OS- 'I have something IMPORTANT to tell you, Jodha Begum' he whispered

OS - 'I have something IMPORTANT to tell you, Jodha Begum' he whispered

Ducking his head under the still petalline water of his relaxing warm bath tub, he emerged out of it once again. He wiped the gushing stream that freshly flowed down - right from his hair all the way to his face and onto his shoulders. It was nothing short of reinvigorating. A warm soak during the freezing cold months at Agra - what's not to love? 

Having said that, he was hoping to step out sometime soon. He had other things to attend to. His empire had been on hold long enough and many issues were still pending. He had to leave now, but he couldn't! SHE hadn't arrived yet and it was more than a fair while since he'd sent for her. 

He needed to set some matters straight with HER - the one lady in his life - thanks to whom this farce had started in the first place and thanks to whom it had all ended too! 

Now, why did he even let things get this far in the first place? This was something he'd reproached himself for numerous times in the past week. Blinded by rage, he'd brushed off all obvious signs. He'd committed numerous blunders in the course of time and for this, he could have paid with his life! Nevertheless; he was hale and hearty today and he had his good fate to thank for it - his good fate AND HER! 

Yet, when weighing the situation many times there was always a small part of his conscience that didn't let himself take complete blame for it. After all, he hadn't entirely been 'Jalal-ud-din-Muhammed' in the past few weeks. He'd compelled himself to be 'lost' in this seductress' beauty - purely to get back at the one person who he wished he could be 'lost' in. He'd made many attempts to compliment this assassin, to touch her and to feel titillated by it - only because he yearned for that relationship with the very woman he was attempting to spurn. Somehow; he knew that this dear queen had offended his psyche in more ways than one - yet, he couldn't understand why a 'heartless' person like himself could feel such ache by the rejection - the rejection of one he claimed NOT to care for or love! 

Nevertheless, in the heat of the moment - he'd sought revenge like a possessed man. The consequences of which had led to him NOT inferring that this very seductress who'd been traipsing around him for the past month was in fact a spy planted by his staunch enemy Abul Mali! 

Anyhow; once everything had fallen back in place and life at Agra returned to near-normalcy, he'd set out to make amends too. He'd sought HER company twice and apologized profusely, which seemed to have no effect on her. In fact, she did not even let him finish his statements on both occasions. He'd lauded her valiant efforts in court, which didn't seem to impress her. He'd ordered for the rarest species of peacock to be brought over to Agra to adorn her gardens. She'd accepted the peacock, but rejected HIS company. He'd dictated a poem and sent it to be hand-delivered to her that came back to his chamber with its seal still unopened. 

Thus, with all remedial efforts in vain and his mind unable to dismiss HER into oblivion, he'd resorted to the one tactic he'd assumed would drag her to his presence - and he was right! 

She'd arrived at last - he could sense her presence from twenty feet away. He erupted into a self-satisfied smile. 

Following a quick announcement by the baandhis, the sound of her anklets reverberated within the confines of the Hamam Khaana. The Emperor dismissed all his assistants thereafter - this was meant to be something between husband and wife alone! 

'Welcome my dear' he addressed the lady standing behind - not looking back as he did so 'It has been a while since I've had a proper private word with you...' 

'We have nothing more to speak about Shehenshah...' she seethed 'Benazir is dead now and you've thanked me for saving your life...I see no point in discussing anything more about this dead assassin that you...' she stopped herself there - she had to keep reminding herself not to display such overt jealousy in front of HIM! 

'But there are still somethings about her that I haven't discussed with you...' he paused - escalating the friskiness in his tone 'some IMPORTANT things' 

Jodha let out a flustered sigh. This was infuriating and ridiculous. She wanted to just walk away, but then what if this important something about Benazir was indeed IMPORTANT? 

'What is it?' she mumbled 

He knew it - he hadn't judged her wrongly 'I'll tell you Jodha Begum...but before I start, can you please pour the water over my shoulders...its getting chilly around here...' 

The silent queen moved forth to the bath steps and picked up the pitcher, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She couldn't believe it. Why was she following HIS orders? Why was she letting herself listen to this? Why was she letting him get to her? Firmly rooted in her spot, she looked away in rebellion. 

