The Palki swayed side to side in movement and Jodha moved along with it unconsciously, too tired and drained to keep her Royal spine intact, she allowed herself to relax into the plethora of pillows placed in the Palki.
As she closed her eyes, she imagined that she could still smell Amber's soil- so warm and inviting, she imagined that she could still hear her people singing as they said their farewell to her...

How did that song go again- she tried to remember,

Rani Sa Toofan Samar Ka,  (My Queen is as fierce as a Desert Storm)
Rani Sa Mhari Rani Sa...     (Oh Queen, Our Queen)
Rani Sa Baadal Sa Garja.   (My Queen thunders like clouds)  
Rani Sa Mhari Rani Sa.        (Oh Queen, Our Queen.)

Rani Sa Jo Aag Sa Balkha.  (My Queen storms against Fire.)
Rani Sa Baadal Sa Garja.     (My Queen thunders like clouds)
Rani Sa Rajput Shaan Hai... (My  Queen is the Pride of the Rajputs)
Rani Sa Mhari Aan Baan Hai.(My Queen is my everything.)

The words were important to her because her people had sung them at her with tears and pride equally prevalent in their eyes--not that she deserved any of it, nor the Song and neither the loyalty or respect her people gave her so freely.

Jodha felt her throat tightening and tried to swallow but her emotions refused to be controlled anymore.
Tears slipped down her eyes and down her cheeks in rivulets, the salt in them started to burn after a while and still, Jodha sobbed. 
She couldn't help but think- should she be happy that she had saved her Kingdom or sad that she had had to sell herself in order to do so?

Her people thought her omniscient, they thought her infallible and almost Goddess-like...they called her their Durga and the Pride of Rajputana and now their Pride had been sold to the Mughals of all people--Their Durga had been forced to marry someone who didn't even know who Shiv was!

Jodha felt Weak and alone as she muffled her sobs in order to not alert the Palki bearers of her plight. 
Jodha felt Cheap. 
She felt worse than a courtesan and that was why when Jalal-ud-din summoned her to sing for him and his ministers, Jodha refused.
She may be feeling like a courtesan but there was no way that she would ever act like one and it would be better for Jalal-ud-din to learn on the very first day of their marriage that Jodha may have sacrificed her pride for her people and married HIM but there was no way she was ever going to accept him- not in her heart, not in her body and definitely not in her Soul. 

It would be better that he learns to hear and accept the word 'No' from Jodha's lips on the very first day of this long and tedious transaction many called Marriage lest he starts expecting something from Jodha she was... unwilling to give. 

*

Jalal waited in the largest tent, halfway through the night along with his ministers, waiting for Jodha to arrive, to entertain them- HIM- with her famed voice only to be informed that Jodha had refused to even come to the tent, leave alone sing. 

"She says she is tired and has asked to be left alone for the rest of the night, Shahenshah." Badi Ammi finished, 

"Where is she?" Jalal's voice was akin to the silence before a storm, 

"In her tent." Badi Ammi replied, looking at the ground and Jalal showed no outward change, not even when he realised the implication of those words, only muttering a threateningly calm-

"I see." 

Jalal left the ministers and headed towards 'Jodha's' tent- as opposed to the Tent set up for their marital duties- A tent that Jalal had yet to even step foot in but he knew that it had been decorated with flowers all over...something he'd asked for specifically. 

The Female guards- Gondi in origin but disguised to look Ameri- parted as soon as they saw it was him and Moti bowed before saying, 
"The Queen currently is not taking visitors, Shahenshah. She is asleep." 

Jalal barely stopped at those words and entered the Tent- no power on this Allah's green Earth had the power to stop him if he did not wish to be stopp---
He stopped.
(Nay, he froze-he was sure he had stopped breathing.)

He Stopped because there She was, sleeping like an angel who had fallen on the Earth by mistake... It was unfair, he thought, for something so fierce, so bloodthirsty to look so tempting.
He reckoned, in this scenario, he was the Icarus and She- the Sun...he wanted her for her body, he thirsted for a taste of her and She would rather kill him without a moment's regret for even having the audacity of thinking such thoughts and yet...yet he couldn't help but try to get closer...

She slept on, unaware of his presence and Jalal could do nothing but stare on. Even his fury at being embarrassed in front of his ministers was numbed at the mere sight of her-...minutes may have passed but Jalal did not feel them pass by as he continued to stare on.

It was a curious Phenomenon- This sudden burn that filled him at the sight of her, this sudden want to just stop and stare--but then again, What else was a man supposed to do when he gazed upon God's perfect creation? Would anyone ever look at a Star and not covet it? 
Would Jalal ever look at Jodha and not want her? Would this attraction he felt towards her lessen over time? Would he ever get used to her beauty? Tame her fire? Soften her heart towards him?

Not that Jalal cared OR had any hopes- her demand for a separate Tent had conveyed all her wishes loudly and clearly to Jalal (and everyone outside) that she did not wish to spend this night- or any other night- with him. 
It irked him but there was not much he could do for he was many things but rapist wasn't one of them. He had never before touched a woman who did not want him and he wasn't going to break that habit now...not even for someone as beautiful as his new Begum.  
(But that did not mean that he won't scare her, or make her regret not coming out to sing when he called.)

He walked closer to the bed and Jalal could see the exact moment she woke up.
Her body tensed...it would not have been visible to him but for the fact that Jalal had been watching her closely.
Too closely. 
Which is why he noticed when her measured breathing hitched- as those supple-looking breasts stuttered in their calm movement and her breathing slowed to hear his approach better.
An excitement akin to the one Jalal got while hunting, filled his entire being.

The bed dipped as he climbed atop it- making his presence obvious and that was when she attacked, deadly and swift- perhaps a bit too swift because Jalal was unable to stop himself from getting hurt. His palm's blood dripped off of his dagger's edge and this time he wasn't even shocked at being attacked by her- he was actually acquiring a habit of it by now. 

Jalal maintained his grip on the dagger- edge side- and pulled it out of Jodha's hand, throwing it far away so that she couldn't attack him with it again- for some reason she always seemed to be aiming for his neck. 
He felt his fury return with vengeance and leant over her to intimidate her while she kept trying to get away from him and ended up on her back, her eyes looking up at him as he remained above her. 
It was a hilarious mockery of an intimate position because who went this close to the person who'd been about to murder them? 
(And Jalal was under no illusions, he knew she'd kill him a second if she could.)

"You seem oddly obsessed with my neck, Jodha Begum." 

"Obsessed with slicing it open, perhaps." Her reply came as swiftly as her attack had, "What are you doing in my tent?" She asked and tried to get up but Jalal's presence atop her dissuaded her. 

"Funny, I actually came here to ask why 'your' tent even exists. And perhaps you've forgotten what'll happen to Amber if even a hair on my head is harmed." 

"The reason my tent exists is because I remember what will happen to Amber if I end up killing you in the night-," 

"You'll try to kill me, you mean? And Fail like all the previous times...I am actually starting to doubt that you really want to kill me." Jalal spoke mischievously and revelled at the look of fury that crossed her face, 

"I have devised 300 ways to kill you and none of them even involve a weapon- I can demonstrate now if you wish." She hissed, unafraid of his stance above her, unafraid of the consequences her words will wreak. Un...afraid.
Jalal frowned in consternation.

Jalal leaned down further and she raised a single brow at his concentrating face.  
"Huh." He exclaimed after a moment of silence and he could almost see the curiosity gnawing in her eyes, 

"What." She asked and Jalal tilted his head- he wanted her to be afraid of him, wanted to see that fear and respect on her face as he'd seen on many people before her. 
He wanted to see some emotion on her face, some sort of signal that he was having an effect on her...
Jalal leaned in closer, by now her scent had overwhelmed him, the smell of dew-dipped roses filled his lungs and--
And Jalal saw it happen the moment his lips were about to press on hers- saw the exact moment her eyes turned Golden. 

So, Fear called on her magic and Shock too- as had been apparent during the Mooh Dikhai ceremony, Jalal noted in his mind. 

Jalal felt his own power rise to the surface and battle hers- Gold and Silver energies rose up from both their bodies and battled for dominance but Jalal's attention remained on her face. On her Golden eyes.

"I am your Husband." He reminded her, "You belong to me according to both our religions, Jodha Begum."

"By Force." She reminded him, "I married you only for Amber's safety- my mind may have accepted this marriage but my Heart and my Body have not. Will not. No religion and no vow on this Earth allows you to use force to have me." 

Jalal retracted his power- the one he had used unconsciously- and suddenly her Power was everywhere.
Everywhere Jalal had been touching her, that area burned- as if someone had poured down hot water on the area and he hissed at the sensation. 
Her skin felt inhospitable and Jalal knew it was magic- it only worked to mesmerize him further because a minute later that burn simmered down to an uncomfortable warmth- as if Jalal was touching a hot plate or extremely cold ice. 
It still burned but Jalal knew he could handle it. 

It felt as if there was lightning rushing under her skin- as if she were a live wire- and Jalal was touching something combustible, something Godly and sacred enough that Man wasn't given the honour to touch it. Touch Her.

"I do not fear you, Jalal-ud-din, because there is nothing you can do to me." She said and a hand came to rest on his chest, he closed his eyes as a fire spread from her mere touch and Jalal was pushed away...it felt euphoric. Like he was fighting a battle between pain and pleasure- the pain came from her magic and the pleasure from her touch. 

"Do you feel the burn, dear Husband?" She whispered, her voice sarcastic. 
"These are my emotions for you, this is what I feel- this burning hatred when I gaze at you, this is what I want to do to you whenever you're close- I wish to burn you with only the fire of my hatred..." Jodha spoke, her voice clear even as she kept pushing him until he was kneeling on the bed and she knelt parallelly in front of him.
Their faces a breath apart, their eyes flaring Golden and Silver. 

Her hand suddenly stopped as it came to rest on his heart,
"Do you have any idea how much I have regretted healing you that day?" She asked and Jalal felt something twist in him at those words. The pain of her touch had dulled down to a simmer as his own eyes flared Silver with his hidden power and nulled the pain into nothing but her words...her words were more cutting than her power could ever hope to be.

"Do you have any idea, how many times I have cursed the fact that it was ME who found you injured? Had it been anyone else, even the most skilled Healer in Hindustan-- they would have been helpless and you would have died leaving Hindustan a better place. A safer place." 
She whispered and as she spoke Jalal could only imagine what he'd imagined in the years after his injury- after she'd healed him. 

He'd wanted her- and it had been innocent, this want of his. (AT least at first.)
For the longest time, Jalal had only wished to Thank Her- this angel who'd given him the boon of life, this nymph of a woman who'd flown into his life like a breath of roses and left it feeling so much brighter. 

He'd wanted to show her His Kingdom, it had been a childish wish, a wish to boast his achievements like a child shows his toys if only to make the other person like them better. 
Jalal had seen her in his dreams and it had driven him further and motivated him to do better...she had given him a Purpose even if she'd done it unconsciously but all this while- while Jalal had been imagining her as this paragon of heavenliness in his mind, Jodha had been roiling in regret and hate. 
Regret at saving his life, wishing him dead...

(Yes, she'd tried to kill him a few times today and even before today but Jalal had thought that it was all fun-- not that attempted murder is fun but there had been a lightness to their actions...or perhaps it had been Jalal's imagination-- He looked into her eyes, those beautiful Golden eyes, which had only ever looked at him with adoration in his dreams, looked at him with the burning hatred of a thousand suns and Jalal huffed out a bitter smile...) 

Ya Allah, he'd been a fool. A fool who'd fallen for a dream. 

He took his bloodied hand and held her jaw tightly in it, the pain her magic inflicted on him had no effect for Jalal's inner fire of self-flagellation was greater and more painful than any fire she could inflict on him through her touch. Her hand that was on his chest tried to push him away but Jalal's strength was far greater than hers. 

"Be glad Jodha Begum that I am not the sort of man who turns abusive in anger. Be glad that I am not the sort of man who rapes. But be rest assured, the pain you've intentionally inflicted on me today...you will pay for it Tenfold. And then, my dear wife, you will learn Fear me." 

Jalal huffed out a smile as he left her, she thought she knew Hatred...oh, Jodha, you were born amongst flowers and brought up by people who daren't touch you harshly.  
Jalal, though, had lived in Hatred. Been born in the haze of Darkness and Betrayal-- there was no one on this planet who knew Hatred better than Jalal and he would be glad to show it to the ignorant.
To show it to Jodha. 

