The winds roared loudly. Jodha snuggled in Jalal's arms. She came closer to him. It was hard to control himself when she was around. He had enough energy for another round, he thought as he rolled her and got on top of her. She didn't resist either. His touch made her feel out of the world.

Outside, the weather was good but too windy. Bhagwan Das had had two cups of alcohol when the letter arrived. Raja Bharmal had already left. It was four in the morning and most of the people were asleep other than the ones who had night duty.

Make sure that everything goes as planned. I don't want to see her wretched face in the palace.

Another letter, yet another letter from his mother. He was tired of all these letters now. Why did she care so much about Jodha's happiness? Jodha had never done anything to her unless she initiated it first and now, she wanted to not let Jodha in. Had she forgotten who was Jodha's husband? That she wasn't a mere princess now but Malika e Hindustan and would soon give birth to Shehenshah's heir. Moreover, with all the gossip and rumours that he heard in the past few days; he was sure that Jodha was Jalal's favourite queen. He threw the letter away in frustration. Phulvati had to see for herself what Jodha was and if possible, beg for her mercy for her son's goodwill. It was all in Jodha's hand now.

"Shehensh...." Jodha couldn't speak as they completed the other round. He was now lying on top of her, their breath ragged, her hands still between his hair.

"I am not...finished with you!" he said in a husky voice.

The next morning, after getting dressed up, when the food was being served, Jodha could barely get up. Jalal was fresh as he had his usual four-hour sleep. Jodha, on the other hand, was pregnant, plus he hadn't given her enough reason to be able to get up, provided their last night rendezvous.

"Where is Jodha?" Jalal asked Neela as she served the food.

"Your Highness, she is not well."

"Not well? She was alright last night." Neela didn't say anything. Jalal got up and walked to Jodha's tent. There she lay, all dressed on the bed.

"Would you not like to restore your energy for tonight?" he smirked and she sighed.

"I have barely been able to get up since yesterday, thanks to you!" he laughed and sat near her.

"My apologies."

"It's okay. I am always ready for such days and nights. The only thing is I won't be able to walk to the palanquin."

He smiled as she tried to stand. He stood up and placed his hand on her back as he carried her up in bridal style. She was bewildered at first.

"Shehenshah, what will the others say?"

"No one shall dare say anything to the Padshah."

At around noon, the royal entourage reached Amber. Jodha's heart was beating way too faster. She recalled the day she had first visited Agra as a newlywed bride and her heart had been way too slow back then. She had not felt nervousness or excitement of any kind but she had surely felt pain when she had left her homeland to go to Sambhar for the wedding. And now, she was wishing to be back home, Agra. Agra was now her home, and she so wanted to run to her chambers and pull over her quilt so that she wouldn't have to face Maasaa and her maikaa again.

"Kunwarisaa, we have reached the palace." Neela moved the drapes of Jodha's palanquin and gave her a hand to come out. Jodha staggered at first but with Neela's support walked up to Shehenshah. Jalal stood at the front of Amber Fort with Bhagwan Das.

"This way, Your Majesty!" the Yuvraj requested and Jalal followed as did Jodha. She couldn't walk straight because of last night's events but had put up a face showing she was okay. Jalal walked towards her and stood beside her, supporting her.

"If you want to rest, we can skip this part!"

"It's okay, Your Majesty. My mother must have prepared to welcome you!"

"I do..."

"Shehenshah, this way!" Bhagwan Das pleaded and Jalal followed supporting Jodha.

As they entered, a huge crowd of women had been standing there for their welcome, with their veils draped properly. Jodha stood beside Jalal, more so half-leaned on him and over a distance stood Bhagwan Das. Queen Champavati walked towards them with a bright smile on her face. Although she had broken all ties with Jodha, she still waited desperately to catch a glance of her beloved daughter every day. Now that she saw her, draped in a yellow ghagra, leaning onto her husband she was relieved. The emperor looked happy and so did Jodha. Champavati proceeded to the aarti only to be stopped by a wailing. She turned around and there stood Phulvati.