Perceiving precisely what was going on behind him, Jalal smirked 'I'm not lying when I say, I have to say something IMPORTANT Jodha Begum!' 

Surely enough, the water from the pitcher began cascading on his handsome physique in no time. 

*********************

'I don't have all evening, I need to get back in time for my evening prayers...can you...' 

'This is EXACTLY how she was...I still think about her, you know...her fiery manner' 

'Who?' 

'Benazir...I mean' he explained on a playful note 'She was...' 

Before he could complete the sentence, he was interrupted by the gurgling sounds of the silver pitcher beside him - she'd angrily cast it into the water and was beginning to alight from the steps. He wasn't entirely surprised. 

A vindictive frown taking over his face, he hastily turned around and grabbed her by her wrist 'Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you' 

'I'm no slave Shehenshah, I'm your queen...' 

'STILL...you don't walk away when I haven't finished...' 

The tug-of-war went on for a few moments - with Jodha in no mood to stay and Jalal in no mood to let go. At one point, the match between the two had escalated to such an extent that the queen was about to slip on the marble steps - be it due to the intensity of the tussle, the slippery steps or the borders of her flowing ghagra. Just then, as part of a quick-thinking attempt to break her fall - lest the sharp corners of the steps bruised her elbows - Jalal pulled her towards him with might. In a flash, the unwitting queen found herself immersed within the warm waters of the Hamam Khaana. It all happened much too quickly - too soon for her to realize what had just happened, much less prevent it! 

Shocked by the outcome of it all; where she was now standing face to face with the ONE man she didn't want to face - well, definitely NOT in the Hamaam - Jodha let out a gasp. Cupping her face with her hands, the alarmed queen glanced down at her semi-disturbed clothes and jewellery - all of it now soaking wet. 

'I'm sorry, I didn't intend to tell you the rest of the story in this manner...' he nearly bit his lip to stop himself from breaking out into a chuckle 'But, I definitely didn't want you to sustain an injury!' 

Her eyes raging with anger, she began wading away from his presence to make her way out once again. However, he was in no mood to let go. He darted forth in a jiffy and caught on to her wrist under water - holding it firmly 'I still will not let you go till I finish...not this time...' 

'I don't want to...' 

He moved closer to the cornered queen - trickles of water still dripping off both their faces 'Such intense gazes... shimmering long black hair that always smells of perfume...silky skin...the kohl filled doe-like hazel eyes...' 

She could move back no more - her back was now resting against the stone wall of the tub 'What are you talking about?' she asked, looking and yet not looking at him. 

In a fleeting urge, the young Emperor let go of her wrist - only to glide his arms around her bare waist now. Alarmed by his advances, Jodha was thrust into a confusing spell of feelings as his taut fingers steadily made their way around her exposed waist. She hated him for this. HATED him! Why was he doing this to her? She tried nudging him away, but her mind was in a thousand places - her half-hearted struggles were not really paying off. 

Devilishly examining the anxiety in her eyes and the nervousness on her quivering lips, Jalal continued 'Don't you still know who I'm talking about?' leaning closer, he moved the wet locks of hair from her cheeks and whispered into her ears 'Its Benazir...who else?' 

She'd nearly felt a tingle bolt through her being with that near-graze of his - but, the name 'Benazir' brought her back to reality just as drastically. Her breath now heavy with rage, with restlessness and with jealousy, she interrupted his low-pitched sermon on a very very bitter note 'Benazir DID NOT have doe-like hazel eyes!' 

He came away for a moment to observe the frenzied expressions on her face 'Oh didn't she?' 

She didn't answer. She knew his game. 

He moved back to her ears - taking pleasure in the sensations as the contours of his face nearly slid on her tender neck. The scent of her hair was just intoxicating 'Wonder why I was mistaken in that observation then?' 

'Shehenshah...' she stuttered unconvincingly 'Why do you have to be so close to me...you're making me uncomfortable...' 

Moving his fingers from her tangled wet hair, his hand slipped down to her smooth back to support her as he almost lodged his lips on her soft shoulders. He didn't seem to have any plans of stopping in the near future 'Why am I so close? Because this is something ONLY meant for your ears Jodha Begum...' 