*

Jodha allowed her composure to slip as soon as Jalal-ud-din was out of her tent, her hand went to cover her mouth and Rajah quickly entered the tent- probably sensing her feelings.
Her fingers threaded into his fur as he yowled in worry- 
"No, I am glad that you did not interfere." She said to her beloved Tiger, "He can take you away from me if you attack him- send you away, have you killed-," Rajah growled and Jodha nodded, 

"Yes, I know you're strong but Rajah where we are headed...in that place he's stronger and I am not strong enough to bear your loss- so please...whenever he comes to me, stay out of it as you did today." 

Rajah yowled irritably and Jodha smiled, 
"Yes, I love you too."

She hugged Rajah to herself and fell into a fitful sleep-

 
Her dreams were filled with a little boy, injured and bleeding...hurt bloomed on his face when Jodha looked at him coldly and denied him her help- a tear slipping onto his cheeks from his silver eyes. 
'You're a bad man.' She wished to justify her actions, angry that he was making her feel defensive by trying to act Hurt, 'You're heartless and I refuse to help someone like you.' 

The boy died from his injuries and in his place, now stood Jalal-ud-din, and his eyes were colder than the ice he sold and such a dark dark Grey that they were almost Black- with no sign of silver anywhere.
He smirked as he raised his sword- Jodha looked down to see his victim and gasped when she saw Rajah materialize from somewhere under that sword and Jodha shouted as the sword came down and-- and--

Jodha woke up with a shout. Rajah was prowling at the end of the bed but when he saw her awake he jumped onto the bed and rubbed his cheeks on hers- assuring himself that she was well. 

"This dream had you in it, Rajah-- you're never in them but this time you were and- and...he will take you from me," Jodha whispered and covered her mouth as an emotion she'd never felt before chilled her spine. 

Fear, she realised, she was feeling afraid-- Jodha Bai was feeling afraid. 

She stood up and rushed towards her Kanha and towards her Shiv- the eternal Diya burned merrily in front of her Gods and yet not even their presence could calm her shaking fingers.
"I cannot lose him, Kanha...not Rajah." She prayed and yet nothing could calm her heart-
"Give me the courage to do my duty, give me a heart that can suffer devastation but endure it with grace, give me a mind that is swift enough to out-match my enemies. Hey Kanha, hear my prayer." 

For the first time in years, Jodha did not sing to her Gods...oh, she prayed and offered them flowers but not much else for the chords of her throat felt frozen as her mind replayed the hurt look of the boy in her dream and the monster he had turned into.

*

"Is everything alright, Jalal?" Badi Ammi's voice echoed in the tent they'd just been sitting for their breakfast. 
During the meal, his new Begum had sat beside him and had breakfast silently- as if the woman he'd seen last night and the woman he was seeing this morning were two different creatures but Jalal knew her truth now, he won't be fooled so easily again. 
(There must be a reason she was acting so meek...something had scared her-- no she'd been too proud stating that she did not feel fear but if not fear then what?)

"Of course, Badi Ammi." 

"Are you sure?" she asked, "It's just...I sensed a strange tension while breaking our fast today. Is Begum Jodha alright?" 

Jalal released a sarcastic laugh, 
"Oh, believe me, Badi Ammi, she's alright...she's not one to hide or diminish her true opinions or feelings," Jalal said while his eyes gravitated towards Jodha- she was wearing Yellow today as opposed to the red of yesterday and Jalal was miffed to see that both colours suited her unfairly well. While in Red she had been a Vision, in Yellow she shined like the Sun itself.

"Jalal-," Badi Ammi started to say but he just shook his head, 

"Badi Ammi, let us not forget that at the end of the day this marriage is a mere transaction...A business deal." The tense lines in Badi Ammi's shoulders relaxed and the frown she held on her forehead loosened- oh, Jalal thought, she had been worried... Of what- Jalal did not know nor did he ask. 

"I agree, Jalal. Begum Jodha will be like any other woman in the Harem- I was thinking, the chambers between Hazrat begum and the Kitchens would be perfect for the Rajputani Princess?" 
Jalal held in a laugh as he knew the chambers Badi Ammi was talking about, Hazrat was a Kaneez who talked until ears bled and the kitchen was loud enough to deafen someone- A week in that room would feel like years.
(Among the Harem, those chambers were known as the Torture chambers.)

"I am sure Ruqaiya has already seen to Begum Jodha's accommodation and if not then the Marium Makani surely must have, Badi Ammi. Let's not worry about that. Now, on a different note, make it a reminder that I need to lower the taxes on the most downtrodden in Agra. There are no wars that need to be fought currently, the Mughal Treasury is comfortable and this temporary reprieve will surely help that population become somewhat financially stable..." Jalal continued talking his Wazir-e-Alaya until it was time to depart and even then his mind continued calculating-- 

If he cancelled the taxes now, in five years' time, when his economically unstable population became financially comfortable- he could possibly levy higher taxes than he was levying now...which would help him recover the time and money lost.

But then again, would the rise in taxes be fair to the population that had continued paying taxes in those 5 years?
Surely not, perhaps a condition on the 5-year reprieve then- only those people willing to pay higher taxes at the end of those 5 years will be allowed the reprieve and the people who chose to continue with the current system will not face the same rise in their taxes. 

But then that opened up the possibility of fraud- what if a person took a five years reprieve, spoke a few lies and continued paying the low taxes of the old scheme? 
Perhaps some form of identification needed to be brought into work soon especially now with the University of Agra in the works- some form of seal maybe? No, that could possibly be stolen and Jalal did not need nor want the headache that would bring for he would have to be the one to deliver justice. 

Perhaps something that couldn't be stolen then-- Housing perhaps? People who chose the five-year reprieve will receive a house in the upper town at the end of those five years, considering that they pay higher taxes it would also be fair to give them better housing-- but, Jalal sighed, that would divide his people too much...living in the upper town was a status symbol and Jalal couldn't bring the most downtrodden community of his Kingdom to the most influential part in his Kingdom. 

Jalal sighed, he'll figure something out. Something perfect. 

*

Jodha held in a groan when she looked at the pile of documents in her Palki- she glared at Maan Singh though, 
"Really?" She asked and he shrugged unrepentantly, 

"This is what happens when you decide to shift an entire production plant from one Kingdom to another, Sister and build a University at the same time...and-," Maan looked through the documents, his eyes widened, "Are we building a Palace in Agra?" 

"Of course not." Jodha replied easily, "We are re-building an old Robar warehouse into a place habitable enough that our parents and siblings can visit us in Agra. Foreign dignitaries that I have trade relations with can also stay here." She picked up the topmost document and started to read through it- listening to Maan through one ear. 

"Can't they just stay in Badalgarh- it is now your home to Jodha, surely-,"

"Surely nothing. Or have you forgotten that barely four people in Agra know that I am not just the Princess of Amber?" Jodha reminded gently but distractedly, "Who's written this report?" She asked, 

"Me, why?" He asked looking a tad worried, she smiled widely and ruffled his hair, 

"It's perfect brother, that's why! For the first time in your life, your report makes sense!" Jodha crowed as Maan blushed in both embarrassment and pride. 

"I know what you're doing, sister- you're trying to change the topic. Why can't our parents stay at Badalgarh?" 

"Ever heard our Bhabhi- Chandramukhi's father say, 'Hum apne beti ke sasural ka paani takk nahi grahan karr sakte.'?"
('We can't even take water from our daughter's marital home.'?)

Maan nodded a severe look on his face, 
"I wondered then but didn't ask- what does it mean?" 

"I don't know what the tradition signifies- perhaps something to do with the Kanyadaan but I do know what that means for our parents - if our parents or siblings come to visit, they won't be able to stay for long in Badalgarh but they might be persuaded to stay in the New Palace." She tapped the warehouse re-building plans, "Let's name it 'Rajghar', for Rajputana." She declared. 

"You think of everything, don't you sister?" Maan asked, awe in his gaze and Jodha smiled and hid her sadness well...

Not everything, she replied to herself in her mind, she had failed to think of a way out of this marriage. 

*

Hamida was a Persian Royal and it was only her royal lessons that prevented her from tapping her feet in impatience. 
She stood in welcome of Jalal and Jodha- surrounded by many women of the Harem, many Khwaja Sheras, guards and Bakshi Bano- her daughter. 
"Have patience mother, Bhai Jaan and my new Bhabhi Jaan must be on their way here." She turned to her daughter and smiled before breathing in deeply...she was just too excited. 

"Guard, any news?" She asked the guard who came towards them, looking rushed. The man nodded and replied, 

"Huzoor, Badshah Salaamat has entered Badalgarh and is on his way right here along with his new Begum, Princess Jodha, the Wazir-e-Alaya Maham Anga and her son- General Adham Khan  and Princess Bakshi's husband, General Sharifuddin." 

A massive smile bloomed upon all of their faces as the words of the guards were confirmed when the Doors banged open and in came Toofan- upon which sat Jalal looking majestic- all the women around Hamida, except Bakshi, sighed collectively and the Marium Makani held in a smile at their reactions. 
Behind Jalal, there was a Palki surrounded by at least ten female guards. The Palki bearers were Ameri in nature and well-trained as their eyes did not look up even once at the women of the Harem. Instead, they deposited the Palki on its Stand and lowered their heads. 

Jalal smiled and greeted everyone with an adab before going towards the Palki and offering a hand inside- a fair and delicate hand became visible before a figure clad in yellow stepped out of the Palki gracefully. 
The Female guards and the Palki bearers bowed- clearly to the woman- before picking up the Palki and disappearing.

Jalal's new Begum's face was hidden behind a veil but through her walk alone, Hamida could sense confidence and strength. Could sense Pride and the Royal upbringing. 

Hamida first greeted Jalal by leaning forward and kissing his forehead- an act he allowed if only for the public but Hamida took her comfort in it and then she turned towards Jalal's new bride as Maham came forward to introduce, 

"Begum Jodha, inhe salaam kijiye, yeh hai Mallika-e-Azum, Shahenshah ki waalida hai yeh- Hamida Bano Mohtarma." 
(Begum Jodha, greet her, this is Mallika-e-Azum, she is Shahenshah's mother. Lady Hamida Bano.)

"Khushamdeed. Tashreef laiye beti."
(Welcome. Please, come inside, daughter.)
 Hamida said but was a little taken aback when Begum Jodha stepped half a step forward and gracefully bent down to touch Hamida's feet. 
Prior to this moment, Hamida had only heard of such a tradition but this was her first time being at the receiving end of it and it made her realize that the Hindus knew what they were doing as her heart immediately warmed up at the action and her arms opened up to accept the new Begum with genuine Happiness- surely any woman who would humble herself to touch their elder's feet was worthy of praise and acceptance. 

She too leaned down, cupped her new daughter's shoulder and gently pulled her up-
Jodha's hands were joined in a Pranam and Hamida couldn't stop herself from wanting to see the face behind such warmth. Behind such grace and respect. 

She touched the veil's border and gently pulled it up and over Jodha's head-- 

Gasps echoed throughout the courtyard as everyone became privy to Jodha's beauty, even Hamida herself was stunned into silence and for a second could only blink as Jodha's eyes slowly rose to meet her own.
It felt as if the Sun of Rajputana had graced the Mughal Fort. As if that infinite brightness had tried to fit itself into a person and had failed...for Jodha shined. 
She allowed herself to look for a full second before saying,
"Noor-e-Ilahi hai aap, Beti. Aapki khoobsurti ki chamak se toh napaak bhi paak ho jaye, Jodha Begum." Hamida praised and a pretty but sad smile bloomed upon that beautiful face- Hamida chose to bless her then,

"Allah aapko harr buri nazar se bachaye. Aabad aur dilshaad rakhe. Ameen." Everyone but Jalal and Maham echoed the sentiment and repeated, "Ameen." 

(The brightness of your Beauty has the power to turn even Impure into Pure, Jodha Begum- there's God's light in your beauty. May Allah protect you from the evil eye always and may he keep you happy and prosperous.)

"Meet her," Hamida pointed to her left, "This is Bakshi Bano- my daughter, Jalal's younger sister and  Shehzaadi of the Mughal Sultanate." 
Jodha turned towards Bakshi and the smile on her face became genuine and yet still, the sadness remained. 

