CHAPTER 1: Wo shehenshah, humne aapki nallar me se baarood nikal di thi. Jalal looks at his wife with mounting rage. Did this girl have no sense of self preservation at all? How dare she handle the gun? And on top of that she had the audacity to remove the gunpowder. What the hell had she been thinking? Oh yes, she didnt want him to hunt innocent animals. Innocent my foot - hunting was a favourite past time of the Princes and Kings and there was no way in seven hell he would believe that the Rajputs did not indulge in this sport. Then why was she hell bent on stopping him of all people? And to top it all, she was now trying to scare away the tiger with a burning torch. As if such a huge beast would mind such a small and insignificant source of fire. Besides, the light breeze had picked up speed and it wouldnt take much time for the fire to go out. Either this woman had peanuts for brain or else she was just not bothered by the consequences of her action. True to his prediction, the torch went off and Jalal threw away his brand new gun in frustration. The weapon was useless now. Taking out the small ornamental dagger he always kept on his person, tucked in between the belt of his dress, he pushed his wife out of the way and faced the huge beast. He could feel the sharp claws as they scratched his face while he managed to hurt the animal with his dagger. The burning sensation was excruciating, and he had no hopes of coming out of this ordeal unscathed but the least he could do was to protect his foolish wife. Besides, it wasnt in his nature to accept defeat. He was always used to winning and he wouldnt let this beast get the better of him. The august Emperor of India was not scared of anything. The tiger leapt at him and unfortunately he had yet to regain his balance. Before he could react, he saw his wife rush in with a knife clasped in her hand. Oh Heavens! Did this woman always keep a weapon with her? Was it the specialty of the Rajput Princesses or was it specific only to his wife. Her timely intervention had given him the much needed time to regroup his waning energy. Gathering up his strength, he stood up and pushed her out of the way. The protest on her lips died down at one look from him. Whether it was the command in his eyes or the sight of his ruined face, he didnt know. But he was grateful for her silence. The man and the beast struggled for some time before Jalal felt the blood loss because of the wounds. The adrenaline still running through his veins he lunged at the huge animal for the last blow. Anticipating his moves, the tiger too had leapt in the sky. The two warring animals collided in mid air and as Jalal felt the sharp claws digging into his chest he plunged the knife deep into the abdomen of the animal successfully killing it. He felt the dagger fall out of his loosened grips and he crashed on the forest floor. Shehenshaah. Her screamed pierced the silence of the forest and in spite of his condition he could hear her heart stopping tone. She came running towards him and had knelt down besides her. Her veil had been blown away by the wind, her hair askew, the ornaments out of place but she looked so very beautiful with the worry clouding her eyes. She held her tears at bay through sheer force of her will and Jalal was grateful for that small reprieve. He could handle her concern, but not her tears. She looked so heart stoppingly beautiful in that instant that Jalal couldnt stop gazing at her. She seemed to anticipate his discomfort even before he could feel it. She sat down next to him and wiped the blood and the mud stains from his face with the end of her pallu. The pain however was too much and he couldnt fight with it anymore. He plunged headlong into the dark dark pit of unconsciousness. ********** The weather in this part of the country was unpredictable. It was proved when the skies suddenly parted and it started pouring as if the heavens were mourning this condition of the Emperor. Now that Jalal had become unconscious, Jodha let her tears flow ceaselessly as she dragged the heavy body of her husband towards a safer place. True, no part of the forest was safe, not with Jalal hurt this badly but some sort of covering would be still better than lying on the open ground in the middle of the forest defenseless. Her right arm was stinging badly, the tiger had managed to claw her in the short time she had faced it. But she paid no attention to her own injury. If a mere scratch could pain her like this, how would the Emperor be feeling being injured the way he was? Soon she had dragged him under the shade of a huge tree and made him sit propped against a huge boulder. His head lolled on to his shoulders and Jodha knew that he needed to regain his consciousness fast. The poison in the