Jalal and Jodha are 18 years old.

1560

In three more years time, it was as if a game had commenced between the Shahenshah of the Mughal Kingdom and the Queen of Gondwana but both remained unaware of being players in it. Jodha thought that her fight was with Islam Shah, Jalal's plans were well hidden and convoluted enough to keep her unaware but she did realize that the army Islam Shah had been using had not been his own, she had reached the conclusion that the army was mercenary and had soon enough out-bidden the previous buyer, whom she believed to be Islam Shah. She secretly bought his army before commanding the mercenary army to attack their own camp- as in Islam Shah's camp- thus ending the war on Gondwana while simultaneously freeing herself from Captivity.

She remembered seeing Rajah bite Islam Shah on the leg while Bheem fought his personal guards off... as she and Moti had left their cage to the safety of Gondwana.

Three months, that's how long Islam Shah had had her under his thumb but except for starving her and some mild torture, she had fortunately been left alone, all so that Islam Shah could marry her while she was still a maiden, securing his permanent control over Gondwana.

Jodha was severely weakened, especially because the guards would only give her food when there was some to spare and the fact that even that food was shared between her and Moti had given them the bare minimum to survive...nonetheless, she owed Moti more than she could ever pay, starving a little was the least she could do. As soon as they had entered Gondwana, they were swept into the castle and given the best medical care and soon Jodha and Moti had recovered, back to their original vigour.

There was a stark difference between Jodha prior to her abduction and post her rescue- she was stronger- not just physically but also mentally and she now knew that nothing could scare her anymore. She was more confident in her skills to free herself from any and all circumstances but above all, she learned that along with her knives and sword, she had another weapon in her arsenal- her beauty.

-

Meanwhile, Jalal had remained focused on conquering even more Kingdoms, especially the Kingdoms surrounding Gondwana because Gondwana had soundly defeated Islam Shah and his mercenary army- easily.
All his plans about weakening Gondwana had gone down the drain because they had not just lost the war but also The Gondi Queen- who had returned home safely and soundly-- with all her honour still intact.
He could not come to terms with the stupidity of Islam Shah- who the hell kept the Queen of Gondwana IN Gondwana while in captivity and at War?! Could Islam Shah not have kept her in Punjab? Or better yet, in Afghanistan- far far away from even the hope of getting rescued. Instead, Islam Shah had kept her in a cage, in her own tent while they had been battling Gondwana- probably with the hopes of marrying her as soon as he was victorious- well his plans failed because the Queen of Gondwana proved her intelligence by buying the mercenary army right from under Islam Shah's- and Jalal's- nose and turned them against Islam Shah himself-- Winning the war and her freedom in one fell swoop.. if he didn't detest her so much, he might just be persuaded to respect her.

Nevertheless, an opportunity lost was an opportunity gained, or so they said.

Jalal had then started delegating the war commandership to other capable people close to him- Khan Baba was already his Wazir and War General but Adham Khan and Sharifuddin too had been elevated in their ranks along with a few others by Jalal.
Slowly but subsequently, Jalal started being picky about the wars he took part in- he only ever fought personally if the battle promised to be difficult and other times delegated the conquering to his subordinates much like how recently Jalal had only recently delegated the task to conquer Malwa to Adham Khan- Badi Ammi's son and hence Jalal's milk-brother.
But soon after, Jalal realized what a big mistake he had committed by thinking that Adham Khan was capable of Reason- that he was worthy of Jalal's trust.
Adham Khan had successfully captured Malwa but after capturing the land, his aggression had not stooped. Adham had gone on to kill the women, children and elderly of Malwa. Most of the loot that had been taken from Malwa had been kept by Adham and only some part of it had been sent to Agra.

Jalal cared not for the loot, it was the murder of innocent men, women and children that made him lose his temper on Adham but that alone had not been the reason for Jalal almost killing Adham. No, the reason was much more...personal.

The King of the Mughal Empire received a portrait among the loot, half burned and charred all over but something about it felt familiar. When asked who the woman in the half-burned and charred portrait was, the man from Malwa had answered that it was Baz Bahadur- the previous Sultan of Malwa's lover- Roopmati.

Roopmati's dark hair and her almond-shaped eyes- though Brown in colour- made Jalal feel hopeful and wonder if perhaps the woman who had saved Jalal- his Golden-eyed Angel, he couldn't push out of his mind was perhaps- perhaps and maybe- Roopmati herself. 

Hope had unfurled in his chest after years. 

Jalal commanded his men to bring and present Roopmati in front of him but then... then he was informed of what had happened in Malwa... what Adham Khan had wrought.

Adham Khan had killed Baz Bahadur and had tried to rape Roopmati with such cruelty that the woman had resorted to suicide- she had grabbed Adham Khan's dagger and slit her own throat before Adham Khan could fulfil his perverse promises.

Jalal's temper, usually a calm Volcano, had burst out at that news. He had travelled to Malwa and had personally tied up Adham in the middle of Malwa before flogging him with barbed wire until his back was shredded and bloody. Jalal had then placed Adham's neck on the block to be beheaded, to kill his milk brother when-- when Badi Ammi had interfered and replaced Adham's neck with her own.

Jalal, even in his rage, had recognized his Badi Ammi and stopped a hair's breadth away from her neck...
Adham's life had been saved yet again but nothing could stop Jalal from thinking that the woman who had once upon a time saved Jalal's life had been killed by one of Jalal's own men.That her blood was on His hands.
 How cruel was life and how cruel was Jalal to repay her thanks in such a way?

Adham had remained tied up and bleeding in the town square as people pelted him with stones and rotten fruit but such a meagre punishment hardly satisfied Jalal's vengeful mind.

In his anger, Jalal had become an unstoppable force, he stopped delegating too much and personally took care of each conquest.
Every Kingdom he set his eyes on was conquered within weeks, some even days, and soon he had surrounded the entire Rajputana with Mughal Kingdoms. Gondwana too was in a similar position. Now nothing could stop him from winning both Gondwana and then soon... the entirety of Rajputana.

Just that very evening when Jalal was going to attack Gondwana with his full might, he received a visitor.

*

"I do believe you wish to conquer Gondwana," The man dressed in Brahmin garb stated as Jalal asked after his reason for the visit. Jalal watched carefully from the corner of his eyes as Khan Baba stiffened, he tilted his head,

"What makes you think that?"

"Two years ago, It was I who sold the location of Gondwana's Queen to your spy, Shahenshah. Conquering Gondwana, as you already know, won't be an easy feat- its walls have sustained greater armies than yours...only I can deliver Gondwana to you."

"And what is your price, Pandit?" Jalal asked

"All I need as payment is for you to have someone killed."

"Who?" Jalal asked and the Brahmin pandit shook his head,

"You have to give me your word, you will kill this person no matter what and I promise that in return I shall show you the way to Victory. Not just over Gondwana but over Rajputana and over the entirety of Hindustan itself."

"What makes you think that I need your assistance?" Jalal asked the Brahmin with a chuckle for it was true, Jalal hardly needed anyone's help. Jalal's army was strong and his tactics had been working out well in conquering the Kingdoms of Hindustan but the Brahmin only smiled,

"I am sure you could, in a few years more perhaps...capture Gondwana- Or am I wrong when I say that for the past two years, your attempts to weaken Gondwana have worked little. What if I tell you there's a reason for that and I can help you remove it."

Khan Baba turned to look at Jalal at that statement and Jalal ignored him, now was not the time to act like a boy caught with his hand down the cookie jar. So, what if he had not informed his Baba about his intentions and plans regarding Gondwana? Sometimes his Wazir too kept some of his plans from Jalal. 
Perhaps it was anger or maybe it was frustration that made Khan Baba shake his head and leave the Throne room and Jalal did not stop him.

Jalal took a moment and met the Pandit's intense eyes, asking curiously- for who could gather such hatred from a Pandit that he would resort to asking for Jalal's help?  

"Who is it that needs to be killed?"

"Do you give me your word that this person will cease to exist, regardless of their nature, of their beauty and grace?"

"I understand from your words that the person you wish killed is a woman, is that why you've not done it yourself? Because of her Gender? Doesn't your kind burn your women alive without a flinch?" Jalal asked mockingly.

"Sati is a practice widely followed, yes," The Pandit replied, remorseless and continued, "but that is not the reason why I haven't killed Her myself. It is because if I do then I fear what shall happen to me. The Rajputs think that droughts end when she smiles...that Durga's Tiger himself protects her, that her anger invokes the thunder and that her love can turn a heartless man into the most caring being. They say that her beauty makes the moon itself shy away and the sun gleams brighter to watch her clearly-,"

"Such beauty is always exaggerated," Jalal said with a scoff but... somewhere at the back of his mind, golden eyes flashed in mischief.

"People say that she is Fire herself, she is the life song written upon legendary swords. That a glimpse of her shadow is enough to make anyone want her."

"Dreams." Jalal said with a bored wave of his hand, "You've been dreaming with eyes open, Hindu Pandit."

The Pandit- Raghav Chetan as he had introduced himself, smiled and then walked over to the strip of water surrounding Jalal's throne- to keep Jalal cool in Agra's heat- and dipped his hand into the water before producing the biggest and brightest Diamond Jalal had ever seen from the water. It was nestled tenderly upon the petals of a Lotus. 

The Pandit handed the flower and the diamond lying on it to Jalal and whispered,

"She is not a dream, I assure you, My King. She is the Key to achieving your Destiny. Kill Her and I promise you- Gondwana will be Yours! Hindustan will be yours! The entire World will be yours."

Jalal stared at the Diamond as he demanded, 
"Kismat-e-Jalaluddin ka naam batao." 
(Tell me her name).

The Pandit whispered reverentially, 
"Amber ki Rajkumari...Jodha Bai."

*

"You will kill an innocent girl for this-- this obsession of yours!?"

"I have killed many people before, Khan Baba, many of them were guilty and some innocent, you've never raised an objection before."

"I am raising One now!" His Baba shouted in frustration and calmed himself before speaking,
"I am raising one now because you've killed before for your own sake, now you're doing it for someone else- someone who is a Hindu and will sooner betray you than fulfil that deal he has made."

"He has promised me Gondwana."

"You can win Gondwana-,"

"-Not without bloodshed." Jalal interrupted with his main reason for giving the Pandit a chance, he continued,
"We both know the power of Gondi Elephants- we have one but Gondwana has an Army of them! I probably have more men and better weapons and maybe I will win the war but at what cost, Khan Baba? Years more and how many more lives will be lost- how is the life of one measly Hindu Princess more important than the lives of innumerable Mughal Soldiers? Mughal Empire needs to win Gondwana else the South of Hindustan will forever remain a dream and my legacy will be no different from the thousand Kings before me."

"Is that the true reason why you want Gondwana, Jalal?" Khan Baba asked and he had to pause- he frowned, looking confused and his Wazir scoffed,

"Don't play innocent, I know that you know- I know what you suspect."

"And what is there to suspect, may I ask?" Jalal asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"You think your elusive healer- your saviour, your Golden-eyed obsession is in Gondwana."

Jalal stilled as hope rose up in him yet again...if Khan Baba was asking him this then it could mean that- that she was alive?
Could she be alive? Was Jalal mistaken when he had thought Roopmati to be HER? He needed more information so Jalal decided to play along.

"Is she?" Jalal fired back and Khan Baba's eyes narrowed making Jalal raise his hands,

"If you would just tell me-,"

"Ya Allah, you're relentless! Again with the same bloody question--Let it go, Jalal!"

"I CAN'T LET IT GO!" He burst out and Khan Baba looked shocked, Jalal was never one to shout. In fact, Jalal's usual temperament was that of a quiet, cold rage. His anger held the ice of Kabul in its nature, not the desert heat. Not the thunderous lightning he was showing now.

Jalal breathed in deeply and said one last thing before leaving,

"I have spent too much time on this...this mystery to just let it go. I close my eyes and I dream of her, I open them and the Sun reminds me of her. If I breathe in deeply I think I smell roses-- Khan Baba, It's not that I don't want to but that I can't let her go. I fear I am going mad..."

"Jalal..." Khan Baba whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jalal smirked and tested,

"Roopmati... that's her name is it not?"

"What?" Khan Baba asked, his face looking confused and Jalal's hope started burning brighter.

"Is it?" Jalal asked again with a fake smirk and Khan Baba shook his head exasperatedly,

"Is this what's going to happen from now on? You're going to come up with Random names and see if you say the right one... this is--," Khan Baba stopped when Jalal's delighted laughter interrupted his sentence. Jalal could not stop himself from going forward and kissing Khan Baba on the forehead before leaving with a skip in his step.

She was alive.



She was ALIVE!!!

*

"How many assassins have you sent out till now, Mughal Shahenshah?" The Pandit asked after a month of arriving in Agra and Jalal replied calmly,

"None yet, Pandit. Have patience, Death will visit Amber's Princess soon."

"I only ask because a Golden opportunity has revealed itself- Amber will be open and vulnerable during the festival of Gangaur and I have heard through a trusted source that the Princess will be making an appearance for both the festival and for the University reunion, which is being held in the same month."

Perhaps, Jalal thought. Now that he knew his Golden-eyed Angel was alive- the sooner he won over Gondwana the better and it would be best if he conquered it without bloodshed he did not want to take a chance that his Angel may be harmed in the conquest. But first... he had to crush a Diamond for this Pandit.

"What's Gangaur?" Jalal asked, curiosity rising in him about the University and a wish to see the reunion for himself.

"Gangaur? It's a festival meant to celebrate the union of Lord Shiva with his wife, Gauri. This year's festival will be the most important one yet, the Princess of Amber is finally agreeing to a match."

"I thought your God of Destruction was married to... Parvati, not Gauri."

"You know Hindu Mythology, Shahenshah?" The Pandit asked and Jalal shook his head though he knew some from his time spent in Umarkot.

"Well, you're correct anyhow. Parvati is Shiva's wife but Parvati has many names- Gauri and Durga being the most popular ones. Prayers are offered to the pair in the hopes of matrimonial bliss and bountiful harvest."

"How long does the festival last?" Jalal asked next and the Pandit smiled,

"It lasts long enough to have someone enter Amber and achieve our goal, Shahenshah. Two weeks from next week. Who will you be sending, Shahenshah?" The Pandit asked pointedly- for some reason Jalal had a feeling that the Pandit did not wish Jalal to be the one to kill the Princess, or perhaps he doubted that Jalal would change his mind once he saw her- unlikely- so Jalal smirked lightly and replied,

"That's none of your business, Pandit. Rest assured, it will be done."

