Thread 3: Destined Love... (Chapter 61 updated) - Page 42

waiting di..❤️

please update as soon as possible..😃

Beautiful story loved it

Chapter 52

------------------------------------

The tall and slender old man always leaves Jalal in awe after each meet with him. Though he never found Khwaja Moin very spiritual or close to God anyway, he has been taken aback by his knowledge delivering skills and communication. Khwaja Moin stays on one of the highest pillars of the hierarchy of the religious circle that surrounds and controls Mughal Dynasty. The circle is not afraid of the emperor’s wrath, rather they find it necessary to point out the flaws of the Emperor. They do hold a great power and support, much more than the political people does actually. Hence the man on sitting on the throne never wants to enrage that circle. Over the years the religious circle surrounding the throne has been fed by the emperors and grew more and more powerful, powerful enough to puppet the owner of the throne. But Jalal, being the hot-blooded young emperor, dared to enrage that circle in his first big decision as the emperor. Not only that, he has directly accused, punished and threatened a part of the circle in the rebellion of Bairam Khan. It is an open secret that the circle is not very fond of the current emperor anyway. And they will keep no stone unturned to defame him, to pull him down from the throne forever. This sudden visit of Khwaja Moin must have the same underlying purpose.

“How are you doing Khwaja Sahab?” Jalal greeted courtesy with a cautious smile.

“Everything is the wish of the great Allah! The way his greatness takes care of the prosperity of your land, it takes care of the well-being of every little creature including me.” Khwaja Moin gestured to pray. “I am doing good, Shahenshah. The man who has dedicated his life in devotion of the God, can never be unhappy or unwell in his little limited lifespan.”

“But there has been any reason that has upset this beautiful correlation, Khwaja sahib. Else you would not have come to me.” Jalal smiled.

Khwaja Sahib smiled back. The cunning shrewdness of his eyes does not hide back under the peace of that smile. “Majesty, sadly I don’t have the relaxation of spending my days happily in devotion of God, because your dynasty has burdened me with some responsibilities for the betterment of the empire. My visit to you is related to those responsibilities only.”

Jalal nodded.

“Do you believe in God, Your Majesty?” Khwaja Sahib asked suddenly.

“Yes, of course.” Jalal answered with a bit confusion. “From where I am standing and what I have learnt from the great scholars like you, I think not believing in Him is an audacious step. However, I don’t think much about spiritual stuffs, so maybe I am not a right person to continue such a wealthy discussion.”

Khwaja Moin laughed. “We are very small people, Majesty; we don’t have the knowledge to discuss about Him. But let me ask you something more. Do you believe in religion?”

“What do you think?” Jalal smiled understanding where the discussion is about to go. “Have I done anything wrong to raise that question?”

“Religion is also a vast thing, Majesty. Everyone has different perspective of that. So I cannot judge anyone by the religion of-course. But tell me as an emperor, not as an individual, what do you think is the importance of a religion in a great empire like Mughal dynasty?”

“Same as a light in a dark night.” Jalal answered. “Religion gives a purpose, a path.”

“To an individual, of course.” The wise man smiled. “But to an emperor, it has another great importance. Majesty, religion teaches discipline to its followers. It teaches to bow down, to obey, to direct the mass in a single direction. The administration and the politics can manage an empire, but it is the religion who binds it together. Can you deny it?”

“Of course not, Khwaja Sahab.” Jalal chuckled gently. “That is the reason why the emperor respects the religious priests more than anything, isn’t it?”

Something sparked in the eyes of the wise man, but his voice remained as calm as ever. “ A religious priest can give the lessons of religion. But it is the emperor who can only lead the people to follow it. Don’t you think if an emperor follows all the instruction of a religion, disciplines himself with all the norms, the subjects will also follow the lead; and it will eventually build a strong, disciplined, peaceful empire?”

“I believe it with all my heart, Khwaja Sahab. And I try my best to follow it.” Jalal said.

“With all my respect, Your Majesty… Then why does your new queen is not yet under the boundary of that same religion the Emperor follows? Why she is still unable to follow the same disciplines which will lead her life in a single direction which ultimately unites our empire?” At last Khwaja Moin came to the point for which Jalal was waiting. Jalal suppressed the chuckled and smiled gently instead. “Because she is the free citizen of the empire now. And that is her choice.”

“Pardon Majesty, but disciplines are mandatory, that cannot depend on anyone’s choice.” Khwaja Moin protested. “There are certain rules and regulations of the throne which has strengthen the base of this dynasty from the first day. A certain choice of a new queen cannot be bigger than that.”

“Pardon Khwaja Sahab, I cannot remember anything about the princess of Amer which has somehow gone against the rules of the throne.” Jalal interjected. “Could you care to elaborate?”

“Like how she had publicly sat on the throne.” Khwaja Sahab said. “I am sorry to say all these about our respected queen, but the first rule of the throne is one have to be a Mughal to sit on it. A Hindu woman cannot sit on the Mughal throne.”

“You might have forgotten that she is my wife. I have married her abiding by all the rituals of both the religions. She is as much Mughal as I am now.” Jalal uttered in a firm voice. “Her religion identity is never greater than her identity as my queen. You can question me about my actions, Khwaja Sahab, but you cannot question the position of my queen in the court.”

“Pardon Majesty, I must have misdelivered my words. I never meant to disrespect the queen anyway.” Khwaja Moin said smoothly. “My point is, it is not about what you think, what I think, what the individuals think. It is about what the mass of this Mughal Empire thinks as a whole. There is a reason why the throne is connected to the religion. The throne nourishes the development of the religion. The religion strengthens the power of the throne. The day when everyone of the land will take up the flag of Islam, Mughal dynasty will rise the highest. Isn’t heisting the flag of Mughal dynasty your duty as the guardian of the throne? Why you are not starting this great mission with your own queen?”

Jalal smiled decently and got up from his seat. He stood by the window and looked at the pure blue sky. “The power of religion may increase the power of throne Khwaja Sahab, but eventually strains the purity of the religion.” He looked at the old man. “You told me that religion binds the empires, controls the followers to think at a single direction. I agree with your every word. But tell me one thing, why it had to be the only religion which I follow, which you follow?”

“What are you saying?” Khwaja Moin looked startled. “Because our religion is the best of the world! It is…”

“I don’t deny it Khwaja Sahab.” Jalal stopped him. “But does it give us the right to ignore the others? The majority of my land follows the rules and regulations of their own religion. They holds on to their rituals with all their heart. Those have been deeply enrooted inside their blood. Do you suggest me to deny this whole mass as my subject, to treat them even worse than the animals? Or you are asking me to forcefully come under the religious rules that you teach?”

“Betterment is always welcomed, Majesty. If a little force can ensure a great benefit…”

“You said yourself that religion is a vast thing and people accepting it according to their perspective. Now you are saying to reject their perspective and forcefully let them to believe something else? Why to burden him with something they do not believe in? Cannot we just think differently, let the compassion and humanity being the binding force instead of religion?”

“Sure, if you want the Hindus to become the main leading force of the empire.” Khawaja Moin smirked hopelessly.

Jalal smiled with a little touch of sarcasm. “Forgive me, Khwaja Sahab… Your religion might work that way. But my responsibility towards my throne does not. You are most welcome to preach our greatest religion and try to lead the most of the mass under its great shelter. But you will get no political help to forcefully convert any of my Hindu subject against their consent. That is not the way I rule.”

Khwaja Moin was staring unblinking to him. He slowly sniggered. “I have never asked any favour like that, Majesty… But is it really necessary to pamper the Hindu’s in such a strange way that indirectly insults the Muslims?”

“So come to the point…” Jalal chuckled. “You want answers for marrying a Hindu Princess?”

“I am no one to question whom you marry, My Lord. But as a protector of the religion it is my duty to remind the emperor what he should do to protect his throne. And as a responsible citizen, I also thought it is necessary to enlighten him about strengthening the throne.”