animals claws would start affecting any minute and she had to reach Agra with him before any untoward thing happened. Collecting the rain water in the cup of her hands, she carefully washed his face. It took her a few tries before he opened his eyes and a few more minutes passed before he regained any sort of coherency. Hume maaf kar dijiye Shehenshaah. Hume laga aap nirdosh pashuon ka vadh kar denge, isliye humne aapki nallar se baarood nikal diya tha. Shikaar sirf humara shauk hi nahi, humari zindagi ki asliyat bhi hai Jodha Begum. Agar hume zinda rehna hai to hume dusron ko khatm karna hi hoga. Jaise pani me rehne wali badi machli dusre chhote machhlion ko kha jati hai, thik waise hi. Par ye niyam van ka hai, sabhya samajh ka nhi. Baadshahat ki bhi yahi sachhai hai Jodha. Baadshaah ko humesha akela hi chal;na padta hai. Aur apni dekhbhaal bhi khud hi karni padti hai. Wo kaisa baadshah hoga jo itna akela ho...? He tried to answer her question but she silenced him by putting a finger on his lips. Bas.. ab aap kuch mat kahiye. Khun bahut beh gaya hai. Aapko jald se jald Agra pahunchna hoga. ************** The feel of cool water on his face awakened him from his unconsciousness. He could feel soft hands on his face wiping away the sticky blood,careful of his injuries. The hands were replaced by a soft cloth and Jalal mourned the loss of human touch. Even in the state of semi-consciousness, he knew the identity of the person nursing him. Slowly he opened his eyes to look at the beautiful face hovering over him. He could make out the tear tracts on her face. Even the rain had not been able to wash away the signs of her grief. She was completely drenched, soaked to the skin but was completely unconcerned about her condition. All her attention was focused on him as she tended to his wounds with a single minded devotion he had so rarely found in a person. He had never been at the receiving end of so gentle a care from anyone, least of all his wives. Not even Ruqqaiya attended to his needs like this. She could understand his silence, true but even she couldnt anticipate his needs before him. Trust the Princess of Amer to succeed where everyone else had failed. Her grief was palpable and her guilt overwhelming. He couldnt even fathom why a person who hated him as much as she did would even bother about his condition. But then the concern was probably because she didnt want to be blamed for his death. As it was, she was responsible for his injuries. She noticed his consciousness and opened her mouth to speak. But her words were not what he had expected to hear, ever from her. That the proud and headstrong Princess of Amer could ask for his forgiveness was a concept which was alien to him. He tried to explain the rule of the Sultanate and equated it with the rule prevalent in animal kingdom but she did not accept it. Her belief in the inherent goodness of people frustrated him sometimes. That she believed that every person has some good qualities in him or her except perhaps her husband sometimes angered him. He opened his mouth to argue his point but she silenced him asking him to conserve his energy. Even in the midst of such a terrible situation, the Begum of Agra had not lost hope. She was scared, that much was evident but the way she kept her fears under control was something he appreciated a lot. But he didnt think there was anything she could do. His time was limited, he could feel his energy dissipating, the blood loss making itself felt. His head lolled to one side and he would have slid down on to the forest floor, but quick as a flash of lightning she held him by his shoulders effectively breaking his fall mid slide and pulled him to her chest. To say that he was surprised would have been an understatement. Even in the middle of the forest, faced with the surety of death, he was struck with the irony of the situation. The woman who had rejected him before the marriage, had made it a point to continuously curb him at every point of their married life, who had never willingly shared a room with him, forget about room she had never been willing to share the same space with him was today holding him to her heart and was caring for him. Even if it was guilt consciousnes she couldnt help but give in to the sensations. She seemed unaware of the havoc she had caused in the mind of the man she was holding. But that was his Princess of Amer as he knew her - a walking contradiction. She would never willingly touch him but would rush forward to nurse him if he was injured. She never shared a seconds worth of laughter with him but she had the capacity of bringing a smile on his face with her pout and even her anger.So lost was he in his thoughts that he didnt notice that he was almost sprawled on her lap. What brought