He then dismissed the Pandit, making sure that the mischief in his eyes remained well hidden.

*

AMBER,

The Start of the Gangaur festival.

"Is everything ready for the festival, Bhagwan Das?" Raja Bharmal asked his eldest son, who nodded and said,

"Everything is ready, Bapu Sa. The security has been amped up and guards from all Rajputana Kingdoms have arrived to add to our security due to the soon-arriving Royals."

"Have Gondi guards been received?" Raja Bharmal asked, hesitant as he tried to confirm his eldest daughter's attendance and was relieved when his son answered,

"They have father, I have asked them to keep quiet about our 'Welcome Home' gift to Jodha and they have promised to keep quiet."

Bharmal was beaming, tears in his eyes,
"Everything should be perfect, Bhagwan Das. Jodha is visiting after years..." He said and his son nodded,

"Five years to be exact father, how is Badi Maa Sa reacting to the news?" Bhagwan Das asked about Mainavati's reaction and Bharmal's smile slipped a little,

"She is extremely happy, anyone can see that but there is also a fear in her. Ever since Shaguni Bai paid her a visit on the day of Jodha's birthday this year, she has been frantic with worry. Keeps mentioning Jodha and our duty as her parents to see her married well into a Rajput family. God only knows what Shaguni Bai has predicted this time."

"It could, perhaps, also be Sujamal's departure that could be affecting Badi Maa Sa so, now both her children are too far away from her. Hopefully, Jodha's presence will bring her some reprieve." Bhagwan Das said and Bharmal sighed sadly.

Sujamal's departure had affected them all negatively but it had to be done- to postpone the announcement of who will be the next King of Amber would have put their royal line in jeopardy but by declaring his son Bhagwan Das as heir, he had made Sujamal feel like his right to the throne as the son of the former King had been snatched away...

But Sujamal forgets that Bharmal had been declared King before Sujamal had been born and right after his father, Puranmal, had died. 

Perhaps if Puranmal had lived, Sujamal would have been made King but he was not. 
Perhaps if Sujamal had come early into this world leading to Bharmal only being chosen as King Regent instead of King. 
But it was not so. 
As King, it was only natural for Bharmal to pass on the throne to Bhagwan Das- his son- and not Sujamal, his nephew... alas, Sujamal had not been willing to understand.

He looks at Mainavati, his love was looking out of the window- her eyes trained towards the gates of Amber and Bharmal knew she was not just waiting for Jodha but also for Sujamal.

*

A few days later Amber welcomed the Royal Rajput Families of Ajabgarh, Ranthambore, Virat, Magadhpur, ShimalMarg, Pankot, Shundi, Bhadrapur, Mankeshwar, Umarkot, Jaisalmer and Bhanpur into its walls- almost the entirety of Rajputana was staying in Amber for the time being of Gangaur but the reason of their visit was not the festival but the Daughter to Rajputana who was returning to her land after five years, it was about time the Kings of Rajputana reunited with their precious Choti Rani Sa, Jodha Bai.

The moment Jodha returned to Amber, it was to the grandest celebration in Amber's history and Jodha too was clearly overwhelmed by the love of her people. 
Only her Royal upbringing kept her from shedding a heart-warming tear as she stepped out of the Palki in the middle of its ascent to the Fort and personally greeted her People who had been waiting there. 
Flowers were showered over her with every step she took, and the loud shouts of her people welcomed her with warm shouts of, 'Rani Sa! Rani Sa!' 

She shook hands with a few of her people, waived her hand in every direction and accepted any and all flowers she was handed.
She smiled when children were presented to her to be blessed and she took them in her arms before whispering a prayer and kissing their foreheads. She hugged a few friends she saw from the University and walked towards the Fort where her Family was waiting for her along with the other Royals.

Shivani came running, breaking the royal protocol to hug her and that seemed to be a sign as all her siblings came running out to greet her too. Maan Singh reached her before Sukanya and literally hugged the breath out of her while Sukanya stared for a minute before rushing in for a hug too. 

"I missed you all so much," Jodha whispered fervently as the three of them surrounded her in their arms and Maan Singh's arms seemed to tighten ever more, Jodha closed her eyes to soak the love in before she heard Shivani say,

"I am sure even Bhagwan Bhaisa wishes to join us but Father's words about 'acting like the heir' held him back." At this Jodha laughed and then her eyes opened as she whispered,

"Any word on our other Wayward brother?" She asked about Sujamal,

"Nothing yet. Nothing has been the same since you left, Jodha Jiji." Sukanya said a bit of sadness creeping into her voice and she smiled as she saw Maan Singh's eyes were yet to open, just as his arms had yet to loosen.

She kissed Maan's forehead tenderly and whispered,

"You're coming with me from now on. Everywhere I go, I want you with me." Maan nodded enthusiastically against her shoulder-

Just then she heard her elder Brother's voice say,

"Aap humse nahi milengi Jodha?" (You won't greet me, Jodha?)

She smirked and mischievously replied,

"I am surprised that His highness, heir of Amber, came down to greet his lowly sister?" Her siblings laughed while Bhagwan Bhaisa rolled his eyes before opening his arms and hugging both her and Maan Singh- who had yet to let go.

"Maan is so greedy." Shivani huffed and she could feel Maan open his mouth and show his tongue to Shivani in a commendable show of maturity.

"All jokes aside, Jodha, it's time to go meet the royals, the entire Rajputana is here to meet you."

"Don't know about the entirety of Rajputana- but they sure have sent all their sons, right Bhai Sa?" Sukanya asked, the smirk on her lips spelt trouble and Jodha groaned at the implication- They had reached Amber fort's gates and Jodha could see the many Royals and as mentioned- their sons waiting to welcome her.
She closed her eyes in dread...this smelled like a ploy to trick Jodha into matrimony. Yet again. 

"Oh no please tell me I have not won a war to just jump into another battlefield- this one much more dangerous that the one I fought against the Afghans." She tried to turn away but Bhagwan Bhaisa's grip on her shoulders prevented her from offending anyone.

She tilted her head down a little, gathering her hands from her side and gracefully performing a Grand Pranaam. She received many Pranaams in return and her mother welcomed her with a pooja thali as she took the thali in circles in front of Jodha, she could see tears- unshed- in her mother's eyes and smiled softly.

"I missed you too, mother." 
Rani Mainavati leaned up on her tip-toes and tenderly kissed Jodha's forehead, 

"Welcome Home, Daughter. Amber has longed for you and so have I." 

Gondwana was her Kingdom and her life but Amber... Amber was her HOME.  Amber was the place she was born in, and Amber is where her father and siblings lived. Amber is where her Mother lived.
She hugged the Rajmaata, her paternal grandmother and touched her feet in respect, hugged all her aunts before turning to her father. 

"Jodha, there is something else." Her father said, he took her hand and wound it through his arm, she smiled when he turned to address the rest of the Royals.

"Thank you all the great Kings and Princes for welcoming my daughter home, the rest of the discussion will take place this evening in the throne room. Until then, rest, eat and plan... we will have much to discuss." Her father said and they together left- her siblings in tow- towards the Lake of Amber. Her mother watched them go with a smile, standing beside the Rajmaata.

When her father asked her about the recent war and her very recent victory, she said,

"The war against the Afghans finally ended when we trapped the generals and did a collective execution." Sukanya gasped at the brutality but Jodha nodded sadly,

"Letting them go was not an option this time, Sukanya, they vowed to me on their last defeat that they would stop attacking and perhaps I would have believed them had their King Islam Shah been the one to promise but still benefit of the doubt was given. This time though, they deserved no mercy... as it turned out that Islam Shah had a hidden army of his own- one that was not mercenary or borrowed from the Mughals- this one was his own. He seems to have been training them in secret... the Army is still there under Islam Shah and that is why I must return to Gondwana-,"

"Jodha-," Maan Singh started and both Shivani and Sukanya spoke over him making all of their words blur together and make no sense. She just laughed,

"As I was saying, I will return just as Gangaur ends. Islam Shah will still need to take some time to recuperate but the Mughal King too has his eyes set on my Kingdom and could attack it now thinking it is vulnerable." She then smiled, "That's it about me, how goes Amber's preparations?"

"You mean the preparation for the celebration?" Her father said and Jodha stilled, Sukanya bumped into her back.

"Jodha-," Sukanya started but Jodha raised her hand to silence her for a minute, her eyes on her father as she said, as she said,

"Preparations for War, Father. Why else has the entirety of Rajputana gathered in Amber?" She stated and asked with a worried frown but her father refused to care, instead, he patted her hand and smiled,

"You don't worry about that, daughter. You already worry too much as it is and you're here in Amber to relax." He said and Jodha started shaking her head and walking again. She was just about to say something when her eyes fell on something strange.

"Bapu Sa, what... is that in the water?" She asked, dreading the answer, her eyes moved to Maan Singh, who was obviously no help with his silent laughter.

"That, daughter, is your coming home present!" Her Father said while beaming and Jodha's hand moved to cover her mouth.

"Bapu Sa... what is that?" She asked but she could see what it was. It was a palace- her eyes looked at the water all around the building and she closed her eyes and opened them again to have herself believe in the impossibility of a Floating Palace.

"Haven't you always wished to live on a boat, sister?" Bhagwan Das Bhaisa asked and Jodha let out a disbelieving laugh, she rushed to see the place from up close and her breath was taken away. It was pure white in colour and its golden pillars gleamed in the sunlight. It was in her distraction that a boat was pulled close and she was guided into it by her brother.

Her eyes remained stuck to the Palace when she asked,

"Who-,"

"It was a combined effort really. The gold spent was Amber's earnings from the business that the University had brought in. The tourism and the taxes that everyone working can give. The design was a gift from the Students at the University of Amber and the construction was completed by Ameri Craftsmen. And the name..." Her father hesitated such that Jodha removed her eyes from the monument her father and her people had created for and looked at him,

"Father, what has the place been named?"

"Heera... Heera Palace."

Jodha stilled at those words and nodded once, of course, Rana had been in on the plan with this palace's marvellous creation. Of course. Is that why he had been so adamant that she visit Mewar instead of Amber three years ago? Is that why her father and her mother had not said much about her decision?

She stepped out of the boat, using Maan Singh's arm as a crutch and did not let it go once she was safely on the ground of the miraculous palace. 

"You did not tell me about this, Maan Singh." She stated and felt Maan shrug,

"We had more important things to discuss, Sister." At this Jodha laughed,

"More important! How are detailed descriptions of fights between you and Sukanya more important than the knowledge that father is spending an exorbitant amount of money on a gift for me, again? That our Father seems almost unconcerned with War." She hissed but Maan's reply was lost when the door opened and she was greeted by--,

"Peacocks!" She exclaimed with a massive beam, "Father you got me peacocks! Oh, I'll have to warn Rajah not to eat them." She kneeled in front of a beautiful peacock, a white one and stroked a finger down its neck. The peacock preened and nudged closer to her making her smile.

Her eyes then moved to see the rest of that palace and her eyes became wide at the beauty.

It was... perfect. No other words for it.

"Heera Palace is now Amber's Pride. It's your own personal palace, Daughter, for whenever you and- in the future- your husband come to visit. There is a tunnel underwater which connects Amber's fort with Heera Palace in times of emergency. There are only a few chambers, seven including yours- we had to keep it small lest the palace becomes too big. The open space can be used to host events, your dances, your meetings with foreign dignitaries, singing competitions... anything." Her Father explained excitedly.

Jodha smiled as she looked around before jumping to hug her father,

"I love it, I love it, I love it, Father! But you didn't have to spend so much money on it."

"This is the money that you helped Amber earn, Jodha... it was yours anyway." Her father said before he kissed her forehead and took his leave, leaving her alone with her siblings as must have been his plan.

Jodha smiled mischievously and asked- her eyes on her siblings who already knew trouble was brewing by looking at her smile,

"So... who wants to take a dip?"

---

Jalal put on his pagdi (turban) and finished his Rajput look by pushing his dagger through his belt.

"It's still not too late Shahenshah. Let's go back and get Zaheer...he has been trained in the art of assassination."

"And give Khan Baba the satisfaction of not looking into her eyes as I kill her? No, Amber's Princess will have to die by my own hand if Gondwana is to belong to me."

His Baba did not understand that by killing one enemy Princess, Jalal was preventing a war for how could one life be worth thousands? There was no math involved, just pure sense. He will have Gondwana one way or the other and since they'd already tried War and failed, it was time to try the Pandit's way- the cleaner way. The less bloody but morally questionable way. 

Still, as he prepared to enter Amber he couldn't help but remember Khan Baba's words as Jalal had been speaking to Zaheer,

"Zaheer," Jalal said to one of his most loyal men, "Amber and It's Princess...tell me all you know."

"I do not know much, Shahenshah, only that she is respected throughout Rajputana and called the Crown of the Rajputs. The Brahmins hate her-,"

"Why?" Jalal interjected with a question,

"I do not know Shahenshah, only that since The Princess has built those Universities, the respect and usefulness of Brahmins has been impacted. Before Brahmins used to advise 90% of the Rajput Kingdoms...now only one or two Rajput Kings listen to their advice."

"The Universities... she started them?" Jalal asked, feeling a touch of regret because Jalal liked intelligence and this Princess sounded beyond Intelligent if a bit too foolishly brave (what with making enemies out of Brahmins) but Jalal knew that he would be killing an intelligent person... it was a shame but her sacrifice won't be in vain. 

"Yes, Sire. I also have cause to think that she is fond of Travelling for it is very common to hear that the Princess of Amber is 'currently not in Amber.'"

"Hmm... anything else?" Jalal asked and Zaheer nodded slowly, reluctantly,

"Sire, just the other day some soldiers returned from an unscheduled loot- they had gone to loot the Hindu Goddess's temple just outside of Amber but before they could take anything they were all killed- one soldier who returned is injured and will probably not survive- it is believed, by his own admission that they were attacked by Ameri Soldiers and Amber's Princess. 150 soldiers... all killed, sacrificed in a Hindu Temple."

Jalal frowned harshly before starting to go towards the Medical tent,

"Let's go ask him what he remembers then," Jalal said and once he entered the medical tent, he saw Khan Baba consoling the dying soldier- Khan Baba saw Jalal and Zaheer and without a word stood aside.

Relations between Jalal and his mentor had not been the smoothest ever since... oh well, Jalal was sure they will make up sooner or later, they always did.