"Khushamdeed Bhabhi Jaan." Bakshi said with a bright smile and Jodha returned the greeting with a Pranam before Hamida continued,
"I know that there are a few 'grahpravesh' rituals in your culture, Jodha Beti, this is my small attempt to emulate them," Hamida said before clapping her hands and the women started singing the songs of Welcome as another group of dasis went and brought a kalash filled with rice,  two thaals with wet Vermillion- 

One of the thaal (big plate) was placed on the ground- in front of the Kalash filled with rice and the other thaal was offered to Jodha for her hands, 
"Place your hands in the colour, Bahu-beti." 

Jodha did as guided and then pressed her hands onto one of the columns before placing her feet into the colour, gently kicking the Kalash and taking her first steps inside the Mughal Fort, leaving dainty red footprints in her wake. 

Hamida closed her eyes and looked up towards the sky, a smile blooming upon her face- she felt that Jodha's presence was about to change the Mughal Empire, for the better. 

*

Jodha, for the first time in her life, was feeling a tad overwhelmed- her welcome into Badalgarh had been warm- exceedingly so and she would be lying if she said that she had been expecting it...nay, she had been expecting a cold welcome and she had never expected Jalal-ud-din's mother to be like this...
The Marium-Makani, Hamida Bano was such a warm and gracious woman. There was an elegance and pleasantness to her that reminded her of her own mother and in some cases even her Grandmother. 
(On the other hand, was her Son who had disappeared halfway through the welcoming and though Jodha had been happy with his absence she could see that it had irked his mother.)

"This is the Zenaan-Khana, Jodha beti...this is where the Mughal Sultanate's women live. The only male allowed inside is Jalal himself and more commonly we call this place the Harem. It is divided into three parts. This one here is the Lower Harem." 

It looked like they had entered a common area and women were everywhere- as far as Jodha's eyes could go, women were present and currently, all of them were looking at her, whispering to the women beside them, giggling at something or the other. 

The smell of perfume was prevalent in the air as some women swam in the pool in the middle of the Harem, a few were playing games while a few were drinking wine. 
Some women were about to come towards Jodha but the Marium Makani shook her head, 

"Begum Jodha is tired, she will be resting first and then meeting everyone later." Her mother-in-law announced and everyone backed off. A hand on Jodha's back guided her forward, through the hallways and towards a less populated area. 

"The lower Harem is for the Kaneez- the slave girls who have been gifted to Jalal, Bandis who have caught his eye or have Jalal's favour for one reason or another."

The Marium Makani then spoke of the next part of the Harem, 
"This part of the Harem is bigger and that courtyard in the middle is called Angoori Bagh- it is big enough to be divided into four parts and plants from all over the world are grown here. Fruit trees, flowers, exotic animals...all are present here." 
It was a massive Garden, Jodha could see from above. She knew Rajah would like it in the Garden and so would Jodha...it was beautiful. 

"That is where Jalal lives." The Marium Makani pointed to a Massive palace which overlooked the Angoori bagh and was in the prime location. 
It was the biggest palace in the Harem and made sense that it would belong to HIM- it was not as if his ego would fit in a smaller palace. 

"That palace is Ruqaiya Begum's," Her mother-in-law continued painting at different palaces, "She is Jalal Prime Begum- the Padshah Begum, Jalal's most favourite and most 'Khaas' Begum. Ruqaiya is also in charge of the Harem and all in it." 

"The Palace, diagonal to Ruqaiya Begum's is that of Salima Begum." 

"Salima Begum?" Jodha couldn't stop herself from asking, "Bairam Khan's widow?" 

Her mother-in-law turned to face her and nodded, 
"Indeed. Do you know her, Daughter?" 

Jodha shook her head slowly, 
"I know of her...through Bairam Khan himself. I was unaware that the Shahenshah had married her." 

"Yes, It is all very recent, they have only been married for a few months." 

Jodha nodded but couldn't help spitefully thinking- just how many women did Jalal-ud-din plan to marry in the course of this year? Jodha was already his second this year and the year had barely started. 

"This area is strictly meant for Jalal, his wives and his immediate family. And This-" Her mother-in-law said while pointing at a beautiful-looking mahal (palace) made of red sandstone and white marble, "Is yours, Jodha beti." 

Her mother-in-law took Jodha's hand in hers and took her through each room, 
"I personally had them readied so I hope everything is satisfactory- this is meeting room- Gosh-e-Mulaaqaat." 

Neemat, a Khwaja Shera who seemed to be in the Marium Makani's service, pointed at the exotic birds and introduced, 
"These are Shaq and Shuru...they learn to repeat things very quickly and repeat them in front of everyone who visits." 

Jodha went closer to the cage and looked at the beautiful avians curiously, they did not look of indigenous origins...she had never seen such birds in Hindustan, not even in Gondwana. 
She nodded at Neemat and said, 
"Forewarned." 
Neemat giggled while Jodha smiled.

"And this is," One of the Dasis went forward, pointing at a room "the bedroom or the Khwab-gah. The window looks straight at the courtyard and this window," The Dasi pointed happily at another massive window, "Has been built according to your specifications, Begum Sahiba- A window which opens towards the Forest. Beyond it, one can even see the Yamuna river." 

Jodha sauntered over eagerly and indeed, it was as the Dasi had said. She could see Yamuna very clearly and she smiled- this would make Rajah's life much easier...he could climb down the Bael tree overlooking her room and go towards the forest whenever he wished. 

And Yamuna...at least living in Agra had some perks to it-- she had thought that a man like Jalal-ud-din must be living in a dark dank place but she'd been proved wrong. 
Badalgarh was bold and beautiful- its beauty was different from the delicate and light beauty of Amber and Heera Palace but no less enchanting. 
No less mesmerizing. 
Badalgarh seemed like it had been made with love and passion...seemed like it was a dream which had been fulfilled, a vision carried into reality.
Badalgarh felt like a Man if Heera Palace was a Woman- both beautiful in their own way. 

Her Mother-in-law smiled as Jodha made her appreciation of the palace clear on her face and guided her into the last part of her palace,
"This is the ibaadat-khana...I heard of your demands, Jodha Beti-- I have to say, they impressed me- You impressed me the moment I heard of them and took it upon myself to have a temple for your Kanha built."

Her Mother-in-law showed her the perfectly created little Gold temple and Jodha was immediately entranced.

There was a Sun figure at the back, an ode to her Rajput background and bright yellow curtains framed the temple. 

It was perfect. 

"Is it alright?" Her mother-in-law asked hesitantly and Jodha couldn't help but turn and gently hug the woman, 

"It's perfect, your grace-," 

"None of that stiffness with me, Beti-- if I call you daughter then I hope that you will feel comfortable enough to call me 'Ammijaan'." 

Jodha smiled, her throat feeling tight and nodded, 
"Ammijaan, Thank you." 

Her Mother-in-law beamed, 
"You have no idea how it pleases me to hear you say that, Bahu-Beti." Her mother-in-law paused before asking-her voice gentle- as she posed the question, 
"I fear there is something troubling you, daughter...I saw it the moment you entered Badalgarh. Tell me, dear, is it Jalal? You seem to relax in his absence."

Jodha looked away only to have her hand squeezed gently as Ammijaan's voice echoed,

"No need to be censored with me, Jodha beti, I know my son has his faults...tell me, why do you dislike him?" 

"I have married your son, Ammijaan, but the entire Rajputana knows that it was done to save my Home. My Amber. 
My marriage to the Shahenshah- in cold words- is a transaction that was necessary to stop the war. Amber got its sovereignty back and... the Shahenshah folded yet another Kingdom in the long list of his victories but between all of that, I was the only one who had to sacrifice." Jodha stated, she shook her head to dislodge the melancholic thoughts, 

"Such is a duty of Royal women, Jodha. Marriage is an inevitable part of it and mostly it comes without love, beti." Her mother-in-law tried to comfort and Jodha smiled sadly, 

"It is not the marriage that I am sad about Ammijaan, it is who I am married to. A man who is heartless and cruel. A man, whom, I've seen as my enemy ever since I knew his name- I have fought against him, killed people in order to defeat him..." 
Jodha paused before going towards the Window that looked over at Yamuna, 

"I was injured and unconscious when the alliance between Amber and Shahenshah was finalised- when it was decided that I would be married to the Mughal Shahenshah, so to me it seems as if One day Jalal-ud-din was still my enemy and on the next day the Shahenshah was my Husband- tell me Ammijaan, how can I bridge the gap between my enemy and my husband?" Jodha turned to see Hamida Bano Begum and could see her mother-in-law listening raptly, 
"My mind may have accepted this union for Amber's sake but my heart and my soul are still against it- how do I convince them of what Duty requires of them?" 

"I see now." His mother-in-law said slowly, "You're her, aren't you? The one that snuck into Jalal's camp and released the war prisoners? Released Maharana Pratap?"

Jodha felt herself flush at being caught and nodded, her mother-in-law smiled sadly, 
"And also the woman who Jalal calls his Golden-eyed angel...no need to look so shocked dear, your eyes are glowing golden even now." 

Jodha's eyes sought her own reflection and at finding it, it only confirmed her Mother-in-law's words...her eyes beckoned like two small glowing suns. Her hand gravitated towards her face, her fingers tracing the under eyes in shock while Ammijaan spoke in the background,

"It was years ago that Jalal came back from the battle of Baluchistan- he was injured severely but he was healing miraculously...when he woke up, he insisted that a golden-eyed Angel had healed him. That she was real, that he'd not hallucinated her...none of us believed him, of course, the amount of drugs in his body could have brought down an elephant.
And then when he got better, he painted eyes that glowed golden...eyes that looked exactly like yours." 

Jodha looked away, for how could she say to Ammijaan that Jodha wished she had never healed her son? 
"I healed him because it was my duty as a Healer..." 

"And I will be forever grateful to you for saving his life, not as the Marium Makani of the Mughal Sultanate but as Jalal's mother." Her mother-in-law took her hand and together they went to sit on the bed, 

"When Jalal was born, I was sure that he was different. His eyes had shined Silver in a much similar way to yours that shine Gold the moment he was born. " 

"I think..." Jodha started hesitantly, "that I have seen it. In rare moments." She confessed, remembering how Jalal had been able to suffer through her touch with nary a sound.
The last time she'd touched someone with the same amount of power she'd touched him last night, they'd burned from the inside out...their skin melting and turning to ash under her hands but Jalal-ud-din had not even winced and all the while his silver eyes that had glowed like stars in the night...

"There must be a reason, daughter, that your eyes glow gold and his silver...that fate and Allah's will has brought you two together. There must be a reason that The Shahenshah of the Mughal Sultanate and the Gondi Rani-," Jodha's eyes snapped to meet her mother-in-law who only raised a single eyebrow as she continued, "- have been brought together, no?" 

"What gave it away?" Jodha asked and her mother-in-law laughed, 

"Oh dear, you did. Just now...but I mostly guessed because I saw this." Her mother-in-law touched the ring on her finger, a ring that only the Ruler of Gondwana was supposed to wear. She'd thought that no one would recognize it here...
"Fear not, dear, I only recognised it because I have seen it pressed into a seal before." 

"Umarkot." Jodha came to the conclusion quickly, "You saw the letter my grandmother sent all those years ago, it must have had this signet's impression." 

"Very correct, Beti, for who can forget the person who saved both mine and Jalal's lives? It seems to me that we owe you and your family a great debt, Jodha- starting from my husband Humayun and your uncle Puranmal who sacrificed his life for my Husband's war. Let us pay you that debt back now, my dear daughter. Let us give you a home you will be proud of and happy in."
Hamida said and Jodha couldn't help the tears that brimmed in her eyes- and then, because everything was going so well that something had to go wrong because Rajah chose that moment to enter Jodha's palace and Hamida Bano, his royal Mother-in-law, let out a scream of pure terror prompting Royal Guards to burst into her palace.

'Great.' She thought, 'First day in her new home and she'd already scared her mother-in-law halfway to death.'

She glared at Rajah who only yowled in confusion before curling up on her bed and going to sleep.
It took another hour to calm her Mother-in-law down and gradually give her the courage to pet Rajah, who continued sleeping. 

