Chapter 34: Destination Wedding on a Different Level
It was a five hours journey from Jaipur to Agra. Everyone was getting all crazy looking at Taj Mahal.
"Yaar, couple photo le lo Taj Mahal ke saath..." Sam almost begged.
"Kya? Hum dono mein se koi bhi Shah Jahan aur Mumtaz nahi hai. Baksh do hume." I commented. Jodha laughed.
"Dekho... kitna pyaar dikh raha hai..." Jodha teased him. He raised an eyebrow at them.
"Why not? I didn't know you has a wish to go into labour 17 times." I retorted. "You could have told me, I would have something like that made for you..."
She slapped my arm.
"How unromantic of you..." She stuck out her tongue.
"Waise, are you planning to get married around here? Because trust me I'm going to be mighty impressed if you are." Sam exclaimed.
"I have a doubt ki yeh ladki hi Mumtaz hai. She seems to be so crazy about it as if it was made for her." I dryly commented.
"Oh no no... Rest assured she's not Mumtaz. I don't want to deal with that lot again." She answered exasperated. It actually blinked in my mind. She actually had been around Mumtaz and Nur Jahan longer than me.
"Is it this saas-bahu kind of trouble?" I teased her. She passed me a look. I started laughing. She looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I'm not saying she's evil or anything. She's a woman I admire. She's seen worst of times and learnt how to become stronger. When she re-entered my life, she was no longer that 17 year old girl who had innocence in her. She had grown up. I sympathisez with her but we just didn't have that kind of relationship with her that I had with my mother-in-law. Arjumand, Mehruniss and I were just too different from each other to be able to easily put our differences aside. Koi saas-bahu wali saazish nahi hui thi. As such, that was one crazy period that I don't want to go through again." She commented.
"You have a very different view about Nur Jahan than rest of the world. Honestly, I don't remember her much." I admitted.
"When have you even seen her? You saw her on her wedding day, that's it. She was married to her first husband who saved Jahangir. I don't have hatred for her. I think that people just portray her wrongly. She is a force of her own. The society just has trouble with accepting that a woman can hold that amount of power in an era that seems to them was backward in their mind. She was just modern for her time. Anyway, why are we speaking about her?" She said.
"Bhai, see both Shah Jahan and Jahangir had done so much for their empresses. Like it actually left a mark. Why didn't you do anything like that?" Sam questioned. "Kya kami thi bhabhi ke pyaar mein jo aapne unke liye aisa kuch aalishaan nahi kiya hai?" I had to swear that she was the most dramatic sister on the planet.
"Having my name on the coins? Bawaal ho jata..." Jodha commented. Only we know the kind of mess our relationship had caused around. She looked at me.
"Agar ishq ki imtehaan mein muqqadar banne ke liye aalishaan mehel banane pade toh aisa ishq mujhe manzoor nahi. Mere ishq ki hadd toh sirf mere sanam ko pata hai. Jis ishq mein apna sab kuch kho kar, sirf ishq ka ban jaaye, wahi mera pyaar hai. Humari mohobbat ko mitaane ki koshish hui hai laakh par phir bhi mere sanam ka naam aaj bhi mere naam se jud kar waqt ke panno par muqqadar ban ke aaya hai. Laakh kare duniya hume juda par uske naam se humara naam na mita paaye, yahi hai mere pyaar ki nishaani." She said.
"Bhabhi, you should become a poet. I am just super impressed with this poetry." Sam praised with a smile. "Uff... kya romance kar rahe ho yaar. Matlab baaton baaton mein bhi romance kar lete ho."
I just gave a shy smile. I didn't expect her to remember it.
"Didn't expect me to remember it, did you?" She said knowingly.
"Well, it wasn't something that special in a moment or anything. So..." I explained.
"It was the last poetry you wrote. It is quite special." She reminded me. I smiled. "Shayar toh hai hi aap kamaal ke."
