Friends, I loved yesterday's episode even if in some respects we can still call it a filler before the war! I loved the episode simply because I saw one recurring heart-warming pattern throughout the episode ... a very, very sentimental Jalal took refuge in Jodha's generous heart every time the feelings of the impending war overwhelmed him. I can't help marvelling that this jallad, this ruthless brutish warrior we all knew before has become such a sentimental and "feeling person" thanks to the love he gives and gets from Jodha.
I doubt if this was the way Jalal usually used to get ready for war. I am sure that when he was a less of a heart-driven person, his mode of getting ready for war used to be more practical and more physically fiery. But look at the change in him. There were so many instances yesterday of Jalal having found a new way to prepare himself on the eve of war. He was now allowing himself to "feel the preciousness of the moments with his own thoughts" impending the war, and to "feel the preciousness of people close to him".
Jalal was at every turn savouring the value of his own life and the ones dear to him - for they were all chancing their lives - and for many the very prospect of being alive tomorrow could be at risk. He lost no chance to be with himself a lot, savouring his aloneness in deep thought, and he then also lost no time in being close to the ones he cherished most, keeping concern for their safety even as he took the loving space they gave him in their hearts, in their laps, in their minds and feelings. He gave and received love as if it was the last night he would be able to do so.
As Jalal's sentimentality poured out of him, Jodha gave him the sanctuary of her heart for him to pour his feelings into. What a remarkable thing that at this moment Jodha also finds herself pregnant, for a mother to be is always very sentimental herself, and likes to find every opportunity to express that love to people close to her which she is not yet able to give the child unborn. Jodha was the foil that Jalal needed her to be, as she absorbed his thoughts, supported and cherished his feelings, turned his negativity into positive hope and most of all, demanded nothing from him - but gave him her "motherliness" as the gift of the night as she sang a lullaby to make him sleep. She sensed his need for "mothering" more than he needed her as a wife, and Jodha with her own budding motherhood was able to give him a lot of exactly what he wanted. Eventually he slept like a baby with his head on her lap, forgetting all his worries in the safety of her love. And she spoke to the baby within her and said "Hope you too heard the lori along with your Dad!" ... what a beautiful heart-stopping moment!
The remarkable thing for me was that even the normally "unfeeling" Ruq saw the way he needed the utter peace that only true love could bring and she bade him spend his night with Jodha rather that herself, for she knew what he got from Jodha was far superior to anything she herself could give him in love, tenderness, empathy, peace and happiness. As Moti said to Jodha "war softens everybody including Ruq" and I have no doubt that even if the present-day Ruq was full of jealousies and dislike for Jodha, her "age-old feelings for Jalal" saw exactly what he needed in these moments when he prepared for putting his life on the line for a principle. He needed the taste of that deep love that could make him feel that life was worth living and fighting for! I salute Ruq for knowing her own limitations and for being magnanimous in encouraging Jalal to get what he wanted most, even at great emotional cost to her own self! She may have done this for "her Jalal" and not for "that Jodha" but it still takes courage to ask your husband to go and spend the night with the woman he loves more than he loves you!
But having said that, folks, I still have some deeper analysis of Ruq that I have written in my "comments section". I think her entire message to Jalal was not just about magnanimity but it was something else also. So please do read that analysis!
Here are my three of the greatest sentimental moments of Jalal. Hope you all agree with my picks for today?
Jalal holds the mud that made his beginnings as a Shahenshah - and reminisces about his past loves
In the opening scenes of the episode we see Jalal crying as tears roll down his cheeks. In his hand he holds the mud he is standing on. "Shahenshah", exclaims Jodha, "what is troubling you?" He allows her to feel his feelings for a quiet moment before he wipes his tears and says with his laden heart "This mud we stand on Jodha Begum, is the mud that makes this land which was given to me as my very first subehdaari by my father. It is so precious to me, I cannot tell you. And as for that land Kalanur, where Nigar has now put up her encampment ... that was the land on which Bairam Khan crowned me as Badshah. We had to do it in a hurry for my father had died and we needed to immediately set me up as his successor to avoid other bids."
Jodha stood silent for a few seconds savouring his depth of feelings on this subject. It was his land and he was giving himself this precious time to cherish what was his because it was given to him by people he valued most. "You really loved Bairam Khan, didn't you?" she encouraged him to talk more. "Yes I did, often more than I cherished my own father", he said, "but now at least we have his son Rahim to remind us of him and we have Salima to give us the advice he would have given us." "Oh absolutely Shahenshah," Jodha said with perfect empathy, " Rahim transports us every day with his childish impudence and Salima surely set us all on the right path with her sage advice. They are both invaluable to us."