“The throne will be getting powerful with my own strength and hard-work, Khwaja Sahab. Your work is to educate the people. Maybe you will like to direct much of your energy in doing that job right other than thinking about the throne.” Jalal said in the same firm voice.

Khwaja Moin stared at the emperor for a moment. Then he smiled cordially. “I am coming from my son Sharifuddin’s palace, Majesty. He and your sister Bakshi Banu is doing good with the blessings of Lord…”

Jalal frowned with this sudden change of topic.

“However, the event of your latest marriage has started a sudden tide in the whole clan, you know… Bakshi Banu is from your family, and this tide might affect her directly.” The old man looked at his eyes with cunning eyes. “As I told you, whoever you marry is a personal matter, none can say anything officially. But the relationships between families are based on these personal matters. I hope this decision of marrying a Hindu Princess without converting her and sticking into that decision will not leave any effect on poor Bakshi Banu.”

Jalal smiled slightly. “Are you trying to pressurise me emotionally, Khwaja Moin?”

“Tauba tauba! No Your Majesty!” Khwaja Sahab smiled back. “Just warning you. As an emperor you can do whatever you want. But sometimes socials norms are much strict than Mughal laws. And as you know, as an extended norm of this society, the sisters are also sometimes take the burden of their brother’s deed.”

“Khwaja Sahab, if you visit Sharifuddin sooner enough, don’t forget to greet him from me.” Jalal smiled smoothly. “He must know I like him a lot despite all of his follies. Because he is loyal enough to me and my throne. Loyal enough to keep his own thoughts aside and act as one of the main organisers of that wedding in Amer. Loyal enough to discretely differentiate between his family and professional responsibilities. He must know it has been his choices so far that made him likable to me. That’s why he has been chosen as the husband of a Mughal Princess. That’s why he has been gifted with a lot of rewards, Jaigeer and designations… something which was probably nothing but a dream to him when he was only the son of a scholar. I am sure he knows whom to choose for his own benefit. Being the husband of a Mughal princess, he cannot afford to choose wrong, Khwaja Sahab.” His voice suddenly became grave as his stare was colder. “Because he must know that a single tear from my sister’s eye will cost everything from him.”

Khwaja Moin looked straight at the cold eyes of the emperor. A shrewd grin slowly appeared at the corner of his lips. Jalal knows the meaning of that smile. Khwaja Moin does not fear the young emperor’s wrath at all. Rather he is very enthusiastic to accept the challenge. The enemies in battlefield are easy to understand. The enemies over the table in a peace-treaty are predictable. But a wise old man in a sacred cloth of religious emblem with a peaceful smile in his lips and power-hunger in brain is not only unpredictable, but extremely dangerous. Jalal could not smile back sassily to give an answer to his challenging grin. Because all of a sudden he was worried.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jodha was under a pile of parchments, hand tied with a quill, face squeezed in anxiousness and impatience when Salima Begam came inside.

“O My God!” she exclaimed loudly seeing her condition. Jodha looked at the elder Begam but barely acknowledged her presence. She looked really in trouble when she crushed the parchment of her hand and threw it on the floor with grudge.

“It seems you are busy. What are you writing? Poetry?” Salima Begam sat beside her and looked out of curiosity. “May I help you somehow?”

“No… Actually I…” Jodha tried to smile in nervousness. “Sorry, Salima Begam. I should have… Actually I was kind of…”

“It’s okay…” Salima patted on her shoulder. “What are you writing anyway?”

“Me? Nothing important…” Jodha replied in hurry as her cheeks turned pink.

“Does not look like.” Salima smiled looking at the crushed papers all over the room. “It seems like you are trying to write something so perfectly that nothing is matching your expectation. Come on, what is it?”

Maybe Salima had expected her to write something like poem or novel judging by her blush. So she was surprised when she replied in a shy tone.

“Nothing… just a letter.”

“Letter?” Salima was confused now. “Letter to your parents?”

“No… I mean… yeah I mean…”

Lie does not come to someone easily who is habituated in telling truth. Jodha’s pink cheeks were complete scarlet now. So Salima Begam easily guessed the recipient of her letter. “Okay… Now I understand the urge of this perfection.” She said suppressing her laugh. “However, the letters getting exchanged by Rahim had no such hidden anxiety. What happened now?”

Jodha’s face became smaller. “Actually I have to reply someone’s letter. But I don’t know what to write!”

“You don’t know what to reply?” Salima chuckled.

“Yes I do…” Jodha sighed with a deep blush. “But these papers are not sufficient to hold everything my heart is dying to say!”

Salima smiled. “The words of the heart can only be told by the language of eyes. There is no language in the world to transcript that on a piece of paper. Jodha Begam, don’t stress yourself. Close your eyes, you will see what your heart is saying…”

Jodha closed her eyes. The image of that night floated in front of eyes. The silvery beam of the moon over the glossy dark sky, the soothing gentle touch of love had mixed with the pure moonlight, showering endlessly upon those two young man and woman of that broken hut in a no-man’s land… Both of their hearts were heavy with the thought of longing, but none of them were grieving their distance anymore… as if they had become complete in heart…

"If I ask you for a permission will you grant it?”

“Permission? What permission?”

“May I touch your lips Purnima, for once?”

Their lips had touched each-other… for the first time… Her womanhood was complete with the purity of that touch… She was fulfilled, she had nothing else to desire… She had submitted all of her heart, her soul, her wishes and her desires to an almost stranger; she completely submitted herself to immortalize her love…

Is she ready to submit herself again? With the same purity, same devotion and same love? To the same man she had surrendered before, to the same man she has loved with everything she ever had; but still when he is not the same person?

It might be possible to love someone for second time. But is it so easy to love the same person with the same purity of heart for the second time?

The words of the letter rang in her ears. The letter which she has almost memorized line to line…

‘Maybe you will see a complete new man. But if you give him a chance he will fill your life with everything he has stored in his heart. He will open his heart, his life, his existence for you… Won’t you give him a chance?’

She felt a sudden twinge in heart. ‘Yes I do! I want to! I need to! But still there is something which is blocking my path every time I think about you. Whenever I think about you I see the picture of that young stranger in that broken hut, eyes full of enigma, smiling face radiating the warmth of truth and purity… In my mind I know he is you! The same man with the majestic persona, great demeanour, the attracting masculinity... someone’s heart I wish to touch, someone I want to be with… but still who seems to be as untouchable as the ocean! My Lord, still I yearn for that simple homeless warrior in that ocean… and my stupid heart is not able to mingle both the images. What kind of situation is this! What should I do! ’

“Got your answer?” Salima Begam asked. Jodha slowly opened her eyes. She sighed a little and covered it with a smile. “Maybe the answer is not a fit to this piece of parchment.”

“Never mind… Loss of word is a perfectly normal symptom. Everyone suffers from it.” Salima’s eyes suddenly caught the portrait of Jodha at the corner of her bed. Her eyes beamed in surprise.

“Masallah!” She exclaimed while moving towards the canvas. “The beauty of the room has been escalated, Jodha Begam!” She said while touching the delicate features curved in the painting. “Now I understand your dilemma. His Majesty is so cruel! He expects you to write the words of your heart in a piece of paper while he sends a piece of his heart to you. No words can hold such passion, such love and such devotion that the eyes of this portrait does, Jodha Begam!”

“It is a gift from His Majesty, came yesterday…” Jodha replied shyly, not sure of what she should answer. Salima smiled gently. “It is not a gift, Jodha Begam… It is a symbol of all that longing and desperation of a lover. I know… I have witnessed myself.”

“What do you know?” Jodha asked.

“Surely very little.” Salima chuckled. “All I know about a beautiful girl; as shinning as thunder, as soothing as moonlight, as lively as desert flower… how she came to our emperor’s life for a glance, and stole his heart right away in a heartbeat… All I witnessed is the journey of his undying love for that girl, his agonized longing and tired hopelessness slowly converting in the shear desperation to win her against the whole world… All I have seen is a broken man, tired of his messed surroundings, trying to seek refuge in this portrait made by him… I don’t know what happened then, how the beautiful desert flower turned out to be the Princess of Amer, but I know one thing…” Salima looked a little lost. “This picture has been witnessed the whole of our Majesty, Jodha Begam… He has opened himself out by sending it to you. Don’t neglect so much love, Jodha begam.”