She realized she was being teased, but she didn't know the secret of how not to let it affect her. If she despised him so much, why was she becoming weaker with every romantic overture of his. Her hands were still feebly endeavouring to shove him away, but she knew not why she'd begun enjoying the feeling of his warm chest so close to her - just as much. She'd never felt so powerless before and it worried her that it didn't bother her as much as it should. In fact, a very small part of her was beginning to feel strangely uplifted to be there - with him - in his arms. She'd never really wished to know how nice it felt to be encapsulated within the strong throes of a man - especially THIS man! 

She didn't want to accept that she was on the verge of giving in - on the brink of letting herself be wholly embraced in his clasp. She refused to admit that the trembling on her fingers had died down as they'd temporarily found their place on his robust torso. She tried rebuffing the excitement her body felt as his fingers skid on her skin. Was she really about to let him do as he pleased - to let him devour the profiles of her neck, her face, her lips and more? Her mind spoke one language and her body another. Drowning in a baffling blend of sensations and feelings, she barely managed to gather the strength to utter words she'd been meaning to ask -

'I...t...thought you wanted to say s...something IMPORTANT'

 - and with that word, she recalled that he'd still been referring to 'Benazir' in his last sentence. She snapped out of it - all at once! 

'Shehenshah!' she yelled - attempting to shake him out of the daze he'd gone into and the daze she'd been dragged into along with him. Exasperated by the turn of events, she picked a palmful of water and splashed it on his face - her glares unflinched as he did so 'STOP toying with my emotions...its not a game...a trinket...or a toy...its my heart...' she was nearly in tears as she made that last statement. 

Though momentarily taken aback by the unexpected spray of water that had hit his face, he didn't react much. After all, this was his Rajvanshi Begum he was with! Moving slightly away so he could stare into her eyes, he went on to justify himself - not bothering to wipe the fresh droplets of water from his visage 'That's why I said...its something IMPORTANT I've been meaning to tell you...' 

When he made that statement, his face didn't have the typical sly smirks she expected. Instead, his expressions were now strangely serene. She cursed the day that had intertwined her fate with his - why did he have to be a myriad of such confounding emotions? 

Proceeding to wipe the tear that was now clinging onto her eye - something that only disturbed the queen even more - he lifted her chin up with authority so she'd have to face him. Dropping his voice to a husky whisper, he went on to convey what he'd wanted to 'She was around me all these days and yet I know not the colour of her eyes...she tried spending many-a-night with me and yet I barely even touched her...because someone I know of with doe-like hazel eyes was constantly in my mind all through... now, why don't YOU spend some time thinking about all this...' 

For a moment, her mind turned blank. Did he just say what he'd just said? Was there any truth in it? She continued questioning those gazes of his that'd now metamorphosed into something much softer - the answers in them didn't seem to be a lie. In the tiniest corner of her heart she'd hoped all along that her husband's intimacy with the spy was only a show -then, why was she finding it so hard to welcome the reality that moment? Was it because she'd endured so many disappointments lately that she was afraid to trust again? Why was it still taking time to sink in? Why was she still unable to get over the Kohinoor padhvi debacle and the wedding announcement fiasco - was it because she was still reeling from the hurt? Why did he have to hurt her so much to prove a point? Why did he do it to her? Was it because HE was still reeling from hurt too - the hurt she'd caused him on THAT fateful night and the morning thereafter? 

'Shehenshah' she started off - hoping to get a few things off her chest, but she noticed he was beginning to move away. He'd taken a few steps behind. She noticed that he'd gone on to take a palmful of water in his hand now - he was looking at her, waiting to attack. 

Anticipating the vindictive spray-of-water, she shut her eyes for a moment. However, nothing happened. When she opened her eyes, she found him splashing it on himself instead. The cynical smile had returned on his lips just as surely. 

Watching her speechless expressions with amusement, Jalal then called for his baandhis - grabbed his towels and walked off from the vicinity of the bath tub - allowing his lone queen to do some silent thinking by herself that night. 

'Shabba khair Jodha Begum'