We had then went to see the Agra Fort.
"Quite differen from how it used to be. To be honest, it feel a bit nostalgic and odd now. Yaad kuch hai aur abh kuch aur hai." She commented.
"True that but I'm rather here for you. The funniest thing is to hear the tour guides making up stories. Trust me. The kind of stories I head from them." I laughed. She shook her head.
"This is Jahanagiri Mahal. Yahan par Nur Jahan rehti thi. Isiliye ise Jahangiri Mahal kehte hai." The tour guide. Jodha broke into laughed and hid herself in my shoulder. I just controlled myself with a smile.
"The history degree they have is such an amazement. Itne bade mehel mein sirf ek Nur Jahan rahegi. Funniest thing. Bhooton ka bangla bhi keh dete." I commented. She laughed at that.
"Dekho please yaha scene mat karo. Woh tour guide aake dono ko bohot kuch kahega." She told me. It is so funny to hear the stuff they make up. Jahangir-i-hauz. With the confidence they say that he took bath in this exact tub.
"Kehdo ki isse pehle yeh exist hi nahi karta tha. Usne hi invent kiya hai itna bada tub." I commented.
"Bhai, just shut up, okay? Aapko bohot pata hai toh aap hi tour dedo na..." Sam complained.
"Sam, has isiliye rahe hai because these kind of tubs existed even before that. This is just one of the surviving ones. It is funny that the kind of assurance they give that only this was used by him." Jodha explained.
"Waise, it would actually be fun if you gave the tour. You remember better on who lived where. Matlab I toh don't know all that." Sam requested.
"This fort existed before Mughals, Sam. It was just upgraded to a unbreakable fort from one which had nothing special about it. Fourteen engineers were set with him to make this fort impregnable. One entrance was used for the imperial army and other one was for the common people." Jodha told her.
"They just named it according to their convinience. There were no names to them specifically. They were just two wings of harem where all the women stayed. A lot of rooms even inside the building are destroyed. They call it Jahangiri Mahal. It was just where all the higher queens stayed. Harem is just like politics. The important people stay closer to those in power and others stay away. It was made so the ones in a lower position couldn't take over the queen who had a higher status." She started explaining.
"Some geinus person must have come up with it to keep their power intact." Sam exclaimed.
"Hmmm.... Even I don't know who came up with that." Jodha looked at me. Only Ruqaiya had been that clever. The northern wing and southern wing. "It used to seem lively now it is almost quiet."
"Haan, konsa log yahan rehte hai..." I said. She trotted around the Jahangiri Mehel trying to remember what had changed.
"In that corner, I used to have a room. Over in that part, there was different building, Malika-e-aazm had her mehel there. She had a different building altogether. It was really beautiful. She had several hangings and paintings. Now my room seems to be gone. The courtyard was always burstling with people around. There would be mattresses around with a curtain over the top providing shade from the hot summer sun. People playing games and chatting away." She had a smile as she showed Sam around. I just smiled looking at her.
"There was a courtyard between this and the khaas mahal. After the building was changed, most of it seems to be gone. There was a rather large pool there and it almost resembled a parlour where everyone would be lazing.. A part of it now became Jahanara Pavillion and this space has become so empty. It was large parlour...." She continued on telling her. The two were a little too excited.
They spent a large amount of time around the palace. A lot many buildings in the fort are now under Indian Army.
Everyone finished their trip around the fort.
"You don't seem too excited.." Jodha commented as she sat next to me while others were clicking photos.
"Well, I don't know it is an odd mix of a feeling. Major of the buildings are sealed under Indian Army. A lot of other building are reconstructed so I don't recognize it much, you know. So, I'm not so hyper excited. Though, I'm excited for what is to follow." I winked at her. She shoved me playfully.
"How can someone always their mind in the gutter?" She asked, regardless she smiled.
"What? I was talking about our nikaah." I tried to act innocent. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Kyu are you already dreaming about out honeymoon? Haw.... Sharam karo, Jo."