his attention back to focus was the way long, thin fingers carded through his hair, untangling and smoothening down the unruly locks. She was not even aware of what she was doing, her eyes were fixed in to the dark night looking for some - any signs of people looking for the Emperor. But her hold on his back was possessive as she tried to soothe away the worst of pain by rubbing circles on his back. Jalal knew without a shred of doubt that she would fight with the whole world - hell, she would fight with Death himself to save her Emperor. Inspite of himself, a smile stretched on his lips and he burrowed deeper into that warm embrace. *#*#*#*#*#*#*#* It had been quite sometime that he had been unconscious and Jodha felt her heart thudding at the implication of this event. Purposefully, she had tried not to think of what could happen to the Emperor, but now as she tried to awaken him and failed, her fears came to the fore. She didnt know how she would inform the people back at Agra about Jalals condition. And truth be told, she didnt want to think about it. She hated this man, her so called husband with every fiber of her being but she didnt wish him dead. Mother of ironies - but it was true. And as she held him in her arms, she could feel him seeking comfort and care like a starved child. She didnt know much about his past, but had felt rather than known with the astuteness which was inherent in a woman that very few people cared for this man on a personal level. He commanded obedience and respect because of who he was but hardly anyone knew the Jalal-the person except a few people - Ammijaan, Ruqqaiya and Salima Begum. And it was for these people she wanted Jalal to live.The rain had stopped falling some time back and Jodha eased her burden a little on to the forest floor as she slowly stretched her cramped legs. She had to take him to the camp and from there to Agra -as soon as possible.She saw the stallion some distant away where it was standing under a tree. Slowly she got up without disturbing her burden much and walked upto the animal trying not to scare it much. *#*#*#*#*#*#*#* Jalal felt the loss of the comforting warmth almost immediately. He could feel the pain wrecking his body as she moved away. Her very presence had caused the pains to subside, how strange. But where the hell did she go? The forest was dangerous at this point of night and God knew his wife had no sense of self preservation.Worried, he forced his eyes to open which was a feat in itself and looked around as much was possible without moving his head. She was nowhere in sight. He tried to sit up, look for her but his body protested even the smallest bit of movement and he without meaning to, a groan escaped his lips.He heard her running... Or rather the sound of her anklets before her face came in the range of his vision. Shehenshaah...!!! Kya kar rahe hain aap? Ignoring her question for what it was worth, he ground out with some difficulty and no small amount of anger. Kahan thi aap??? Aapko ehesaas bhi hai ki aadhi raat ke waqt ye jungle kitna khatarnaak hai? She stared at him in surprise before she finally found the words which had eluded her for so long. Hum yahin the... Kahin nhi gaye the. Bas aapke ghode ko lane gaye the. He made a movement in anger and almost winced in pain. Within seconds she was by his side, as she slipped an arm under his head and with infinite care pulled him to her chest. Her other arm had found its way around his body and was nowresting on his back, rubbing slow circles which was soothing him. Hum kahin nahi gaye the Shehenshaah. Par ab hume chalna chahiye. Aapko samay rehte Agra pahunchna hoga. Hum waqt rehte Agra nahi pahunch payenge Jodha Begum. Aisa mat kahihe Shehenshaah. Hum aapko kuch nahi hone denge. She couldnt stop her tears from falling and Jalal had an insane desire to wipe away her tears. But he did no such thing. Instead, he continued doggedly. Hume apni maut ka afsos nhi hai Jodha Begum. Bas afsos iss baat ka hai ki hum ek sipahi ki maut nahi mar sake. Jung -e-maidan ke bajaye hum jungle me ek baagh ke waron se jakhmi hokar marr rahe hain. Kuch nahi hoga aapko, suna aapne. Humare rehte aapko kuch nahi hoga. Hum Agra me.. Bas. Ek shabd aur nahi. Shant ho jaiye aap. Hum aapko kuch nahi hone denge. The strong voice forced him to look up at the lovely face which belonged to his wife. As he tried to change his position, his face brushed up and settled in the crook of her shoulder. She was extremely accommodating, allowing him anything and everything at that moment. He looked up at her face set in taut lines of tension but when she looked down and met his eyes her expression immediately shifted to that of infinite tenderness. In that instant, he knew in a flash what his mother, Rahim and Salima