Jodha sighed a little. “I fear if I have the capacity of loving him like he does!”

“Love finds its own way, Jodha Begam.” Salima smiled. “All you have to do is to submit yourself to it!”

Jodha nodded slightly. Then chuckled a little. “You know a lot about love.”

“Me?” Salima Begam laughed out. “I had a fascination with the concept of love from childhood, Jodha Begam. I still continuously fall in love with the idea of love. Maybe that’s why love did not come to me!”

“May I ask you a private question? About your first… I mean you were married before…” Jodha asked with a little hesitation. In her society widows do not have the provision of living their lives again. Salima Begam’s lively way of enjoying her life by marrying again makes her happy for her, but she feels hesitant to ask any question about it.

Salima laughed again, after understanding her hesitation. “You want to know if I still love my ex-husband?”

“No… not that…” Jodha said in hurry, but Salima Begam stopped her. “I was married when I was 14 years old, Jodha Begam. I had fascination with the idea of love, I had an image of the best husband in my head; and I was married to a forty years old warrior. Bairam Khan Sahab was an excellent man, but his life spent on battlefield. The wind of the war made him a man of steel, but did not put the criteria of the best husband which fits the image of my head. Moreover, when I started my life with him he had already enjoyed his life fully. He accepted me as a valuable treasure, but did not try to explore my heart… I also stopped cultivating the idea of love inside my head after a time. One day Rahim’s mother passed away giving his one year old son to me. And I became a mother all of a sudden before I get the taste of being a loving wife. The life was just like that, Jodha Begam, trying to seek solace in motherhood to bury the pain of unnoticed womanhood… till His Majesty came in my life…”

Jodha was listening without blink. Unknowingly her hand touched Salima’s shoulder. Salima smiled again while going through her memories.

“Don’t ever think I fell in love with the Emperor while being the wife of Khan-E-Khana. That is a grave sin which even my love-sick heart cannot commit. But when he came, I found a window which was absent from my strangulated life till date. Through which I can see the sky, I can feel the breeze. He is a charming gorgeous young man, living right inside the heart of all the women he possess, but when he stood in front of me I could clearly see the bleeding heart of a lover beyond that mask. Maybe his bleeding heart found the emptiness in me as well… Then storm came, everything changed in a blink. I had to do something I never dreamt of; I had to marry His Majesty. The relationship status changed drastically, but the relationship did not. I never sought love from my second marriage, Jodha Begam; I only wished whole-heartedly so that His Majesty could win his lost love; I had always sought freedom of love in my empty heart while seeing him to be complete with his love.” She suddenly touched Jodha’s chin affectionately, tears shinning at the corner of her eyes. “You know why I am so desperate to see you and the Emperor together? Because your togetherness will fulfil the urge of my heart! I cannot even say how much happy I was to see you. Because I knew from day one, that you are the one!”

“Salima Begam! You are great!” Jodha exclaimed in awe.

“Really!” Salima laughed while wiping out her eyes. “However, will you listen to one of my suggestions? Don’t stress yourself to write the reply of that letter. You don’t need to depend on some marks on a parchment to express your heart. Your eyes will speak on your behalf.”

“But how…” Jodha looked confused.

“I will arrange that, no need to worry.” Salima touched her cheek gently. “Like I said, I have personal interest to see you both together, so you can completely depend on me. Don’t worry about the expression of love, dear. Love always finds its way!”

Jodha looked at her with relieved smile, eyes flooding in emotion. “You must be my sister in my previous birth! Will you grunt me permission of something?”

“What?”

“Can I call you Jiji from now on?” Jodha asked in a little innocent voice. “I am the eldest sister; never got someone to call Jiji ever. And to be honest, even my own sisters are not as close to me as you have grown to me in such a small time…”

“You kidding me right? I would love to get such a beautiful little sister.” Salima laughed and pulled her in arms. “Now as I am your elder sister, my responsibilities increased even more. Don’t worry Jodha, I will do something for you right today…”

Jodha was going to say something, but was interrupted by Gulal Khan who readily entered inside with a scroll in hand.

“Have you heard Begam Sahiba? There is a target competition in the ground of Harem today noon! All the women of Mughal Zenana are invited to participate!” He announced after abruptly bowing to both of the queens.

“Target competition?” The passionate archer inside Jodha was rising again. She looked at Salima Begam with enthusiasm. “Yes! Ruqaiya Begam keeps on organizing such events to keep the motivation of the women alive. I also got an invitation letter, but since I love my quill much more than the weapons, I would rather be a spectator. Do you want to participate?”

“Yes yes!” Jodha nodded! “I have not been near any of such sports since ages!”

“Go ahead then…” Salima Begam patted her shoulder. “And keep this enthusiasm alive. There are a lot of good competitors; so full of spirit is needed! Anyhow, get ready fast then?” She got up to bid good-bye. “Give your concentration in the target competition now Jodha; maybe you will get a clue to express your heart with words from there only?” She smiled while whispering in her ears.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jalal recently caught a bad habit of checking the door at every single sound, waiting for a little boy to come running inside with a small piece of parchment in his hand. The room looks emptier now as the big canvas is gone, but Jalal’s heart is full like it never had been. The letter has been sent to the queen along with the portrait, and reply can come in any minute. Jalal’s heart waits anxiously for the reply, and when he closes his eyes he gets surprised to see how easily the image of the sweet innocent desert girl Purnima mingles with the dignified, headstrong princess Jodha Bai. Purnima Bai had opened his blind eyes with the essence of love, and left his heart yearning for the touch of love, and now Jodha Begam has come to fill that empty heart with the touch he has been craving for since he has left Amer leaving his love behind… Jalal cannot wait for it anymore…

A knock at the door and Jalal got anxious again. He looked back, a eunuch from Harem bowed down, seeking permission to come in.

“Salaam Shahenshah… a message from Begam Sahiba…”

“From Jodha Begam?”

The eunuch looked at him awkwardly. “No, Majesty… from Begam-E-Khas Ruqaiya Begam…”

Jalal felt uncomfortable. Showing off the deep desire in front of a servant is not his character. None of this palace should know how much he yearns for Jodha… for his Purnima… Its something too private, belongs only to him. But then it is the primary characteristic of love to letting know its presence each and every moment… Maybe something a lover’s mind cannot control every time. Still Jalal felt embarrassed for taking Jodha Begam’s name in front of Ruqaiya’s servant; felt he has demeaned Jodha’s importance in his life by showing his weakness to this eunuch.

“Of course… What is the message?” He asked quickly, in his usual dominating voice.

“Shahenshah, Begam Sahiba wishes to plan a hunting trip in the forest of north; if you grant your permission and excuse a little amount of time from your schedule to accompany her she would be obliged.”

A little smile touched Jalal’s lips. A hunting trip always sounds alluring to him. It is a long time since he has gone in a complete carefree hunting expedition. He did not know until today how much he missed hunting. How much he missed the open sky over his head, the green fragrance of nature surrounding him, the carefree wild excitement pumping through his vein while he is loading a musket from the back of his horse as his eyes sheerly staring at the cold green wild eyes of the wild cat… Hunting is something where is can be himself. Something which gives his vicious Mongul blood freedom. Something wild which a political negotiation or a war cannot offer. Humans are complicated. Wild animals are simpler. Hunting is simpler.

Ruqaiya Begam has always been an excellent hunting partner. Moreover she is a wonderful organizer who keeps everything in mind. Everything under her supervision is so neat that Jalal does not even feel he has left his palace even in the tent amidst of forest. Jalal can concentrate on hunting completely if Ruqaiya is there with him. Jalal’s whole body told him to go to this hunt, but damn, the heart of the lover… who is still thirsty for a reply to the letter, wants something else.