She hit me.
"Shut up."
I put my arm around her as we continued to go around the place. Abbu called me. Ammi took Jodha with her while abbu came up to me.
"Haan, abbu?" I asked.
"You said that you had spoken to the authorities, right?" He asked.
"Haan. They've done the whole thing. By the evening, they'll clear up the people and it will be closed down for people." I assured.
"Woh sabh toh theek hai, Jalal, par decorations and all?" He asked.
"Abbu, I've already had people get things already started. They're already decorating the place."
"Still, I think we should go and make sure everything is taking place properly."
"Abbu, dadijaan has already gone there. She's supervising the whole thing with dadajaan. She told me to take care that we don't break the surprise to her before we get there."
"Alright. Good. I think we should leave in a while. Kaazi sahab has given us the time for the wedding. We have to get everything set and get you and Jodha ready."
"Alright."
After a few more minutes, we decided to leave.
"We're going to go towards the next stop." I told everyone.
"Okay." Everyone got into the car. I drove us towards the destination. I had given dadijaan instruction on how I wanted general look, she could take care of the rest. Jodha and Sam were laughing and talking about some fashion week's stuff.
"Fatehpur Sikri..." Jodha exclaimed as she noticed the fort in view. A smile came through her face.
I offered her a hand to come out of the palanquin. She just stood in surprise.
"So?" I asked her excitedly. Well, as excited as I could look.
"I had seen the blueprints but I can swear, it seems a little surreal in reality." She answered. Fatehpur Sikri. I had planned to make it my new capital. It was close to Agra.
"I was hoping it would be something like that." I smiled. I took her hand and led her inside.
"But I don't know, I'll miss Badalgarh though." She added.
"Heer, we make new memories in new places. It is not important that things remain same." I assured her. I showed her the royal palaces inside. I took her to one of my favourite places. "That there is Diwan-e-aam." I showed. She smiled.
"I think I like the design." The gardens surrounding it was planted with several flowers and trees. I took her further.
"Diwan-e-khaas." I showed her. She looked at the pillar.
"I don't get why there's a pillar in a center? I never saw that in the design." She went around the pillar confused.
"What why? That's my seat." I answered. She raised an eye brow. A moment later broke into laughter. "What? Why's that so funny?"
"Apologies, your majesty. Your self-centered attention seeking part is showing." She teased softly.
"I'm the Emperor. So, yes, that gives me the license to be attention seeking and wanting to be at the center of everything."
"Oh.... this is too beautiful." She was surprised to see the building in middle of a water body.
"Anup Talao." I told her.
"I am seriously offended. There are simply too many things here that I didn't know about." She complained.
"I plan to surprise you." I answered. The building was perfectly made above the pond which gave cool air. It was an open pillared building with no walls. There was just one dome at the top. It was quite airy.
"I like this. Its not exactly Angoori Bagh but it isn't bad. I don't know I am just so used to that garden before you quarters." She expressed her opinion.
"Change is good. There's a garden inside the harem. So, that would work?" I offered. The next surprising part was the one right next to Rang Mahal.
"That was Rang Mahal, right?" She asked surprised. I smiled. The five storied building right next to Rang Mahal was covered with jharokhas for walls.
"Want to go up?" I offered. She walked around the pillared courtyard on the ground floor. The ground floor had no walls. The first, second, third and fourth floor had stone cut walls. The top floor didn't have walls. She smiled. She looked at the entire Fatehpur Sikri from there.
"That there is the harem. You already know that. That's the garden. Ammijaan told me she wanted a garden before her quarters and I know how much you like the gardens. So, the two building near the gardens are yours and ammijaan's quarters. The one next to the polo grounds is Ruqaiya's quarters. She's going to scream at the sight of polo ground. You know how much she enjoys the sport. There are other buildings. Next to Ruqaiya's is Salima Begum's quarters." I showed her. There were open courtyards around the harem.