Begum had seen in his Jodha.. Something which he had so conveniently missed. Or was it that he had chosen not to see it??? Very softly, she wiped away the beads of perspiration which had gathered on his forehead. He couldnt stop himself from reacting to that concern which was meant only for him. He felt as if her heart was being scrapped raw. Without meaning to a strangled cry escapee his lips. JODHAAA Alarmed, she quickly gave him a quick once over. He didnt like the fear on her face. His left hand fisted in her lap and clutched at one end of her pallu while he gave her a tremulous smile. Hum kuch der sona chahte hain, Jodha. She couldnt stop her tears from flowing at that. She nodded helplessly and clutched to him like he was her last support. With a smile, Jalal gave in to the demanding blackness dancing on the edges of his vision. Jodha watched helplessly as the Emperor lost his conciousness for perharps the sixth time. At least he was alive. She had no time to lose. Relinquishing her burden, she tried to get up but found that she could hardly move. An end of her pallu was caught in his left fist making it impossible to move far away from him. She tried to release her saree from his fist, but it was a death grip and there was no way she could escape without tearing her dress. Briefly, she considered doing just that but one look at his face and she dismissed the thought. He looked so peaceful in her arms that she simply didnt have the heart to robe him of that simple pleasure. Helplessly, she looked around and spotted a creeper just a couple of feet away from her. Slowly, she inched towards the plant and pulled at it. It didnt come off, it was too strong. She scooted towards the plant and began to cut pieces of it with the knife she possessed. Soon she had enough pieces to make a long. Deftly, she began tying the various pieces in tight knots and soon enough she had a long rope ready for use. She nudged her husband lightly and was gratified to hear a small murmur of protest. Carefully she hauled him to his feet and directed him towards the horse. Taking those few steps with the dead weight of Jalal was sheer torture but Jodha was nothing if not determined.Carefully she hauled him on top of the horse and climbed in front of him. Her dupatta had come off during the process as Jalal was not ready to lose his hold on it. Quickly she rearranged her dress and looped the rope around both of them and tied it in a strong grip. His head fell on her back and he murmured something. Sahas rakhiye Shehenshah. Hum shighr hi Agra pahunch jayenge. He didnt reply, just held onto her tighter. Without wasting time any further Jodha galloped away towards their camp. *#*#*#*#*#*#* Adka Sahab. Adka Sahab.Ye kya... Yahan to koi bhi nhi hai.. Ab hum kya karen? Arriving at the camp site, Jodha was greeted with absolute silence. Not even a single soldier was present there. Stumped, she could only stare around for a few seconds before her brain kicked back into place. She was so worried with the condition of Jalal that she had not considered that the Minister would also be worried about the disappearance of the Emperor. He was definitely in the forest, looking for them. There was not a second to lose. She couldnt wait for them to return. She had to move on, journey towards Agra even though she was alone. If the God willed then she would probably meet the others en route. With that thought in mind she turned the stallion towards Agra. *#*#*#*#*# He felt the cool breeze of the night brush across his face. His eyelids felt very heavy, he could hardly open them. Thankfully, his mental faculties were still working and the events of the past few hours came rushing back to him. He gave up trying to open his eyes and instead concentrated on the sounds he could hear and the sensations that he could feel. The first thing he realized was that he was on the back of a horse, a galloping stallion to be precise and he was tied to someone. A tickling sensation on his nose made him move his head a little. Immediately, a soft palm came on his head to stall his movement. He could hear the sound of gold bangles clinking with one another. There was no doubt about the identity of his captor... It was Jodha. With that realization, a few more things became sharper. He could make out the sounds of another horse galloping side by side and the sounds of running feet. So he was not alone, his minister and the small unit of army was with him. His wife had managed to find them. A small smile played on his lips. He need have no worries now.Clutching the end of pallu tightly in his fist, he gave in to the oppressive darkness which was beckoning him with a vengeance. *#*#*#*#*#* Agra aur kitni dur hai Adka Ji..? She was worried and had every reason to be so. In