“When does she want to go?” Jalal asked.

“Whenever you can give your time, Your Majesty.” The eunuch replied. “If you wish, all arrangements would be done by day after tomorrow.”

Jalal figured that particular day is a free day for him. No official court, workload is lesser. Ruqaiya does not plan anything without thinking and calculating. “I will get back to her after rechecking my schedule.” Jalal answered after a bit of thought.

The eunuch bowed down again and sought permission to leave.

After some moments, again another knock. Jalal got up from the bed eagerly… This time surely a letter!

“Assalaam Aleikum, Your Majesty! Very sorry to interrupt your rest.” Salima Begam entered.

“Aleikum Assalaam, Salima Begam! So happy to see you.” Jalal tried to smile but could not hide his disappointment from his face. Because Salima Begam smiled and replied- “Does not look like judging by your face, Shahenshah! It’s clear you were eager for someone else! Not so happy getting me instead.”

“No no… not like that…” An embarrassed Jalal held Salima’s hands and made her sit beside him on the bed. “Salima Begam, I doubt if there is any living thing in this world who would not be happy seeing your smiling face. I was thinking that I must have done something sacred today that you have come to see me!”

“I know you are an artist of words, Majesty. But you won’t be able to make fool of me.” Salima Begam chuckled. “Your eyes are telling you were waiting for someone else; maybe dreaming about someone else in your nap as well; and instead you got me to waste your afternoon sleep.”

“Whomever I was expecting cannot be much important than you, Begam Sahiba!” Jalal smiled playfully. “Everyone else is at one side and you are at the other side in my world.”

“Well, if it makes you happy, I am coming on behalf of someone.” Salima said.

“Really? Who?” Jalal asked.

“The one who is in the central of your world.” Salima started giggling.

Jalal forcefully suppressed the awkward blush and tried to look nonchalant. “The central of my world revolves around my imperial duties and…”

“Come on, Shahenshah, don’t act in front of me.” Salima Begam kept on giggling. “You already have a lot to answer for.”

“What I have done, Begam Sahiba?” Jalal asked in a fake-troubled voice.

“For once, you forgot to tell me how the painting of your room suddenly became lively in the new queen of Harem; and before I get the chance to ask you, the canvas is also supplied to her room! Nowadays many things are happening behind my eyes I see.” Salima chuckled.

Jalal smiled softly this time. “Believe me Salima Begam, nothing was in my hand. I have assumed this as a miracle of destiny maybe!”

“So in the miracle of destiny your desert-rose suddenly became the princess of Amer…” Salima nodded with a smile. “And now after such a long play with destiny, you are intending to play more by extending the period of longing?”

“Everything has its own flow, Salima Begam… The life will eventually catch it. We just have to keep patience.” Jalal answered.

Salima laughed. “Since when Emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad started believing in own flow of time rather than taking the matters in hand?”

“Since the day Jalaluddin Mohammad has learnt that life is not a battlefield; life is not a competition.” Jalal smiled. “Every soul searches for someone in the world of dream, Salima Begam; merging that dream in the ground of reality is not a hasty task. One should not interrupt it with irrational impatience.”

“I knew you would convince me somehow, but I will not lose today.” Salima twisted her lip. “Because someone very special to me is dying over there being drowned inside a heap of parchments to find just a fitting reply to express her heart, and the loss of words is tearing her heart apart. I have promised her that I will drag the man who is the reason of this suffering right in front of her.”

“Well…” Jalal’s smile looked quite unreadable as he spoke… “If finding a befitting reply takes such an effort from her, it means her heart is yet not ready to decide. It means her soul is yet in search of someone from the world of dream, and she is struggling to blend her reality in that dream. She does not need any intervention, Salima Begam; she needs time.”

Salima looked little irritated. “This is matter of hearts, Majesty; not a strategy of war-field. Heart acts in different way, it does not follow any code. Her mind is clear but deep inside her heart she is hesitating… your one smile, your one loving touch will remove that pinch of hesitation forever. The words which are struggling to come in her quill will imprint in her eyes in that very moment. Your Majesty, I always believe you as a wise person. Why don’t your wisdom can feel the impatience of a young girl’s heart? Will you keep her away from you rather than pulling her in your arms?”

“The woman you are talking about is not any simple young naïve girl, Salima Begam. She is strong, fierce, independent to her thought. If she has any pinch of hesitation in her heart, she will overcome that on her own. I will wait for that till the end of my life, but I will not be able to push her to choose it. If I respect her decision, I respect her hesitations as well.” Jalal stated in a firm voice.

Salima sighed. “Now it seems I spent all my days speaking to two huge brick walls. You won’t let your guard down in front of her, and it seems she does not let her guard down too. You only see the diligent Princess, Shahenshah; you never saw the desperate heart of a beloved whom I have seen.”

“Who says.” Jalal smiled as his mind lost in a memory… “I have seen that desperate heart like no one else did… I know I will see her again. But only when she will come to me herself!”

Salima shook head hopelessly. “Great! So after all the discussion we are back to square one. Looks like I have to go there empty handed with the shame of broken promise.”

“In that case I am vowed to save your honour by helping you keep the promise, Begam Sahiba.” Jalal laughed. “Tell me, what do you want?”

Salima smiled. “Shahenshah, I get it. I completely understand your understanding with love, respect the way you respect the thought of your beloved. I don’t want to push you, don’t want to be an intervention. But with your permission can I set up a place for you two where both of you can sit, talk and clear out all the hesitations by communicating? Say for example, what was the last time you enjoyed a solo-voyage on a yacht in the river Yamuna along with a Begam?”

It might be Salima’s over-imagination, but it looked like Jalal’s smile brightened. “You know how to convince me Salima Begam. So here you are with a bribe! You know how much I love to sail under the vast night sky while the river shining in the silvery beam of moonlight.”

“I hope the sail would become more dreamy with a perfect companion. Take it as a gift from me, Majesty.” Salima smiled. “Two days after is a full moon night; you have to give that to me.”

“Two-days after… kind of tempting, Salima Begam. But I am afraid I already have given that to someone else. Ruqaiya Begam has invited me in a hunting trip. It will be kind of rude to refuse her to accept the invitation of boating in Yamuna.”

“Ok… Then I hope we have to wait till next full-moon night?” Salima said. “I sincerely wish you a grand hunting trip; and hope that this small gap of time would help both of you and your Begam to clear out all the hesitations and sort everything out between yourselves.”

“I wish your wish comes true, Begam Sahiba.”

“Now excuse me, Your Majesty.” Salima bent her head to bid goodbye. “There is a target competition in Harem today afternoon. I hope I am not late for that.”

“Good Bye, Salima Begam.” Jalal smiled at her warmly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The arena in the Harem premises is something worth awe-inspiring. Jodha thought so. The vast area under sky is covered with thick red curtains with golden embroidery, making sure that no creature of outer world would even have a glimpse of these Mughal royal beauties. The field is marked with proper measurement; a series of target boards are placed at one edge of the field, guarded by huge sand boxes and separated by long poles. At the side of the field an awning is set, under which a lot of weapon choices are kept; the competitors can choose the arms as they wish. The participants are sitting at the opposite side inside a covered and shaded enclosure; the seats are divided as per rank. The Begams married to the Emperor get the highest and most convenient seats; under that there are seats for other royal women who are not associated with the emperor. After that sit the women who are royal by blood but not with the fame anymore, who stay safely under shelter of the Emperor or Marium-Makani or Padshah Begam, who are not officially Mughals but have become a part of the Emperor’s life over time; then the higher rank concubines are placed. Audience sit at the other edge of the arena, under a large canopy. The seats there are also divided rank-wise. All in all there are more than 100 women in the Mughal Zenana exclusive of slaves, guards and eunuchs, all distinctly discriminated by ranks and standard in a completely organized way. It is really a worthy scene to see all the women of Mughal zenana together under a same roof together.

