Chapter 16 Part 2

Note: I have added Hindi Song from Jodha Akbar Movie. I have also translated for the readers who don't understand Hindi. Thank You :) Don't forget to vote and comment. ;)

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It was a beautiful wintery morning; hot rays of the sun were mingling with the cold wind and making the ambiance pleasing.

When Jodha argued to rode separately on her horse, Jalal scooped off her feet without a single word and straddled around his black Arabian stallion in front of him. She pouted and asked, "But why?"

"You have two options, ride with me or palanquin. You still weak to ride yourself." With a stern tone, he stated.

She decided to keep quiet. Jalal ticked his tongue, and his stallion began to gallop. Jodha immediately stirred up both sides of the rein. Jalal's one hand cuddled her stomach, pulled her closer to his broad chest, and the other muscular hand controlled the bridle. In silence, both were enjoying the warmth of each other.

Both of them were feeling fresh and cheerful.

In the past few days, everything changed between them. They were perceptually feeling closer to each other than before. All of the events... Jealousy... Anger... Possessiveness... and even her suicide, turned out to be fruitful. Jalal realized that he does have a heart and belongs to her only. He decided to give her as much time she needed to accept him the way he is. He wanted her to realize on her own that love is not based on any conditions. He wanted her to love him the way he loved her; he was ready to do anything for her happiness, even at the cost of his suffering. He wanted her to trust him that he is hers forever.

She felt awkward and shy, sitting so close to him; his manly scent made her fanatic. His closeness was giving her a tickling sensation.

Abdul and all warriors were keeping enough distance to provide space for the couple. When Jodha was dying, all of the warriors saw how their King fainted and deeply fallen in love with Queen Jodha.

She got lost in the rhythm of the tapping sound. Her ears rang with Panditji's words; she is lucky to have a husband like him. In a silent, peaceful ride, her mind and heart also both felt cleared; she questioned herself, 'Why does she have a fear of losing him when he genuinely cares for her? It shouldn't matter if he loves her or not, but she loves him, and then why I have constrained myself in conditions. He wants me, and for his contentment and happiness, I will do anything. I don't care if he comes back to me or not, but I will cherish and live with those memories my entire life.' She again blushed but felt confused about how to express to him that she loves him.

Jalal pulled her a little closer to him and whispered in her ears, "Queen Jodha, What you were saying yesterday, that you can't see me with anyone else, Why? Do you know why you feel that way?"

She irritably thought, he is too smart and knows everything and is still asking me, he has not admitted his love yet, and he is playing with me to confess it first. Hmmm.

She looked back at him and responded innocently, "Shahenshah, I really don't know why I feel that way!"

"Oh!!! I know why because you are jealous." Jalal teased.

"No... No way, I am not jealous of anyone."

"Ohhh... I see... then why you were so mad at Kanika and me? I wasn't even that close to her." Jalal queried her to irritate.

Her chest constricted with envy as soon as she heard Kanika's name, she lost her temper and wits, she responded with fury, "Shahenshah, I just don't like Kanika, and don't lie; I saw how you were praising that devil Kanika. Ohhh, Kanika, I love your Rajvanshi outfit, and what a beautiful necklace. It looks so good on you. Oh, yes, you were surely playing with her. I don't even remember you ever said anything about my clothes. And also, how shameless you are, you took off your top without any hesitation, and that witch rubbed medicine on your chest. You know what." she continued in an angry tone. "I think you made a big mistake Shahenshah, why didn't you marry that Kanika? One more would have added to your list of queens; then you can call her 'Only yours Kanika'" Jodha protested without taking a gasp.

He enjoyed her possessive and jealous attitude; he chuckled, "Oh... so that means my queen is jealous of Kanika."

Jodha squinted her eyes, "You started again; I am not going to talk to you and No... I am not jealous of anyone." She pouted annoyingly.

"Oh, I understand it's okay... so queen Jodha, what you are saying is that you have no problem with Queen Rukaiya and my closeness," Jalal added to tease her further.

Jodha looked back and yelled, "Stop horse right now; I don't want to ride with you anymore. I will come in a palanquin, and then you can dream of your queen Rukaiya without any interruption. "

Jalal grinned at her angry face, then kissed her cheeks quickly and said, "Do you know, when you are angry, your cheeks turn red, and you look so delightful."

"Don't kiss me in front of everyone like this; we are not alone here." She timidly mumbled.

Jalal pulled her closer and said sensually, "Oooh, so that means you have no problem if I do this when we are alone."

"Shahenshah, I don't have a problem with your queens; I am not jealous. You can do anything with them, and you forgot that you promised me that you would not come to close me without my permission, and I have not allowed you to touch me yet." the words came out sharper and louder than she meant them due to her jealousy and his teasing.

Before she could continue, Jalal stopped her; his ego bruised by her sharp response, he retorted in a serious tone, "Queen Jodha, I know my limits, and I have no interest in coming close to you."

After a few minutes of silence, Jodha questioned sternly, "Shahenshah, You have so many queens; what difference would it have made in your life if I had died?

Jodha, why can't you understand my unspoken words. Do you really want to know what my life would be without you?