spite of her best efforts the Emperors condition was deteriorating. She could feel the occasional tremors coursing through him. The last time she had checked, he was running a fever and that was just five minutes back. And they had still not reached Agra. Bas thodi hi dur hai Begum Sahiba. Kya hum thodi der ke liye Shehenshah ko sambhale?? Aap thak gayin hongi. Nahi Adka Ji. Hum theek hain. Jaldi chaliye. Adhik vilamb Shehenshah ke liye uchit nahi hoga. Knowing the truth in her statement, the minister hurried forward trying to keep pace with the Begum who at this point was fairly flying through the air. *#*#*#*#*#* AGRA EARLY MORNING The great doors of the fort opened without preamble as soon as they saw who the rider was. And before the soldiers stationed at the door could react, Begum Jodha and Shamsuddin Adka ji had started shouting commands. While Begum Jodha yelled at a sentinal to get the hakim and the vaidyas immediately, Adka ji immediately ordered the huge gates to be closed. Between the two of them, Jodha Begum and Adka ji managed to get Shehenshah down from the horse. The arrival of the Emperor, injured so badly spread like wild fire. As Maham Anga and Hamida Banu Begum came running, they were greeted by a strange sight. Jalal was lying on the floor in the lap of his most hated Begum while the Hakim was busy trying to stem the flow of blood. With a loud, guttural cry, Maham Anga launched herself at Jalal. Kya hua hai humare bete ko? Kaise hua ye?? Koi batata kyun nahi?? While Adka ji filled in with his limited knowledge, Jodhas eyes were fixed on her Mother in Law. The poor woman looked ready to faint, yet the Empress held on to her restraint with a tight rein and assessed the situation. For the first time since her stay in Agra, Jodha saw the Empress for who she was - the mother of the Emperor of the Moghul Sultanate, the consort of the Late King Humayun. The quiet but the decisive way in which she took charge spoke volumes about her character. As she directed the Hakim to take Jalal to his bedchamber, Jodha felt a surge of relief coursing through her. At last, at last the Emperor was in safe hands. The exertions and the mindless tension of the past 24 hours were catching up with her. The adrenaline she was operating under was almost leaving her system. Though she was anxious to know about her husbands well being, she was ready to pass out from the pressure she was under. However a tug at her aanchal pulled her away from her thoughts.Looking down, she saw the Emperor still clutching the end of her aanchal. Weariness seeped into her bones, but she knew from experience that it was useless to try to escape from her unconcious husband. If he made up his mind to have someone, he made sure that the person in question had no way to escape. She felt Maham Anga trying to uncurl his fist and had an urge to laugh. But she was too tired for even that.Tiredly, she ground out. Hume ek chhuri dijiye. It was the Dowager Empress who came to her rescue. Uski koi jarurat nhi hai. Jodha, aap Jalal ke sath uske hojre me jaiye. She had no other option but to comply with the wishes of the Empress. She quickly hurried behind the still form of her husband, all the while thinking about how to go about the confession. *%*%*%*%^*%%*%*%* The next few hours were a blur of activities. She found herself besides her injured husband, watching the hakims struggling to contain the flow of blood and the spread of infection. With every passing second, the situation turned darker. To compound the problem, the special hakim summoned from Gwalior had yet to arrive. And in the midst of all the excitement, she had not been able to talk to the Empress. She heard from Chanda about how the Empress had directed Maham Anga to address the people, how she had broken the news to Begum Ruqqaiya and had saved others from the furious temper of Mallika - e - khaas, how she had directed Salima Begum to handle the workings of the Harem. As the quiet but the resolute woman took charge of the Harem, all the squabblings and infightings ceased. Jodhas estimation of Salima Begum went up a notch. Ruqqaiya was sitting next to Jalal, holding his hand, weeping inconsolably and shooting death glares at Jodha. The Princess of Amer gave two hoots to the so called temper of the special queen of the Emperor. She was more worried about the deteriorating condition of her husband.Casting her mind back, she remembered the time when her Bhai Sa Sujamal had been injured by a Cheetah. Sardar Chugtai Khan had sent a hakim for him and Jodha had learnt tha art of making that special ointment from the venerable Hakim. If that medicine had worked on Sujamal bhai sa then surely it would work on the Emperor. Without waiting for anybodys permission and mindful of her constraint, she