This is another gift you are offering to me!” Jalal said after a moment. “Come on, Jodha Begam… Ask anything from me for you.” 

“Whatever I asked, I asked it for me only.” Jodha replied. 

“Well…Then would you mind if I ask something from you?” Jalal smiled. “I would love to hear your beautiful voice again and again and again…” 

“I will be honoured, Your Majesty… But I am not a trained singer, I can only sing this much. You won’t like it for long term.” Jodha said. 

“Not when you will sing for me.” Jalal said with a mesmerized smile. 

“I would love to, Majesty… But I sing for my God… The faith on my deity gives me the faith in melody. If I cannot sing for my God I might not be able to sing for anyone!” Jodha said quietly.

“Well then, never mind…” Jalal chuckled. “When you will sing for your God in the early morning, Make sure the tune comes to my room and awakes me… I would feel I am in paradise.” 

Jodha sighed a little. “Maybe it is not possible. I am not allowed to sing for my deity in the early morning since it is kind of disturbing the residents live here…” 

Jalal frowned a bit. He glanced at all the queens standing there. “Jodha Begam, you can practice all the customs of your religion. I gave you the right, you need not to listen to any others…”

“You don’t understand Majesty…” Jodha said in hurry. “I don’t want to practice the rituals of my religion forcefully by disturbing anyone or violating others religious belief. It is the most sinful act to do. You have given me a lot My Lord, I won’t ask for any other favour.” 

“I did not given any favour. You have acquired your right.” Jalal said firmly. “If the others are having problems because of your singing here, I will make some other arrangement.” He looked at Ruqaiya Begam. “Begam-E-Khas, I believe the rear corner of this palace is still not occupied?” 

“No Majesty…” Ruqaiya said grimly. “That part is under planning. The architect wants to build a grand auditorium there with…” 

“Call the architect tomorrow and change the plan.” Jalal said professionally. “A small temple will be built there instead of the auditorium. Jodha Begam will practice her rituals there without any interruption. That part is aloof from the common place of Harem, so no one will feel disturbed I suppose.” 

The hall went into dead silence again as all the women stared unbelievably. Jalal looked back to Jodha. “I have limitation of space here hence I cannot build a separate palace for you Jodha Begam. But I can always provide you the little privacy to live your life like you want. Please adjust for some days till the temple is ready.” 

“I am grateful, Majesty!” Jodha exclaimed. 

“Don’t be. I am doing this for myself.” Jalal chuckled. “So that the first thing I hear after praying to my God at the first hour of morning, is the purest melody of the world coming from the devotion of the deepest of heart.” 

Jodha blinked the drop of tear away. “Thank you so much, My Lord! Thank you so much!” 

Jalal turned around facing others. “Thank you everyone for gifting this beautiful evening to me. Thank you Ruqaiya Begam for arranging such a function to celebrate my homecoming. Coming back to my home could not be more thrilling that this. Now excuse me for the night as I am very tired. I hope to meet all of you individually very soon.” 

As he left the hall, everyone else also started moving. Jodha picked up her Veena and moved directly to her room completely ignoring the glares from the other women. Others kept on staring. Even expressionless Hosiyaar Khan looked quite upset with everything. 

“How could it happen!” Gulrakh Begam almost wailed at the ear of Ruqaiya Begam. “Could you see Begam Sahiba, she just double-crossed you! She just… just seduced the emperor in front of everybody and he…” She shook her head crazily. “Do something, Ruqaiya Begam! Do something! Else this girl will take your place very soon and…”

“Shut up Gulrakh!”Ruqaiya Begam exhaled in a cold tone. “Shut up and don’t dare to repeat these thoughts again. Go to your room.” 

“You are…” Gulrakh Begam was startled. “You are not upset?” 

Ruqaiya Begam looked at her. Her face was red in humiliation. “Since when did you get the audacity of ignoring my orders Gulrakh? When I say go to your room, you go to your room.” 

Gulrakh Begam lowered her head and left the place without turning back. Others also followed her path. 

“Hosiyaar!” Ruqaiya Begam ordered. “Put off all the lights of the halls. And make me a drink!” 

“Pardon, My Lady…” Hosiyaar Khan uttered timidly. “The Emperor has headed to your palace. He is waiting for you!” 

“He does not wait for me, Hosiyaar!” Ruqaiya Begam’s voice mingled in the air. “He never did!” 

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Jalal was lying alone on the grand bed of Ruqaiya Begam, starling at the flame of the only lamp beside the bed. The beautiful melody was still ringing in his ears, his heart still floating in the tide of euphony. A lot of things happened today. Everything changed in a single day. As if the goddess of destiny is churning his deepest emotions over and over. He closed his eyes, and her eyes flashed in front. Those fiery eyes of a warrior, those bold eyes of a queen and those tearful eyes of a yearning beloved… all of them mixed together in his thought, and a slight smile slowly reflected in his face. Purnima Bai, you cannot hide behind the veil of Jodha. Jalaluddin Mohammad will win over Jodha Bai eventually to win you back for Chandrajeet. But at this moment, he just wanted to drown into her thoughts, reminiscing every moment that changed his living hell into paradise in an eye-blink… 

A little crack at door made him aware of the reality as he got up. Ruqaiya Begam had entered inside quietly. “Sorry for disturbing you at your sleep, Majesty. I did not mean to wake you up.” She said in a nonchalant voice.