"He seems like a good boy." Her mother-in-law said with a somewhat mollified look on her face, while still petting Rajah's head- whose eyes opened at the words and her Mother-in-law snatched her hand back--and Jodha finally released a giggle at the situation while her Ammijaan followed her into laughter. 

*

Ruqaiya had planned on not giving the new begum much importance and had not spared a single thought to her even if the entire Fort was abuzz with the whispers of her beauty and grace. 
The women of the Harem seethed in petty jealousies, the Khwaja Sheras fluttered their hands at the idea of serving the new begum, the Hindu dasis lined up to be allowed to serve someone from their own religion and Ruqaiya subdued everyone with just a single glare of her eyes. 

She had been in a foul mood ever since she had been notified that Jalal had already entered the Fort and still, he had yet to visit her...what was so important that Jalal had failed to visit her the first thing since his return? What had kept him away from their game of Chess? From Ruqaiya? 

It was just when she had been on her way to meet Jalal, she saw that one of the previously empty palaces- the one that occupied one of the most prime Locations of the Harem right opposite Jalal's Palace, had been given to the new Begum. 

She frowned, who had dared to offer this palace to the New Begum?! Ruqaiya had specifically ordered her to be placed with the rest of the Kaneez-- only the people with Royal Mughal blood had their own palaces and as far as Ruqaiya was concerned, this new begum was an outsider-- she shouldn't be allowed in this part of the Harem. 

Ruqaiya glared at the female guards standing outside who didn't even look at her as she passed into the Royal Palace and froze--
It was her.
HER.

The same girl who had humiliated Ruqaiya in front of a thousand people in Mathura, the girl who'd tricked Ruqaiya into pardoning the taxes of Hindu pilgrims for five years. 
Rajkumari Jodha of Amber- the only one who'd stood against Ruqaiya and survived. 

Ruqaiya wondered what she should do- should she announce her presence to the woman who looked busy reading documents from the massive pile in front of her or should she use the element of surprise later in the night? 

Once decided, Ruqaiya turned on her feet and left- heading straight for Jalal's Palace-

"Jalal. Jalal!" Ruqaiya called out as soon as she entered his chambers- she saw he was busy with Atgah Khan saheb- who quickly bowed and left, 

"What is it, Ruqaiya-- I am busy." 

"I can see that- so busy that you didn't even come to me once you entered Agra. What's so important that it had to be discussed as soon as you entered Agra?" 

Jalal told her about his plan of giving the financially unstable class of his Kingdom a five-year reprieve. 

"Why five years...three should be enough for the truly capable to rise up financially." 

"The 'truly capable' wouldn't even need a reprieve in the first place, Ruqaiya. This scheme will be for the people who need the help- I just need a way to make sure that no one exploits it." 

"Kindness always opens the door for exploitation, Jalal. There is no sure-shot way to prevent it but there are certain measures you can take against it. Registry with the Royal Registrar would be a start along with a special personal code given to every person continuing with the old scheme." 

"A secret number, you say?" Jalal asked, looking intrigued, "Yes...that could work. Perhaps a number should be given to everyone but in a way that would only make sense to us." Jalal stood up and started to leave only to stop and turn around to face her...his face broke into a smile and he came over and hugged her, kissing her forehead. 

"Apologies Ruqaiya, for my distraction- what can I do to make it up to you?" 

"Send your new begum back to where she came from," Ruqaiya responded without wasting a second and Jalal laughed out loud, 

"She has only been here for a few hours, what could she have possibly done to earn your ire, Ruqaiya?" Jalal asked and she hissed, 

"She's the one who forced my hand into pardoning the Hindu tax for five years! She's the one who-," 

"-Tricked you?" Jalal butted in with a smirk, "The one who played you and made you feel like a fool in front of an audience?" Ruqaiya sneered, 
"It was hardly a fair play- she twisted my words and weaselled her way out of her part of the deal."

Jalal laughed yet again and regardless of her love for Jalal's laughter she couldn't help but sneer.

"I should have guessed, you know," Jalal said, "She is perhaps the only one clever enough- apart from Badi Ammi- to be able to stand against you and win, Gitti." He addressed her fondly with her childhood name and she felt an unconscious smile spread onto her lips- this was something Jalal shared only with her- this playful side of his. 

"I want her out," Ruqaiya said and Jalal threw himself onto the bed, his face looking up at the ceiling of his room as he clicked his tongue, 

"No can do, Ruqaiya. My alliance with the Rajputana rests entirely on this marriage-," 

"Amber was already yours-!" 

"You're not listening, darling," He spoke, his voice patient, "My alliance with Rajputana-- not just Amber. My marriage with her has convinced at least seven Rajputi Kingdoms to bend their previously unbendable knees.  I tortured them, starved them, threatened them by promising to kill their sons and yet their knees didn't bend but as soon as word reached them that I was marrying their precious Jodha Bai, they knelt, Ruqaiya... what does that tell you?." 

"She is only a mere Princess-," 

"Oh, she is much more than that, her victory against you-," Jalal started to say but at those words, she couldn't stop herself from interrupting again,

"Stop calling IT that!" Ruqaiya hissed and Jalal finally seemed to lose his thinly held patience, 

"Either stop interrupting me or leave the room, Ruqaiya." He ordered, his voice suddenly absent of all playfulness, "This is the second time you've dared to do so." 

Ruqaiya backtracked and swallowed, she blinked and looked down at the floor, 
"Apologies, My King, I won't do it again." She promised and the strength of Jalal's silence made her wilt some more before he continued, his voice gentle again.  

"Her actions in Mathura should have proved her capability to you Ruqaiya but perhaps you wish to close your eyes against it so I will say something that will never be repeated again- my lone defeat on the Battlefield came at the hands of this very woman, Ruqaiya." 

"That can't be true, Jalal, you've only ever lost the battle against Gondwa--," Ruqaiya stuttered to a stop as something- a memory- flashed in her mind, 

"Princess Jodha is the owner of Robar, Mallika." The man said and Ruqaiya frowned,

"Robar belongs to Gondwana and this Princess was obviously a Rajputani, how is that possible?" She said, pointing out this flaw but the man only shrugged,

"I only sell the products and meet the Quota, Mallika. I am paid well and only know what I am told...Princess Jodha owns Robar." The man said as he started folding the Cashmere shawl the Princess had been inquiring after- no doubt it was beautiful. 

"She is the Gondi Queen," Ruqaiya whispered as everything became clearer- Jalal's decision to marry Jodha Bai became even more clear to her, her eyes sought Jalal's and his sombre expression made Ruqaiya grit her teeth, 

"Now you know," Jalal said as he filled himself a glass of wine and sipped it slowly...she snatched it from him and chugged the entire drink in one go. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction and asked, 

"More?" 

"Yes please." He handed her another glass and this time Ruqaiya took it slow, "Why does-- why is it being treated like a secret? Surely, the fact that you married a powerful enemy and turned them into an ally should quieten the dissenters in the Mughal Sultanate." 

"It was a demand of theirs that Begum Jodha's status as the Queen of Gondwana remains a secret- apparently, her life has been threatened far too many times. No one except a few hundred people outside of Gondwana and Amber, know that she is the Queen of Gondwana." 

"I can only imagine- a woman in a position of power is always hated," Ruqaiya stated, not letting her jealousy blind her to the reality of Jodha's fate, "I can see why you can't be the one to break off this marriage but what if she's the one that leaves?" 

Jalal burst into laughter yet again...his eyes looking like they were remembering something. 
"She tried that same trick-- nevertheless, you're welcome to try anything you like, Ruqaiya," Jalal said before he stood up and went to his table to resume his work and she could sense a dismissal in his actions.
Only just as she was about to leave- he called her, 

"Oh, Ruqaiya- take that along with you, will you?" He said, waving his hand towards the covered easel- the one on which Jalal had painted those eerie Golden eyes- without looking up from his work. 

She hesitantly picked the easel up... once a Dasi had done the same and she'd lost her hands for the action Ruqaiya was doing. When no reprimand came, she relaxed a little, 
"What do you wish for me to do with it?" 

"Donate it, destroy it, incinerate it...really don't care. Just get rid of it." He ordered coldly and for the first time, Ruqaiya looked at those Golden eyes and felt something besides hate- something like pity. She'd seen Jalal get bored of many things before but none had survived as long as these Golden eyes had- it felt like a pivotal point in time. 

"Why now, Jalal...it's been here for so many years. Have you finally realised that she isn't real?" 

Jalal's finger that had been tapping a paperweight onto the table paused, a deep and heavy silence filled the room as an answer she'd always hoped to hear, came. 

"Yes. I have finally realized that she only ever existed in my mind...realized that Our eyes see only what they wish to see and our minds remember events as they wish to remember them." 

There was a sadness in Jalal's voice, one which Ruqaiya chose to ignore...she wouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth and get rid of this painting as soon as possible lest Jalal changes his mind. 

*

The celebrations were going suspiciously well- Hamida thought, for the amount of dissent there had been in the Kingdom when Jalal had declared that he was marrying a Hindu Princess. 
That dissent had been further exacerbated when Jodha's demands were made public- the wish to continue in her religion was taken as a religious affront but the demand for any child resulting from Jodha and Jalal's union to be officially recognized as half-Hindu had brought some ministers to the verge of conflict, on the verge of demanding their King to rethink his decision. On the verge of a rebellion- not that Jalal had been fazed by any of the dissenting voices, it was as if he was deaf to them. 

Finally, she thought as the last act of the night concluded, finally, the night was coming to an end...it had been a long one and she could see how tired Jodha was even through the blank expression her Bahu-Beti had on her face. 

Jalal spoke up once the singers finished their last note,
"Bhot Khoob." (Very Good) He praised, "Agra has never lacked in talent before but today it seems this hall is overflowing with it-- one such addition to Agra's talent is Jodha Bai herself, my new Begum." Jalal turned his body halfway in Jodha's direction, 

"I have heard my new wife is extremely talented, a professional singer and taught by the best of the best Hindustan has to offer." 

Hamida closed her eyes as she caught Jalal's drift, she shook her head- trying to catch Jalal's attention subtly. Trying to dissuade her son from making such a public affront against Jodha. 
When she failed to catch Jalal's gaze, she turned her attention towards Jodha-but those amber eyes were only for Jalal. 
They both had their eyes on each other and they both were glaring at each other- clearly for the entire hall to see. Clearly for the entire Mughal Sultanate to see. 

"Wouldn't it be fitting that tonight ends with a song that is sung by my newest wife?" Jalal put forth before taking Jodha's hand- wincing slightly for some reason- and dragged her to the centre of the hall, right where every other prior performer had performed. 

At first, Jodha did not react but her brothers and some others from in the Hall stood up from where they had been sitting, unable to take the affront against Jodha sitting down- just as her younger brother...Maan Singh? opened his mouth to say something, Jodha raised her hand silencing him. 

"Your wish is my command, Shahenshah," Jodha said softly- but Hamida did not watch her words but her eyes- eyes which held enough fire to burn a Kindom asunder. With bated breath, Hamida listened as Jodha sang. 

Talwaaron pe sarr vaar diye,
Angaaron me jism jalaya hai...
Tabb jaake kahin humne sarr pe...yeh Kesari rang sajaya hai." 

She sang of men who had been driven into violence by the acts of cruelty inflicted on them by invaders-- by Mughals. 

She sang of how those cruel invaders invaded the lands of Punjab, how every man, child and woman tried to protect their land in their own way. 
She sang of the scars of loot these invaders inflicted upon her motherland, her Hindustan...she sang of how people were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their motherland's pride. 

"Aye, meri zameen afsos nahi joh tere liye sau dard sahein, 
Mehfooz rahe teri aan sada chaahe jaan meri yeh rahe na rahe...
Pheeka na pade kabhi rang tera jismon se nikal ke khoon kahe."

She spoke of how invaders disrespected their Gods and their females alike, of how many females preferred self-immolation over being captured by the Mughals- death over dishonour- and how every little girl carried a vial of poison ever since the invaders had invaded their lands. 

Where every performer before Jodha had sung praises of Jalal's victories, Jodha sang for the other side of the war, the one that had been defeated by The Mughals and what all Mughal greed had made them sacrifice- their child, their mother, their Lover, their brother and sisters...and So so much more. 
From Jodha's point of view, the only villains in the room were the Invaders who never seemed to have enough, who waged wars for the sake of it, and who cared not for the culture and the lives destroyed under their greedy feet. 