quickly called Moti Bai to her side. Ordering her friend to bring the requisite herbs, she settled down to prepare the mix. Ignoring the incredulous looks of Maham Anga, Ruqqaiya and the other women of haram, she went on with her business of grinding the herbs in the required consistency and mixing them as was the requirement of the medicine. Half an hour later, the ointment was ready for application and Jodha was numb with the relief of a task finally accomplished. Without wasting any time, she turned towards her Mother in Law who had been a constant and silent support by her side all throughout this time. Ammijaan, ye lep Shehenshaah ke ghav bhar dega. She had to give her mother in law credit. Without asking for any explanation, the elderly lady directed the Hakim to apply the medicine ignoring the protects voiced by both Maham Anga and Ruqqaiya. In that very instant, it was as clear as a crystal as to which of the three women held the reins of the Empire. On the one side was the lady who had cared for the Emperor as her own son, and on the other side was the one who had sacrificed everything to save the heir of the throne. Hamida Bano Begum was not in a mood to be trifled with. #@#@#@#@#@#@#@# The next few hours were tense to the extreme. Every nerve in the room was pulled taut with tension, every person was praying for the life of their Emperor. The dulcet tones of Arati mingled flawlessly with the soulful renditions of Azaan and flowed together in tandem permeating the very stones of the palace and the minds and the hearts of its inmates leaving behind its indelible mark in this hour of crisis and an example for the generations to come when both the Hindus and the Muslims had united without any feeling of mine and thine for offering prayers for the well being of their ruler. Perhaps for the first time in the history of Agras palace there was no distinction between the rich and the poor, the maulvis and the priests, the Rulers and the Ruled, the Commanders and the servants. They were united in their grief. Jodha was highly conscious of the charged atmosphere. It gave her goosebumps to realize the way the people had united spiritually. As she took in the subtle changes in the atmosphere, she wondered whether she was the only one who had felt the change. Her eyes left the face of her husband who was reeling under the attack of fever and roamed around the room, feeling the energy seeping from the very walls of the bedchamber and her gaze collided with that of her Mother in Law. One look at the serene face of the elderly lady was enough to confirm the truthfulness of the situation. She was not the only one to feel the change. The Empress had also felt the shifting of energies, felt it and welcomed it. A sense of peace settled over her, and along with it came the strong conviction that everything would be all right now. Her tiredness vanished in an instant and she felt the calmness envelop her in its folds.All throughout the evening, she had been waging a lone war against the high and mighty of the harem. The application of the ointment had staunched the flow of blood completely but the Emperors fever has escalated resulting in the blame being put squarely on her shoulders. She had stuck to her ground explaining fruitlessly that it was a necessary impact of the ointment, a good sign which proclaimed that that the medicine was working , but nobody believed her. No surprises there as everybody in the palace knew that she hated Jalal. She sure did, but she certainly didnt wish her husband dead. Ruqqaiya and Maham Anga went on disparaging her and were even willing to throw her out of the bedchamber, but it was the terse command of the Dowager Empress which stopped them in their tracks. Her mother in laws voice echoed of the walls and silenced the entire populace of Harem as she reprimanded Ruqqaiya. Begum Jodha bhi Jalal ki biwi hain Begum Ruqqaiya. Aur iss naate yahan Jalal ke paas rehne ka unka bhi utna hi haq hai jitna ki tumhara. Unka haq aap unse chhine ye hume manzur nahi. That had certainly silenced Ruqqaiya, and what was capable of silencing Ruqqaiya was more than enough for the others. Though there had been no dearth of hostile glares, at least she didnt have to face any more disparaging and insulting comments.In the midst of all this hullabaloo, Jodha had held steadfastly on to her Kanha and continued her vigil. She could discern a fine sheen on sweat on Jalals forehead. Unconsciously, she wiped it away with her saree not minding the surprising gasps of a few people and the acidic glares of some others. It was another good sign. She wished the Hakim from Gwalior would hurry up...
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 07:09:53 +0000
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