“Ruqaiya. You are late.” Jalal said. “Where had you been?”

“Something was there to take care of. I did not expect you in my room tonight.” Ruqaiya said while sitting at the edge of the bed. 

“I thought you invited me to sleep with you tonight.” Jalal told. 

Ruqaiya smiled with an effort. “Sure I did. But it is always your choice to select where you will spend your night. You could have gone to the new Begam’s room tonight.” 

Jalal stared at Ruqaiya for a moment, then he spoke again in a colder tone. “Sure I could. But I promised you to stay here. I can keep my commitments Ruqaiya, and I believe a real Mughal should do that.” 

Ruqaiya looked at him. “Pardon Majesty, by any chance is your words are pointing towards me?” 

“No. You are perfectly fine keeping your commitments. But maybe nowadays you have become a little slow to honour the words of your husband.” Jalal snapped. “What was that drama in that function Ruqaiya? You made my wedded queen to sing publicly on a courtesan’s place? I did not react there for her respect, but that does not mean that I could not see what was going on there.” He came a little closer and annoyance was clear in her voice. “I told you especially to take care of her comfort. And what you did? You did not think twice before pulling her down in a seat of a courtesan to ridicule her in front of everyone? What were you even thinking? If it was done by any random Begam I could have understood, but you are the chief consort! Cannot I expect a little decency from you?”

“I am very embarrassed for what I did.” Ruqaiya uttered blatantly. “Yeah, I was wrong to make her sing like that… it was the most stupid and impulsive thing I ever did. But…”She smiled suddenly. “It went out good at last, no? You seemed to love her song a lot. And whatever happened at the courtroom today evening with she sitting next to you, it does not matter where she sits in this small Harem function. If anyone is humiliated here today is me only.”

“Thank god you understood that.” Jalal said in a vexed tone before lying down again. 

Ruqaiya sat just beside Jalal. Her one hand involuntarily touched Jalal’s. 

“What’s the matter? Go to sleep.” Jalal said in the same annoyed tone. 

“This Hindu Princess has surely known you a lot in her first visit, did not she?” Ruqaiya murmured. 

“I am not the one to answer that.” Jalal said. 

“Yeah!” Ruqaiya sighed. “Someone can know in just an hour. And someone cannot even know after ten years! Hah!”

“Or maybe everyone does not give the same effort. Someone just takes everything for granted.” Jalal scoffed. 

“Why should not someone take something for granted which, she knows, belongs to her?” Ruqaiya’s voice break in a sudden excitement. 

“What did you think belongs to you Ruqaiya?” Jalal scorned. “The side of the throne where Princess Jodha got to sit before you? I am sorry Ruqaiya, I did not think the same.”

“I did not mean the throne…” Ruqaiya said quietly. 

“Then what?” Jalal frowned deeply.

Ruqaiya smiled and sighed. “Never mind…” She said. “You just spent a very nice evening. The tune of the song must be still ringing in your head. Don’t spoil that by quarrelling with me now.” 

“Yes you are right. Let me sleep now.” Jalal uttered angrily and turned back from Ruqaiya wrapping the rug around himself. 

This kind of disagreements are not uncommon with Ruqaiya. These things don’t add or deduct anything from their mutual relationship. Ruqaiya is a hardcore part of his daily life, his routine and his reality. He certainly does not need the patch of that reality right now. Because he wants to go back in the dream now… go back to his Purnima… who has reincarnated from his dream to reality as Princess Jodha Bai in his life, to complete his life with everything he has lacked till today. 

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Sorry for late update dears. There was a load-shedding and so i could not update on time.

❤️😍💕Subhan Allah  what a beautiful update Stuti di 🤗

Jo and Ja conversation

Their sword fight i am crazy if I love sword fight of lead but it's Akdha were talking about 😆

With them everything come out magical 

And your way of writing👏 

It was truly Akdha update  they nailed it 😎

She pour her heart out twice💕💕 first by talk second by song 😍 

She made everyone aware what place she hold 

She demanded her right as Wife but rocked like empress 😎 she teach Ruk lesson without even even talking with her 🤣 she abide by her order, but she made sure she to not let her get victory over it she made her fall low in her own eye 😆 

And Ja Jo oh my God Stuti di  you had just ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ruled it 👏

I will write more tomorrow 😆 

 thank you finally for updating 🤗 

Originally posted by: Rashmisingh9151

Res  thank you finally for updating 🤗

Were you waiting right here for the update?😆

Originally posted by: swetiii

Shattered dreams 

Nehiii betaaa. Light chali gayi thi

Originally posted by: kriya_12

I think its not coming today.....🥺

Aa gaya aa gaya

Originally posted by: Shinning_Stuti

Were you waiting right here for the update?😆

Yes I was ☺️

Why did the chapter have to end😒. Convo of ja jo was so beautiful and poetic. How long will this longing go on, but atlast jalal can dream peacefully about his poornimabai now, after her acceptance of him😳 Soon she will be part of his daily routine☺️ . Atlast jo will be soon away from pagal haramwasis and their leader😆. How could jalal jhelofy these mad bunch for so long🤪. Wanted badi tummy too see what jo means to ja. Would love to see badi tummy and her brainless child to have sleepless nights.

Dont want to sound mean but  hukka will spend gala time with her hukka, booze hoshiyaar and her chamchees in future😆