"Teri Mitti mein mill javaan, 
Gul Banke mai khil javaan, 
Itni si hai dil ki arzoo...teri nadiyon me beh javaan, 
Teri faslon me lehrawa, itni si hai dil ki arzoo..." 

"Enough." 
Hamida was startled when she heard Jalal speak- she'd been too deep in thought, too disturbed by the scenes Jodha's song had invoked. Was this all true? Had Jalal truly been inflicting nothing but pain on his people-- no, Jalal wasn't like that...he had ambition, sure, and he wanted Hindustan in his grasp but what did that really mean? To what lengths was Jalal willing to go to get Hindustan and what lengths had already been crossed? 

"Today's celebration has ended, everyone. Takhliya." Jalal ordered and Hamida wiped a tear that had slipped down her cheek before standing up and turning to leave. She saw Salima too holding in tears...
It seemed she had much to learn still about her son and daughter-in-law-- it seemed that wallowing in ignorance was no longer going to provide Hamida with the peace it had before. 
Hamida needed to wake up- it was high time she re-entered the politics of the Mughal Sultanate. 

*

"Takhliya." Jalal said and everyone left the Hall but when she tried to leave, he grabbed her wrist again and hissed,

"What happened in Punjab was War. Whatever decisions I took, years ago, while fighting for My Kingdom have no place in the court today-," 

Jodha had the audacity to interrupt him with a sardonic laugh, 
"War?" She said, "Perhaps for you, it was a war, Shahenshah but for the people of Punjab it was their children's survival they were fighting for. They were fighting for their mothers, their sisters- who were raped repeatedly by your people while you took their men away for a jaunt with Hemu."

"Rape is a part of War- a disgusting facet of it but one which can't be helped. For people, Everything is fair in War." Jalal taught her coldly but realistically- it was true...Men fought to fuck and fucked to fight the next day, "It may disturb your rose-coloured reality Jodha begum but I did NOT invent rape and I surely  did not invent War...it was here in Hindustan way before I entered this world." 

"That is true," Jodha said and Jalal felt a sense of victory enter him, "Tell me Shahenshah, tomorrow when someone stronger than you and your Empire comes to Hindustan's shores, invades your lands and rapes your sister--" 

"You dare-," 

"Oh yes, I dare!" She hissed, taking a step forward towards him in indignation, "When he rapes your sister and shrugs carelessly before saying, 'Well, it's all part of war, y'know... nothing personal.' Tell me Shahenshah, would you accept it?" 

"You go too far, Jodha Begum." He warned and she scoffed, a smirk on her face, 

"See how defensive you get when it is your sister in the equation, Shahenshah? Do you think everyone else is not human enough to feel the same as you? Here you have a Harem protected to the nines with your best guards- Harem, your personal pleasure house where no other man is allowed except you... 10,000 women for one mere man-- Why not give them to your soldiers instead? Why allow them to partake in someone else's wife- someone who only has one of them?" 

Jalal laughed meanly, 
"Is this what this is about, My Begum? You dislike the fact that I have so many women willing to serve-," Jalal felt his fury return when he was interrupted, 

"I care not for what you already have, Jallad-e-Shahenshah! But for when you and yours take what doesn't belong to you." She spoke and Jalal spoke through gritted teeth, 

"You don't interrupt me when I speak, Begum."

"I will interrupt you however many times I like!" She challenged and just as Jalal was about to say something someone else spoke up,

"Y-your Highness?" 

"What?!" Jalal yelled, his fury finding an appropriate outlet as he turned towards the guard who had interrupted- only for Jodha to say, 

"Don't yell at him! It's not his fault you can't bear to hear-," 

"What I wanted to hear was your voice, WIFE - can't a husband wish to listen to his wife's famed voice." 

"Oh well I hope you enjoyed listening to my voice, Husband-," She hissed the term 'Husband' with enough poison to kill an elephant,

"Oh yes," Jalal replied in kind, "I clearly enjoyed it so much." Sarcasm dripped from his words like honey from a honeycomb. 

"Wel, if you wished to hear my voice so badly then perhaps you should have tried asking me in private-,"

"Would you have-,"Jalal started to ask, genuinely curious, but was interrupted yet again when she continued to speak over him as if he hadn't spoken at all, 

"-but instead, you called me to perform- like- like I was a common Tawaif and demanded I entertain an audience that looked at me like I was FOOD-," 

"-They didn't look at you with anything but respect, no matter where you come from, You're my Begum-," and he was interrupted yet again. Jalal looked away in irritation, his hands curling into fists,

"Do you even realise the disrespect-!" 

"Oh, YES! Let's talk about Disrespect, shall we!" Jalal hissed out, finally finding an 'in' with this argument that she seemed to be winning if only for the fact that she barely allowed him to speak,
"It's somehow 'disrespect' when I wish to hear your voice but not when a Begum paints her own husband in a negative light?! What you did was just as public as what I did if not more disrespectful." 

"It's not my fault there is no other light I can paint you in, Shahenshah." Jodha spoke his title with barely hidden disdain, "You take and take and take yet you give nothing back. What have you done for your people-," 

"I keep them safe, I fight wars-," Jalal started to state, his fingers propping to quantify the things he had done, only to be interrupted yet again, 

"For yourself! For the expansion of your Empire- for the stroking of your own ego--" She asked, 

"NO. No. I fight wars for my people- for their safety and their continued peaceful life. What do you wish for me to do, sit down and depend only on my 'allies' as your father did-," He growled when she spoke over him again,

"Don't bring my father into this-," 

"Oh, I see how it is! It's fair for you to bring up my sister for the sake of proving a point but I can't do the same- is this your justice Gondi Rani?" He tipped his chin in her direction as a challenge and for a second, the only sound was of their breathing as both of them tried to calm themselves down. 

"I despise you." She said after a second and Jalal scoffed out a laugh, bitter and knowing- 

"Rest assured, Jodha Begum, the feeling is very much mutual." 

The two stared at each other down like two forces of Nature- like dark and light, like Good and Evil--

"You-r Highnesses, please f-forgive- this servant for int-terrupting-,"

Jodha started at those words, she'd somehow forgotten that the Durbaan had been there this entire time.

"What. Do. You. Want. Durbaan?" Jalal gritted out, fury clear on his face- which the Durbaan saw and squeaked in terror- looking for an exit like a startled rabbit. 

She cleared her throat and Jalal threw his hands up in the air, 
"I didn't yell!" He complained and she only rolled her eyes before looking at the Durbaan and smiling softly- Jalal wished he could tear the Durbaan's eyes out of his sockets for being allowed to look at that smile...still he could see that it had worked like magic and the Durbaan looked somewhat calmer if not entranced, 

"What is it, Durbaan?" 

"M-my Queen, the Marium Makani calls for you, she says it is important." The Durbaan flushed as he replied and Jalal scoffed while shaking his head in disbelief at how easily one of his Durbaans had been manipulated.
He left the hall right then, glad that he had promised to spend tonight with Ruqaiya- but on his way out, he made sure to glare at the Durbaan with a look that promised Death for even daring to look at Jalal's begum.

*

Jodha returned to her chambers wholly drained of energy- the day had been a taxing one. 
At first, she'd thought that married life would be easy if not a bit distracting but it was proving to be the opposite, married life seemed very...full of dramatics that consumed time. Full of Moral questions and judgements. 
It seemed like ruling a Kingdom was any day much easier than being a married woman or at least that was her personal opinion on it for she knew she would prefer an all-out rebellion in Gondwana over certain characters here in Agra. 

There were some people in Badalgarh- like Maham Anga and her Khwaja Shera, Resham- who watched her with eyes that could put an eagle's to shame...ready to see if she'll make even the minutest of mistakes- Ready to pounce on it and declare her unworthy of their Shahenshah's grace and favour...
(It is as if these people had already forgotten that it was their Shahenshah who had married Jodha forcefully. Instead, they remembered the recent events completely differently- choosing to believe that it was Jodha who'd somehow tricked her way into the Mughal Sultanate, into the Shahenshah's favour- and into whatever that meant.)

Then there were some people like the Shahenshah, who were mostly indifferent but there was an undercurrent of antagonism running under their surfaces. Many of the 'Begums' in the Harem too were of similar nature- not willing to give her too much attention but at the same time vibrating with jealousy and spite, their gazes mapping her movement with green eyes of Jelousy and wincing every time she caught them looking. 
(They winced as if they expected a rebuke for staring. As if they knew she'd heard their harsh whispers- which she had but she would rather ignore them than give them any sort of attention, for Jodha truly was indifferent, not just pretending to be.)

Jodha wondered, is this what a woman, who did not have any particular responsibility, did? Gossip, giggle and glare? 
Did they truly not have anything else to do, nothing productive to put their energies towards? Such females- the ones with nothing of their own, nothing to occupy themselves with- were perhaps the most dangerous creatures Jodha had ever come across and their presence made the Harem feel more and more like the Viper's pit than the Jenan-khana of the Mughal Sultanate.

"Moti," Jodha started to say, "get my bath ready, please." She requested as she started to remove the plethora of jewellery on her person. Another side-effect of being married was the sharp jewellery she always had to wear- give her sharp daggers to hide on her person and Jodha will bear it happily but Jewellery was mostly useless and heavier than it needed to be. 

"Yes, My Queen," Moti rushed to do as requested while Jodha tried to get the pins out of her hair. She unfastened her Lahenga and allowed it to drop onto the floor as she gently stepped into the Bath. 

Soon though, Moti called out,
"Come out now, we can't have a pruney Queen, can we?" Moti giggled after Jodha had soaked in for a good while, "I have your sleepwear ready-," 

"No," Jodha said suddenly, shaking her head but Moti only sighed, looking at her with concern.

"Jodha- you're starting to get dark circles under your eyes. You have been sleeping poorly...please, I beg of you-," 

"There's not even a door Moti..." The complaint came with all the uncomfortable thoughts that came with such a Palace which held no door- anyone could come in, at any time..."How can I wear something comfortable when there is no DOOR?" 

"There's nothing to worry about, My Queen, the Harem is completely safe." 
Jodha snorted at that,

"This Harem is hardly 'safe', Moti...I would never call a place populated by Jalal-ud-din safe of all things." Jodha groused, her lack of sleep made her irritable. Her room in Amber and in Gondwana had been safe with Bheem standing guard just outside, now, Bheem wasn't even allowed anywhere near the Harem- leave alone near her ...gods she missed him.
She missed her Assassin. She missed Amber, she missed her Father worrying over her safety...she missed her Loyal Gondwana-- 
She felt her throat closing up with all the emotions...her link to Rajah quivered in worry but she was quick to reassure him, as is, Rajah too was having trouble adjusting in Agra.

It was easy to forget that Jodha was not the only one who'd changed homes- Rajah had too. Just like Jodha will have to carve out a space for herself in the Harem, Rajah too, will have to win dominance in the forest of Agra.
In fact, he had double the responsibility because he will also have to prove to the people of Agra that he was no danger to their safety and that will require patience on his part.

"Jodha...My Queen, please. Your sleep is important-," 

"I can't Moti, you know I can't. Just... just dress me into a Lahenga and I'll sleep in that instead." 

"You've never been able to properly sleep in a Lahenga-," 

"Moti, can we please not debate over this? I am tired and the only way I'll be able to sleep is if I know I am...safe. Invulnerable." 

Moti sighed deeply and nodded in defeat, 
"Fine. Come on now...the quicker you get to bed, the better." 

Moti dressed Jodha into the lightest Lahenga she could find while Jodha looked morosely at the documents she still had to go through- there was a lot of work to do. But the few she'd gotten through needed to be sent immediately,

"Have these delivered to Bheem first thing in the morning," She requested, holding the documents in one hand- which Moti took. 

"Jodha, come now, time to sleep." 

Moti took Jodha's hand and gently pulled her towards the bed and folded open the duvet for Jodha to slip in, 

"I have hands you know," Jodha said but her voice slurred with how tired she was, 

"Oh, I know." Moti's hand stroked a hand on her forehead and Jodha fell into a deep sleep.

.

.

.

.

.

Jodha frowned in her sleep as a chill filled her- she remembered Moti pulling on a quilt on her then why...? 
"Wake up Jodha Begum...it's high time we talk." 