Jodha sat in her place, which happens to be right after Gulrakh Begam. The beautiful woman has applied all the make-over she had to look stunning, as if she is a participant of beauty contest. God knows whom she wants to impress in a target competition. Her snobby smile through the scarlet lips irked Jodha a little. Ruksana and Nazma Begam are nagging, but still bearable. But Gulrakh Begam is too annoying for her taste. Jodha so wished that Salima Begam was here. But she was in the audience, sitting beside Gulbadan Begam and talking over sensible stuff. Where Jodha is beside Gulrakh Begam, who started with- “So you know how to aim, Jodha Begam? I though you Hindu women spend all day playing with those dolls you think as your God… hihihihi”

However… Jodha tried to smile warmly and concentrated in the target boards. The game started.

The announcer announced the names of first 4 participants. The Padshah Begam came at the range. Jodha could not help but to appreciate her appearance when she stood in front of the first target; clad in a red sherwani, her chest covered with silver chest-guard, and hairs carefully tucked inside a satin turban skillfully, carrying a heavy musket easily in her shoulder, she was not looking less than a fierce lioness. The other women looked skillful too, but the winner of the first game is too evident judging by the single glance.

The guns blew together with a resonating sound cracking the sky. Smoke filled the field momentarily. When the sight was cleared, everyone saw how the other participants have targeted more or less alright; but Ruqaiya Begam’s aim pierced right through the bull’s eye.

“Heil to Padshah Begam!” Everyone chanted together.

“No one is like Ruqaiya Begam.” Gulrakh Begam whispered in Jodha’s ears while clapping passionately. “Everyone else participate here just to fight boredom or to have some entertainment. But everyone knows Ruqaiya Begam is the winner. No one can beat her.”

“Well, you never know.” Jodha murmured softly.

“What??” Gulrakh almost chocked in surprise, then she laughed. “You think you will beat Ruqaiya Begam? You? With these tender hands which is always busy to play with dolls?”

Jodha smiled. Ruqaiya Begam must be excellent in target, and she does not get any competent opponent. It feels nice to know that Jodha has a skillful competitor to beat.

“Beware of Ruqaiya Begam that’s all I can say!” Gulrakh Begam said twistedly. “If you try to play with her she will give you such a tough game that you will be left crying.”

“Game is only fun when you have a tough competition.” Jodha smiled softly.

“Huh!” Gulrakh Begam twisted her lips again. “Remember one thing, Begam Jodha… No matter how much you impress the emperor with your beauty and singing and all, it does not matter in Harem. If you want to live peacefully don’t try to mess with Ruqaiya Begam. She is the head, and by the time everyone has to admit it. She is the only one on the top, none goes to that height.”

“That must makes her very lonely… to sit in top where none can reach, none can compete.” Jodha uttered in a low voice while starring at the impassive face of Ruqaiya Begam despite all the chants of pride…

The participants came down to the arena one by one, hitting the target. The whole place was full of glee and excitement and Jodha was absorbing the warmth of it in her heart while the announcer announced her name.

Jodha came down from her seat with her natural grace, moved towards the awning to choose her choice of weapon before standing in her range. But she did not expected this abashing experience before…

Because while the other women along with her were easily picking up various weapons Jodha has never seen in her lifetime before this contest, Jodha could not find anything that she can use to hit the target. All of the weapons are more or less same as those was being used till now, a long thin and heavy pipe of iron, which shoots fire from the end of the barrel; but there was nothing like a bow-and-arrow, something handy, easy and known to Jodha. The closest one looking like a bow is also not something Jodha has ever seen. The steel-made bow is mounted fixed on a main frame horizontally, not like what Jodha have been using since childhood. Jodha kept on staring at the weapons, not being sure how to hit target with any of these.

“Fast Jodha Begam!” Zashim, the eunuch in charge of arms murmured.

“I have a problem…” Jodha told Zashim in a lower voice. “I am not comfortable with any of the weapons… Can I use simple bow-and-arrow?”

Zashim looked confused in the situation. “There was no such rules Begam Sahiba…”

“The rule said we have provision to use anything of our choice.” Jodha tried to argue. “I am very ashamed for this, but can you please gain the permission for the usage of…”

“I don’t know why these people participates!” One of the participants twisted her lips. “Listen Hindu Begam, if you don’t know how to hit target, back off. Don’t crate scene here…”

“I know to hit target… just…” Jodha found it irrational to argue with that woman and looked back at Zashim. “Can you do something about it?”

“I am not sure if I can help you, Begam Sahiba.” Zashim said in a passive tone. “I am afraid you might have to leave. Still as you insist I can consult with Hosiyaar Khan to talk about it with Padshah Begam, if she permits to bring the normal bow-and-arrow…”

“That’s time-taking!” Gulrakh Begam wailed while adjusting the heavy gun in hand. “We don’t have all the afternoon to spend here!”

“What happened Zashim Khan?” Hosiyaar Khan took an entry. Zashim Khan explained the problem. Hosiyaar Khan shook his head.

“Not possible at all, Jodha Begam. If someone cannot use a weapon, it’s her incompetency. We cannot bend rules because of that.”

“Understood?” The previous woman repeated. “Don’t think that you will get advantage of being an outsider everywhere just because you brainwashed the emperor to make you a temple and a kitchen.”

“All sick dramas!” Some other people murmured from background. “I bet she never touched any weapon in life, never saw a shooting arena, let alone hitting target! Hell of an attention seeker!”

“You know, she was telling she will beat Ruqaiya Begam!” Gulrakh Begam tried to launch a gossip in between, making everyone laugh out.

Jodha would have gone without any other argument. She had understood it was her fault to jump into the competition without knowing everything. She was already ashamed as hell, angry at herself. Now leaving the competition with an apology is the best thing to do for her, and she would have done the same.

But she could not. Something was ignited inside her heart. The words of all those people looking at her, judging her, taunting her had poked the sleeping lioness inside her heart.

Jodha has been many bad things in her life. Disobedient, imprudent, headstrong, reckless, impulsive, wild, even stupid sometimes… but never ever in her whole life, not even when she had been drowning under the burden of false accusations by her family, she had been called ‘incompetent’! Never ever she had been accused of being attention-seeker or brainwashing someone for own benefit.

Jodha looked at Hosiyaar’s eyes, as fierce as an erupted volcano. With a calm and collected voice she said- “If changing the weapons at this point is against the rule I will withdraw myself from the competition. But that will be because of the limitations of the rules. Not because I am incompetent.” She then looked at the gossiping Begams. “From now on, before you accuse me of brainwashing or manipulating Shahenshah, just for once stop and try to think whom are you actually insulting by saying so. And remember one thing as well, there is a sheer difference between giving advantage to an outsider and treating someone equally. I don’t expect you to have so much sensibility, but you should have faith on the understanding of the emperor. Also, there is no act of bravery in taunting someone of unworthiness before seeing her worth. I will leave now, I will let you enjoy your stupidity.”

“You know the story of that fox claiming grapes are sour, Jodha Begam?” Suddenly the familiar voice weighed the air a little. Ruqaiya Begam moved closer towards Jodha. Someone had called her to manage the pandemonium. Some people from audience came down as well.

“I am not claiming anything, Ruqaiya Begam.” Jodha took a breath and spoke in a gentle voice “I am sorry if I have overreacted. But in a target competition with the participants being free to choose their weapon, I don’t think me not knowing to use these weapons can prove my incompetency in aiming and hitting target.”

“Maybe you are good at aim, Jodha Begam. But when you are not eligible for a competition you cannot complain if people think you are incompetent. They are telling what they saw. It is not their fault. This is yours.” Ruqaiya said in a calm tone.

“I am sorry that I have not checked the weapons before… Next time why don’t you put the list of the weapons eligible to save me from this situation?” Jodha snapped, making Ruqaiya smile.