Jalal walked towards the dying soldier and asked the same question he had asked Zaheer,

"What can you tell me about Amber's Princess, Soldier?" He asked, uncaring of the current situation of the soldier. Jalal had lost so many soldiers during his reign that now... now all of their faces blurred together. He had stopped caring a long while ago to bother starting now.

"I... Shahenshah, She was there in the temple, praying... singing so magnetically that even we stopped to listen. It was a trap though or...or perhaps it wasn't but when we reached it was as if her army had been waiting for us. Her beautiful voice echoed eerily throughout the temple as one by one the Mughal Soldiers were killed. I was-," The soldier coughed out blood, "I was perhaps one of the few who actually made it inside the temple." The soldier panted  but continued regardless,
"A group of 20 female guards surrounded her in a circle and while she sang her prayer, the female guards aimed their sharp... spears at the few of us who had managed to bypass the army outside. No one was killed while the Princess sang but it was when she stopped that the circle opened and I... saw-,"

"Saw what?" Jalal prompted as the Soldier seemed to wince in pain- and he then started coughing up more blood. Jalal realized that the soldier was dying and that too painfully- the lungs were filling up with blood. Jalal took out his dagger and sliced the man's throat- allowing him to finally be able to breathe and say the last few words--

"Saw... glurgh-- saw Her. Shahenshah she is more beautiful than any poet's imagination... she is a diamond which shines so brightly that a man would prefer to go blind by her shine than take his eyes off of her."

The Soldier smiled,
" She is the reason I am dying, Shahenshah, but still I am glad... glad that I saw Her before I left this world." The soldier said before his head lolled to the side and he breathed his last.

Jalal closed the Soldier's eyes softly, closed his own and said a prayer.

"Zaheer, have her killed in a week. I want her head on a spike in front of Badalgarh."

"Yes, Shahe--," Zaheer started to say but his words were interrupted by a scoff- Khan Baba, Jalal sighed. He did not understand what it was about Amber's Princess that woke up the gentle human side in his Wazir because never before had Bairam Khan ever fought Jalal on something he had decided to do. Jalal and his Baba, both had killed innocent people before then WHAT was so different about this Princess?!

"What is it, Khan Baba?" Jalal asked, dismissing Zaheer, who bowed and left the tent.

"If you're going to get her killed then at least have the decency to look in her eyes and do it Yourself, Jalal." He replied and Jalal shook his head, Khan Baba was being ridiculous- Jalal was too busy planning the attack on Odisha to go anywhere-- but... but there was something in Bairam Khan's voice that gave Jalal a pause.

"Why are you so against her murder, Khan Baba? She's no innocent, she has killed my soldiers-"

"-Who attacked her and her God! We all know us Mughals have done worse in the name of Religion!"

"That does not explain why you're against her Dying."

"You mean, apart from the fact that you're playing a puppet to a Hindu Pandit?"

"Am I? Or is he a puppet in my hands, Khan Baba? He has guaranteed Gondwana to me- with no bloodshed once I have just one person killed-- One life for thousands... isn't that fair exchange, My Wazir?"

"And how can you be sure that he will come through on his deal?"

"I hold his life in my hands, Khan Baba. If his life is not precious to him then I also hold his reputation in my hands- he will be stripped of his Brahmin title if it ever got out that he went to Mughal for help, that he had a Royal Kshatriya killed. And if not then why don't you see what a threat this princess poses- she's the one who started the Universities, she is the one who has encouraged Rajputana into uniting, think what she could be capable of given time."

"Jalal... " His Baba said shaking his head and pulling on his hair in frustration, "I, forgive me. I don't know what I was thinking. I do not know why the thought of you killing the Princess of Amber sits wrong with me, only that it does. Do what you will, I can see your mind is set." He said, knowing that Jalal would not change his mind once it was set- not for anyone.

Khan Baba left the tent after saying those words and Jalal's eyes strayed towards the dead soldier... he will be avenged, Jalal promised but perhaps he will make it quick on the princess? Slit her throat quickly and painlessly for the sake of his Baba?

Jalal had seen Khan Baba gallop away on his new horse- the one Jalal had wished for himself but left alone as it had been stamped for his mentor...it truly was a beautiful horse.

Jalal had then looked at Zaheer and said,

"Zaheer, Nevermind the Princess of Amber... just cover for me while I am gone, alright."

Zaheer had bowed and Jalal had chosen a random horse from the stables, picked up his Rajputani clothes, taken Abdul as a companion and left for Amber.

Jalal looked at the beautiful city down the hill and knelt on the ground, he picked up some soil and smirked.

"Zameen-e-Rajputana, Tumko Jalal ka salaam."(Land of Rajputana, Jalal says hello.)
 He whispered and then Jumped.

---

Jodha prayed to both her Krishna and Shiva, her eyes closed in bliss as they usually were whenever she prayed. She could feel her siblings standing behind her and she could hear Shaguni Bai finish her chants.

The prayer ended and everyone started to leave only Jodha was stopped,

"Rajkumari Jodha aur Gondwana ki Rani ko Shaguni Bai ka Pranaam." Shaguni bai bowed but Jodha stopped her from bowing too deeply- the priestess was too old to be bowing so deeply.

"Shaguni Bai, how many times have I asked you to not bow and yet-,"

"I do as my heart pleases me, Durga." Shaguni Bai said and Jodha rolled her eyes, yes Shaguni Bai was popular for doing as she pleased, especially interrupting royalty. Not that Jodha minded much. 

"Jodha, Shaguni Bai. J.O.D.H.A." She reminded the Priestess. Although she knew she didn't mind the name Shaguni Bai called her for Durga means the one who is invincible and Jodha quite liked being called invincible but that wasn't her name.
She already had too many names without answering to the name of the Goddess too.

"Yes yes, now tell me... are you ready for the Gangaur pooja?"

"Indeed."

"And the Diya you lit at the age of 5... what of that Diya?" Shaguni Bai asked and Jodha beamed widely,

"It's still burning, Shaguni Bai. Lord only knows how many times I have forgotten to put oil in the diya, or the number of strong winds which have disturbed it but nothing has fazed the burning wick in over thirteen years." Jodha said with a smile. She had lit the Diya during Gangaur itself, 13 years ago, naively praying for her own Shiva.
It had been done in a bout of childishness but perhaps there is some truth in the saying that God listens to children more easily, perhaps that was why when Shaguni Bai had seen the anomaly of Jodha's non-extinguishing diya and she had simply smiled and patted Jodha's head, asking her to take care of it...
Jodha knew not what her connection was with the Diya, or why it never went off... only that she had lit it before she had ever visited Gondwana, back when she had still believed in childish notions of Love and soulmates. 

"Good, this Gangaur, you are to bring your Eternal Diya to the Baoli. Do you understand?" Shaguni Bai said and Jodha nodded slowly,

"Yes, but why now?" Jodha asked, she had rejected all suitors who had dared to approach her since the age of 14, and that Diya was mostly used in her prayers to her Kanha and Shiv.

"This year you shall get married, Durga. I have Seen it."

Jodha stilled before forcefully relaxing herself. Marriage... she had given up all thoughts of such a thing happening to her. She was almost 19 and unmarried which was basically adulthood and way past marriageable age. 
The words she had said to Rana a few years ago came back to her...
"I love my freedom too much to ever marry."

"Shaguni Bai, is this somehow related to what you've said to my mother? She has been all over the place, arranging my Svayamvara- which is extremely random in the first place but then she has invited all Kingdoms of Rajputana- the Kings, the Heirs and the spares... is my husband one of them?"

"I have already told your mother of your future, Princess, she just refuses to accept it. Calling all these guests is her way of fighting the inevitable prophecy. Do you wish to know-,"

"No," Jodha interjected quickly, knowing the future was... she shook her head, she did not want that sort of responsibility, she had too many as is. 

"You are wise, Princess. Wiser than your Mother. Do not fight your future for it will be in vain."

"Is it that bad?" Jodha asked with a wince,

"Bad? Oh no, my dear... it is Glorious. You will marry your Shiva and I have it on good authority that he is quite a looker." Shaguni Bai said, "Be sure to take your Eternal Diya to the Baoli, in its light you will see your husband-," Jodha rolled her eyes

"Seriously, Shaguni Bai. I will just see the person standing behind me- that's how water and reflections work-,"

"Ah, but Durga, that's not how fate works. Fate will design it so that the man you're to marry will come to stand right behind you, at just the right moment...," Shaguni Bai danced as she left making Jodha smile and shake her head.

Then the realization crept up upon her, was she really going to get married? Perhaps she should be ready to run if she dislikes her groom. She smirked when realized that she did not need such a plan, Rajah would eat whoever would dare to approach her anyway.

*

"Have you liked anyone yet, Jodha?" Maan asked while they both annihilated a plate of Jalebis between them and Jodha shook her head, as she caught the chashni that dribbled down her hand. 

"No... no one has caught my eye or even my interest. Perhaps... I should choose my husband from among the common people, I'd surely have more luck." Jodha said and Maan snorted before laughing,

"And send the entire Rajputana- waiting to make you their daughter-in-law- into a tiff? Yeah, I think we do not want that after all your plans promoting Rajput Unity-,"

"The Rajput Unity is bound to fail." She interrupted with the sad fact, pointing a Jalebi at Maan "If I choose a Rajput King or Heir to marry then that would make that particular Kingdom extremely strong. Equality is as it is very delicate among the Rajputi Kingdoms... I cannot choose anyone from among them if I wish for them to maintain their coalition."

"Then why even conduct a Svayamvara?" Maan asked confused and Jodha bit into another Jalebi- slapping Maan's hand from the last one,

"It is for Maa Sa's benefit, Maan. She is the one who organized it, Shaguni Bai has read a prophecy which mother is trying to avert- something about my future groom."

"Ohhh, perhaps you are marrying a commoner," Maan said with a snort thinking that Rani Mainavati would prefer a rich husband but Jodha knew the truth so she shook her head,

"No... no, I think that whoever my husband is going to be I am not going to love him. Mother has always wanted me to marry for love above all else."

"But you can always fall in love after, right?" Maan said, looking a tad worried and Jodha shrugged, she had stopped believing in Love a long while ago for it had destroyed her friendship with Rana... Love was a curse that had struck Rana and it had destroyed...everything. Years of friendship lay forgotten and years of promises lay broken. What good was love when it destroyed something as pure as friendship?

"Perhaps it is someone My mother thinks I could never love... perhaps I am marrying someone too Old. Or someone who is incapable of Love. " Jodha guessed and simultaneously spoke out her worst fear.

Her eyes met Maan's for a second before they dropped to their empty plate of Jalebis.

"Get some more?" She asked and smiled when Maan nodded enthusiastically.

---

Jalal walked through the streets of Amber and it felt like he had entered a different world altogether. There were colours and sounds everywhere, the main city square alone was more populous than Delhi or Agra and-- Were those peacocks dancing in the street? It wasn't even raining!
Women wearing coloured clothes- laughed loudly and giggled when they caught sight of Jalal- they roamed around freely with their faces uncovered and unafraid. Their clothing was practical in the heat and yet Jalal felt like he should avert his eyes at certain deep necks and low waists.

Mughal Women were always too modest hence here Jalal felt like he was in a different world, rather than just a different Kingdom.
He could almost taste the Freedom. 

Snake charmers, bangle sellers and knife sellers all sat in their allotted places away from the main street- leaving the streets free for different sorts of vehicles- vehicles of the kind Jalal had never seen. There was a-- he tapped a man on the shoulder and asked,

"What is that contraption the man is sitting on?"

"That? Oh, it is a Bicycle. If you want one to rent- go to the University, they rent one for a day for one copper." The man said before asking, "Are you new in Amber?"

Jalal nodded,

"Ah, that explains the overwhelmed look on your face- Amber looks like it is a century ahead of its time, doesn't it?"

Jalal nodded again,

"It's all because of Rani Sa."

"Rani Mainavati?" Jalal asked and the man shook his head before frowning-

"Oh, perhaps indirectly for she is the mother of Jodha Bai." The man took his leave from Jalal and left while Jalal was still mesmerized by his surroundings. Mesmerized and LOST. He knew- just knew that he needed to make a friend quickly lest he gets lost in this chaotic and fast city.

Just then, Raja Suryabhan entered the eyesight of Jalal- his eyes then saw the stables and a plan formed in his mind.
How good would it be if rampaging horses almost trampled Raja Suryabhan and how good would it be if Jalal saved him? How perfect would it be if Jalal won his trust and got an entrance to the places closed off to ordinary men?

*

Half an hour later, Jalal was shaking Raja Suryabhan's hand who was thanking Jalal for saving his life. When offered a boon, Jalal humbly asked while bowing,

"It would be an honour to be able to protect you, My King."

"Of course, Jai Singh," Raja Suryabhan said with a smile, addressing Jalal with the Hindu name he had chosen and soon Jai Singh (Jalal) was added to King Suryabhan's entourage of personal guards.

*

Jalal entered the beautiful Fort of Amber, just behind Suryabhan. Suryabhan was welcomed with full pomp and the King of Amber himself stood along with many other Rajput Kings. The Welcome pooja was performed by the Queen and Jalal took the time to look around- there were many girls looking at their party but none held the famed beauty of the Princess of Amber.

Just then he heard Suryabhan ask,

"Rajkumari Jodha, has arrived already?"

The Queen nodded with a smile,
"Yes, she came yesterday, only her siblings and duties to the Kingdom have not even allowed her a day to rest. She is staying at Heera Palace, you must go and meet her once you've freshened up." Rani Mainavati said but Suryabhan shook his head,

"How about I go now? Ram and Raj are with her, I suppose?" The King of Bhanpur asked and Jalal could sense the urgency in his words, the Queen nodded but she looked concerned,

"Would you not prefer to freshen up... rest some, Perhaps?" The Queen suggested and the King of Bhanpur smiled,

"No, Rani Mainavati, the trip was luckily quite smooth- thanks to the newer, smoother roads connecting the entirety of Rajputana- for which I will be sure to thank the Princess but yes, I have missed my friends and would love to see them as soon as possible," Suryabhan said and the Queen of Amber nodded and said,

"Very well, Sukanya will take you." The Queen looked up at the Balcony at the girl who had been looking at Suryabhan- she probably liked the King of Bhanpur- and said,

"Sukanya, come down and take Raja Suryabhan to the Heera Palace." The Queen said before looking at Suryabhan with a sheepish smile and explaining,

"You know what Jodha's guards are like." The Queen said with a fond sigh and the two laughed amongst each other while Jalal memorized the layout of the Fort. Someone- Jalal thought she must be Sukanya, Amber's second Princess, who smiled at them and along with several guards they moved towards what Jalal hoped was Heera Palace.