"It is beautiful. It is different and its going to be a while but I think I'll try to get used to it." She told me with a smile. "Regardless, I'm always going to miss Angoori Bagh. I have too many memories there to forget it for sake of your 'Anup Talao'."
I laughed. "I was expecting it anyway."
Jodha looked at me. Several building were now missing but majorly had the familiarity.
"So..." I offered her a hand.
"Okay... wait. It is actually decorated almost the same way." She exclaimed once we had crossed the Jami Masjid. I smiled.
"You like it?" I asked her.
"It is beautiful." The moment her eyes fell near Anup Talao, she was surprised. People were preparing the place. "What is going on?"
It clicked to her when she saw the screen right in middle of the seat. The whole fort was decorated well. Seats were arranged at the outside for all the guests. Dadijaan and Dadajaan had done a fantastic job at that.
"I think we're already a little behind schedule." Ammi pointed out. Everyone was taken to their present arrangement. Parth was a little late but at least he showed up for the nikaah.
"You're seriously late. I can't believe you excused yourself with work while I am getting married." I complained to him. He laughed.
"I'm not entirely missing from the wedding, J. I made it to your nikaah. So, relax. Don't eat my head." He put his hands up in surrender. The feeling is odd. The place is decorated so similarly but still the sign how time has washed over the place prevailed. The once heavily filled place now seemed comparitively empty. I was laughing along with my friends as they continued cracking jokes.
I started to get dressed. The sherwani was encrusted in swarovski stones. That's when Jodha's grandfather and father came up to me. I stood up. My friends decided that they should leave. Jodha's dad gave me a box. I took it.
"I wasn't expecting a gift. I am just hoping you'll be happy for her. I know I'm not exactly your choice but I will always love her. There possibly cannot be any other person who I belong with than her. There is no way to explain what I feel for her in right words." I told him.
"Open it." Her grandfather told me. I opened it. There was a watch in it. It was an old watch.
"One of my first owned watches. I had only owned a watch from my own money after Jodha was born. She was born to me like a blessing. I had never owned anything I bought with my own earned money before she was born to me. Our family had money and riches but it never had been mine at that point. My father didn't believing in giving anything to anyone who didn't deserve it. I had to earn my position and my money. The moment I held her for the first time, I saw her as my fortune. She turned my life around. In that one moment, I had decided that she was my heir. I prepared her for that my whole. This watch always reminded me of how much she was precious to me. How I had sudden become a fortunate man. After that, I had been given several other watches. This watch reminds of the time I had put into making her into my heir. Someone who would be my pride and my right hand." He explained.
"Then why are you giving this to me? If it is so precious to you then why give it away?" I asked.
"I thought that just because I owned the watch, its time will run according to how I want. It took me 25 years to realize that. Just like the time the watch showed, I wanted Jodha to grow up according to how I want her to be. It took me 25 years to understand that she was supposed to grow the she wanted to grow up. Time doesn't run the way we want it to, we run according to the time. You made me realize that she shouldn't have been made to be like how I want her to be, I should have been how she wanted me to be. A child makes a man a father, a father doesn't make a child. I am giving it to you because you have always been the way she wished her future husband to be. You work according to the time and that why you're quite among the best. I am not saying that we can suddenly become all close and friendly but I'm going offer you a truce. You're not my choice but you're my daughter's." He answered. Jodha's dadu smiled at me.
I looked at the watch and the man left.
"Am I dreaming?" I asked the old man.
"No. He's trying. He's not going to like you soon. It is going to be a long while." The old man commented.
"I'm aware of that. If he suddenly becomes all lovey-dovey. I'm going to be quite suspicious of him." I retorted. He laughed and left. Abbu came in after that.
"So... I presume he's not going to be an issue?" Abbu asked.
"Well, that's what I hope but even if he is going to be one, I'm determined to live the rest of my life with Jodha." I answered. He smiled at me.