“Jodha Begam, every type of weapons that are used in Mughal army is here more or less. Even various crossbows are present. I thought I have given a lot of options to everyone. I understand your point. This is a competition of hitting target, not on display of any special weapon. But that does not mean I can permit each and every weapon here. In that logic, even slings have to be an eligible arm to show competency in hitting target. That’s not possible.”

“yes I understand!” Jodha took a long breath, now a bit embarrassed seeing the crowd slowly gathering around them. “I should have known better…”

“I would have loved you to participate, Jodha Begam.” Ruqaiya Begam said in a pitiful voice. “But you should have been sensible enough to understand that Mughal armory is different from your native place. We use traditional bow-and-arrow as well, but we give a lot of attention to build new weapons, to use new technologies in war.” A slight smile of pride touched her lips. “You should not forget History, Jodha Begam… about how Mughals first conquered the land of Hindustan with the use of new weaponry; how the old swords and bows and arrows had become negligible in front of cannons. Getting used to with new weapons is also a skill, Jodha Begam. If you don’t learn that skill, you will still be incompetent. And you cannot blame any rule or that. Because war and life does not follow any particular rulebook, Jodha Begam. They are much more cruel. Only a single rule is there… if you cannot survive, you will fall.”

Jodha looked at Ruqaiya’s eyes. The fiery lioness was back again.

“Our basic aptitudes measure our competency, Ruqaiya Begam. The proficiency that comes with weapons can be accomplished later. That’s not a big deal. A skillful aimer can win a war with sling against a novice man with firearm in hand. You are right, the Mughals have conquered Hindustan because of their weaponry… because that was their privilege. Competency is not measured by the privilege, Ruqaiya Begam. A skillful aimer can learn how to use these weapons in a day; but someone with privileged weapons cannot achieve the expertise of a skillful warrior so easily.”

Ruqaiya Begam gazed at Jodha with the same cold eyes, but the other women started giggling. “You would learn how to use these in a single day? The woman who has seen nothing other than broken bows of bamboo-stick will learn how to shoot from a gun?” They were saying.

Jodha was gazing steadily at Ruqaiya’s eyes. “I challenge you all.” She said in a icy tone. “If you think handling these iron-pipes will prove my competency in hitting target, I will take one day to learn it and will beat each of you in this competition.”

Ruqaiya smiled slightly. “Taking challenge is not a good habit always, Jodha Begam.”

“I am Rajputani, Ruqaiya Begam.” Jodha said proudly. “I have not learnt to leave the arena with head low. I have not learnt to leave the war without fighting.”

“Alright!” Ruqaiya’s eyes shined with a crooked smile. “I appreciate your fierce, Jodha Begam. I promise I will give you the chance of completing your challenge. Jodha Begam, I am planning a hunting trip in two days. I invite you to join me there. I will be eagerly waiting to see your competency there. Only difference is the targets there will not be static like this. They are moving and violent.” She smiled. “You have only a day of learning and practicing the usage of a firearm, Jodha Begam. All the best.”

Jodha looked at her silently, her fierce eyes ignited fire for a moment, then it extinguished with a proud smile. “I accept, Ruqaiya Begam.” She answered.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That Ruqaiya begam is a witch!” Moti bai was murmuring. “She wanted to insult you, and you fell in her trap! She kept on instigating, and you danced accordingly. Now you took her challenge to use that strange machine in a day and shoot moving animals with that. Do you even know how to hold that? How to manage that load? What the hell they do with that power? You have only one day, and if you cannot learn that and fail in this hunt, this whole harem will taunt you till the end of the day!”

“I have more than a day, Moti.” Jodha said. “I have the whole night left.”

“Yeah, long time…” Moti twisted her lips. “Who will teach you?”

“Gulal?” Jodha called her eunuch. “When I appointed you, you told me that you are a man with many skills. I hope firing that iron-pipe is one of them?”

“Me?” Gulal smiled nervously. “Actually what happened, Begam Sahiba; my eye-sight is kind of poor so I could not learn it much… else I would become a soldier under Zashim Khan… Huh!”

“Now his eye-sight is weak!” Reva sighed.

“Never mind.” Jodha smiled looking at Gulal. “If you know how to hold that thing, that is enough. Valiance is something that comes from heart, if heart is strong enough no poor eye-sight can stop you from being a warrior.”

“You are great, Begam Sahiba.” Gulal stated gratefully. “What do you want me to do?”

“Just teach me how to use that firearm.” Jodha pleaded.

“Are you mad, Rajkunwari sa?” Moti almost jumped forgetting the presence of Gulal Khan. “This idiot will teach you? Then you will definitely lose…”

“Shhh!” Jodha rebuked Moti with her eyes. “Gulal, don’t mind of Moti Bai. I know there is no other teacher like you in this whole Agra. You just don’t get enough chance to prove yourself. Will you teach me, Gulal?”

“As you wish, Begam Sahiba…” Gulal became as red as tomato with all the praises. “I will give my best…”

“Great!” Jodha jumped up from the seat… “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Where??” Gulal popped her eyes.

“In the shooting arena! Come on!”

“But it is too late! We can start tomorrow.”

“Gulal…” Jodha looked intensely. “No sleep today till I learn to use gun.”

“What?” Gulal almost cried.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darkness in a signature of Ruqaiya’s room at night. Especially after a long hectic day. While the whole Harem glitters in light gracefully in any evening, Ruqaiya’s room remains dark, only a single lamp burns at bedside. Ruqaiya was lying in her favorite couch today, her hairs open, eyes closed, Hukkah being untouched. Hosiyaar Khan was pressing her leg silently.

“Has Shahenshah sent any confirmation about the hunting trip, Hosiyaar?” Ruqaiya suddenly uttered in a tired tone.

“He has told than he will get you know soon.” Hosiyaar replied.

“Great.” Ruqaiya said flatly. “I hope he keeps it by day after tomorrow. Else my invitation to Jodha Begam will have no use.”

“Pardon, Ruqaiya Begam…” Hosiyaar could not stop himself anymore. “I know Jodha Begam is exceptionally arrogant and needs to show her place, but I still cannot get why you invited her in that hunt?”

Ruqaiya smiled mildly. “What are you telling Hosiyaar? She needed a test to prove her competency. This was the less that I can do…”

“You could have arranged another competition. She would be humiliated in front of everyone when she would not be able to hold the gun. But why take her in a private hunt with His Majesty?”

Ruqaiya laughed out. “Dear Hosiyaar, nothing is private between the Emperor and his Padshah Begam! You are mature enough to understand that.”

“Forgive me if I speak out of my right, Begam Sahiba…” Hosiyaar told in a hesitating tone. “You are willingly letting to take her over in a trip with Shahenshah? After all this? After witnessing that she is slowly binding His Majesty in her charms, after witnessing how His Majesty is becoming weak around her every time? You need to hold her back from meeting with His Majesty anymore, Ruqaiya Begam; and instead you are getting them closer?”

Ruqaiya stood up and ignited a lamp. “You know why I put Jodha Begam in this test, Hosiyaar?”

“Why, Begam Sahiba?”

“To see if she is really competent enough to do what she says. Or how she appears to be.” Ruqaiya unmindfully ran her finger through the flame of the lamp. “According to me there is no place to know that better than this hunting trip.”

“What are your plan? What will you do?” Hosiyaar said in an impatient tone.

Ruqaiya smiled. “What will I do? Nothing. Just… sometimes it feels good to know that you are not the only one in this huge palace… that among all the play-toys you have a playmate. Sometimes it burns, but most of the times, it feels good.”

“I don’t understand, Begam Sahiba!” Hosiyaar sighed. “You are giving away the Emperor to her?”

Ruqaiya laughed out. “Do you really think the Emperor is such an easy thing that can be distributed between Begams? He is the Emperor, Hosiyaar, he is our lord. He has really nothing to do in this plays of Harem. Besides, to give something to someone it is necessary to possess that thing first. Who am I to give away Shahenshah to anyone, Hosiyaar? The Emperor is never mine…”

“What am I listening Ruqaiya? You disowning me?”