"Jodha, I want to share one of the poems I have heard long back. Maybe these poetic words help you to understand what you mean in my life."

Without You,

Words would have been silent, and eyes would have been full of sorrow,

Only this would have been my fable of life,

Every wound can be healed sooner or later,

But the place you have in my life

Would never be replaced by anyone

Would have stayed empty forever

Just like me, always hollowed and empty.

Jodha was stunned and dazed to hear his indirect confession in a romantic poetic way. She looked back straight into his eyes to see the depths of his feelings.

"Why would you've felt this way?" She mumbled

Jalal smirked and didn't respond to her.

After a few minutes of silence, "Shahenshah, did you like my friend Surya?"

"No!!! I don't want to pretend I am not jealous. Yes, it indeed bothered me to see your and Surya's closeness. How dare he touched you and put a flower in your hair. Whenever Surya looked at you, I could read in his eyes; he feels much more than friendship. Yes! I am jealous of you and Surya's friendship, and don't ask me WHY." Jalal furiously replied, reminiscing Surya holding her hand.

"Why don't you like Surya and my closeness? Why it bothered you? Shahenshah, you always say that you don't have a heart, you don't love anyone; then why this jealousy. In what way am I special in your life? You said yesterday that I could make you cry; smile. Why am I so important? Are you falling in love with me?" She asked him directly without any hesitation.

Jalal stopped his horse suddenly with annoyance and said, "I don't know the answer to your stupid questions. I have no interest in talking to you; you can go and sit in a palanquin." Both were stubborn and nervous to admit their feelings openly.

She knew why he was upset; she knew that he had fallen in love with her, but do not want to admit..."You sure, Shahenshah? What if I ran away from you? I thought you didn't want to leave me alone for even a minute." She provoked.

"Jodha, enough... if you want to ride with me, then keep quiet." He said dominantly.

A few minutes later, "I am tired... how far our tent is?" she complained.

Jalal replied, "It's not too far now; we should be there in a few minutes."

After some time, "Jodha, I can't wait to go back to Agra; it's been more than fifteen days." Jalal casually said.

"But Shahenshah, I wish our journey never ends." She innocently answered.

Her innocent response touched Jalal's heart deeply. he pulled her very close to him with love and whispered, "That is why Queen Jodha, YOU STAY IN MY HEART." This was the first time he acknowledged that he has a heart.

Jodha looked back at him without a blink with astonishment... She wanted to hear this for so long, and Jalal even knew what he meant. Instead of feeling like losing something, he felt utterly content; he felt that he had won the entire world. For the first time, he lost something, but he felt immense pleasure losing his heart to Jodha.

Tears swam out of Jodha's eyes in happiness, "Shahenshah, you just acknowledged that I stay in your heart." She asked in a hesitant tone to confirm.

Jalal contently smiled at her and again repeated with a sincere tone, "Yes, Jodha!!! No one else can stay in my heart other than you; you have found my lost heart." They both looked at each other with the gratification of intense love. Jalal hugged her from the back; she instantly rested her head on his chest. Silence prevailed, and in stillness, both of them adored each other's intimacy. A tiny half-smile graced Jalal's lips when she gripped on his top tighter. He simply caressed her.

Other guards and Abdul slowed down and stayed behind when they noted Queen Jodha was cuddling Jalal intimately.

About fifteen minutes passed, it was almost time for sunset; they were passing through beautiful mountains. Jalal saw a beautiful river next to the large open ground and thought this is the perfect place to stay for tonight, and a smile crawled his lips when he saw their tents. Their journey paused by the tents. Jalal instructed Abdul to verify if everything is secure and their tents and food are ready.

Jalal was so pleased with the beauty of the place; he wanted to spend some time in Jodha's warmth alone. He soberly asked, "Queen Jodha, would you like to come for a walk near the shore of the river? I really would like to see the sunset with you today..."

Jodha simply smiled and nodded her head, then began to walk with him. The vast mountains and green trees surrounded the entire area. It was a peaceful, quiet, cold winter evening; the sky was turning orange with the glowing shadow of the sun. The light was fading slowly towards nightfall. The birds ended their journey and were back to the warmth of their nest. They were walking toward the river in a deep silence between them. Both of them were feeling a little hesitant and shy of each other. They finally reached the shore. It was a breathtaking beautiful, relaxing and romantic sandy shore and the perfect sunset timing, and the sky completely turned deep orange with the colorful shades. The feel of the cool evening blowing breeze was fanatic.

Jalal and Jodha both sat by the sandy shore, looking at nature's beauty and waiting for the sun to hide and the moon to bloom.

Jalal closed his eyes to listen to the musical sound of the river waves; both of them were deeply in love with each other. Their hearts were beating faster. Finally, Jalal slowly held Jodha's hand and pulled her towards him. She was desperately waiting for him to approach. She put her head on his chest with love; he put his hand around her waist; there was no need to talk. Just being with each other, they felt content... The feeling of love was in the air. The way Jalal was staring at her without a blink, she felt uncomfortable under his penetrating constant passionate stare.

"Shahenshah, don't look at me like this." While blushing, she requested in a faint tone.