"Daughter are special like that to fathers, Jalal. They don't like some man randomly coming and taking away their beloved princess. Ab tak hamesha apne walid ka haath pakad ke chalti thi aur achanak se kisi aur ka haath pakad kar chali jaa rahi hai. Dil thoda insecure ho jata hai. He's not longer her King. She's now someone else's Queen. Its hard to swallow but he'll get through when he sees how happy she it." Abbu patted my back. I sat on the stool. Abbu took the cloth and began to put the turban on my head.
"Any teasings you want to do?" I asked him.
"Sahabzaade, aapki shaadi ho rahi hai. Abhi toh aapki aazaadi ke khwab bhi begairat si lagenge. Bhul jaaiye ki abh kuch bhi aasaan hone wala hai. I'm telling you of experience. As long as she's your girlfriend, she's yours. The moment she becomes your wife, she's going to much more a part of your family's new member than yours. Aadhi zindagi kat jaati hai.. abh aapki biwi apke ghar ki bahu ban jaati hai. Soon, everyone's going to put their right on her." He commented.
"Dara kyu rahe ho, abbu?"
"Sachai hai. Shaadi ki sacchai hai, betejaan. Phas gaye na. Main bol raha tha ki achi khaasi zindagi thi. Only thing between you and her was your relationship. Now, there everyone else in your family between both of you. Mujhse pucho.... aisa lagta hai ki khaandaan wale kabhi beech se hatenge hi nahi. Not even a moment to spare and you'll have someone interrupting you." He laughed.
"Abbu, aap mujhe jaante hai. Jalal ne kabhi apni marzi ke aage kisi ki suni hai? Badtameez toh main hamesha se him tha." I winked.
"Haan but besharam aapki begum toh nahi hai. Aapki marzi begum tak pahuche, usse pehle gharwale pahuch jaate hai un tak."
"What do you mean? Last think I expect is you, ammi or Sam disturbing us."
"There are several other relatives enough to do that."
"Waah..."
"Anyway, from now on, she's going to be your responsibility, Jalal. When a man is with his girlfriend, he keep running behind her and does all sorts of things for her but the moment she becomes his wife, she's taken for granted. She falls in love with the man who was always willing to do things to stay with her but then to deal with this new person who has no so ever thought for her is confusing. To keep a relationship strong, both people have to hold it tight and continously care for that rope. I know that you've spent one lifetime with her but still every lifetime would feel new. Don't stop pouring the same love you gave her till now. It takes conscious effort to keep the love alive. They always do it on their part because they're generally emotionally people. The wife consciously tries to keep that bond the same, so we should also do our part. Sometimes it is going to be tough but hold on to it. Don't let yourself feel that now you don't have to make an effort and she's yours. Just because she married to you doesn't make her your property or something you own. Pyaar karne se zyaada shaadi mein pyaar nibhana mushkil hota hai. Let her know from time to time that she's important to you." Dad told me as he put that sehera on my turban. I smiled.
It reminded me last time when we got married, he wasn't there to put that sehera over my head but this time, he was here.
"I had the best example of a marriage, abbu. You and Ammi had always shown us how a marriage is supposed to be."
"Take care of her. There could be times when we and Jodha might not be on the same terms. Ho sakta hai ki kuch baaton mein hum ek sa na sochen aur isiliye mushkil ho but don't let that scare you. Think from both the perspectives and make your decision but don't leave her behind. When we say that we're going to be family, there are bound to be disagreements. To us it would be the same as our daughter but Jodha would feel like she's speaking to her in-laws because that's how girls are consciously trained. Puri zindagi kehte rahenge ki they have to watch what they speak before their in laws but I'm going to tell you think, you have to be careful about what you speak before her family. Her family's respect is also dependent on you. You'll have to make sure that you don't disturb their image with your rashness."
Edited by AliChase - 4 years ago
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Shiv Shakti
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