"Did you welcome your sister, Rajkumari Sukanya?" Suryabhan asked the Princess and she nodded,

"Yes. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to see her since yesterday so it'll be nice to see her again." The Princess said and Jalal stopped listening because his eyes caught sight of something impossible and he couldn't stop himself from asking,

"Is that Palace...floating on water?!"

The Princess heard him and laughed before nodding,

"It's not actually floating but built atop the water. It doesn't move."

"But is it safe for My King to enter?" Jalal asked, letting some fake concern seep into his voice and felt Suryabhan rest his hand on his shoulder and squeeze,

"It is very safe, Jai Singh else the people of Amber would not gift it to their precious Princess."

Jalal fought the urge to shrug away the hand and played his part perfectly. He had to say that Heera Palace was...fabulous. He'd never seen anything like it before. They piled into a beautiful boat once the guards saw that they had come with Princess Sukanya and soon they were being rowed towards the Heera palace- as the boat got closer the palace got more and more beautiful until Jalal had to stop his eyes from roaming around and wonder where he could get such a marvel made in his Kingdom before pausing and realizing that Amber will soon be a part of his Kingdom and hence the Heera Palace will soon be his too... he smiled as they docked and Jalal got out, automatically reaching out to help the Princess who allowed him to guide her out of the boat.

They entered the palace and Jalal's eyes widened- there were Peacocks everywhere. White peacocks, normal coloured peacocks-- why were people in Amber obsessed with peacocks? They were useless as far as birds went except for being aesthetically pleasing- he sighed in impatience- where was this Princess he needed to kill?
He needed to get away from this Kingdom lest he is persuaded to adopt a peacock. Or attack tomorrow itself to obtain Amber because no Kingdom should be allowed to be this beautiful. And well planned. And thriving and peaceful... especially not in the hands of a Hindu King.
Jalal was already questioning the administration in Agra and Delhi and planning on making changes based on what he had seen and liked in Amber. 

"Gora, Badal, where is Jodha jiji?" He heard the Princess ask and the two sharp-looking guards with suspicion in their eyes shook their heads in apology,

"Rani Sa should be in town with Rajkumar Maan Singh, Rajkumari Sukanya. She left only an hour or so ago and will return much too late tonight, some emergencies at the Medical House needed to be dealt with." Gora, the guard on the right, said and then Badal the guard on the left addressed Suryabhan,

"Raja Suryabhan, Rajkumars Raj and Ram have been informed of your arrival and have returned to welcome you... would you like to meet them now or rest a little in one of the chambers?" The guard asked and Jalal could see the disappointment on the King of Bhanpur's face-- it was very obvious that this man was a goner over the eldest Princess of Amber and the Princess Sukanya was a goner on the King of Bhanpur, what an uninteresting love triangle.

The King of Bhanpur chose to rest up a bit instead of meeting his friends and Jalal... well Jalal planned how to get back into the Amber fort and perhaps use this extra time on his hands to get some important information about the Kingdom for the time when he would attack it. 

He looked at the brilliant security placement before sighing and looking at the water...perhaps it was good that Jalal was a brilliant swimmer.

---

Jodha returned to Heera Palace, tired and stiff.
She just wanted to fall asleep without changing her clothes but she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep soundly if she slept with all these bangles and necklaces, that she wouldn't be able to sleep in such heavy clothing.

She allowed Moti to remove all her jewellery before helping her remove her clothing- she then put on one of her silk nightgowns- gifts from the French had spoiled her- before closing her eyes and welcoming sleep.

---

Jalal returned to the Heera palace the same way he had left before changing his wet clothes with newer drier ones before carefully removing the documents he had stolen from Amber, wrapped in leaves to keep them dry before going back inside, in the direction of Suryabhan's chambers.

"Where have you been?" The King of Bhanpur asked and Jalal smiled sheepishly before replying,

"Feeding the peacocks."

"Really they allowed you to feed them? Wow, I think you're one of the few people they must have instantly liked."

"What do you mean?" Jalal asked and Suryabhan smirked,

"I mean that those peacocks are no normal peacocks, they are a security detail. They attack any intruders and any thieves they smell."

Jalal smiled and shrugged, mentally thanking Suryabhan for warning Jalal... it was actually quite clever to use aesthetically pleasing, harmless-looking birds as a way to catch intruders, perhaps he could employ a similar tactic in the Harem?

"But I am glad you were gone, I was finally able to meet and greet Jodha."

"She returned?"

"Yes, we met at dawn today... she'd just been leaving." Bhanpur's King said but Jalal had zoned him out, in getting the important documents- he had completed his first part of the plan. He still had two days to spare and they should be enough to get the job done, especially as today was the last day of Gangaur, he might even be done earlier than expected. 

---

"Jiji would you at least stop for a second!" Sukanya called out to Jodha as she was getting into the boat to leave Heera Palace at Dawn. Jodha couldn't stop - not for anything so she pulled Sukanya into the boat with her,

"What is it, Sukanya?" Jodha asked once they both settled in comfortably for the boat ride and her sister looked too excited to stay quiet anymore,

"Jiji, you met Suryabhan this morning?" Sukanya asked, her entire body vibrating in excitement, Jodha smiled a little,

"Yes, we met only a few minutes before you accosted me, it was good to see him after so many years but his habit of staring still irks me. But why do you ask?" Jodha asked as she finished eating her apple and threw the core into the lake- the fish rose up to finish the core.

"Suryabhan is not really that important- did you happen to see his friend? The fair, tall one? The one with the Golden pagri and-- and light eyes?"

"His friend?" Jodha asked with a frown and shook her head, "No, no I met no one of such description- but I can't believe Raja Suryabhan will bring someone into my palace so carelessly. He knows I hate strangers in my space."

"You and your paranoia, Jodha!" Sukanya exclaimed with a teasing smile and Jodha shook her head,

"It is not paranoia, Sukanya, I just happen to be careful. Now...what about Suryabhan's friend?"

"Oh, Jiji! He is the most handsome man I have ever laid my eyes on- he held my hand to help me out of a boat- he is such a Gentleman! He is as fair as your French friends- almost as fair as you! His voice was deep and velvety...like wine and his eyes, uff, his eyes, JIJI!" 

"-Sukanya." Jodha said in a chiding voice, "Start making a point soon- we have almost reached our destination."

"It's just-- I have decided, you can have Suryabhan. I have someone new to like now." Sukanya stated, primly resting her hands in her lap and Jodha laughed, her laughter tinkling in the morning sun and the birds seemed to mimic its sound,

"You and your obsession with beautiful men, Sukanya. You have been in love with Suryabhan since you were what- 5?"

"7, actually." Sukanya replied petulantly, "But he only had eyes for you."

"Men are stupid, little sister, they hardly ever know what they want leave alone who they want, they're easily confused and it is our job as women to un-confuse them." Jodha parted little wisdom to her sister with a naughty wink.

"What of your Svayamvara?" Sukanya asked and Jodha smiled and tried not to snort,

"It is already being held, as you well know. Mother will choose my groom with father's help before they put him through three tests of my making."

"What are those tests?" Sukanya asked, leaning forward and Jodha smiled impishly because she knew they would be impossible to pass,

"The first test will be to somehow prove that he is cunning, intelligent and resourceful," Jodha stated. Intelligence in a man was highly attractive to her. His looks mattered not but if he was dumb and Beautiful then Jodha would rather marry a tree- at least the tree would be a silent partner in their marriage and less irritating by far.

"The second test will test his physical prowess- he must somehow make it to my chambers in the most secure part of Heera Palace and leave his ancestral sword or dagger there."

"You plan to do a Khanda Marriage?!" Sukanya burst out in disbelief,
(The khanda marriage was a form of proxy marriage in the Rajputs wherein it was not necessary for a groom to be physically present during the wedding ceremony. The rituals were completed using his weapon, typically an ancestral dagger or a sword as a proxy. The custom of a girl accepting someone's dagger as a symbol of marriage is shown in the movie Bajirao Mastani.)

Jodha smirked in agreement but Sukanya burst out,

"But but-- what if someone bad was able to do it? Surely physical and mental prowess is not enough of a reason to marry someone, Jodha!" Her sister burst out and Jodha smiled, how strange it was that Sukanya was always pickier about the man who would marry Jodha, rather than the man she herself would marry. Sukanya had no expectations from her future husband- except that he was easy to look at- and yet she had seemingly reserved them all for Jodha's future husband.

"I agree, it is why your prospective Brother-in-law will have to go through one last test before he is able to leave anything in my chambers..." Jodha smirked as she looked at her sister, "Rest assured sister, Rajah does not like many men- in fact, he rarely likes anything that breathes."

Her sister looked at Jodha with wide eyes before bursting into laughter and Jodha smiled, seeing her sister happy was a good start to her day.

"Oh, my Kanha! And here mother thinks that you will be married off this very year-- HAHA! How very wrong she is for Rajah did not even let Rana come into your chambers there is no way that he will let anyone else enter- unless it's Kanha himself. Oh! In fact this time, Rajah might just take this opportunity to finally be done with Suryabhan."

"He just might," Jodha agreed casually with a smirk as she got out of the boat, Bheem helping both of them as Sukanya's words- casually said though they were, resounded in her head- for she too remembered Shaguni Bai's words and looked at her Diya in her hand- the Diya she had lit, praying for the long life of her future husband when she was young, naively scared that her destined soul-mate will die before they ever got married.

Today was the last day of Gangaur and the day after tomorrow- she will be leaving for Gondwana, if no one was able to pass her tests by the time she left then she wouldn't be getting married- so whoever Shaguni Bai had seen marrying Jodha better hurry up, for he only had two days left or he will have to try again the next time she was in Amber and Shiva only knows when that will be.

---

Jalal was waiting at a Halwai shop for Suryabhan, talking to the Halwai named Bhola Ram who boasted of making the best Jalebis in Hindustan. Jalal's eyes saw the protruding belly of the man and wondered if perhaps the man ate all those Jalebis himself.

He was waiting still when he saw a crowd gather on the streets as an announcement was made,

"SAAVDHAAN, Amber Rajparivaar ki sawaari padhaar rhi hai, SAAVDHAN."
(Royal family of Amber is arriving!)

Jalal looked at the Halwai and asked,

"Why are so many people gathering to welcome the Royal Family? Surely, they see the King and the Queen every day- or was that a lie?" Jalal asked, hoping that the Rajputi King was a careless one but unfortunately Bhola Ram shook his head,

"It is clear that you're new when you ask such questions. Of course, they see every member of the Royal Family every day- all except one, Rani Jodha."

"I still don't understand why people call her a 'Rani' when she is the Princess of Amber..." Jalal muttered under his breath, making sure he was inaudible to anyone but himself, before asking, "So, the people have gathered to welcome their Princess?"

"Yes, Jodha Bai is beloved by the people-,"

"Uh-huh, Because of her Beauty?" Jalal asked and the forever-present smile on Bhola Ram's face became more complicated,

"Perhaps but mostly because of her Actions."

Jalal nodded dismissively and stood up to join the crowd of people standing to welcome the Royal Family of Amber, his eyes and ears waiting for the same announcement as the others, only his goal was much different from theirs- they wanted to welcome their Beloved Princess and Jalal wanted to kill their Beloved Princess.

The Queen's palanquin (Palki) passed, Princess Sukanya and Shivani's palki passed and still, the people waited. Full fifteen minutes passed before it was finally announced,

"Rajkumari Jodha ki!"

"JAI!" The people burst out with their joy. 

"RAJKUMARI JODHA KI!"

"JAI!"

The people's joy rung out loudly when they cheered their Princess- shouting 'Long Live Rani Sa' and 'Long live Jodha Bai' and the cheers were loud (louder than the cheers had been for the Queen and the two younger Princesses), the people threw rose petals in the way as the palki holders passed and just as the Palki was about to pass Jalal- his eyes caught sight of something that made his breath hitch...

The curtain was closed but as the Palki bearers walked, a sliver of curtain opened to reveal the Princess inside and perhaps it was fate on Jalal's part that the first and the only thing he saw were the Gazelle-like eyes... big and long-lashed, a beautiful amber in colour.

Jalal's feet started to follow beside the Palki as if by their own volition and his eyes waiting for the curtain to part and catch sight of those eyes again-- just then a child ran in front of the Palki and the Palki bearers stopped, allowing the child to pass the beautiful blooming rose to his Princess.

A dainty hand parted the curtain and... His eyes fluttered close as all thoughts left him, all words dissolved into thin air as he breathed in deeply and the smell of fresh, dewy roses hit him-- so similar to the perfume of the woman that had once- years ago, saved Jalal. His eyes snapped open, unwilling to miss anything. 

Delicate fingers clasped the stem of the blooming red rose and disappeared back into the curtain and Jalal heard the child squeal when he opened his little hand and found a gold coin in it-- but his thoughts were stuck.

Stuck on her... the people had been right, her beauty would shame any poet's imagination, and it would make men weep and thank Allah for HIS talent when HE had created her.

THAM GAYI THI AAKHEIN, RUK GAYI THI SAANSEIN...BEZUBAAN HO GYA THA JALAL.
JODHA KO DEKH JAISE USKE SHABD KAM PADD GAYE THE, JODHA KI KHOOBSURTI BAYAN KARNE KE LIYE.
JAISE USNE ALLAH KI BANAYI EK NAYAAB CHEEZ PARR CHUPKE SE NAZAR DAAL LI THI, JAISE BIJLI EK HI JAGAH DO BAAR GIRI THI--JAISE... JAISE RAAT ME AAFTAAB HUA THA, JAISE DIN MEIN CHAND KHILA THA, JAISE IBAADAT SAAMNE AA GAYI THI, AUR MAANGI HUI HARR DUAA POORI HO GAYI THI . (1)

Following the Palki, Jalal reached the man-made lake or the famous Baoli of Amber, where all Royals had gathered for the last ritual of Gangaur. He saw Jodha's palki reach the bottom and then his eyes hungrily saw her get out of the palki and soon he could peruse her form entirely. She was tall, it was the first thing he noticed about her, that she was taller than most women he knew (except his mother, Hamida Banu)...tall and delicate.
If Jalal and Jodha were to stand side by side, her head would reach just under his chin and he would be able to tuck her comfortably into himself if he ever hugged her...and that image for some reason remained stuck in his mind.