Jodha frowned at the voice- no one would dare to enter her chambers without her permission or Bheem would relieve them of their head first.
"I said, Wake Up Jodha Begum!" Came a shrill voice that made Jodha sit up in surprise, Jalal-ud-din's dragger slipping into her hands, ready to kill.

"What?" She mumbled, still half-asleep but somewhat alert- 

"Who are you?" Jodha asked as she stood up, righting her Dupatta over her front- which had moved while she'd been sleeping, 
 "And what are you doing here in my palace at such an indecent hour?" The woman's gaze roamed over Jodha's form in a judging manner- her gaze stuttering seeing the dagger in her hands- before in a tone which suggested many things, the woman said, 

"It seems you were waiting for someone else- well I do hope you're not too disappointed to see me instead, Jodha Begum." 

"I still don't know who you are." Jodha reminded the woman, tucking the dagger back into its hiding place. 

"So it seems you're short in two things already, newest Begum- good memory and good manners." Came the uncalled-for taunt and Jodha was sure that an introduction will come anytime now-

"I am Begum Ruqaiya, Mallika of Hindustan-," 

"Mallika of Mughal Sultanate." Jodha corrected almost unconsciously before deja-vu struck and she couldn't help but frown at the memory those words had prompted in her. 

"I see you've remembered." Ruqaiya Begum said, her eyes looking at Jodha like a crocodile, and Jodha only blinked unconcerned, "Both the memory and your lack of manners." 

Jodha smiled, unable to contain the sarcasm of it because, this Mallika had come to her chambers in the middle of the night, woken her up by acting like a hissing cat and still had the audacity to call Jodha the Mannerless one...she held in a yawn and brought her hands together, clasping her fingers in front of her,
"What can I do for you, Ruqaiya Begum?" 

"How do you like your Shahi-Mahal? Does it suit the needs of Amber's Shehzaadi well enough?" Came the random question and Jodha couldn't stop herself from frowning- this woman had come to ask if Jodha liked her rooms, in the middle of the night?
She sighed when she realized that this was going to be one of those conversations. The one that took forever to beat around the bush and everything was spoken in some form of code only Women could recognize.
A conversation with many layers and hidden font- the patience for which men usually lacked.
(And so did Jodha.) 

"I haven't had much time to settle in but they seem alright," Jodha replied and shrugged a shoulder delicately, 

"My suggestion will be to not get too comfortable, Jodha Begum, you know how men can be-- especially the powerful ones. Something-," Ruqaiya Begum said stressing on 'Something' which probably meant 'Jodha',
"-New is always exciting but it only remains so until something newer takes its place." 
The Mallika picked up a Vase for example- beautiful though it was, it was replaceable. Much as everything was, such was the truth of the world. 

"This Vase, this chandelier...at one point in time all of these things were beloved to Jalal, so much so that they incited jealousy in me but soon I realized that his preference for these things was temporary." Ruqaiya continued on to say, making herself comfortable on Jodha's bed, 
"One by one, he got bored of the Vase, of the chandelier and as the Begum who runs everything here in this Harem, it fell on my shoulders to have those things replaced." 

She wanted to ask if there was a point to this monologue but she held it in. She knew if she did interfere then this conversation would only drag on that much longer,

"Do you know where all those things ended up? The ones that Jalal did not want anymore?" The Mallika said and Jodha couldn't help but allow her eyes to rove around her Palace. 
Everything was beautiful- from the bed to the bejewelled mirror, the beautiful chandelier and the Urlis that held roses and candles- she allowed herself to wonder- Did she mind the old things if they were this beautiful? This unused? 
Jodha smiled, she wouldn't have minded had the things been ugly either-- she had never cared much for such materialistic things. 

"Here." Jodha answered and the woman smirked, 

"Well, at least you have your wits about you, Jodha Begum." Ruqaiya Begum said before losing the fake smile on her face, 
"Which is why I will warn you once and only Once. If you wish to survive in the Mughal Empire, lose this attitude of yours. This 'Holier-than-thou' demeanour and superior mien are offputting, this grief in your eyes and those unsmiling lips are not going to do you any favours here. Enjoy the limited time Jalal deigns to spend with you and revel in the perks that come with being the Begum of the Mughal Emperor."
Ruqaiya said and Jodha couldn't help but tilt her head to the side in curiosity, 

"Or what?" Jodha asked, wanting to know despite herself. She saw Ruqaiya Begum frown in confusion, 

"What do you mean, 'Or what'? Or you will lose your importance in the Mughal Empire quicker than you can earn it back. A woman like yourself surely wishes to maintain her power." 

Jodha felt several things click in place and that realization made her hot with fury,
"I see." She said, her gaze going towards the entrance of her chambers, "What has Shahenshah told you about me, Ruqaiya Begum? And why was I not consulted prior to such a liberal sharing of information." 

"Jalal is my husband." Ruqaiya Begum replied, one of her brows arching up and Jodha couldn't help but sigh, she prevented herself from pressing her temples in exhaustion. 

"Unfortunately, that fact is shared by both of us now and yet if he were to share your personal information with me, would you have liked it?" 

"You seem to be under a misunderstanding, Jodha Begum. You are Jalal's begum but Jalal is only My husband- my Shauhar...those two sentences aren't really the same." A sliver of possessiveness entered Ruqaiya Begum's voice, "He may have married you for the sake of an alliance with Amber and Gondwana-," Jodha's eyes narrowed at the mention of her Kingdom, "But make no mistake, your marriage with Jalal was a mere formality...something he did to achieve his goals. Hence, You are his Begum but he will never be your Husband. Not Truly." 

Jodha raised an eyebrow in confusion but for some reason, Ruqaiya Begum seemed to see it as a challenge.

"There are so many women in this Harem, Jodha Begum, and they've only ever wanted one thing- Jalal's attention... and yet most of them have never even met him, never managed to catch his gaze." Ruqaiya Begum stood up and circled around Jodha, 

"Some women- less than a handful- did manage to catch his gaze...mostly because of their beauty and grace-," At those words, Ruqaiya Begum's eyes slid over Jodha's form...had she been a weaker woman, an untested woman, she would have shrivelled under the judgement in that stare but Jodha only raised a brow, "But only for one night and one night alone...Jalal never returned to them." 

"Only I have ever managed to capture not just Jalal's eyes but also his interest- only I have managed to keep it. Only I, have earned Jalal's loyalty and his trust. And only I, have won his friendship and do you know why?" Ruqaiya Begum asked rhetorically,
"Because while Jalal plays with his human toys, I am the one who helps him discard the broken ones...While Jalal gets bored with the average minds around him, I am the only one able to keep up with him. While Jalal plays with the World, I am the only one who plays WITH him...I am the only one he listens to, the only one he considers an EQUAL." Ruqaiya replied, pride in each word shining through while Jodha's mind was still stuck on something, 

"'Broken Ones' who are those?" Jodha asked and Ruqaiya Begum only smirked, looking pleased with the question,

"The ones who've dared to go against me, obviously. The ones who thought that they could try to take Jalal from me and get away with it. The ones-," Ruqaiya Begum's eyes felt heavy on her, "-who thought they were more important to Jalal just because he spent a single night with them- he does that you know, with just one glance he can make anyone feel like they're the centre of his World but in reality, they're one of the many fools who actually believe it."

 Ruqaiya Begum leaned in threateningly,
"You may be the famous Gondi Queen but this is not Gondwana...you hold no power here, Only I do." 

Jodha watched the woman in front of her curiously, intrigued at how this Prime Begum's mind worked- she no longer felt the need to sleep...this was too intricate to miss, this opportunity to understand how the Mughal Queen's mind worked was golden. 
"I thought the Shahenshah was the most powerful?" Jodha asked and Ruqaiya Begum laughed, like a cat who got the canary. Smug and self-assured. 

"Oh, he is but in the Harem, it is my order which is followed, not even Jalal can interfere- If I but wished it, I could have you thrown out of this Harem at this very moment and not even Jalal can go against my decision." Ruqaiya Begum paused before smiling, "Not that I think he will wish to, not after the spectacle you caused tonight." 

Jodha remained silent.

"The only way to survive in this Harem is to adhere to me...to bow down to ME." Ruqaiya Begum claimed and Jodha paused her analysis of the Padshah Begum and felt Deja Vu besiege her again. 
This was the second time the woman in front of her was asking her to bow down to her...what sort of fixation was this? Why did Ruqaiya Begum wish one measly Begum- in her own words- to bow down to her so adamantly? What made her single out Jodha? 
And did this mean that Jodha could use this opportunity to get something?

If Padshah Begum was truly this threatened by Jodha's presence alone then her insecurities were clearly heavy on her mind- perhaps Jodha could use that in the future...or perhaps she could use it now...

"If you ever wish to win Jalal's favour or to acquire power in this Harem, the power that comes with being a powerful and influential Begum then bow down to me, Jodha Begum...for if you don't, know that I can make your life a living hell. You may be an important figure outside of the Mughal Empire but inside it, you'll be invisible. Isolated. Banished to a life that only involves waiting for a husband that will Never show- I'll make sure of it."

Silence fell over once Begum Ruqaiya was done speaking- her words had been powerful, moving and threatening at the same time...Jodha could see how this woman had garnered such power in the Harem and such influence over her own Husband. 
It also explained why the women in the Harem were perpetually terrified.

Begum Ruqaiya was cleverer than she looked, slyer than Jodha had thought anyone in the Harem would be- with the exception of Maham Anga who was an absolute snake. 
She was insecure and possessive about both her husband and her power in the Empire and that made her Dangerous and unpredictable. 

"You are sure that if you ask, your husband, the Shahenshah will never visit me? Never grace me with his presence? Never give me the... honour of his company?" Jodha asked, trying to keep any sort of emotion from her voice and she must have succeeded for Ruqaiya Begum did not seem to sense her excitement- her hope,

Begum Ruqaiya smirked, 
"If I but ask, Jalal will never even look at you, leave alone visit your Palace." 

"I see." Jodha said before adopting a sad mien, "Forgive me Begum Ruqaiya, but my stance hasn't changed in the past few months- since we last met. I cannot bow down to you for I only bow in front of my God." Jodha paused before choosing to say, 
"But...I may consider bowing to you if you truly manage to keep the Shahenshah away from me.
"You rule his mind too, yes? Then you may also make sure that he never even thinks about me."
Jodha said, 

"Do this...Keep your Husband away from me and I promise, I will bow down to you. Do this and I promise that I will stay out of your way and your ambitions, Ruqaiya Begum. If, you manage to fulfil your end of the deal, then if you wish for power outside the Mughal Empire- you will have it. Gold, diamonds, your choice of Robar Products, an army, a Navy, a Kingdom...anything." Jodha promised, her link with Rajah tinged with his presence and she knew she needed to wrap this conversation up quickly as Rajah was already climbing the Bael Tree that led up to her Palace window. 

Ruqaiya Begum looked at her with disbelief before letting out a peal of uncontrollable laughter, the laughter was filled with such mirth that Jodha could only listen to it in confusion- surely nothing she'd said was this funny. Not even Rana had ever laughed at her bad jokes this hard. 

She was only beginning to get irritated when suddenly Rajah leapt into the room and all prior laughter fled the room taking Ruqaiya Begum with it- her terrified scream echoed in the entire Harem and again the Guards rushed into Jodha's chambers- but seeing Rajah they only shook their heads in incredulity. 

"You really need to stop doing this- 'scary entry' tactic, you've got going on, Rajah. First Ammijaan and now Ruqaiya Begum--at this pace, I will develop a reputation of being so horrific that people run out of my Palace screaming. Perhaps they might even start thinking that I am hiding a terrifying face behind magical make-up that makes me look pretty."
 
Rajah in response only cuddled up on her bed and promptly fell asleep- he was tired, Jodha could sense it over the link, unable to sleep in the Forest because it was so new, he had been awake and hunting for days.
So she too lied down next to him and hugged him to her- she could smell the forest on him and a dip into Rajah's mind told her that he'd bathed in a Waterfall nearby and his excitement at being able to show that waterfall to Jodha in the future. 

She smiled and hugged him tighter-- she'll protect him while he rested, it was the least she could do. 