Jalal grinned at her romantically. "Can I request you for something, Jodha?"

"Yes, Shahenshah."

"Can you please sing something for me in your melodious and magical voice?" Jalal requested.

"What do you want me to sing?" she asked timidly.

"Jodha, I want to hear how you feel about us."

She grinned... And nodded her head and began to sing a beautiful song in a melodious voice.

Jalal lay down on the sand, but he never broke his gaze from her. His eyes were purely filled with intense love and passion for her.

Song from Jodha Akbar Movie song

samay ne yeh kya kiya, badal di hai kaaya

(What's the time has done, it has changed the whole thing)

tumhe maine pa liya, mujhe tumne paaya

(I got your love, and you got my love)

Mile dekho aise hai hum, ke do sur ho jaise madhdham

(We have met like, two tunes of melody are met)

koyi na jayada koyi kam kisi raag mein

(We both are equally made for each other)

ke prem aag mein, jalte dono hi the

(That we both are burning in the fire of love)

tan bhi hai mann bhi, mann bhi hai tan bhi -

(Our soul, body, and mind all have become one.)

Hearing those intense words from Jodha, Jalal couldn't hold himself to express his feelings for her. He started singing, matching with her tune.

hmmm hmmm hmmm...

mere khwaabo ke iss gulistaan mein, tumse hi tum bahaar chhayi hai

(Because of you... flowers blossom in the garden of my dreams)

phulo mein rang mere the lekin, iname khusbu tumhi se aaye hain

(I have filled colors in the flowers, but it got an aroma because of you)

Jodha completely melted seeing him singing those passionate, romantic words for her.

As soon as the song finished, Jodha felt very nervous and self-conscious about confessing her love through a song, she got up from there swiftly, but before she moved away from him further, Jalal got up and hugged her from the back and asked her in a whispering tone "Do you feel what you just sang?"

She turned back towards him; her eyes were lowered, her cheeks turned pink, she hid her face in Jalal's chest. Jalal encircled his hands, and they softly embraced each other.

After a few seconds, Jalal cupped her face so look into his eyes, "Do you really feel what you just sang? Do you love me??" He asked softly once again.

With blush and shyness, Jodha hid her face with her hands and turned to the other side. Jalal pulled her hand, grabbed her from her waist, lifted her face, and asked her again. "Jodha, do you love me??"

She looked at him and replied in a dim and hesitant tone, "Yes, Shahenshah, I have fallen in love with you."

"Shahenshah, Do you also feel the same what I feel for you?" she implored the same question.

Jalal looked in her eyes with deep, intense love and responded in a clear and loud tone, "Yes, Jodha, I love you so much that I can't even express in words how much I love you. I can't live without you even for a second. When you were dying, I felt like without you, I am nothing. You complete me, Jodha... I love you... I love you a lot."

Jodha was feeling so shy that she couldn't lift her face to see him directly.

Jalal, with a soft tone, asked her, "Jodha, can I touch you. I want to make you all mine. Do I have your permission??"

Jodha, with blush, ran out of the Jalal's grip. He ran behind her and grabbed her from her waist, then cupped her face with both his hands and asked, "Do you want to consume our relation further? I want to feel you... I want to make you completely mine."

She looked at him with a flushed face and nodded her head, giving her consent expression. Jalal hugged her tightly and squeezed her in his arms " At last I have won your heart," he whispered, then he kissed softly on her rosy lips. Their sudden confession and kiss made her feel very nervous. Her heartbeat was rapid; Jodha broke the kiss and tried to move away from him. Jalal pulled her again with a firm grip from her waist and said in a seductive voice," Jodha, I have waited for you for so long that I am almost gone crazy dreaming about you. Now you have given your consent, so I will not let you go away from me for even a second. I will not spare you today; I want to make love to you the entire night. Our two souls will become one tonight for eternity. I am so desperate to make you mine."

"Shahenshah, please let me go; someone will see us like this; it's getting dark, and it's not safe."

Jalal smirked at her and said, "I am your husband, and your security is my responsibility; when I am with you, you don't need to worry about anything. But if you still want, then we can go back to our tent."

Jodha politely requested, "Can I request you for something? Can you wait for one more day??? I would like to have our first night in Agra in your chamber! Since my childhood, I have waited and dreamed for the first night. I want to feel like a newly wedded bride, and I want to wear the choice of your the most beautiful outfit and precious jewelry. I want these moments to be the most memorable and beautiful moments of our lives, and I want to cherish them for my entire life."

Jalal cupped her face with love and replied, "Queen Jodha, I have devoted my entire life to you; I can wait for you till eternity, and one night is nothing, but no doubt this wait will feel like an eternity." He drew her closer and kissed her cheeks softly, then moved towards her lips passionately. But before he could claim her lips. They heard the sound of a horse coming towards them; they both got the alert.

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Hello Friends: Please post your comments and Vote. Your words motivate me to write further.

1. Who loves more Jalal or Jodha? (I know, stupid question.)

2. Which character is complicated, Jalal, or Jodha?

3. Do you think Jalal's anger issue is resolved?