His feet automatically took him in her direction and from the corner of his eyes he saw Suryabhan in front of him being stopped by the guards- until they realized whom they'd stopped. Jalal too passed the guards and joined the royal procession behind Suryabhan, over to the Baoli steps, all the while trying to come to the terms with the fact that he'd finally found HER... the woman who had haunted his dreams, the woman who had motivated Jalal into becoming who he was today... was standing right there, a few steps directly ahead of him.

He knew Khan Baba would question,
'How was Jalal so sure that she was HER even when her eyes weren't golden?'

Well, it was because Jalal never forgot anything he saw and he'd seen her eyes every day for the past five years. On the canvas in his rooms, in his dreams and he'd memorized the shape of them as well as he had memorized any Aayat (Verse) in the Quran. In his dreams, he'd counted each lash hair with such precision that he knew if she would allow him to count them now he would be able to confirm the number.
He'd seen her hands a thousand times, traced the freckle on the inside of her wrist a million times and he'd seen the same freckle when she had taken that full blooming rose from that child in the street.

Then there was her scent... she had smelt of roses five years ago too. It wasn't the sweet cloying smell of a newly bloomed flower but the refreshing dewy smell- like a rose just after rainfall mixed with the heady smell of rain on earth... it was a scent well suited to her but above all, it was soothing. A scent that would convince someone to close their eyes and just... inhale. 
He truly believed that her scent could heal a dying man and convince him to live a few more days.

He then heard what Jodha's mother was telling all three princesses,

"It is said that when we release the diya into the water during Gangaur, the goddess, for a scant moment, shows us our future in the water with its light." The Queen finished before bending down and releasing a beautiful wax candle in the water and praying.

"Sukanya and Shivani, both of you are next." The Queen said and Jalal for a second looked away from Jodha and into the water- but the water was too black to show even the moon, leave alone someone's future. His eyes returned to her as she went next, Jalal smiled a little at the peace on her face as she prayed before she too released one of her diyas into the water and looked into the water... under the brightness from her second Diya, Jalal's Silver eyes met Golden ones and his smile turned into a smirk... now even her gods had confirmed something Jalal had always known. Known from the moment he had seen her---
Jodha was His, always had been.

---

Jodha released her diya into the water and her eyes watched it float away before an image appeared in the water lit up by her eternal Diya and she tried not to gasp...

He was... Beautiful--the most handsome man she had ever seen. And his eyes, she had only seen such a strange glow in her own eyes. 

Who was he? Why had she never seen him in Amber before--was he her future or just the man standing behind her?

She couldn't move her eyes away from the mirage in the water for long enough to even turn and look, too captured by the shine of his silver eyes, too lost in the wickedness of his smile. He was too fair to be Shiva but she was sure if Shiva had not been blue... this is what he would have looked like. Tall, broad with a majestic personality...like a Lion.
There was also something painfully familiar about him... was it the hair? Or... the eyes? Perhaps a dream...?

Just then the clouds thundered and burst open, the water from the sky disrupted the image of HIM in the water in front of her and she couldn't help but turn to see...hope to catch a glimpse of him. He was there! She could see his form, encased in a shadow but she couldn't see his face, his features being hidden in the pouring rain which had doused all lanterns except the Diya in her hands. Her Diya persevered as always, the fire burning merrily even in the downpour as if unbothered by rain.

She knew he could see it, see the Diya she had lit for Him, unknowingly at the age of 5 for his long life, for his safety... she knew he could see Her too and yet... yet he did not come forward? Why? Jodha frowned and took a step towards him-- only Lightning struck right in front of her- stopping her in her steps.
WHY was nature against her and him? The rain stopped her from seeing him in the water for more than a few seconds, the darkness hid his face and features from her and now... lightening?

The gods can be both cruel and generous in the same moment and Jodha...Jodha feared no one and nothing. Not even lightning. 

She could only smile ruefully as she took another step towards him, unafraid- just a few more steps and she will reach him and his face will be revealed to her in the light of her still-burning Diya. The clouds thundered in a warning and the rain increased in its pressure- so much so that the falling water which hit Jodha's skin stung a little.
Undeterred, she took the third step and the lightning struck again-- right on the fourth step Jodha had raised her feet to walk on.

---

Jalal's eyes met her Golden across the few steps between them. He did not know why he was not walking forward to meet her in the middle... or perhaps he did know- he knew that if he saw her now, felt her now, touched her now... he will Never let her go.
He will abduct her, marry her, make her HIS and never allow her to look upon anyone except him ever again. He would burn the eyes of men who dared to glance in her direction, pierce the lungs of those who were allowed to breathe her scent, would rip out the hearts of men who dared to love her.... She was His and only he was allowed to- to--

Jalal shook his head, he forgot what he had been thinking, such was her beauty, her grace, her determination to be close to him.

Her payals tinkled even in the harsh rain as she walked towards him, her scent still tickled his nose even so far away, his hand itched to grab her and clutch her to himself...
She took one step and the lightening struck the stone right beside her feet and yet... yet she kept walking towards him as if now that she had found him, she was unwilling to let him go.

He smiled as the clouds thundered in warning, his feet too taking a step in her direction-- only to stop when he heard someone approach and shout her name.

"Jodha! Jodha!! What are you-- let's go Jodha lest you take ill." The man shouted and for the first time since she had turned, she removed her eyes from him-- Jalal's eyes narrowed, lethal in their hatred for whoever had intervened and snarled when he saw it was Suryabhan.

He had found the King of Bhanpur's crush on the Eldest Princess funny only a few hours ago... now, now that he knew just WHO the eldest Princess was- Jalal was very much ready to Kill him.

---

Jodha turned away from Suryabhan to look at Him again, only to see that he had vanished.

She looked around but as far as her eyes could see in such darkness... but there was no one. She then finally came to her senses and realized that she had been standing in the rain for the past 15 minutes. She ran towards her Palki, her dress heavy with water making her slower than she would be usually. 
Suryabhan's footsteps followed her-- a loud tinkling sound made her look to her side but she did not stop in her running and soon she was bundling into her cosy Palki and going back to the Palace. As she turned to look, she saw a figure of a man come out of the shadows and watch as her Palki disappeared. 

---

Jalal emerged from the shadows and walked towards where he had heard her anklet break... he walked forward and bent down to pick up the delicate and precious piece of jewellery, he looked at her Palki as it disappeared and allowed the rain to pelt him. His eyes then went to the anklet in his hand- was it just him or did the anklet still feel warm from her skin? He clutched the jewellery tightly in his hands and smiled.

The rain stopped just as suddenly as it had started and it did not take Jalal long to start a fire. as he looked at the golden sparks of the flame- even they reminded him of Her. He knew now why the Pandit had said that she was Fire personified... the innocent warmth of her single glance had left Jalal feeling ablaze, how would he feel when she allowed him to touch her- for surely he would need her permission, surely because he knew he would get singed if he was to touch her without her permission... or perhaps he would face the consequences after he had touched her and lose his hand for his daring.

She was... sacred, pure... she was Jodha. The pleasure of knowing her name had been afforded after five years of continuous search. After many many failures, Jalal had finally succeeded. 

The Payal (anklet) slipped past his fingers and fell into the fire he had built. Jalal knelt on the ground before his hand moved on its own accord and plunged itself into the same fire, searching, until, in the burning heat, his fingers touched the anklet. 

He laughed, perhaps it was fate- every time he had seen her, it had proven to be painful but fruitful for Jalal.

The first time she had cauterized the wound on his chest, melting the flesh to heal it quickly and this time... this time she wasn't even present when Jalal had plunged his hand voluntarily into the fire-- he smiled as he closed his eyes to feel the red heat off of the Anklet... it felt as if it had just dropped from her ankle and her body heat still warmed the metal. 

That she was waiting for him to put it back on her...

JODHA KI EK JHALAK AUR JALAL KO USSE PAANE KI HASRAT PARVAAN CHAD CHUKI THI.

PAANCH SAAL PEHELE JALAL KO JOH FITOOR HUA THA, USKA ANJAAM THI JODHA...
INN PAANCH SAALON MEIN, JALAL NE USSE KAHAN-KAHAN NAHI DHOONDHA AUR ABB JABB USE DEKH LIYA THA TOH USSE PAAYE BINA VOH AMBER SE NAHI JAANA CHAHTA THA.

JALAL KO BHI NAHI PATA THA KI...INSAAN KABHI-KABAAR KISI KO PAANE KE LIYE, KHUD KO KHO BAITHTA HAI.

ABB JALAL KE MANN ME SIRF EK HI KHWAHISH THI...JODHA KO PAANE KI AUR USSE APNA BANANE KI. (2) (Translation available at the end of the chapter.)

---

Jodha laughed as she went around Heera Palace, her heart singing and joy rising up in her soul as she looked at her Diya, the forever burning flame that she knew now represented HIM. Sukanya and Shivani both heard her laughter and saw her staring at her Diya, they both came and smirked before blowing forcefully at the flame- Jodha laughed again when the both of them failed to extinguish it. 

Jodha picked up her Diya and brought it under the rain yet again and to her sister's shock, not even that could douse the flame.

Just then the Bandiyan and the Dasis in the Heera Palace started singing and Jodha laughed,

...Jhoka hawa ka aayega

Aur yeh Diya bujh jayega

The Bandis took Jodha by both her arms, and pulled her out of the door- the winds made the trees bend but the Diya in her hand burned merrily. Jodha looked at the flamed and allowed herself to sing after so many years...

Silsila yeh chahat ka

Na maine bujhne diya ...

Jodha went back inside and danced...today was the day she had seen him and she would celebrate it to the fullest, today she Truly was Durga and he... her Shiva.

Silsila yeh chahat ka,

Na maine bujhne diya,

Oh piya, yeh diya

Na bujha hai, na bujhega

Meri chahat ka diya

Mere piya ab aaja re mere piya

Ho mere piya ab aaja re mere piya

She called for him, she prayed for him to come... remembering how he had vanished from the Baoli, leaving no trace. Where was he now? Was he too thinking of her as she was of him?

Iss diye sang jal raha

Mera rom rom rooh aur jiya

Ab aaja re mere piya

Ho mere piya ab aaja re mere piya

She remembered her 5-year-old self, lighting up this Diya, wondering when she would get to meet the one made for her. Wondering if Love would strike her as surely as It had struck her parents.
She remembers being afraid, crying while thinking that what would happen if her to-be-soulmate died before she ever got the chance to meet him, touch him...hug him. Would his presence make her feel as light as a bird, would their passion burn the whole world asunder? Will he calm her tides as the shore calmed the sea...will he make her believe in Love again? 

---

By the next day, Jalal had learned the ways and routes of Amber entirely and now... now he knew he could also wage a stealth war if the need ever arose. He had collected all the important documents from its State Rooms and Jalal could now leave and yet something held him back- A wish- to see Her again, to smell her once more before he left, to touch her- if he could.

What he still couldn't believe was the fact that she was unmarried- how had the entirety of Rajputana protected such a beautiful gem from being snatched up? Jalal had never thought about Fate before but her presence, and her status as a free woman, did make Jalal think of it.

 For the first time since his birth, he was beginning to believe in Destiny. And Fate. And Magic. All due to one single woman.

Gondwana was forgotten for the time being and he knew his army will now be attacking Amber as soon as he returned to his War Tent in Shalpur, he knew now that his Golden eyed saviour was a Rajputani and that put a hold on his southern ambitions.

Jalal saw the entire Royal Family- including Her- enter a beautiful building which Jalal knew was the famous University of Amber. He entered it discreetly and stood opposite the Princess, just so that he could see her face better. 

(Amber University)


She laughed openly, a thin veil of rich orange covered her face but it was mostly see-through. Her petal pink lips looked softer than rose petals even from Jalal's distance and every time a hint of her tinkling laughter reached Jalal's ears, his feet inched closer to her. A magnetic pull, constantly pulling him closer.

He finally paid some attention to his surroundings and he was left shocked yet again- for the umpteenth time in Amber- at the grandness of the University. There were students of all ages, all of them currently busy welcoming the Royal Family and so they were out of their classrooms. Jalal went into one such room and he knew he had entered the Art class when he saw paint everywhere- even on the floors and ceilings- depicting beautiful paintings throughout.

Jalal smiled as he touched a painting of what looked like a young Jodha playing some sort of game with the children here at the University, still a student herself. She was surrounded by a few people Jalal recognized and some he did not- he also saw a young Suryabhan painted- The King of Bhanpur's eyes were on Jodha even in the picture.

The students of the University were all talking among themselves- and what shocked Jalal was that the courtyard did not only boast Hindustani students as Jalal had thought but also foreign Students- the name UNIVERSITY finally made sense- it boasted students from Egypt and Africa, from China and France - it seemed that today was the first ever reunion and everyone from far and wide had returned.

Jalal ignored most of them in favour of watching the Princess who like a butterfly flitted from one group to another, making sure to give her time to everyone equally. She hugged a few younger children, held the hands of women her age and greeted the men with a Pranaam.

 A while later the current students performed in front of everyone, some danced exceptional dances, some sang beautifully and Jalal even saw an amazing play- not of war as most plays were but this play was about a Son avenging his father, who suspected that his father had been murdered by the lover of his mother and he- the son Haider (Hamlet) had to confirm his suspicion and so he performed a song and dance called Bismil- in it, he Accused the step-father of treachery while carefully watched the villain's expressions...waiting for his face to bear confession. Which it did. 

https://youtu.be/2Gc9-Fe2xiA

It was a play within a play and it was fantastic, so much so that even Jalal leaned forward during it, unknowingly mirroring Jodha's own interest in the Play.
The University was clearly doing something right because the Actor was so very talented and depicted the scene with full intensity...so much so that he saw many spectators on the edge of their seats, the massive University filled with people but so very silent, just to see Art. 
Never before had he thought that Art could be so powerful. Moving. 
The play ended to a thunderous applause and Jalal couldn't stop himself from adding to the appreciation- it was worth it. 

Suddenly there was a loud sound outside the University-- someone was shouting and Jalal could help but follow everyone as they rushed outside,

"--era!" The man's voice became audible, echoing loudly around the University walls, The shout repeated,

"Heera!!" The man shouted again, his eyes roving the University parapet for... Jalal's suspicions were confirmed when the man shouted,

"Heer-," He stopped midway through the name when his eyes found Jodha, who had come rushing onto the balcony, her eyes hardening when she saw the man standing and perhaps the man too noticed it for he said to the entire student body,

"Three years ago, I did something foolish...I made my best friend sad. She left and was hurt- she was held captive for three months until she was saved by her allies and I never knew..."