What a beautiful piece of sentimentality this scene was for it showed us Jalal's feelings for what made him who he was - as he stood on the eve of war!
Jalal hears from Jodha how precious he is to her, and absorbs her feelings into his own heart
In a later scene, Jalal is talking about last minute plans with Atga when his mother Hamida comes to him and says "My son, I know it's a difficult time, but surely you have to have some rest before the war in the morning." He tells her "I was into some last minute plans, but mother, you need rest too, why don't you go and lie down?" Hamida is a gracious and proud mother as she says to Jalal "I know I am standing here before the greatest warrior Hindustan has ever seen. Your intentions for this war are noble and God and the people will be with you. Remember that." If what his mother said to bolster his confidence was not enough, Jalal then got a chance to hear from Jodha directly what he meant to her.
From beside Jalal and Hamida they could hear the voice of Todarmal asking some sipahis to dig some deep trenches. Adham was looking on as Todarmal told him "This is something I am placing in your charge. You have to take care of this. " Curious to know what was happening Jalal and Hamida neared Todarmal. "Shahenshah, I am just tightening the security arrangements a bit", said Todarmal in explanation. "These are trenches where the harem ladies can hide if the enemy attacks them. I am making sure that if the ladies have to hide here, the enemy won't even know they are here." "Well", said Jalal, "do make sure the women don't feel claustrophobic inside these trenches and passageways." "No Shahenshah" said Todarmal, "I am using some vents so that they have enough fresh air in these trenches."
Just then Jodha joined the group and thanked Todarmal for this splendid idea. Jalal added his own thanks to Todarmal "Great that you are with us for this war. Your experience is invaluable to us". Jodha then remembered something that she felt she should share with the Shahenshsh. "I remember there used to be another way to protect the ladies from the enemy, Shahenshah," she said, "in Amer they used to make secret surangs to let the women and children out safely from the forts into the open ground. There the women used to get ready for jauhar ..."
Jalal cut in "Jauhar! Why do you Rajvanshi women take such extreme steps?" Jodha replied "We Rajvanshi women always felt it was better to let the fire touch us to death than to let the unprincipled enemy touch us." Jalal then said "Jodha Begum, you were then a Rajvanshi, but now you are a Mughal Begum. Do you still have those ideas for yourself?" Jodha replied "Forgive me Shahenshah, but in earlier days I used to think my ideas were good. But now I see that you are not that kind of person I thought you to be ..."
Jalal was quick to ask her "So then tell me, what kind of person am I to you now?" Jodha looked deep into his eyes and took a deep breath as she answered "You are now the type of man I can love, for whom I can give my life." Jalal didn't show much outside but I am sure some enchanting bells must have rung in his mind as he heard from his love that he was as much cherished by her too. Here were the two women he valued most of all - his mother and his wife Jodha. And they had both told him how important he was to them. What a fortunate man he is who goes to war knowing that the ones he loves love him back so dearly. "My only other worry now is Bakshi alone in the palace" he says, and the depth of his feelings for all of his family touches us ...
Jalal gets encouragement from Ruq to go to Jodha for the night ... and the night surprises us!
In the late night hours Jalal is still up and polishing and sharpening his sword blade, deep in thought and indulging in a bit of alone time. Ruq comes up to him and asks with a bit of formality and with tears filling her eyes, "Is this shine of war so much that you have forgotten to take some rest before you go into it?" It seems to me that Ruq has felt the aloneness that a wife feels when she knows her man has made time for his mother and his other wife Jodha, but all evening he has not sought her out to even speak a word of what he feels inside himself.
Jalal replies, still a bit coldly "I didn't realise you have come here." Ruq however tries to forgive him for overlooking her by blaming his lack of presence of mind on the war. "Anyway, let's not talk," she says, "you are very tired, you need rest." "No, I need a little more time ..." he says this without even looking up at her.
"Jalal, if you won't take it amiss, can I give you some advice" says Ruq, and this time she gets his partial but still faraway attention. Without looking up he says "Tell me". She gathers up her courage and says "I think tonight you should spend the night with Jodha Begum in her khema". His hand stops polishing his sword as gets the import of her words. "I know you love her and in her arms you will find peace. And before he goes to war, it's important that the Shahenshah gets peace." adds Ruq.