"Champa, haven't you learnt any etiquette? Don't you know that I am the eldest and therefore I should be welcoming His Majesty?!" she walked towards them and patted Champavati on her shoulder as she took the aarti thaal from her.

"No!" They all looked around Jodha. Her eyes were sharp as that of a tigress. She looked at Phulvati as though she would eat her any moment now as anger flared up on her face.

"Is everything okay?" Jalal questioned Jodha. She looked at him and smiled.

"All is okay, Shehenshah! You are my husband and as a married couple we are visiting my house for the first time so shouldn't it be my birth mother who should take care of everything?" she said so and along with Jalal moved towards Champavati. Together they touched her feet and after getting up, she took the aarti thaal from Phulvati.

"Don't you have any common sense, Ranisaa? Don't you know that it is the girl's mother who performs such tasks?"

Phulvati couldn't speak a word. Champavati looked happy and a small teardrop escaped her eye but she brushed it away quickly and did their aarti with a bright smile.

"Welcome, Jamaisaa to our land! I hope you will find everything soothing and comfortable."

Jalal nodded and smiled as they followed Champavati. The women who had been standing until now all started singing in unison.

"Your land is beautiful, kunwarisaa!"

"Not any more so than you, Shehenshah!"

Both Neela and Rehman looked at each other and burst into giggles. Their favourite pass time was to mimic their emperor and empress. Jodha stood behind the window as she looked into the sky. Jalal entered the room, finally free from everyone. He closed the door behind him and walked up to Jodha and hugged her from the back. Startled, she stiffened but soon realised it was him and relaxed.

"How do you like Amber, Shehenshah?"

"It's good here. But again, when you are with me everything is just as fine."

She smiled and turned around as she embraced him. They stood like that for a few minutes before she heard someone giggling. She broke the embrace and looked down. From what she saw, she would have never expected. Jalal hugged her again from the back, distracting her.

"Shehenshah!" but he kept giving her little kisses on her neck and back, making her shiver and at the same time want him even more. She clutched onto his hand as he kept giving her the torturous kisses forming butterflies in her stomach every now and then.

She heard a loud giggle this time and she had to know what was going on. At the end of the day, she was still a woman and needed to gossip. She broke from his embrace as she turned around. She could already feel him.

"You can't leave me now." He looked at her with puppy eyes.

"There is really something I must know. But tonight, I will do anything you want me to." She kissed him before leaving taking him by surprise.

Jodha was so excited, she forgot for a second about her pregnancy as she ran downstairs. She walked up on the steep stairs and hid behind the large wall. There stood Neela, her arm draped around Rehman. His hand was on her waist as they were looking at each other. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush. Jodha couldn't control herself, but before she could approach them, she saw Neela kiss him on the lips. Jodha was way too happy for Neela but she couldn't confront her, not now. But she had to talk to someone about this. Before she turned around to leave, she saw her one more time as she whispered "Rehman" and then turned to his embrace.

"Oh god, I seriously cannot believe that Neela is.... oh god!" Jodha kept talking to herself as she climbed the stairs to her room.

"What is so unbelievable, kunwarisaa?" Jodha turned around to see Phulvati standing behind her, smiling brightly at her. She couldn't believe her eyes for a second that this was the same woman who never bothered even if she were alive or dead.

"Ranisaa?"

"Oh, my darling, I know you respect me but call me Maa. You are still my little princess, right?"

"Huh?"

"I have heard that His Majesty likes you a lot!"

Jodha looked at her and realised why she was getting this special treatment. She smiled to herself and decided to have a little fun of the situation.

"He does, a lot." She added and earned another smile from Phulvati.

"Oh, my dear, I am so happy for you. Now that you are Empress of Hindustan, wouldn't you sometime like to visit this small queen to her chamber along with Shehenshah?!" Jodha looked at her in surprise. As a kid, she used to run and hide at different places but never once did she get to enter Rani Phulvati's chambers. It was restricted for even her mother to step in her chambers. She smiled inwardly at such a great opportunity to take revenge for her mother's humiliation.