Jalal frowned, Jodha Bai had been held captive... who dared to do such a thing?! Did Jalal's men- he shook his head, no, he refused to believe it but then who-? This man must be Rana Pratap, tales of his friendship with Amber's Princess had reached Jalal's ears too, especially when he had been considering the alliances with Rajputana-- then it had made Jalal think of his and Ruqaiya's friendship but now he saw...their friendship was much different from Jalal's with Ruqaiya.

"Today, I have come for forgiveness, Heera. Please forgive me...?" He said and Jalal saw Jodha turn and start to leave--

---

Jodha saw Rana and it was as if she was back in that forest, hurt, sad and helpless... Why was he back? And why was he back now?! Jodha did not wish to hear anything and so she turned to leave- this conversation needed to be had in Private.

"Fine!! Don't forgive me. Just look at the Gift, I've brought you." Rana said and though curiosity bit at her it still was not enough to make her turn, "I have come straight from Battle, Jodha..." He said, his voice plaintive and yet she did not turn. She then heard him move around, the smirk audible in his voice as he revealed.

"Do you all know that when we were young, Heera used to dress as a common boy and run in Amber's street like a headless chicken?" he said and the entire arena laughed at the imagery, "Even at that age, she was maybe 10, everyone was scared of her- mostly because she has always loved dangerous things." Rana's voice echoed as if remembering something far back,  "Her father would ask her to go and feed the birds and Jodha always chose to feed the eagles of all the birds, when hunting she left the deers alone and chose to hunt the Black Death itself- the humped bull, and the best example yet-- she wanted a pet and she chose the biggest...cat in the world." Everyone cheered at the mention of Rajah, but Rana only continued,

"My point is... she has always managed to do the most unpredictable things so when I was beseeched with the difficult position of asking her forgiveness- I thought, 'What would make her forgive me?'"

"Once before she has been mad at me, we were both about 9 and I had stolen her Jalebis- anyone, this is a warning, Never and I mean it, Never steal the Princess's Jalebis. She guards them like a Dragon guards its gold." Rana said and with her back to him even she allowed herself a little smile, "She absolutely and vehemently refused to speak to me unless I joined her in Dance Lessons-," Everyone once again bust into laughter here, 
 "-Heera knew I was a man with two left feet and thus the best punishment and the greatest challenge for me was to be--,"

Jodha finally turned to face him and snarked,

"-Graceful? Less like a newborn Giraffe and more like a Warrior?" The people around her laughed and Rana's cheeks darkened with embarrassment.

"I deserved that." He accepted before his wide smile became visible to her and said, "But I made you turn didn't I?" 
She raised a single unimpressed eyebrow in return. He smiled and continued, 

"Well- about that question, how does one apologize to Heera? Anyone?" 

"Grovel!" Sukanya shouted and the entire University burst out laughing, offering their own suggestion, but Rana only shook his finger, 

"Nope. If I grovel, she'd think me pathetic and we can't have that- so like I thought to myself- Heera loves dangerous things. It was why I knew I could only apologize to her with a gift. What do you say Heera, you want to see what's in there?" Rana asked, nodding at the cage behind him, it was surrounded by guards. 

Someone, maybe one of the students murmured,
"It better not be another Tiger." But she ignored them and only kept her eyes on Rana,

"I don't know, do I?" She asked, her eyes twinkling as she descended the steps to stand on equal ground with Rana. He smirked and nodded,

"Oh yes, I think you do-- Panth!" Rana shouted and Rana's commander- Panth, rolled in a cage covered with a saffron cloth covering it. 

Jodha looked at Rana who nodded in the direction of the cage, with his eyes on her and Jodha pulled off the cloth.

And there she saw Islam Shah, shackled and weak- obviously bleeding and hungry...as once she had been in his captivity. Islam Shah's and Jodha's places were reversed and she couldn't help but find irony in it. 
 With a smirk, her eyes met Rana's and she said,

"You're forgiven."

The people cheered and laughed when Rana said,

"What did I say? She loves dangerous things- dangerous animals, dangerous situations and dangerous gifts!"

Rana then produced a plate from behind his back- a single golden Jalebi garnished with saffron and pistachios- waited on it, ready for Jodha to eat.

She laughed out and discreetly wiped a tear which was threatening to fall, knowing that if Rana was presenting her a Jalebi then he had probably made it himself-- this, she decided, was the BEST gift, ever. The Best Gangaur ever and Rana was her Best Friend forever!

She was ecstatic to have her friend back and made sure to share half of the delicious Jalebi with him. 

---

In Jalal's thoughts, Rana Pratap had been stabbed by him a thousand times- but kept alive- only to be burned, right in front of Jodha.
He was seething. Enraged. Absolutely wrathful with fury.

How dare she... did she not see Jalal yesterday in that prophetic water of hers?! Did she not know that her smiles belonged to him, her love belonged to him!
How dare she look at another man- that too a man like Rana Pratap- and gaze at him so adoringly?! Leave alone accept his gifts and why did she even forgive him after... after what? Forgiveness was a weakness and Jalal hated weaknesses with a burning passion, clearly, she needed to be taught that forgiveness only incited future betrayal- and what had this Pratap even done to ask for forgiveness with such-- a Performance? 

What had caused such a rift in such a DEEP friendship? His thought roiled violently, his mind rebelling at the thought of Jodha being close to any other man-- how dare Pratap-- Jalal stopped himself and breathed in deeply...

Never mind, he was sure that She will learn.
Jalal will personally teach her.

Just then Suryabhan entered the gates of the University and behind him... Jalal sighed as he tried not to pinch the bridge of his nose-- behind him, being dragged on his stomach was Abdul.

Was Jalal to lose all his allies to Men who were trying to Please the Princess of Amber?! Islam Shah's death won't make Jalal lose his night's sleep but Abdul-- Abdul was his oldest friend and his scholarly advice and quick mind had helped Jalal out of many scrapes in the past. There was also the fact that Abdul had always been unfailingly loyal to Jalal.

He unsheathed his dagger as he heard the King of Amber talk about beheading Abdul and knew that it was time to repay that loyalty.

---

"Stop," Jodha commanded and saw the two swords on the Mughal Prisoner's neck freeze. One sword belonged to Suryabhan and the other to Bheem-

"Rani Sa, isi Mughal ke Raja ne aapki aghwai karwayi thi, hume iska sarr dhad se alag karne ki anumati dijiye."(3) Bheem said and Suryabhan too butted in,

"He is a Mughal spy, sent here for the sole purpose of unveiling Amber's secrets for the benefit of its enemies- allow me to behead him for you, My Princess."

"No." She said, before rounding up the Mughal Prisoner, "For one, if I wanted him killed, I am capable of doing it myself. Raja Suryabhan, did this man hurt anyone?"

"No, but the information he will spread to his Badshah will have dangerous consequences."

"I am aware but that does not mean that we have to kill him- he is innocent for he has caused no harm. He is a scholar, like all of us at this University, or am I wrong... Abdul Fazl?" She asked.

---

Jalal kept his wary eyes on the Princess, how the hell did she know who Abdul was? How...was there an Ameri spy in Agra too? In Jalal's army? Among his personal guards? And how long had she been spying on Jalal and his people? What else did she know?

Slowly, there was a suspicion growing in Jalal's mind... Amber's Princess's personal guard- the massive man who looked like he ate bulls for dinner- had mentioned that- Abdul's King, Meaning Jalal himself had gotten her kidnapped, then there was the presence of Islam Shah and the hatred in her eyes for him... could it be? Jalal shook his head, how had Raghav Chetan been so sure that Gondwana will be easy to conquer once the Princess of Amber was killed... could it be that--
And the fact that she knew who had had her kidnapped...what his mind was thinking was impossible. Right?

"Abdul is just a pawn- there are thousands like him, ready to die for their King, in fact, I have it on good authority that Abdul Fazl has rarely harmed anyone in his entire life." Jodha smiled and Jalal knew that that smile spelt trouble.

"Let him be, Bheem, Raja Suryabhan. He is harmless but more importantly, He has a good head on his shoulders and we all know how rare that is among the Mughals." She said with a smirk while Jalal grit his teeth as everyone in the Arena laughed on behalf of his people while he stared at Jodha, the famed Princess of Amber and tightened his grip on the dagger- how easily she had insulted his people, how disrespectful she had been to him and his family.

Both Abdul and Islam Shah were taken to the Prison hold of Amber and Jalal's unfeeling eyes remained stuck on Jodha as she said,

"Whoever shall gift me with Jalal-ud-din's head shall be given one boon of his or her choice- anything your heart desires, Gold, Palaces-," Jodha smirked and mischievously, obviously jokingly said while looking at Princess Sukanya, "A princess's hand in marriage."

The people laughed as Sukanya whined, 'Jiji!'

"I promise this on my honour as the Princess of Amber and the Queen of Gondwana-," Jalal's head snapped up as he stared at her openly. Jodha was... He felt like laughing- actually he really was laughing as he realized that his suspicions had been proven right. Jodha was the Queen of Gondwana and she is the one he had helped Islam Shah to kidnap.

He closed his eyes and sighed, his belief in Fate strengthening- of course he would have the one woman he bore no harm to, abducted. He had personally delivered his Angel to a swine like Islam Shah.

"-That, if it is in my power to give it, then you will have it once I have deposited Jalal-ud-din's head onto Maa Durga's feet."

Everyone roared and Jalal too smiled, as he thought,

'Oh Princess...your biggest mistake was thinking that anyone else but Jalal himself could get you Jalal's head. No one, not your Suryabhan, not your Rana Pratap- capable though he may be could even dream of touching steel to Shahenshah of Hindustan's throat, but Jalal does commend you on your high goals.'

He laughed as he touched his own neck with his thumb... if she could want his head so badly, how would she feel about his entire body.
Jalal promised to find out. 

---

Jodha rushed into the stables as she had been called in for yet another emergency, this time the four-legged kind of emergency.

Four people held the ropes to a horse, trying to subdue him to calm him down and Jodha could see Toofan, the firstborn son between the three brothers of Chetak and Simba- Rana's horse and Jodha's horse respectively.

Toofan was perhaps the deadliest of horses, he had already been responsible for two deaths of stablemen and he rarely let anyone- except Jodha- ride him. He did not even allow Rana near him.

So, she was not as shocked when she saw the four stablemen trying to subdue Toofan- at least this time he wasn't in the street in one of his moods.

As soon as Toofan saw Jodha, he calmed down. She smiled as she dismissed the stablemen- who looked more than relieved and then opened the stall doors. Toofan- she would say was perhaps just as beautiful as both Simba and Chetak but there was a certain... wildness to him, the kind that can never truly be tamed. She patted Toofan before taking him out of the stables and getting atop him-- She saw both Simba and Chetak in the stall and released them too- she whistled loudly and together they all went for a run.

She took the horses into the deserted land, the hooves making no noise in the sand but they did raise a cloud of massive sand dust- but Jodha was kept safe from it as she was sitting on Toofan- the fastest horse in all of Hindustan and the most handsome too with his beautiful black mane and dotted grey shiny hide.

She flattened her chest to Toofan's back and laughed as she felt herself becoming faster than the wind. Simba was extremely close behind followed by Chetak.

She was already jealous of whoever Toofan chose to be his rider... for who wouldn't wish to fly?

---

Suryabhan stopped and looked at Jalal to say,

"Jai, I want you to go and help with the security in the Prison. I want no danger to the Princess in there." The King of Bhanpur said, "Borrow one of the Uniforms from one of the guards if you have to but... I need this time with her before she leaves tomorrow."

"Is she returning to Gondwana tomorrow?" Jalal asked, trying not to laugh... how would this Rajput King feel once he realized that he had asked a Mughal to help keep his Precious Princess safe.

"Yes, probably for years on end...today is the last day I can convince her-,"

"Why do you like her so much?" Jalal butted in, uncaring of how rude he was being.

"Why... I don't know, only that she was kind to me when I was young and fostering in Amber. People may think that Raj and Ram were my first friends in Amber but they would be wrong... it was her. She was the one to give me a tour of Amber fort, the one to ask after my sister and family after my Father passed away..." Suryabhan said and shrugged before asking,

"So, are you up for it? The Prison security is your responsibility- keep an eye on things so that I can get some time with her."

"Sure," Jalal said easily, knowing that among all her suitors, Suryabhan posed the least amount of threat- it was Rana Pratap, Jalal was wary of, and his friendship with Jodha was going to be irksome. Anyway, he didn't think Raja Suryabhan- the soft and gentle, Raja Suryabhan was Jodha's choice, but still, he would be there, keeping an eye on things...on Her.

---

Jodha got off of Toofan right inside the Ameri Prison, in her bid to have a little fun she had almost forgotten that today she had to go into the Prison to give out sentencing- this was a yearly habit where the Princess of Amber had to go to the Prison, judge the Prisoners waiting in the Prison- either to be freed or killed or remain in the Prison.

She saw Suryabhan and Ajabde (who had come, knowing that Rana was going to be coming to Amber) already waiting, for her at the entrance with some guards- her personal guards were too present, Gora, Bheem and Badal.

She patted Toofan one last time before removing her gloves and saying to one of the dasis-

"Take Simba and Chetak to the stables. Leave Toofan for me to deal with." The Dasi bowed and left before she turned and smiled at both Suryabhan and Ajabde- well more at Ajabde. She went and hugged her longtime friend and said,

"It has been too long, Ajabde. How have you been?" She pulled back and laughed when Ajabde said,

"I had been well but now that I've seen you... I don't know." Ajabde joked and Jodha laughed,

"I missed you too, Ajabde." Jodha said in reply to her sarcasm before nodding at Suryabhan,

"Raja Suryabhan, why did you trouble yourself into coming here-," She nodded in thanks at Gora who passed her a list of Prisoners and their respective prison holds, flipping the page she said, "If you had anything to discuss, we could have sat down in the Fort itself."

"And you would have taken out the time?" He asked with a smile and Jodha chuckled,

"For a friend of Amber, Of course." She said assuring him, "Come, now that you're here let's walk together and talk while at it. Tell me, how can I help you and Bhanpur?"

---

Jalal watched as she entered, resplendent in her figure-hugging riding dress on a beautiful horse...She was maddening. Jalal had to look away as she pulled her gloves off with her teeth- that shouldn't be as attractive as Jalal thought it to be and he tried to focus on other things- and found a distraction, thankfully, rather quickly. 