*

Ruqaiya couldn't help but scream when she saw the beast- she'd heard from the servants that the new Begum had a fearsome Tiger as a pet but never had Ruqaiya thought that he'd be this free to roam about. She'd thought that the beast would be kept in a cage or at least on a leash...but no--
The fact that it was the same beast she and Jalal had run into back in the forests of Mathura made the experience even more terrifying for Ruqaiya. How could she have forgotten just how massive that beast was? How his eerie golden eyes could easily fill her with the fear of Allah? 

-The memory of the massive Tiger leaping into Begum Jodha's chambers through the window replayed in Ruqaiya's mind- 

It made sense now- why Jalal had seemed so calm in that Tiger's presence in Mathura- what was the beast called again? Rajah...
But that also opened up a door Ruqaiya had wished to keep shut...the door that led to the realization that Jalal had known Jodha prior to this marriage. Prior to War with Amber. 
Ruqaiya knew that Jalal had once had the Gondi Rani abducted- could it be possible that they met then? Or was it earlier than that? 

And then there was Maham Anga, who'd traded a secret with Ruqaiya...a secret that still chilled Ruqaiya's bones. A secret that she did not wish to acknowledge. 

Ruqaiya had still been laughing as she'd recounted her conversation with Jodha to Maham. 

She had just refused to see Jodha as a threat when a silent Maham Anga, with an expression of severity, said, 
"I will now share a secret with you, Begum Ruqaiya, one that will tell you just how dangerous this woman truly is." Maham Anga had said and Ruqaiya's laughter had trickled down into silence,
"While in Amber, it was only during the Mooh Dikhai ceremony that Shehzaadi Jodha realized just WHO was to be her Groom-,"

"She didn't know before then?" Ruqaiya interrupted in disbelief and Maham shook her head, 

"No. It would seem that Shehzaadi Jodha had been under the false impression that she was marrying some Southern Prince, a belief that was perpetuated by her family in the fear that she may commit Jauhar was she told the truth." Maham Anga said and Ruqaiya held in a wince- she'd heard about the self-immolation practices of the Rajputi women- it sounded brutally painful-- brave...but painful. 

"So?" 

"So, it was during that deep shock-- when Shehzaadi Jodha realised just who her family had sold her to, that something indescribable happened- but I shall try to paint the picture for you, Begum Ruqaiya--
Winds started rushing unnaturally, and the fire in the lanterns was doused with the simple force of them. The skies burst open giving way to Thunder and lightning... in the brightness of that lightning, Shehzaadi Jodha's  face was revealed and her eyes were glowing Gold." 

The sound of Ruqaiya's breathing was audible to her own ears- her heart had picked up its pace and she was sure Maham could hear it too for the pity on her face increased- only Ruqaiya wasn't ready to believe her. Wasn't willing to believe her. 

"Try such horror stories on someone else, Maham...I came to you in all seriousness and here you are-- have you been reading Rahim's story books?" 

"Look at my face, Ruqaiya Begum, and tell me I'm lying." Maham challenged her, "You may ask anyone who was present- Adham, Sharifuddin, Abdul...but what shocks me is that Jalal didn't tell you." 

Moments of the recent past flashed in front of Ruqaiya's eyes:
➢Jalal going absent from Shalpur for three days and returning to Agra with a distracted look in his eyes. 

➢Jalal spending hours and hours planning his attack on Rajputana and Gondwana...his insistence that he needed to attack both Amber and Gondwana at the same time. As if planning his battle keeping someone Particular in mind.

➢Jalal's look of betrayal at hearing that Bairam Khan had been consorting with Gondwana- his sudden want for revenge on Gondwana. His anger- some at Bairam Khan but mostly aimed at the Mysterious Queen who had somehow broken an image he'd had of her in his mind. 

➢Jalal abandoning the plan which had involved having the Queen of Gondwana killed.  As if finding it no longer feasible, no longer possible.

➢Jalal praising the Gondi Rani. The only woman he'd ever praised outside of his family, outside of Maham Anga and Ruqaiya. 

➢Jalal meeting Rajah in the forests of Mathura and greeting him like he greets Hawaii- as if the Tiger was a friend instead of an apex predator. As if The Beast had won Jalal's trust and his respect. 
And that raised another question- just where had Jalal gone when he'd followed the beast out of the forest? What had made Jalal leave his Khas Begum in the middle of the forest? 

➢Jalal marrying a Hindu Princess even when there seemed no need for it- his insistence that marriage was important for the alliance- Yes, she was the Gondi Queen but having her killed could have also solved their problem. There were other ways to win Gondwana- easier ones- and still, Jalal had chosen this route. 

➢Jalal's eyes on Jodha as she entered the celebrations in Agra- as if he was incapable of looking away from her- as if put under a spell. His eyes had tracked her advance attentively and when she'd reached the chair of Honour- Jalal had not shifted from his seat in the middle, Forcing Jodha to sit close, their things touching.

➢Jalal grabbing Jodha's hand while she had been feeding him the sweet as directed by the Maulwi Saheb...Jalal's tongue licking the sweetness off of her fingers- such a physically sensual act in such a public environment had made many look away from the scene---Jodha snatching hand away harshly- harsh enough that bangles on her wrist had jingled. 

➢And last but not least...the Easel with those eerie Golden eyes-- Jalal asking Ruqaiya to take it away from his chambers.
(The request finally made sense to her- For why would Jalal need an incomplete portrait when the living, breathing muse was already here in Agra?)

"Ah, I see you're finally grasping the seriousness of the situation, Ruqaiya Begum," Maham goaded, "I wonder what else has Jalal been hiding from you, Begum-e-Khaas...I worry for you- perhaps your husband's straying eyes have finally been hooked?" 

Ruqaiya scoffed, 
"Never." This she could say with confidence, "It is not in Jalal's nature to-," 

"-be attracted to beauty? Power? Strength?" Maham interrupted, "For make no mistake Begum Ruqaiya, Rajkumari Jodha is all that and more!" 

"Oh, I know just how 'more' but Gondwana is still just a small Kingdom even if it is Powerful!" Ruqaiya sneered and did not see Maham freeze while she continued, "It doesn't matter that she is powerful or Beautiful-- Jalal has never cared for such things before...not for longer than a few days." 

"Few days?!" Maham hissed back, "For six years Jalal had the portrait of ONLY her eyes in his Khwab-gah! (bedroom). And in those six years, he looked at it every day! Just her EYES, Ruqaiya Begum! What do you think he's going to do now that he has her in her entire self!" 

"Nothing!" Ruqaiya growled back, "Jalal doesn't even like her! When I suggested that we should throw her out of Agra- he did not deny me!" 

"Ah, but did he follow up on your request? Did he do as you asked him to?" Maham asked and Ruqaiya's face must have shown the answer because Maham Anga smirked as she said,
 "And why should he? Power like hers is Rare, Ruqaiya Begum. She is a Diamond in the rough. Jalal considers marrying her a personal Victory." 

"That is just because she is the only woman to defeat him! BUT Being the Gondi Queen makes her special only outside of Agra- not inside of it." Ruqaiya did not wish to admit how Jodha Begum was not just the only woman to defeat Jalal- she was the only person to ever do it. Jalal was undefeated in battle- that was his Reputation and currency in Hindustan but the Gondi Rani had been the only mark against that Reputation. Against that infallibility. 

"Who... told you that Begum Jodha was the Gondi Queen, Ruqaiya Begum?" Maham butted in and Ruqaiya- who was still distracted by the revelation that the Godlen-eyed woman was REAL- replied, 

"Jalal told it to me himself- I know, I know- I am not meant to speak of it but surely discussing it among people who already know can't be going against the so-called Gondi demands," Ruqaiya said matter-of-factly and finally looked at Maham Anga- who seemed distracted suddenly. The wide-eyed look in her eyes told Ruqaiya that something had terrified Maham, 

"You mustn't speak of this to anyone else, Begum Ruqaiya, lest Jalal becomes angry." 

Ruqaiya sighed, of course, Maham was scared of what Jalal would do...Ruqaiya could only nod,
"Very Well." 

*

Maham's hand covered her mouth as soon as Ruqaiya Begum left her chambers and she collapsed down on her sofa as her knees started to feel weak- this day had been full of revelations for all of them. 
Ruqaiya Begum had finally realized just what a big danger and competition she was facing and Maham had realized...
Maham had realized so much. 

"Kya hua Huzoor, why do look like you've seen a ghost?" (What happened, Huzoor?) Resham asked, her hands moving exaggeratedly,

"Shh!" Maham silenced her slave eunuch harshly and continued to look at the floor in deep thought, 
If Begum Jodha was the Grandaughter of Durgavati then it was possible that...that she knew? Knew one of Maham's deepest and darkest secrets. The Secret that could unravel all of Maham's secrets, all of her schemes...all of her past. 

But...Would Durgavati put her Granddaughter in such danger? Would telling Maham's secret to the world be truly worth the danger it will bring to Begum Jodha?
No...Maham shook her head, Durgavati treasured her family and the last thing she would do is have it threatened by revealing Maham's secrets. 

Maham still did not know just HOW Durgavati had come to know in the first place- that interfering woman's spy network was good but not so good that she should have been able to find Maham's secrets and yet she had...

"Huzoor, you're scaring me." Resham's voice echoed in the background and Maham could only laugh in derision, 

"That is because I too am scared Resham, Terrified...because Jalal has brought my destruction to Agra." 

"What are you talking about, Huzoor? Who would dare try to destroy you?! And the Shahenshah- you are precious to him, My lady!" 

"I am talking about Begum JODHA, Resham! Who else?! For Begum Jodha.... is the GONDI RANI!" 

"What?!" Resham questioned, disbelief evident on her face- a hand on her chest- before terror gripped her slave's face, "If the Shahenshah married the Gondi Rani then it is possible that he knows that Begum Jodha was not behind Bairam Khan's murder-," 

Maham waved her hand carelessly, an impatient look on her face as she said,
"Of course, he knows, Resham. He knew that fact from the moment Salima Begum and Rahim returned to Agra- alive and well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he knows that it was me behind Bairam Khan's murder..." 
Jalal was smart and quick- he was perhaps the only one Maham would ever consider an equal in intelligence to herself. She knew Jalal, she had reared him ever since he was a child and she had taught him everything he knew, which is why she knew that Jalal knew just exactly who was behind Bairam Khan's murder. 

"Then why has he not confronted you about it Huzoor?" Resham asked and Maham smiled, 

"Do you know how many people I have killed for Jalal, Resham?" Maham asked rhetorically, "Of course, you don't, because even I don't know just how many people I have killed to protect Jalal and his interests...Bairam Khan's death was inevitable- by my hand or by someone else's-- Jalal knows that very well. 
He has only just lost Bairam Khan, he will not be willing to lose me too- such is the power of a Mother's Love, Resham- It is too precious to lose. And he will especially not lose me for a person whose death was written in the stars." 

"Haye, Huzoor. Sometimes you scare me with your assumptions." 

Maham frowned at the offence, 
"Only sometimes? You should be terrified of me at all times, Resham." 

Resham laughed but Maham kept frowning, perhaps Maham was losing her touch...she smiled- how fortuitous it was that she had the perfect person to practice her skills on. 

Begum Jodha could do with a few attempts on her life, no? 
Begum Jodha should be glad that Maham was sure that Durgavati had not spread her secret around- otherwise, her 'practice' would have turned into a genuine wish to kill the Rajputani-Gondi while she slept.
For now, though, Maham would satisfy herself by having this Gondi Rani thrown out of Badalgarh. It was Durgavati's mistake in thinking that she could send her pawn to Agra-- in Maham's territory and expect her to return unharmed. 

*

Ruqaiya returned to her chambers deep in thought...she wanted Jodha to bow down to her but she also wanted something much more and that was Jalal's complete attention. 
Hence, Jodha needed to go for she did pose a threat. 
Ruqaiya knew Maham's words to be true, she believed it fully, because if Jodha's eyes alone had entranced Jalal for the past 6 years then she worried what Jodha's presence in Badalgarh will do.
Will it bring about a similar severe...obsession on Jalal's part? 

Even the possibility of such a thing happening was unacceptable to Ruqaiya and hence she needed to act- she need to have Jodha thrown out of Agra because as all wise tactics said- the best offence is the best defence. 
Ruqaiya was facing a genuine threat and this threat needed to be neutralized as soon as possible. 