Still without even looking up at her Jalal says "I know how difficult it is Ruqaiaya for a wife to send her husband to another wife." Ruq swallows hard and then says "Yes it is difficult, but before I am your wife, I am the Begum of the Sultanate."
The scene between them ends here, but the remarkable thing is that not once has Jalal lifted his head or turned to look at Ruq and he takes her words that she is talking not as his wife but as the Begum of the Sultanate with equanimity. I got the feeling that he too wants the relationship to remain there and not get any further any more.
He then is seen going to Jodha's khema where she is drinking kaada and he gets momentarily worried about her health and fatigue after the long journey. He says she needs rest. She touches him gently on the shoulder and says with all her heart "Shahenshah, this is not the time for you to worry about all this, it's time for you to rest. It's time to get ready for tomorrow's war".
Jalal looks deep into Jodha's eyes and says to her "To tell you the truth I am not ready for this war. We have too few soldiers I feel ... and we may not be able to stand against the enemy for long. I sometimes feel I may never return from this war." Jodha is alarmed at this trend in his thoughts. "No Shahenshah, that can never happen, you are the most powerful and valorous samraat I know. You can never lose."
Jalal is still morose. "Thanks for the encouragement Jodha Begum, but there's still the reality that I may never return from the war." He holds her hand and starts saying "I don't know if tomorrow will be the last day of my life ..." but she hastens to close his mouth with her hand before he says more ... but he continues after taking her hand off his face "... for tonight I want to spend the night with you in your arms! Give me that peace Jodha Begum. Help me go to sleep in peace." He holds her hands with a tight squeeze as his eyes have a desperate plea in them.
Jodha eyes get steeled with determination to help him. He puts his head on her lap, as she starts gently caressing his hair. She then begins softly to sing him a lullaby, and as she sings the high and low notes, and her hand caresses his head and face, his eyes stir, and he falls asleep soundly. Jodha then touches her own stomach and talks to her baby "Hope you too have heard my lori, my baby, just like your Dad" she says in a moment so poignant that we are all unable to contain our own emotions.
Those then were the three scenes that I thought most touched me with Jalal's moments of feelings overwhelming him before the war - and yet also calming him to knowledge that there is so much love in his life from near ones that he can go to the war in peace and preparedness.
Regarding Jodha's own hiding of her pregnancy, there were three moments when she almost betrayed herself ...
The first was when she was talking to Jalal about the land being precious to him, when she almost felt like vomiting. But she controlled herself as he indicated it may be fatigue. The second time she almost got caught out was when she was dizzy in her khema and Ruq rushed there to see her in difficulty. Thankfully Ruq too thought it was fatigue and bade her take rest. In fact Ruq was so gracious that Moti even remarlked that the war must be changing her nature. The third time Jodha almost got caught again was when she was drinking kaada in her khema and Jalal walked into ask to spend the night with her. He saw her looking less than okay and when she said it must be the heat or the tiredness of travel, he said "Thank God, I was getting worried about you!".
I have no doubt that if these bouts of sickness continue, surely Ruq, if not anyone else, is going to get some wind of the truth. But for that matter Jalal himself is also seeing many instances of Jodha looking queasy and he too may not take long to put two and two together!
The other scenes of the episode worth a passing mention ...
There were two scenes that bear further watching.
One was where Maham secretly meets Nigar and tries to give her confidence by saying Jalal's armies are too small, and he must have left her mother back at the palace and not brought her with the entourgae. What the truth about Chand Begum's whereabouts is remains uncertain for us, for Maham cannot be believed.
The other scene that needs to be carefully watched is the one where Sharif tries to see how the throne of Jalal fits him. He sits on it much to Bakshi's disgust and shock, but then explains it off to his wife ingeniously saying "With such a small army, your brother's life is at risk. And if something should happen to him, our child will be the only waaris of the same blood. You and I have to be ready to rule this Sultanate till our child is old enough. So we had better get used to the idea!" The brainless Bakshi then cries for her brother's sure death as Sharif hugs her in mock sympathy. What a bunch of ambitious and treacherous fools!
My additional comments on the Ruq-Jalal-Jodha relationship after this episode ...
Folks, do read what I have written above regarding Ruq-Jalal-Jodha, for without that, what I writing here now as comments will not make full sense.
As I have said above, folks, it was remarkable to see the kind of love that Jodha and Jalal have that allowed him to literally "find refuge for his overwhelming pre-war feelings" in her heart, her mind, her lap and her own emotions. Jalal is no longer that same Jalal who used to go blithely into war unmindful of everything and everyone and with just his own confidence to the brim. He now cares, he cares deeply ... he cares for people, his loved ones, what they think of him, how they cherish and value him, and the worth of his own life to them.
