"Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness, Jodha Bai, wants to meet you."

"Let her in."

"Shehenshah, I bought this for you!"

"What is it?"

"A gift."

"Oh, you are congratulating me on becoming a father, I see."

"If only you let others complete!"

"What do you mean?"

"I am sorry, for not trusting you."

"You gathered information faster than I thought."

"And congratulations, on becoming a father." She added rather roughly.

"I am not that easy, Jodha."

"Then, what should I do?"

"Three wishes!"

"What? Are you a kid? Who behaves this way?"

Jalal smirked but as realization dawned upon him, he looked at her, taken aback.

"Okay, three it is. Tell me, fast."

He continued nonetheless.

"First- you will spend a night in my chamber."

"What are you---"

"Just sleeping, nothing else. Second- You'll make kheer for me and hand feed me."

"Shehenshah!"

"And third, I will ask when the time comes."

"You can eat yourself."

"The first two have to be completed by today, which means the second one is to be completed in three hours. So, I have a meeting in Diwan-e-Khaas, so I'll see you around."

"Shehenshah!"

Jodha set to work, but no matter how fast she would work, it would take maximum one and a half hours to prepare. After preparing the kheer, she sent it via a maid to his chambers, but he was not there. So, she searched every nook and corner where she could find him and then recalled their conversation.

Maids cannot enter Diwan-e-Khaas during a meeting! Good, Shehenshah! I mean, how much more cunning can you be.

"Attention, Her Royal Highness, Jodha Bai, is arriving!"

The courtiers were surprised that a Malika was coming to the hall of private audience. Jalal smiled and dismissed the meeting. All were taken aback, but they had to comply with the emperor.

"Khushamadeed Malika!" He spoke.

Jodha gave a faint fake smile as she entered the hall. With the kheer in her hand, she looked for a place to sit. He took her hand and made her sit on his throne beside him.

He opened his mouth before she offered him making her chuckle.

"Here." She offered him a spoonful. He ate delightedly as she prepared another mouthful.

"So, how are you going to dress up when you come to my chamber tonight?"

"Just like how I am right now."

"And here I thought you would give me a surprise!"

"Well, don't expect anything from me."

"I know. Expectations lead to heartbreaks. But believe me Malika, I have more things to concentrate on and I seriously don't have time to get tangled in love and all."

Jodha sighed as he spoke sensing that he had been greatly betrayed in the past. She didn't say much and simply fed him when an idea stuck in her head.

"Umm Shehenshah, I was thinking, that, if possible, would you like to go on a hunting spree?"

"Hunting? You like hunting?"

"I am not that fond of it, but my father and brothers used to hunt all the time so sometimes I accompanied them."

"But..I don't get it, your father said that unmarried women were not allowed to accompany them on hunting entourages!"

"Yeah well, he used to tell me that until I get married, I cannot go out and enjoy the fresh air of the forest, but I used to argue with him. I mean marriage and fresh air are not connected at all. So, one day when everything was prepared and I wasn't allowed I simply changed into a man's dress and wrapped my hair tightly around my turban and left. I accompanied them as a mere soldier and I really enjoyed that day."

"So, you like breaking rules then?"

"Not precisely. But he used to tell me that I can go on hunting only with my husband and that scared me like anything because more than princes, there were old rich kings whom I could be betrothed to."

"Really?"

"Yes, I mean there were princes too, but for instance my father, he married a girl of my younger sister's age just a year ago. These kings, they are so lustful. They keep getting old and marrying young girls. There should be a line which shouldn't be surpassed I mean. So, I used to worry a lot that I may get married to some old clown and he would not let me breath."

"That's an interesting story."

"It is. You know when I turned fifteen, many old kings started giving proposals for me and I thought that I would be betrothed to their grandchildren, but those lustful men, all they wanted was to keep me to themselves. Finally, after I created a lot of chaos, Bapusaa engaged me with the prince of Jodhpur but he too was fifteen years older than me. I remember I cried so much that night. I just wanted to marry someone, who was around five to six years older than me or my age, not more or less."

"So, what happened?"

"Well....I will tell you the rest after you agree to go hunting with me."

"Not today Jodha. I have piles of work to be finished."

"Oh!" Disappointment was clear in her eyes.

"I.." before he could complete a guard came in and announced that Sabrina wanted to meet His Majesty.

"Get her in." Jodha saw happiness clear in his eyes and decided to leave. She thought he would stop her but he didn't. Rather she saw him getting up delightedly and awaiting Sabrina's arrival. She thought only khaas begums were allowed in, what was happening. Who was this, Sabrina? Why did she think she heard her name somewhere?

Jodha was making garlands when Ruqqayah entered her room, but her thoughts were somewhere else. Who is Sabrina? She thought to herself as the pin pierced through her finger and blood oozed out. Ruqqayah ran to her rescue and held her finger tightly to stop the flow of blood. Jodha looked up at her in astonishment as Ruqqayah sat beside her and applied a thin piece of cloth over her finger.

"You should take care of yourself Amber's princess."

Jodha chuckled at her mentioning her as Amber's princess.

"I will, Begum-e-khaas."

"Sabrina, she is the concubine expecting Jalal's child."

"Oh well..."

"Don't even think of lying. You were not thinking but shouting out loud."

"Oh! Well,

"I know....my mother used to shout out her thoughts all the time. Come to think of it, your habits really match hers a lot."

Jodha laughed and Ruqqayah joined.

Later that evening, Jodha wore a simple light pink and blue lehenga and made her hair in a loose bun and removed all her makeup as she got ready for the night. She applied some oil on her hair and covered the duvet around her as sleep embraced her. She thought a lot and then decided not to visit Jalal's chamber that night. On the other hand, Jalal too had completely forgotten about her and spent all night in Sabrina's chamber which was provided to her on blessing the empire with good news.