" I saw a completely different side to him that day. He had forgotten all his pride, his monarchy, his imperial status and he was lost in the glory and love of the Almighty. And all those who say that he has no heart are big fat liars. Their emphasis , their confidence , their declarations that Shahenshah is heartless were proven wrong in front of my eyes. He has a heart and I have seen it."
-Jodha.
Today's episode does not stand out in its content , it stands out in its ESSENCE of Jodha moving forward in the direction of becoming , discovering and realizing the truth of being Jalaal's soulmate - not just his Chief Queen No.3. While everyone resigns to the fact that Jalaal will not make it to the sunrise , Jodha doesn't. She is alive and she keeps praying that Jalaal will live - she doesn't even once entertain the idea of Jalaal's non-existent death , unlike all the Harem women and family. When Hameeda takes Jodha away to a secluded room in the palace for the sake of her own safety , Jodha's first thought is that she cannot leave Jalaal in this condition and go in hiding.
The entry of the Gwalior Hakeem puts forth the truth of JJ's destiny as soulmates , but nobody sees it. Jodha learned the art of making a healing medicine just for kicks and for knowledge - who would have thought that a few years down the line , she will save Jalaal and so many on the periphery with the same art. Jodha was a Princess , she had no need to learn it as so many Vaidyas and Hakeems were at her beck and call, and yet she learned it. Just so that , it would fall in place with the plan of destiny in future when she becomes Jalaal's wife.
When Jalaal regains consciousness, opens his eyes and raises his hand , nobody is able to understand what he is trying to say - Maaham and Ruqqu feel that he is calling for them. But Jodha - the so-called hateful, vengeful, nakchadhi stranger wife reads him the best. She understands that he wants water but she tells him that he can't. Jalaal's hand drops and he goes back to sleep. This is what a soulmate is. Doesn't matter if he/she has known you for 40 years , 40 days, 40 minutes - they just read you and catch you like nobody else.
When Hameeda presents the Holy Quran to Jodha and Jodha pays respect to the holy book of Islam , she recalls how Jalaal had taught her to pray at Dargah Shareef. A pleasant countenance comes over her face and Jodha raises her hands in Dua' just like Jalaal had taught her. There was no need to do it - even the touching of Quran with her forehead in respect was enough , especially for someone who is not a Muslim but respects all religions and faiths. But still, Jodha did it. A good Jalaal having seeped into her subconscious mind , as we saw. The Jalaal who is free of imperial ego and " aapko zindaa jala dengge" jazz.
Later , she talks of Jalaal, Ajmer Shareef, and the oneness of all religious faiths leading to that one Almighty Power with so much love , adoration, regard and embracing that Hameeda and Moti are taken in by her beautiful words. Two things stand out , of course. First, how Jodha , a Hindu Rajput Princess of 1500s sees all religious faiths as same and dismisses the till-date misconception that God is divided just like human-beings . How she emphasizes the fact that it doesn't matter if its a Bhajan rising from a temple or Aazaan coming from a mosque - they all are going to the same set of ears . All religions , all faiths may be different in kind and practise but they all go to One Home. Like they say, jab banaane waale ne koi farak nahiin kiyaa, toh insaan kaun hotaa hai farak karne waala?
Second, is Jodha's fond and affectionate recalling of Jalaal as " Khuda ka bandaa" and his complete surrender to God. She describes him with so much affection, adoration and not to forget her confident emphasis that Jalaal has a heart ( indirectly bashing Ruqqu and Maaham ) - that Hameeda once again reiterates the hope that she has seen in Jodha - that this nakchadhi, sarchadhi, badtameez Amer ki Shehzadi is the FUTURE of Jalaal and she will bring in the next phase in Jalaal's life . The journey of him walking from Jalaal's stepping stones to the imperial and eternal throne of Jalaaludin Mohammad Akbar.
As for Jalaal? Hosh mein aate hi saari badtameeziyaan waapis haazir ho gayeen hain. He knows he is gonna live , is sitting in the silk and chiffon comforts of his palace , biting into peaches and who knows what. So, the vulnerable and forgiving Jalaal who forgave and opened up to Jodha in his dying hours takes a backseat. The imperial mask of badtameez authority is back and so is the smirk for his darling Jodha beghum - " Ittni badee gustaakhi ki ittni chhoti si sazaa?"... Jodha Beghum , haazir ho jaayein aap. Jalaal seems to prefer stunning nurses , eh?
I genuinely liked Shareefuddin's and Aadham's scene. It was well-written, well-enacted and had a twist in the end . It was a good highlighting of the peripheral plotting in royal times. Well done. But too bad . Jalaal is back. So, maybe Shareef and Aadhan should try killing Jodha next. Coz Jalaal has a persistent and able bodyguard in her.
P.S- Ruqqu is not only a spoilt volatile selfish queen. She is extremely foolish as well - yes, even more than your pyaar-dulaari Jodha. Jalaal , as soon as he is up, is asking about Jodha in a turnaround twisted manner ( did she really take care of me ?) and madam is extolling her own slapping talents? Is she so blind that she cannot see Jalaal's indelible fixation with Jodha behind the facade of all the teasing games and so-called hatred that he puts up? Just because he doesn't react to the news of Jodha being slapped by Ruqqu and goes on his own mischievous tangent of thinking up a " good punishment" for her does not mean that he hates her. Like, seriously? What an obtuse ad opaque woman! 😲
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