Jalal had never, NEVER, seen a grey horse this beautiful. Until now he had only ever thought that White Horses were beautiful and Black horses were Majestic but now that he had seen the grey horse- he wanted it. Or at least one like it since this one seemed to belong to Jodha.

He saw as she hugged the woman standing beside Suryabhan before taking the list from one of the Guards and then walking with Suryabhan, Ajabde following them.

Jalal's eyes tracked her for a while until he saw her tense a little-- she turned towards Suryabhan and shook her head, saying something and Jalal wanted to smile when he knew what it must be because Suryabhan's fallen face spoke for itself.

Jalal then saw her look away, the look on her face a tad uncomfortable- what the hell was the idiot King of Bhanpur saying to her?

His eyes caught sight of Abdul and he prepared himself for the drama he was about to create. He went near Abdul's prison and started making a distraction, he yelled at Abdul- feeling somewhat bad but he knew this was the only way to make Abdul ready for an escape- Abdul looked up at him and smiled, relieved and Jalal nodded back.

He knew he had been successful in creating a diversion when he heard the tinkling sound of payals approaching his position and he quickly turned and stood against the wall- allowing the Princess a full view of the prisoner.

"What to do with him, Rani Sa?" He heard the Princess's personal guard ask and Jodha turned to look at Abdul Jalal too waited with a bated breath for a moment before her words make even Jalal snap his head to the side to look at her--

"Let him go." She said and the guards followed the command without question, removing his shackles-

"But Rajkumari- he is a Mughal." Suryabhan reminded her as if she'd forgotten. 

"I am aware, Raja Suryabhan but he is not the Mughal we want dead. Anyway, I like reading the books he writes." She paused before asking, "He was your gift to me, yes?" 

"Of course, Princess." 

"Then the right to punish him must also be only mine and I punish him with his freedom...let him return to his Merciless and Ruthless King and if he is even a bit as intelligent as I think he is then one day, he will return to Amber of his own volition. Loyal to the Throne of Amber."

Jodha then turned to walk away- but froze as she was passing Jalal.
He kept his stance as non-threatening as possible and slowly he turned his head to look at her. Golden eyes met Silver and for the second time that day, the world faded away... until he felt the sharp edge of her blade on his neck.

She was close, oh so close that not even the threat of the blade could deter him from breathing in her scent, no amount of Royal etiquette classes could have stopped him from staring at her, from wanting her so hungrily that he was sure his eyes were showing the extent of his want, the longing for her touch. 

He felt feverish with the warmth she radiated, and ya Allah, one could get addicted to just the way she glanced at him- even in anger and suspicion.

"Tum uss din Baoli ke paas kya kar rhe the?" (4) He heard her ask and Jalal tilted his head to the side, unafraid of the threat on his neck, as he answered,

"I, along with the others was finishing up my own pooja. In my kingdom, I could go anywhere and thought that even here in Amber it will be fine if I went to the Baoli."

Just then Suryabhan said,

"Jodha, he is just a normal guard-,"

"In your kingdom..." She repeated, her dagger digging into Jalal's neck, and a drop of lifeblood tickled out of his neck, down the blade and onto her hand. Even the morbid sight of his blood on her hand encouraged the possessive fire in his heart,
"Where. Are. You. From?" She asked and Jalal smiled, her eyes watching the stretch of his lips curiously. Frowning at his fearless countenance. 

"Umarkot." He said and still she did not relax, instead, she disarmed him of his own sword and asked,

"Show me the proof that you are a Guard of Amber."

Jalal looked at Suryabhan-who was about to intervene and shook his head. He wanted no one to interfere, not now when he and she were finally having their first conversation.

Jalal saw the Sun tattoos etched on every guard surrounding him and heard Jodha's female friend say,

"Jodha, don't you think your paranoia is reaching a new height?"

"Better paranoid than careless, Ajabde, or have you still not noticed your missing hairpin?" Jodha said and he heard the friend- Ajabde- gasp as she patted her hair- looking for a golden hairpin one of the servants had stolen away.

Jalal smirked before raising his sleeve up his forearms and showing the Princess his own sun tattoo.
Her eyes flashed in surprise and a sense of wonder entered them, which had been absent before.
The Dagger finally left his throat, the blood from the wound trickled down into his shirt and he could see a shadow of guilt cross her beautiful face but it was removed just as quickly as it had come- an attribute of a Royal training done well, show no guilt and apologize to no one lest they (other rulers) think you weak.

"I had a doubt-," She started to say and Jalal couldn't stop himself from asking,

"And it's been cleared?"

Jalal felt another blade on his chin- this time Bheem's as he growled,
"Interrupt my Queen again and you will be relieved of your head, Guard."

"No... it's alright, Bheem. I did wound him over nothing- go get me some healing paste." She said and then the Princess turned to face him and Jalal could see that she wanted to smile a little,

"To answer you- No, my doubt has not been cleared. Which is why, one last question...What were you doing near the Mughal Prisoner? Amber has a specific set of guards set for Mughal prisoners and you are not one of them." 

Jalal looked around and saw everyone watching him closely and then back at her, her lips had pulled back into a challenging smirk as she announced casually, 
"I have changed my mind-- Hang the Mughal Prisoner." 

Her eyes watched her intensely as a guard immediately followed her command and opened Abdul's prison door but Jalal's face remained impassive- he'd once sat with his own murderers and had dinner with them at the same table. He'd pretended to love his uncles even as they had concocted different ways to kill him every day...This in comparison, was easier.
So, his eyes remained on her, just as hers remained on him- looking for any sign of a lie, any sign of fear for Abdul, any sign of concern.
Any sign of Weakness.

But he stared back, unafraid...Unconcerned. Even as Abdul's neck was put in the noose and tightened- even as the stool under him was pushed and from the corner of his eyes he could see Abdul struggling- still he only stared at her--

"It was me!! I asked him to infiltrate into the Prison, Princess Jodha, It's my fault! He is innocent." Suryabhan's voice rang out and Jalal saw her smile at the confession. She raised a hand and the guards stopped Abdul from dying. 
Bheem came with some medicinal paste then- 

"I knew from the beginning." She admitted, "But you should have confessed to that the moment I pushed a dagger to your friend's throat, Raja Suryabhan...you've proven to be a bad friend." 

"I apologize, I thought it would guarantee your safety-," She glared at Bhanpur's King's words, wisely the foolish King backtracked, "--It won't happen again."

"I hope for your sake that it does not, Raja Suryabhan." She hissed, before taking the medicinal paste from Bheem's hand and forwarding it towards Jalal...but Jalal was too upset to accept it from someone who'd just tried to have his friend killed only to prove a point. 

So, he just tilted his head to the side, showcasing his bleeding would- a silent demand that she be the one to put the paste on him since she was the one who had hurt him. He was the victim of her 'Paranoia' and honour demanded that she right her mistake- By all means possible...

"I have heard You, my Princess, are the Healer, not I." 

The Prison was so silent that one would have been able to hear a pin drop if it had. His action was infinitely bold and scandalously disrespectful-- Yes, the Princess was a healer but for him to demand her attention for an injury he could treat himself-- for an injury on such an intimate part of his body was...almost Shameless. 
If she touched him so intimately, it would ruin her reputation, no matter how professionally she acted while applying the paste and if she did not heal Jalal herself then too she would be the one in the wrong for she would essentially be ignoring the consequences of her action. 
She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't.

Still, he could only see the amusement in her eyes as Gora, the Princess's guard, yelled out in rage, 
"You Knave! How dare you--," 

"It's alright Gora Singh...let us not have any more deaths on our hands today, shall we?" She said softly but not without amusement. She then looked at Raja Suryabhan and said, 

"I believe your friend wants to punish me, Raja Suryabhan, for being the cause of his injury...but we both know who was really responsible for his injury, don't we?" 

Raja Suryabhan nodded apologetically and accepted the medicinal paste after which she turned to leave- 

"How did you know?" Jalal asked, uncaring of the hundred Royal protocols he was breaking by speaking to her so. He wanted- nay, he needed her to stay for a bit longer. 

She did not turn as she said, 
"What makes you think I'll tell you, knave?" 

"The fact that you owe me or have you forgotten that my Life's blood is still painting your hand." He pointed out and finally, she turned a smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with a challenge.
She raised her hand to inspect it and sure enough, his blood- now dry- was still on her hands. 

"I've always liked the colour red." She said as she walked closer to him, the closer she got the more intoxicated he became, "So perhaps I like my hand the way it is, coloured with the blood of my enemy." 

"I am not an enemy, my innocence has been proven." 

"Everyone is my enemy and everyone is my friend. Fight every battle everywhere, always, in your mind..." She trailed off, leaving the quote unfinished as if she somehow knew that Jalal wouldn't be able to stop himself from finishing it...so in a whisper audible only to her he spoke. 

"Live that way and nothing or no one will ever surprise you." 

She smiled as they both quoted the famous work of George Martin, no doubt proving to her yet again that he was no ordinary guard.
"What is your name?" She finally asked and Jalal couldn't help but smirk, 

"You haven't earned the right to my name yet, Princess." He said and she chuckled with surprise even as her guard blustered beside her-

"Allow me to behead him, Princess...Never have I heard anyone speak to you so disrespectfully! Let me parade him painfully through the streets of Ambe-," 

"-Let her have her fun, Gora. Rare it is that someone manages to challenge her Grace." Bheem's voice spoke out, grudging respect in his words for all to hear. 

"Not many people can meet my eyes for so long only to forget all social conventions and speak to me so confidently...that too without stuttering." She stated, clearly aiming the jibe at Suryabhan.

"His name is Jai Singh-," Suryabhan butted in to say but she interrupted him,

"No, it is not." She said confidently, not taking her eyes off of Jalal as he continued smirking, "I know not what his name is but it is not Jai Singh." 

"Why?" Jalal asked, his smirk still in place, 

"It's too..." She paused as if searching for a word, her eyes boring into his as if they were the answer to everything, "Ordinary." 

"I am an ordinary man-," 

"And I am a Horse." She stated with a straight face, "What are we playing- a lie for a lie game?" 

"I wasn't aware we were playing at all, My Princess." He shot back another lie, his face innocent and yet he managed to claim her as His in front of everybody. His Princess. His Queen.

"Oh, we aren't." She too lied easily with her own smirk in place and Jalal wanted to kiss it off her lips. Jalal was getting addicted to her and he didn't know if he could leave her here to return to Shalpur at the end of all this.

They stared at each other until her eyes dropped to his-still bleeding-neck before they returned to his eyes, 

"You asked, 'How did I know?', did you mean how I knew you were Raja Suryabhan's friend or how did I know you were not a Guard?" 

"Both." He said, before quickly pretending to catch himself, "If I may ask, my princess." 

She stared at him a blink before smirking at his attempt at Royal Protocol, 
"Well, To answer your question, Shrimaan... Jai, you're simply too fair to be an Ameri Guard. Ameri guards stand under the burning sun all day long and you- no offence but- you look like you'll get a severe sunburn instead of a Tan. The other reason is this-,"

She held up her hand and in her hand was...Jalal's eyes snapped up to meet hers. His Dagger. IN. HER. HAND.

His hand went to his belt to confirm and sure enough, his belt was empty.

"How did you-,"

"I like shiny and dangerous things." She said with a casual shrug- and Jalal wanted to gape at the impudence and laugh at the same time- his bloody dagger. And that shrug, as if it explained everything-- no one had ever managed to take Jalal's dagger from him.
No one.
In fact, that was the whole POINT of a dagger- to remain in close reach and give the fighter a surprising edge.
When had she even managed to take-- oh...probably just before she rested her own dagger on his throat. When Jalal had been too busy being hypnotized by her eyes.
No fair, he tsked, she'd cheated. 

She smirked at his surprise and continued,
"Anyway, as I was saying. Your dagger is pure gold... no guard, no matter how well paid he is, can afford this. The question that arose in me when I saw this was, what was a noble doing in the Prison cells, pretending to be a guard? The answer was obvious as my sister had informed me of Raja Suryabhan's 'Fair' friend...informed me of a stranger who had been given entry into my Palace."
She turned the dagger in her hands, trailing a tantalizing finger down its sheath...Jalal felt his blood rush south- but she wasn't done with her observations,

"Then I looked at the carvings and knew the work to be too expensive even for a Noble, the engravings are filled with rich indigo...which meant that this Dagger belonged to a Royal and you stole it." 

"It is mine!" Suryabhan butted in, "I gave it to him, for saving my life earlier yesterday." 
Suryabhan nodded at Jalal, probably thinking he was saving Jalal from the charges of theft. 

"You don't own a dagger, Suryabhan." She remarked with a raised brow, 

"Yes, I do." Raja of Bhanpur said, "I bought this one for you but I borrowed...it to him. Just in case." He finished and she frowned, 

"Of course." She drawled, disappointed, as she offered the dagger back to Jalal but something in Jalal rebelled as he moved his hand forward to take his dagger from her- she did not allow any skin contact during the transaction- a royal trait- but Jalal's fingers stretched to their limits, brushed the inside of her palm teasingly.
Her eyes snapped to his at his touch, a blush rising on her face--

"Rani sa, just now we have received news that Jalal-ud-din's tent has been stationary for more days than usual in Shalpur. It is possible that he-," Jodha raised her hand, stopping the guard from saying anything further, preventing Jalal- and anyone else- from listening further, all signs of her earlier blush had vanished. 

She turned and started leaving but Jalal's eyes remained upon her, burning into her back with such intensity that she could not help but turn to look at him once again- quickly turning away when she realized that Jalal was still watching-- Shyness, he chuckled, was NOT a Royal trait.

Suryabhan came to him as the Princess left,

"Forgive me, friend. I did not think she would recognize you."

Jalal smirked, ofcourse she would recognize him... He was her future.

"So were you able to talk to her about whatever you wished to talk to her about?" Jalal asked and Suryabhan nodded,

"Yes. I asked her permission to court her and she said yes--," Jalal's head snapped to look at him because WHAT- "-considering that I meet some requirements. But Once I do, not even she will be able to go back on her words. She will have to marry me."

That is why she seemed so uncomfortable, Jalal realized, the fact that if Suryabhan met her requirements, she will have no choice but to marry him. Jalal asked,

"What kind of requirements?"

"The Kind that seem impossible- The first is to somehow prove that I am cunning and intelligent- how do I do that in front of the most intelligent woman in the entirety of Rajputana- perhaps even In Hindustan? You saw how quickly she caught on with our plan."

'Easily,' Jalal thought, 'Jalal had tricked her just now and he had done it smoothly- if with some difficulties. And a still bleeding wound.' He grabbed the paste from Suryabhan's hand, wiped his wound free of blood and applied the paste onto it. Better his own hand than Suryabhan's. 