The husky voice made both of them flinched. Ruqaiya got up readily pulling her veil as Hosiyaar stood up and bowed down. “Heil to the Majesty…”

“Your Majesty, now? Without any news?” Ruqaiya asked in a startled tone.

“Yes, I thought to sneak in and watch you tonight.” Jalal abruptly entered and sat beside Ruqaiya on the couch. “Why are you s fascinated with darkness? Hosiyaar, light the lamps…”

“As you wish, Majesty…” Hosiyaar was about to follow the order, Ruqaiya stopped him. “You can go now. I will take care of it…”

Hosiyaar bowed down again and left. Ruqaiya started lighting the lamps one by one. Jalal lied down on the couch.

“What were you talking about disowning me?” He asked in the same childlike tone.

“God forbid, Shahenshah… You are my Lord, you own me. Who am I to disown you…” Ruqaiya smiled gently. “I was just giving an analogy to that idiot eunuch.”

“Analogies usually goes over my dumb head.” Jalal nodded while touching the Hukkah. “But what is with all the darkness, Begam Sahiba? Mughal dynasty is shining like sun, and the chief queen is here sitting alone, smoking in dark?”

“It was a long day. I was tired.” Ruqaiya said flatly. “Why did not you tell me that you will come? I would have made arrangements…”

“Ruqaiya…” Jalal pulled her hand and made her sit closer. “I know you love making arrangements Darling, but sometimes I like being casual with you.”

Ruqaiya smiled softly. “Casualness is for common people, Majesty. An emperor cannot afford to be casual.”

“You cannot think me anything more than an emperor, is not it?” Jalal sighed a little with the smile intact.

“My Lord…” Ruqaiya touched her cheeks lovingly. “What you are to me does not matter… your identity as an emperor overpowers all the others…”

“Or maybe you do not want to see them with much importance. You want to shower all the light on my emperor-self, keeping the rest of my heart in darkness…”

“Well…” Ruqaiya smiled. “You have made me Padshah Begam to take care of your emperor-self. You don’t need me to see you beyond that. You have other queens for it.”

Jalal raised a brow. “Was it supposed to be a word of anger?”

Ruqaiya shook her head. “You did not tell me the reason of your visit.”

“Do I need a reason?” Jalal threw off his shoes and lied down on bed.

“What was the last time you came here without a reason?”

“What was the last time you expected me to be here without a reason?”

Ruqaiya sat beside Jalal and held his hands affectionately. “Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“Unorganized and chaotic?” Ruqaiya suppressed the heavy air suddenly with laughter. “See what you did to my bed-cover? And who throws shoes that way?”

“Well, yes… I don’t have to be organized. I have married you for that part.” Jalal placed her head on Ruqaiya’s lap while playing with her fingers.

“So this is the reason of me being your wife? To keep your life organized?” Ruqaiya caressed his hair, her voice was floating in dark.

“I have not decided that, Padshah Begam, you have accepted that role with all passion and enthusiasm, and gave yourself so much into it, that nowadays I cannot find my dear friend Ruqaiya in that face.” Jalal touched Ruqaiya’s chin. “I miss her.”

This time Ruqaiya smiled genuinely.

“You are right… I came here for a reason. I wanted to tell you that I am more than excited to go in that hunting trip with you day after tomorrow.” Jalal said. “Thank you by the way. I myself did not know how much I needed it until I got your invitation. You know how much I love hunting.”

“I knew.” Ruqaiya smiled. “It’s been a while since your last hunting trip.”

“I still remember that. I had gone in a solo hunt in early morning. You assisted me to sneak out. Khan Baba was more than mad.” Jalal reminisced. “I remember I had hunt a wild boar myself! Ahhh, good old days!” He sighed. “Solo hunt is always fun.”

“I am sure hunting with a perfect partner beside will be more fun.” Ruqaiya said in a low tone.

“Of course. You are a perfect hunting partner dear!”

“I was not talking about myself.” Ruqaiya said grimly, her fingers running busily through Jalal’s hair.

“Then?” Jalal frowned.

“Princess of Amer, Jodha Begam will join us in the trip.”

Jalal could not see his own expression, though he tried hard to control his emotions that readily comes flooding with that very name. He sat up. “Jodha Begam in the hunting trip with us? Why?”

“I thought you would be happy.” Ruqaiya said in an indifferent tone, eyes devoid of any emotion.

“What can I say? I kind of expected this as a private trip for me and you.” Jalal answered.

“You already told that I consider you as an Emperor only. You tell me, what is private in an emperor and his chief consort’s life?” Ruqaiya said.

“Still… Jodha Begam in the trip?” Jalal was still unsure about his feelings. The flash of those glazing, shining eyes was blinding his thoughts. Hunting is like a bond with wilderness, a window to leash out all the unbroken, feral energy… what will be the experience of sharing this wild tour with someone who tames his heart with an unbreakable bond of love? Or the wildness of this very trip might discover some close door of their relationship?

How Jalal should feel about this unexpected turn of event? Happy? Excited? Confused? Or uncomfortable?

“There was an incident today. One thing leaded to another and I invited Jodha Begam in the hunt to show her aiming skills. She readily accepted.” Ruqaiya clarified.

Jalal chuckled. “What? You both were fighting over good aiming skills and challenging each-other like kids? You two dignified royal women?”

“A tigress does not tolerate even a small nip in her ego, Shahenshah. She was mocked about something she is proud of, and I knew very well she will do everything to reestablish her pride in front of everyone. A real tigress does not know to back off.” Ruqaiya smiled. “I just wanted to give her the opportunity to mend that.”

Jalal laughed. “I never knew that you understand Jodha Begam so well.”

Ruqaiya paused for a moment. Then she looked at his eyes. “A woman does not need much time to understand another woman. But I am surprised to see how well you know Jodha Begam. You know her for how long? You have not met her more than two-three days. How do you know her so well, Majesty?”

Jalal startled for a moment. Maybe it was the time he can share the secret. There was nothing to hide, no shame to share… But still something stopped him. The nights in that broken hut in that desert was something very close to Jalal’s heart. He does not want to waste that feelings by sharing it to someone in a way of answering her claims.

“Where do I know her?” He chuckled instead. “There is much more to know. A woman can understand anyone at a glance, Ruqaiya. A Man does not have the privilege.”

Ruqaiya stared at her blankly. She was definitely not satisfied with Jalal’s answer, but she did not question anymore. “Let’s sleep…” She told instead.

Jalal lied down straight with his stare on the ceiling. His mind was distracted. Two days later he will be going on a hunt. And she will be there beside her. Riding on a horse, a firearm on her shoulder, her fiery eyes will hunt the predators behind the bush, and she would glow like fire in the wild… like a thunderbolt in the night sky… Jalal’s perfect partner in the journey of wildness…

Jalal did not realize when Ruqaiya has faced towards him. When she has placed her head over his shoulder. He felt when the soft hands of Ruqaiya nudged him on the arms.

“Jalal…” She whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Do you really believe I am the one to keep your life organized the way it should be?” She asked in a grim voice.

“I cannot imagine the chaos in my life if there was no you, Ruqaiya…”Jalal answered.

Ruqaiya smiled a little. “I promise you, Jalal… I will keep on organizing your whole life like a picture till my last breath.” She sighed. “Whatever it takes…”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dawn in Agra sky is misty. The haze of the fog had hugged the earth from the horizon like a comforting blanket, blurring the green leaves and grass and trees, wrapping them in a silvery lining. The whole surrounding tuned into a mythological enigma, like a blurred memory from the pages of History… Jodha was standing amidst of it, the silence of the blur swinging in her blood… The heavy musket was in her hand, her eyes prying the bull’s eye of the target-board. She held that tightly from her shoulder, gripped the trigger straight and fired… The sound again cracked the silence of the dawn; but Jodha got nothing but disappointment again. The ammo pierced the target-board this time, but not the bull’s eye…

She held the heavy matchlock straight, trying to understand the projectile of the fireball. She was still not able to understand the tactics of adjusting the position of the arm along with the speed and force of it. Every time she shoots, the back force lets her to step back for some steps, her hand trembles essentially, and target is missed. She has been practicing the whole night. Her shoulder and hand is paining by now, but still she did not understand how to position the gun so that it hits the target properly!