She gasped when she felt her arm being grabbed and recognizing its grip she allowed herself to be pulled into the hard body,
"Where were you? Do you know how long I've been waiting?" Jalal's voice asked her, his breath warm on her ear and she could feel his strength on her back. She shivered...it had been too long since Jalal had had her. 

Ruqaiya allowed herself to relax into his grip, his arm came around her waist and turned her to her front. 
Finally, she could see her Shahenshah...his eyes were unguarded, his face held a frown- at being made to wait and he looked relaxed in a way that only wine could achieve.
He was... gorgeous. The most perfect man she'd ever seen. 
(Jodha was a fool, Ruqaiya thought, the biggest, blindest fool for how could someone not want Jalal?)

"There's a new Begum in the Harem- I thought you'd be with her. Forgive me for assuming, My King." Ruqaiya whispered and a single eyebrow rose up on Jalal's face before he shook his head, 

"You know well enough that I spend every first night in Badalgarh with you, HER presence doesn't change that." 
Ruqaiya felt warm all over...Jalal hadn't even thought about going to Jodha- in fact, it seemed like he'd been waiting for Ruqaiya ever since the celebrations had ended.
And she couldn't help but smile at his address for Jodha- If even taking Jodha's name was unacceptable to him then surely Ruqaiya had nothing to worry about...

She shook her head- no, she couldn't rest easy until the threat was well and truly decimated. 

She giggled, 
"Of course, Why would you go to her...especially after what she did. After what she said." 

Jalal frowned and took another sip of the wine,  
"Don't remind me- I should have predicted that she would turn my own demand against me- I asked her to sing but carelessly, did not specify exactly 'what' I wanted her to sing." 

"I had been wondering just why you didn't get angry at her." Ruqaiya pointed out and Jalal huffed, 

"I would have looked like a fool- I ordered her to sing and she did just that. I couldn't lose my temper just because I didn't like what she was singing." 

"And what about what she said?" Ruqaiya asked, "Her words tonight were filled with disrespect towards you Jalal- I couldn't even bear to listen to them." 

"What are you talking about Ruqaiya? Did you go speak to her tonight?" Jalal asked suddenly alert and Ruqaiya nodded, 

"I did." She said and Jalal's grip on her tightened, 

"And? What did she say?" 

"She agreed to bow down to me but on certain conditions..." Ruqaiya said, her gaze on Jalal's face, "She said that she'll only bow to me if I can fulfil my promise- If I can keep You away from her...she said she'll grant me anything- power outside the Mughal Empire, an army and navy of my own, riches beyond what I can imagine if only I can keep You from even thinking about her..." Ruqaiya said, "She does not Want you, Jalal, she will never want you-  she said that right to my face, without fear, without censor." 

Jalal's face was colder than the winter of Kabul-- she smiled, there was a characteristic  Jalal had taken straight from Maham- he was spiteful.
As a child, when Marium Makani had left him in the care of Maham Anga- he had thought that his mother did not want him and Jalal was exacting revenge for that action till Today. 

While Jalal had still been a Prince, Badshah Humayun had refused to accept his advice on several matters and in spite- Jalal had overturned all laws Humayun had made and had enforced the laws and schemes he'd once suggested to his Father. 
(It was pure luck that they turned out good for the realm for the action was done purely out of spite.)

Similar behaviour was seen in the case of Bairam Khan- as soon as Bairam Khan had dared to betray Jalal, the Shahenshah had sought to betray Bairam Khan in return. 

Such was Jalal's nature, if you loved him- he cared for you, if you hated him- he hated you better than you could ever manage to hate him, just out of spite. 

In this present case, Ruqaiya told Jalal the truth of her talk with Jodha because if Jodha did not desire Jalal's presence, if she did not want him and resented him then Jalal would go to untold lengths only to prove that he too did not desire Jodha, that he too hated her and was irritated by her mere presence. 

Perhaps such behaviour was childish and petty but no one had ever accused Jalal of being perfect (except her)- he may have been socially Perfect, had he been raised by Marium Makani in place of Maham Anga but alas, that was not the case. 
Regardless, it was working in Ruqaiya's favour because she knew that this spite would work against Jodha and get her kicked out of Agra as soon as possible. 

*

Jalal marched towards HER palace- the palace right opposite his- and this time he knew his fury wouldn't be controlled. 
Not even through the shock of her beauty.

The female guards outside Jodha's chambers looked at each other before reluctantly parting for him to pass and Jalal decided that he would punish them later- first, he would punish their Mistress. 
When he entered it was to see that she was freshly bathed and her maids were drying her hair--

 Jalal's feet stuttered but his will to confront her did not- today he will have words with her. 

"Takhliya." He ordered and the maids rushed out of the Palace- leaving him and Jodha alone. She turned at the sound of his voice and looked at him in confusion- he headed towards her and she stood up from when she had been sitting and covered her wet hair and angelic face with the veil- hiding her own features under them.
(Good, it only made being angry easier.) 

"What are you doing here?" She asked when Jalal did not speak for a minute, 

"You're my wife, can't I be in your chambers?" He asked and her eyes snapped up to meet his own through the veil. 

"Are you drunk at Dawn?" She asked, looking affronted and Jalal walked towards her- his walk akin to a predator- he may be drunk but it only made him more dangerous. More unpredictable. Angrier. 

"Yes. Do you have something against spirits?" 

"I hate the smell of it." She said before she tried to walk past him- Jalal opened his arm and stopped her, 

"What else do you hate, dear Begum- best you tell me now. I know I count quite high on your list of the things you hate, now alcohol also seems to be one of them-- what about fulfilling your vows Begum, do you hate that too?"

"If it's the vows of marriage you're talking about then I have not broken any vow-," 

"On the contrary, Begum, You've broken many- 'I will obey my husband', you'd vowed, 'I will respect my husband-,"

"-I did obey you, you ordered me to sing and I sang-," 

"Do not interrupt me when I am speaki-," 

"-You interrupted me first-," She started to say and Jalal lost his temper, he took her arm and dragged her closer to him- he twisted her arm behind her back and ignored her wince of pain. 

"And the disrespect you showed me- show me even now when you test my patience again and again- I am not a Good man, Jodha Begum, do not think for a second that I will not have you punished for disrespecting me time and time again!
You refused my call to come and sing that first night- I forgave you for it, you disrespected me in front of the entire Mughal Sultanate and I tolerated it but I will NOT accept you disrespecting me in front of my Prime Begum." He seethed, he knew she understood that he was here because of what she'd said to Ruqaiya,
 "You do not want me- that's fine," He spat, "I do not want you either-- the only reason I even married you is because I want Gondwana to stand down when I march south-," 

"-Never!" She gritted out, interrupting him yet again and Jalal used his other hand to wind itself into her hair and pull her head back- her neck stretching out like a swan's, Jalal knew that he could crush it with minimal pressure.
Her Veil fell off of her face and she was revealed to him in full yet again- he could feel his anger lessening already as his eyes stared at those perfect features. 

His hand came down to wrap around her beautifully delicate neck gently as his thumb brushed over and over her pulse point and he whispered,
"You will stand down- Gondwana will stand down- because I will order you to-- it will be best if you learn to accept the status quo in our relationship, Jodha Begum, lest I crush you along with your little Kingdom," His hand tightened on her throat, "and everything you hold dear in order to Teach it to you." He threatened, his gaze fell on Rajah who was staring straight at Jalal with his Golden eyes. 

Terror filled Jodha's eyes and Jalal smirked- Got You. 

"I see you understand- but Rajah is not the only one you hold dear, is he? There is, of course, your former shadow- Bheem, Who is working on Rajghar and could always face an accident- heavy debris could fall on him while he is busy overlooking the constructions.

Or perhaps Moti Bai- she is passably pretty, isn't she? I am sure many of my men would absolutely salivate at the idea of enjoying her-" Jodha struggled in his grasp but it only brought her closer to him and he revelled in seeing her eyes burn into him- especially because she no longer dared to interrupt him. 

"There is also Maan Singh- so very vulnerable, so very temperamental-you beloved little brother..." At these words Jodha's eyes filled up, tears making them shine extra brightly and knew that the previously untouchable Queen of Gondwana did have a weakness- Love. 
Her eyes watered when Jalal threatened the people she loved, 
"There are many dissenters of our marriage in Agra, Jodha Begum- perhaps in anger they'd attack the weakest among your party...perhaps your little brother will seem like the perfect lamb for slaughter." 
This time Jodha struggled extra hard and her glass bangles broke in Jalal's hands hurting both of them- she winced in pain and Jalal finally released her. 

Immediately she put distance between them and cradled her hand close to her chest- there was blood on it but he was unsure whether it was hers or his- 
He went closer to her and kept walking until Her back rested on a wall before Jalal caged her between the wall and himself. 

His wine-addled mind told him it was alright to give in when her neck beckoned him closer- he allowed himself to nuzzle into her neck, breathing in her scent deeply as he softly said- 

 "Whatever you've heard about me, Jodha, whatever opinions you hold about me- I can assure you that I am MUCH worse than anything you have managed to imagine about me. I am your worst nightmare come true, I am Hatred given shape, I am Jalal-ud-din Mohammad." 
His words sounded even more dangerous because he spoke them in such a soft tone- it was as if the Devil himself had decided to reside inside him. 

He leaned forward until his lips were hair's breadth away from her own and saw her eyes flicker gold, 
"Careful, Jodha begum," He said as he felt their breaths mingle, "You hurt me with your magic and I promise that someone you love will die tonight," Jalal promised and the Golden magic flickered as Jodha tried to control it- her eyes switching to golden before flickering back to amber and then back to Golden. 
His eyes travelled from her eyes to her lips and they entranced him yet again...they looked like rose petals and Jalal wished to taste them...

He leant forward and softly kissed the corner of her mouth- hoping that his gentleness may reward him and yet no matter how gentle he was with her, she winced away as if Jalal had slapped her.
For some reason, that instinctive reaction infuriated him even more.

It infuriated him that she wasn't just pretending to hate him- she wasn't trying to win Jalal's attention by playing hard to get- she just truly did not want him. It was as easy as that...but then why did Jalal's soul burn at the thought of her rejection?! Why did he wish to make her regret rejecting him? Why could he just not accept it--

His own power rose up in anger and rushed at her...rushed through her. The force of it made her throw her head back and moan in pain and Jalal had to close his eyes- Ya, Allah give him strength... He had not been ready to hear that sound--
He shook his head and focused. 
His power held her immobilised- her arms were pinned above her head and her legs fit between Jalal's perfectly as he trailed his nose down that beautiful neck- 

"I could do so many things to you right now, Jodha..." He breathed in her scent, and one of his arms slowly wound around her petite waist and pulled her closer to him...close enough that she must have felt what effect she was having on him.
Close enough that Jalal could feel the panicked movement of her supple breasts against his own chest- her breathing was rushed and distressed and it only worked to excite him more-- his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her stomach while the other hand found itself back into her open hair- his fingers tangling themselves into her midnight black hair,

"I could break you like a pretty bird or I could keep you stuck to this wall and let you starve to death...or-," Jalal finally gave into the demand of his inner beast and brutally bit her at the base of her neck, stopping just before he broke skin- she whimpered and Jalal allowed his tongue to take away some of the pain-

A tear fell down Jodha's cheek and Jalal smiled at the sight of it as he continued to give her options--
"Or perhaps I will fuck you to the brink of death, let your magic heal you before having my way with you again."
He suggested innocently and saw the colour bleed out of her face--finally, Jalal could see true fear in those eyes. True horror on that beautiful face and Jalal decided he liked her like this- preferred her like this. 
He laughed cruelly, it seemed his mission here had been accomplished. 

"But I won't do any of those things-- no, I can be merciful. I can be Kind. Especially with things that have been sold to me so generously." Jalal stated factly before he allowed his power to release Jodha and she crumpled onto the floor with weakened knees like a puppet abandoned by its strings. 

He crouched down on his knees, tilted her chin up with faux gentleness and was pleased to see those amber eyes still glaring at him- they held pain and worry but they also held hatred- Jalal smirked at the sight of it. His thumb swiped her full bottom lip as he said,
"Shabba Khair, Jodha Begum." 

Have nightmares about me, dear wife- Jalal wished before he stood up and left... and in his wake, he left only Destruction. 

*