Posted:
" Jo baazuyon ki taaqat se na haare, jo dimaag ke shaatir waar se na haare, wo aksar jazbaat se haar jaata hai."
Meaning : The ones who are not defeated by the force of muscles or the toughness of the mind, are often consumed by the passion of their hearts.
THAT. That is what Peripheral Jalaal is thinking from the moment his gorgeous warrior wife Jodha told him - Sweetheart, what am gonna get by killing a man who has no heart? Last i checked, i do not hunt dead bodies. Little did the lady know that via this sarcastic remark , she is giving Jalaal's hyperactive neurons and hormones a new direction in thought - You cannot defeat me in the muscle and the mind , but maybe you can un-arm my metallic yet vulnerable heart.
There is a fire raging inside Jalaal for Jodha - of hatred, of passion, of intense emotions, of embryo love , of getting her body-heart-soul, of destroying her and yet preserving her. Peripheral Jalaal thinks that the only way he can douse this fire is if he defeats Jodha with a check-and-mate so that her head, heart and mind do not rise ever again and he can continue gift wrapping his warrior ego. But... how do you defeat someone like Jodha? A woman who makes even the thought of physical force sound like an abuse. A woman whose wit and mind force you to stand up and salute her with adulation. A woman who has lost her freedom, life and individuality to you and yet everytime she looks into your eyes, there is an arrogant honour in them that says - Dude, am still the invincible?... Deep down, we all know that our hearts are double-edged weapons, oxymorons. Strongest muscle in the body and yet capable of being the weakest bundle of veins. Jodha's sarcasm makes Peripheral Jalaal realize that the only way he can drown Jodha forever is by conquering her heart , not her body, spirit or honour. Jo shamsheer se nahiin haari, jo khauff se nahiin haari. wo jazbaat se zaroor haar jaayegi... so, the devilish Peripheral Jalaal plays the game played since time immemorial - Of breaking someone by attacking where it hurts the most - the vulnerable heart.
But what about Deep Jalaal? The one who looks at Jodha's face with such adoration that one wonders if this man could spend his life just looking at her? The one who scans Jodha's face with such fierce and intense passion when delivering words, sermons and orders to her? The one who puts his ego aside and admits that he is wrong when she tells him why she was sexy wet in front of all men. The one who always deviates from hatred and inches towards admiration, fondness and the need to unravel Jodha's mystery while discussing her with Ruqqu?... What is that Jalaal going to do when the Peripheral Jalaal is done winning, conquering and destroying Jodha? Valid question. Right?
Jalaal is making me think of little babies who are fascinated with the thought of playing with fire. Attracted to the bright flame, they feel that if they grab it , they can win it and finish it. But the moment those little fingers touch that flame, it burns them and they cry their eyes out in pain. That is where Jalaal is headed as well - he can set up a whole game of love and corner Jodha. He can even decide the moves , but he cannot decide the fate.Providence owns the game, Jalaal. You can only play it. After you have won this heart battle with Jodha, which you will in all probability , you will be set against a bigger war - a war against your own heart that will have learned to beat by then and will race towards Jodha... with or without the permission of Peripheral Jalaal.
Coming to Jodha, the stakes just might be in Jalaal's favour. We are moving beyond the flutter of adrenaline and passionate physicality that Jalaal makes her feel. She is inching towards seeing him as a person - maybe since the first battle night with defences melting now. She lowers her eyes when Jalaal scans her beauty , she tries to keep her breathing stable when Jalaal gets all hot and heavy with her in the flirt tones, she keeps standing alone in the arena pondering over Jalaal's compliment to her beauty and valour , she tries to keep her point forward while wet instead of telling him to go to hell, she stops in her tracks with a registering thought when Jalaal's arrival at the Harem is announced. She gives Jalaal those innocent wifey verbal whacks when she feels he has caught her dupatta instead of going all ' bachaao-bachaao'. She softens on seeing Jalaal's affection for Raheem and is further loosened on hearing how much Jalaal loves children...Beginning to get Jalaal-ized without trying, without realizing. Getting to near the man that Jalaal is - the Deep Jalaal and not the Peripheral Jalaal. And a pure heart always runs to a heart that has the aromas of purity.
For Jalaal, this is a new war strategy where the opponent ( Jodha) is going to be attacked where she is the most vulnerable - her heart , and Raheem is the weapon. Jalaal is all prepared and Jodha is all unprepared - but you know what is the secret truth? Its only destiny that is PREPARED.
For the rest, i like how Ruqqu makes Jalaal remember and forget in a rhythmic pattern that how exciting his Jodha really is and how Jalaal is besotted with her. I know that a lot of people hate Ruqqu and Jalaal's interactions - but i see it as a childhood friendship that may not be healthy but is a symbiotic relationship. Ruqqu was tolerable today minus her horrid laughter.
Raheem has fallen in love with Jodha. Innocence falls for innocence. Vulnerability seeks vulnerability. And the same shall happen to Jalaal.
MA needs to UP her game.
So, play on my Jalaal. If only you knew that the Jodha you want to destroy is the resurrection of your dead heart. Someday, you shall know that and tell Jodha that she set her sword at the right spot on that day - cutting through the cold layers and diving straight into his heart.
Udne Ki Aasha
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