Jodha looked at sleeping Gulal Khan at the corner of arena. The sound of the firearm is not disturbing his sleep anymore. Gulal knows how to use a matchlock. He has showed Jodha how to hold it, how to pour gunpowder and tamp it with ramrod and how to load a patch. He has shown her the safety codes of using the dangerous weapon so that she does not hurt herself. But he is not a good aimer. He does not know to position the musket properly in order to shoot right. Poor Gulal tried his best to offer his student the best accuracy, and is tired now in that process. Jodha sighed a little. Maybe she is being too impatient. Maybe she needs to calm down, give herself time. She can arrange some professional training for this… Salima Begam can help her as well…

She shook her head and loaded the tube again. She does not have time for this. She cannot have the comfort of a professional training. She has to be accurate in using firearm before tomorrow morning. By hook or crook. She cannot lose a challenge.

Another shot. The blasting sound almost deafened her ear. The target is missed. Again.

The birds have started chirping their morning song. The soft orange beam of morning sun started to peep in from behind the veil of fog. The morning is so beautiful, so magical…

Jodha concentrated her mind against all the distractions. Nothing can break her attention anymore. No soft glow of sun, no enigmatic charm or mist, no sweet chirping of birds can distract the mind of this Rajputani from her mission. She has a war tomorrow.

Jodha loaded the tube with black powders again. Tamped the muzzle with the rod. Loaded it with ball. Held to tight over the shoulder. Aimed at the target. And..

Suddenly she felt a touch in her arms. Two strong hands slowly skimming over her shoulder, then a gentle touch near to her waist, another hand supporting her back.

Jodha was about to snap in surprise. But she heard someone whispering in her ears… “Shhh!”

Jodha took a long breath. Those strong hands now gripped her shoulders; she felt a warm breath near to her neck, and a masculine arm slid over her arm, supporting the load of the musket along with her; another familiar touch gripped her waist again, she was pulled closer, her position shifted slightly…

Jodha’s heart started pounding in the burn of passion.

“Align you sight, Rajkunwari. Focus on your aim. Hold the matchlock steadily.” The husky tone whispered in her ear.

Jodha exhales a deep breath, her eyes concentrated to the bull’s eye.

“Shoulder steady, left side faces the target.” The robust hands adjusted her position with the firearm.

Jodha aimed the target.

“Hold your breath… Channelize all your energy in the single aim!”

Jodha took a long breath. Her grip steadied as she held the breath.

“Squeeze the trigger slowly, gently, without releasing pressure… Don’t lose the grip after shooting…”

The musket fired. The blazing sound cracked the sky. The birds started chirring in fear.

Jodha’s feet skidded in the back-force. She was losing her balance, but two strong hands grasped her tightly again. When the ringing inside ear was cleared, Jodha discovered she has lost her grip over own body completely. It is standing with the support of that strong masculine built which is standing steadily behind her like a wall, those strong hands gently squeezing her shoulder, and those two blazing eyes gazing at her eyes without blink.

Jodha held her breath again, her hands unmindfully gripped his arms. Warm flow of passion ran through her blood…

“My Lord!” She murmured…

The Emperor smiled.

She stood straight again. Shoulders steady, body straight. She loaded the musket as swiftly as she can. The protective arms again covered her back, his chin softly touching her shoulder as he straightened her position. “Remember, squeeze until you feel resistance… hold your balance after the fire…”

Jodha targeted the aim again. Another cracking noise, the chatters of the frightened birds… And the ammo hitting directly at the bull’s eye.

“Subhan Allah, Begam Sahiba!” He whispered in her ears again. She was clinging to him, his chin resting at her neck, his hand holding her waist and shoulder… and he did not let that grip go.

Jodha did not try to move away. Automatically she leaned to that touch, as if she is willing to release all her concentrated energy under his submission. His right hand reached beyond her shoulder and embraced her neck softly, his warm breath in her neck was giving her goose-bumps. Jodha closed her eyes to absorb the touch… The morning sun was rising, the soft beam of the morning sun touching their heads… as if the nature is blessing them…

“You know well how to hit an aim, don’t you?” He murmured again in his husky voice.

She opened her eyes and tilted her head to look into his eyes. Those gleaming eyes with the touch of dream… those eyes who had won her heart right at the moment she saw them… those eyes who have given her strength in dream in her darkest nightmare… were gazing at her…

“You won’t let me miss my aim ever…” Jodha uttered in a dreamy voice.

Jalal smiled softly before loosing the grip. Jodha stood straight and pulled her veil over her head before keeping the musket down. The ray of sun was falling in her delicate features like natural blush, she took a deep breath to sink the emotions in. Jalal clasped his palms together to compose himself for a moment. Then he looked at Jodha.

“You have a natural talent with arms, Jodha Begam.” He said in a praising voice. “Be it a sword or matchlock. You don’t fail to surprising me with your skills. The way you readily caught the trick of handling target with firearm, is commendable. Everyone cannot hit the bull’s eye with a matchlock right after learning to hold it.”

Jodha smiled shyly. Her eyes again met his gaze… Those eyes were pulling her again… the eyes which never fail to spellbound her.

“A little more practice will excel you in the skill of holding firearms, Jodha Begam.” Jalal smiled. “I am eagerly waiting to join you in the hunting trip.”

Jodha felt goosebumps. The excitement of learning to shoot did not let her see the most important fact about this hunting trip. She will be with the Emperor… For two whole days, she will be with His Majesty! No matter whoever else is there, no matter how many people surrounds them; they will be together under the canopy of sky, outside this prison of Agra fort, riding together on horseback in the greenery of jungle freely… Jodha will be free again under the shelter of nature; and he will be there beside her in that moment of freedom…

The realization of this very fact made her heart pounding first.

“Best of Luck for tomorrow, Jodha Begam… I sincerely wish you fulfil your own expectation to satisfy your deserving pride.” Jalal said. “Now allow me to leave…”

“Majesty!” Jodha called. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Jalal chuckled. “To guide you there? Believe me, I barely did anything…”

“For assuring me again and again that you won’t let me lose ever.” Jodha uttered in a gentle and compelling tone. “For assuring me that no matter how much cruel my destiny becomes, I will always have someone right beside me who will be there for me to watch my back, to support me like a wall, to hold me straight against every peril, to guide me towards the path of victory. My Lord, you are so much more than I ever deserved in my small life… I can never show how much grateful I am for getting you by my side!”

“Don’t distant yourself from me by showing gratitude, Begam Sahiba. I never asked for that!” Jalal smiled softly. “What I truly want from you is…” He sighed a little… “A reply to my question. Gratitude cannot mend the wounds of bleeding heart, you know that.”

“Words cannot express the tears of a weeping heart as well, Majesty…” Jodha said with a smile. “And the replies of all the questions are stored in those tears only… One just has to wait till that tear drops.”

“Alas I cannot wish for that. No tear should fall from your eyes on my watch. Let the questions be unanswered then.” Jalal chuckled.

Jodha laughed mildly. “Believe me, Majesty… the receiver of questions are often more desperate to find the replies than the sender himself.”

Jalal smiled with a nod. “Good Day, Jodha Begam. Maybe you should go back to your room and take rest before everyone else wakes up. Don’t forget to take your sleeping eunuch with you. Hope we meet soon.”

Jalal slowly disappeared from her sight. Jodha kept on staring, her heart content once again…

I owe everyone a real big apology for disappearing. 😭😭 I am so so sorry for being so late.

Originally posted by: Shinning_Stuti

I owe everyone a real big apology for disappearing. 😭😭 I am so so sorry for being so late.