"Hmm," Jalal said, making his face sympathetic, encouraging Suryabhan to talk,

"The next is a physical challenge- I need to somehow bypass the security set up by her over-paranoid guard, get to her chambers while she is not present and leave an ancestral sword or an ancestral dagger. I don't carry a dagger and I cannot leave my sword- it would leave me defenceless." Obviously hoping that Jalal would lend him his dagger-

"Why?" Jalal asked, a confused frown on his face.

"Khanda Marriage, remember- a girl gets married to her husband's dagger in absence of the husband, ring any bells?" Suryabhan said and Jalal pretended to remember and nodded-- he truly knew nothing of such ritual but it seemed straightforward enough and Jalal couldn't help but frown again,

"But it's my dagger- not yours." Jalal reminded him of the technicality, 

"I know that but she doesn't." Suryabhan said with a smirk, "Whom did you steal it from anyway?" 

"No one." Jalal replied, wiping his hand free of the paste, "It's ancestral." 

"Once Jodha and I are married-," Suryabhan said and Jalal tried not to scoff- in Suryabhan's dreams, "-I'll return it back to you- on my honour as a Rajput, I promise it." Suryabhan said but Jalal was still stuck on something,

"She will marry you just because you can get to her chambers and leave a weapon?" Jalal asked, feeling his rage boiling up but Suryabhan shook his head,

"Those are no normal chambers, Jai... they are a death sentence. Rajah lives up there-," His mind screeched to a halt yet again- Who the hell was Rajah? And what the hell was he doing In her chambers?--"And he-he hates me. He kills a man just for looking at her, leave alone enter her chambers. The only man he has ever tolerated close to Jodha is Pratap and that too because he was there when Rajah was born-,"

"Who is Rajah?" Jalal asked, not able to hold in his curiosity anymore.

"Rajah... you don't know? I thought everyone knew."

"I don't, obviously. Who is he?"

"He is--,"

"Raja Suryabhan!" Bheem called out, "Raja Bharmal is asking for you."

Suryabhan nodded at the guard before looking at Jalal to take his leave before his eyes seemed to light up--

"How about we divide the task between us since we are short on time?"

Jalal held in his chuckle, Raja Suryabhan was a gift which kept on giving, here Jalal had been thinking of doing the SAME THING. Because even if Raja Suryabhan pretended that dagger to be his and Jodha accepted the dagger- thinking it Suryabhan's, the Truth was that the dagger belonged to Jalal- ergo, Jodha belonged to Jalal. Huh, how fortuitous. 
He loves Fate. 

"How so?"Jalal asked innocently, 

"How about I think of ways to prove my intelligence-," Unlikely,"-and You do the physical part? See it as a favour for a friend, once I get married to Jodha- ask me anything and it will be yours, my friend."
'Your head on a spike, before your marriage.' Jalal replied in his head but on the outside, Jalal nodded slowly, barely holding in his glee, as Suryabhan explained what he had to do. 

---

Jodha listened as the guard told her of the new news of Jalal-ud-din and she nodded,

"Inform every guard and sentinel in Amber to keep their eyes open for anyone strange, anyone less knowledgeable about the roads of Amber. Also, sound the horn, put Amber in full lockdown-,"

"Jodha-," Ajabde started and Jodha shook her head,

"Paranoia is better than Regret, Ajabde, learn that for I teach my sisters the same."

Just then, the guards started shouting and warning horns blared- Jodha's both arms were taken hostage by Bheem and Gora and the other guards formed a circle, protecting her, as they dragged her back to the safety of Heera Palace.

"Bheem, what's happening? Why am I being dragged away like a-- like a pet?!"

"Exactly what we feared, Rani Sa. We have an intruder amongst us."

Jodha's thoughts went to the Silver eyes and fair skin and she stilled, Jai-- or whatever his name was.

"We need to go back to the Prison hold, Bheem."

"WE? No, my Queen, I need to get back to the Prison hold, You need to go to the safety of Heera Palace."

"I know who the intruder is-,"

"Then tell Me but you are going straight to bed, Jodha."

"Bheem-"

"I will NOT see you in danger again. Not for anything and especially not for this." Bheem said and Jodha knew arguing with him in this state was useless. Her guards took her back to Heera Palace and she could hear them all standing right outside her door, checking their weapons and taking their respective positions.

She sighed before laughing when she felt a wide tongue licking her in welcome,

"Hey, Rajah! Did you have a good day in the forests today? Hmm... oh an elk?" She asked and heard Rajah purr in answer,

"How delicious." She said even as her nose scrunched up in disgust, before burying her face in his fur and breathing in the scent of pine trees and fresh river water that still clung to his coat.

"Rana is back again-- did you get to meet him?" She asked and Rajah shook his massive head from side to side,

"Oh, tomorrow then, before we leave ok?" She asked, Rajah yowled at the thought of waking up early, conveying his complaints through their connection and she laughed,

"Oh, you lazy cat! Come, let's see if we can go to bed early today." Jodha asked before she went and changed into her nightdress before releasing her hair from the braids. She washed her face free of the day's dust before rubbing her eyes as the weariness of the day finally caught up with her- she yawned and tripped over her own slippers as she fell into her bed, facedown.

Rajah cuddled up to her and Jodha finally allowed herself to drift away, her last thought was of Silver eyes shining with challenge, clever lips and of rough fingers brushing the inside of her palm. 

---

Jalal smiled as he looked at the effect he had created-Islam Shah was dead, hanging from the sky in the middle of the Prison hold, his body was shredded as if a pack of animals had had their way with him but in reality, Jalal had only used his dagger and his imagination.

He looked around and saw the dead Ameri guards- who had at one point before their deaths tried to stop him from killing Islam Shah- and with their very blood he wrote a message for Her, thinking that perhaps the fact that it was written in Rajput blood, it will hold true very very soon- what with Rajputs always fulfilling their promises.

"You were right, I am far from ordinary."
- Jalal-ud-Din Mohammad urf Jai.

He then picked up Abdul onto his shoulder easily before he walked out of the Prison Hold, he started to run when he felt someone following him and turned, only to see... a horse. Not just any horse either, but Toofan, he remembers the Princess calling the beautiful Grey horse with that very name.

The Horse ran alongside Jalal for a while before Jalal, trusting it a little, stopped- not even out of breath as of then.

"What do you want?" Jalal asked, cautiously moving towards the massive horse, he softly placed his hand on the Horse's snout, keeping eye contact up constantly.

Taking a chance, Jalal mounted the horse and after checking he won't throw Jalal off of him for a minute or so, Jalal started the beautiful grey horse into a gallop. He whooped at the Horse's speed as they left the following Amber army in the dust.

*

Jalal heard his army before he saw them-

"Shahenshah Salaamat rahein." The army general from Shalpur, Junaid, bowed to him and continued,

"Wazir e ala, Bairam Khan ka hukm tha ki hum aapko sahi salaamat wapas Shalpur lekar aaye."(The Wazir-Bairam Khan haS ordered us to bring you back, safe and sound back to Shalpur.)

Jalal nodded but first, he handed off Abdul to Junaid and said,

"All of you return to Shalpur. I... still have something left to do."

*

Jalal sneaked back into Amber- playing with fate- and looked at Heera palace from a distance and smiled. His eyes remained stuck on the topmost floor- the one he had not been able to access while he had been inside Heera Palace, leave alone from outside.

Re-entering Amber had been comparably easy, especially now that he knew the city so well, it was Heera Palace which was going to prove a challenge-- he then tilted his head as a thought crossed his mind.

Will a man, as protective as Raja Bharmal was over his daughter, really have no other alternative way to get to his daughter other than a mere boat?

He moved his eyes up, from Heera Palace to Amber fort- up on the wide hill and knew that his answers lay there.

*

Jalal walked through the underwater tunnel- the windows in the tunnel allowed Jalal to see nothing but he could imagine during the afternoon, the tunnel must light up. Instead, he followed the map in his hands- stolen from Amber- and soon he pushed open a door, a secret entrance into Heera Palace. Then he saw the amount of female and male guards surrounding the back and knew that the only way to get in was through the field of demon birds- peacocks.

Jalal clicked his tongue, he had learnt how to not get attacked by people but now he had to figure out how to not get attacked by peacocks?!

One thing was for sure, Jalal's life had taken a very... interesting turn.

*

The entire hallway outside her room was filled with guards- not even Jalal had so many guards outside his bedroom. Honestly, what game was the Big guard- Bheem- playing, 'Death by Congestion'?

Jalal hid in the shadowed pockets of the walls as the guards doing patrol passed his previous position- his eyes then saw a window and Jalal could bet his life on the fact that a woman like Jodha would hate to have a room with no windows, no matter how much Bheem must have stressed upon it.

He looked left and then right- he would have to wait for the next patrol to pass and then-- then he will have a second's window to make the jump.

*

Jalal jumped off the tree, strategically placed to offer Jalal a good take-off point, through which he landed in the room - which smelled like roses and pine trees - and rolled to soften his impact onto the floor-- only to look up and- Jalal would swear his breathing stopped and restarted in a matter of seconds. Surely he was hallucinating because surely he wasn't a hair's breadth away from a massive Tiger.

Surely. Right?

NOT RIGHT. Definitely not right, he realized as the Tiger growled, its Golden eyes flashing viciously. 

The Tiger snarled viciously, its unnaturally large teeth looked bigger and thicker than Jalal's fingers. What was Jodha doing employing so many animals into her service- first the peacocks, now a Tiger? What's next, a whale? 

The slobber from the snarling Tiger landed on Jalal's face and his phobia of uncleanliness acted up making him scrunch up his nose in disgust. He wiped his face with his sleeves before he could stop himself and asked,

"Really?" He spoke to the Tiger- Amber was clearly stealing his sanity- his voice sarcastic as he showed the Tiger its own slobber on his sleeve. His lack of sleep from the past three days chose that moment to catch up with him and made him brave...perhaps too brave.

"No, I am all fine with being eaten up... just please, try to eat me cleanly."

The Tiger came closer but something in the past minute had made the Tiger...calm. Its snarls had subsided but as soon as Jalal's hand went to his dagger- still on his belt- the snarling started up again. Jalal snapped his hand up, away from the dagger- his hands open and in front of him to show the Tiger that he meant no harm.

He slowly stood up from his vulnerable position as the Tiger circled him, sniffing and yowling softly. Jalal allowed a half-smile to appear on his face when after 15 minutes or so the Tiger came even closer and rubbed himself on Jalal's legs like a Cat. 

Jalal took the risk and rested his hand tentatively on the Tiger's head, softly scratching behind his ears.

"Oh, you're a beautiful one...aren't you," Jalal paused as he played the conversation he'd had with Suryabhan, "And- I suppose you're Rajah." He said, coming to a realization and laughing, "Of course you are and here I was, thinking you were some fearsome-" The Tiger yowled in defiance and Jalal backtracked, "No, of course, you're fearsome. Just that the way people described you made you sound- you know what doesn't matter what I thought. Now, where is your Princess?"

Rajah started walking away from Jalal and he got the idea that he was meant to follow, so follow he did.

They walked through what was an entire apartment-- almost as big as Jalal's chambers in Agra. He came from the balcony to the room with the swing and a water body with water lilies just beneath it.

The next room looked like it was an entire room for Rajah- with a majestic tub filled with water and a bed on a slightly raised platform, Jalal tried not to think of missing food bowls, knowing that a Tiger of Rajah's size must eat a good amount of food. The next room they passed was Ibaadat Khana or the prayer room. It held a beautiful temple with a single idol of Krishna- in all his blue glory. Jalal passed the room without stopping and through that room came to a living room and then finally, came her bedroom.

Jalal walked closer to the bed but stopped when Rajah's growls filled the room-- guess this was as close as he would allow Jalal to get. He watched her sleep but that did not mean he was without manners- he never removed the net covering her bed, wishing to protect her modesty.

Still, Jalal could see her and...

His silence was perhaps the greatest compliment he could pay her but even his silence was quivering with shock because Such beauty should not be real-- it was something that should stay in stories, lest they incite a war.
He would never have believed that every word spoken in her beauty proved lacking when faced with the truth of her splendour. Of her grace. She was a goddess, given life.

Jalal's eyes went to her feet and smiled when he realized that she was still wearing only a single payal on her feet- the pair of the one Jalal had in his pockets. He closed his eyes and looked away before taking out his dagger and leaving it on the table beside her bed.

He turned to leave but just as he reached the window in her room- Rajah's tail knocked something over, making a sharp sound- Jalal's head snapped up when he heard a sharp gasp and saw that Jodha had woken up.

---

Jodha sat up straight with a gasp and with bleary eyes she searched for the cause of the commotion- she saw someone by the window but when she blinked her eyes once and opened them again, the figure had vanished. Her imagination was really acting up today...

Must have been a dream.

Jodha fell back onto her bed and into her sleep. She felt Rajah rest his head atop her stomach and smiled even as she slept, feeling safe.

The next morning when she was informed that the intruder had escaped, she could not contain her rage-
But perhaps her anger was not over the intruder but at the fact that somehow Suryabhan had been able to leave his dagger in her chambers. Hence passing all her tests. She covered her face with her palms and groaned,

Guess she really was getting married this year.

*
Translations if needed. 

(1)The reason why this entire paragraph was in Bold was because it was directly quoted from the Show and the translation goes- (He remained mesmerized and held his breath, lest she vanish if he breathed... it was as if words failed Jalal when he tried to describe her beauty. It was as if he had seen a sacred and precious being made just for God and by God. Her's an impossible and unbelievable sort of beauty- To see her was to believe in the Impossible, to believe that lightening can strike the same place twice, to believe that the Sun can rise at night, to believe that the Moon can outshine the Sun in the afternoon... her beauty made Jalal believe that his prayer to Allah had been answered, that everything he had ever wanted, had been given.)

(2)(One glimpse of Jodha and Jalal's need to make her his had reached a new height. Five years ago, an obsession had taken over Jalal... Jodha was this obsession. In these five years, he had looked for his Golden eyed Angel everywhere and now that he had found her, he did not wish to leave before he made Her, his.

Not even Jalal knew OR realized that sometimes to make someone yours, you have to first lose yourself...

Now Jalal held only One wish, the wish to make Jodha His.)

(3) My Queen, the Mughal emperor was behind your kidnapping-- allow me to behead this Mughal.

(4) What were you doing near the Baoli yesterday?