I particularly want to add something that I noticed and mentioned in that whole scene which he had with Ruq when Ruq seemed to actually be so magnanimous as to send him to Jodha for the night.
My first reaction to that scene was "How grand of Ruq today, that she has taken this magnanimous step!". I felt sorry for her and I felt as if we have all not done full justice to this fickle-minded girl who still loved Jalal in her own way and wanted the best for him, even if she herself was not the best for him.
But as I was writing this post and I saw that Ruq-Jalal scene about six or seven times to be able to catch all the dialogue, I saw that he was showing a great deal of reluctance to even talk to her and was seeming to do so out of necessity rather than volition. First of all he never sought her out all evening to even share his pre-war nerves or feelings with her the way he wanted to share with Jodha. Then when she came to him he said without lifting his head "I didn't even know you were here". Then again when she said "You need rest" he replied in a slightly surly way "Not now, in a while maybe".
She too did not seem to show worry for him as a person for she says a sentence that is very revealing. She says "Take rest because before a war every Shahenshsh needs rest." Is she speaking to the man or the King?
And then finally when she gathers courage and says "Can I give you some advice" he still has his face turned away from her as he says "Tell me." She then tells him to spend the night with Jodha for he needs that peace that only her arms can give him. Even then he has his face turned away from Ruq as he acknowledges that she has made a sacrifice. He says "I know it's difficult for you to say this as a wife". But then she herself seals her limitedness in his life by saying "Yes it is difficult. But I speak not as your wife but as the Begum of the Sultanate."
Am I imagining this or has the entire equation between Jalal and Ruq now changed from man and wife to King and Queen of the Sultanate and nothing more?
We all thought initially that Ruq was being very grand and very good by acknowledging that Jalal needed Jodha more than her, for she knew that he was in love with Jodha. But now I am asking myself: Was Ruq actually signalling to Jalal on the eve of the war a very important change in the dynamics of their relationship? Was she trying to tell him "I no longer see myself as a wife of yours, for Jodha has filled that position unshakeably, and you too need only her now as that wife. But I am content if you will still give me that position as Queen of the Sultanate while you are King? I thus ask you to rest for the King of a Sultanate needs it ... and I thus ask you to please go to Jodha tonight for peace and calm and I speak as the Queen of the Sultanate and not as another wife?"
The big reveal of her change in status, acknowledged by her own self comes when she tells Jalal, "I hope you won't take it amiss if I give you some advice!" Look at the formality between them now, the coldness in him, the tentativeness in her. Behind the overtly magnanimous-seeming gesture of Ruq yesterday there were so many layers of other covert messages which I think Jalal got.
He did not discuss his night with Ruq further after that. He did go straight to Jodha, but not just because Ruq said so, but because he felt it could be the last night of his life if he lost the war and died and he wanted to be with Jodha more than anything else in the face of that risk the next morning.
You know, folks, I never did like Ruq much, but not because I hate her as a person. It's just that I do not enjoy triangular love stories and so she was a kind of irritant to me as I looked to enjoy the growing love story of Jalal and Jodha. I disliked Ruq's fickleness - sometimes very affectionate-sounding and fair-sounding and sometimes very shrewish and boorish and ungracious. I disliked particularly the way she used to love and want Jalal and his happiness, but hate everything and everybody else he loves (especially Jodha) as if they are not worth being in the same bracket as him.
But yesterday, I enjoyed both the overt and covert messages I got from Ruq. I thought it was great that she was leaving Jalal's life and his closest circle with a blaze of glory and I want to give it to her that she did that with aplomb. At the same time I am exulting in the fact that she did give the covert messages that she no longer belongs to his "informal circle" and sees the relationship as one of formal role-playing as King and Queen and nothing closer than that!
Knowing Ruq, perhaps she has reconciled faster than we thought to the fact that this is all that Jalal is going to hereafter give her, for he wouldn't even lift his face to look at her when she spoke to him yesterday. She has crossed all red lines with that fake pregnancy - but yesterday, on the eve of the war that could be fatal to him, she wanted to tell him that she was reconciled to who she was to him now, and he could go to the war without any guilt of having moved her out of his circle of deep love.
In her own way, Ruq said "Go to war with a free mind. I am content with what I have become in your life, and you needn't worry that you are leaving me wanting something more from you that you are not able to give!"
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