"Oh, Ranisaa I would, but His Majesty doesn't like mixing too much with strangers!"

"Strangers? Beta, he is like my jamaaisa! And, he listens to you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah but...."

"Jodha....my darling, I am requesting you here."

"Okay, I will see to it! But I am not sure...."

"Jodha....! Phulvati and Jodha turned around to see Jalal walking out of Jodha's room. He walked up to Jodha and stood beside her. Phulvati smiled at him and nudged Jodha for an introduction.

"Shehenshah, this is Rani Phulvati, bhaisaa's mother!" Phulvati looked at her dumbfounded as she gestured her to give a proper introduction. Jalal wasn't aware of the customs but since he had touched Champavati's feet for her blessings, he thought he should do the same for Phulvati but before he could do anything, Jodha held his hand preventing him from doing so. He looked at her and she smiled.

"Now, Ranisaa we must leave. We are very tired and need to rest for a while."

"Sure beta. Come to the dining hall at nine. We are preparing all your favourites!"

Jodha faked a smile and turned around to leave with Jalal. After they left, Phulvati cringed. She had never expected how the tables would turn. Jodha, Champavati's daughter whom she didn't give any importance was here, controlling the most powerful man of Hindustan. She flinched as she cursed her fate for being unfair.

"What was that all about?" Jalal questioned as they entered her room. Jodha simply drew the curtains as she walked to the window and then sat on the sofa beside it. Jalal looked at her, his eyebrows raised. She drew a deep sigh.

"I am tired, Shehenshah!" He looked at her as she drew out her hands for him. He walked to her and she could see a hint of a smile in his eyes as he let her embrace him. They sat like that for a while before she decided to talk to him about it.

"Shehenshah, who is Rehman?"

He looked at her, then straightened himself as he rested his back on the sofa. "Why this sudden question?"

"Nothing.... I just..."

"He is the chief guard."

"Of your army?"

"No, of my bed chambers."

Jodha smiled and he smiled back as his hand reached her face and stroked her hair back, behind her chin.

"The strangest thing happened today!"

"What?"

"I saw Neela, with, with a man. And she was calling him Rehman. They looked close."

"Neela, your head maid?"

"Yeah!"

"So, you were spying on them?"

"No, I just saw them from the window and so I walked downstairs to see the man. Are you not curious about them?"

"Let me get this straight. You saw your maid and my chief guard fooling around and you want to gossip about it with me?"

She bit her lip to stop embarrassment as she looked down. He smiled and his hand reached down her lips. As his thumb traced along her lower lip, she let go of her lip. He looked at her for a second, before his hand moved down her collarbone and just above her cleavage.

"Shehenshah...." She said slowly. He pulled her closer and leaned on her as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He looked at her, her eyes were shining in the darkness of the room.

"You have promises to keep, Malika!" she gulped and her breathing became higher. She let herself loose as her hands crawled up to his hair and she kissed him back with equal or more passion. Someone knocked on the door before they could go any further. Jalal's face tensed up and Jodha broke into a laugh.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Kunwarisaa, Rajkumari Sona is here to see you!" Jodha couldn't control her happiness when she heard of who came to visit. She quickly got up and straightened her dupatta and ran to the door, before lighting a candle.

"Sona?"

"Jiji." The sixteen-year-old jumped on Jodha as they embraced after what seemed like decades.

"I missed you so much." Sona pushed her away as she entered the room. "Sona!" Jodha exclaimed before following her.

"Why is your room so dark, Jiji? Were you taking a nap?" she turned around and saw Jalal standing there. Jodha signalled the maid to light a few more candles.

Jodha, Sona and Jalal sat on either side of the bed. It was awkward but Sona had to break the silence somehow.

"Welcome to our land, Jijasa! I am Sona, Jiji's little sister."

"It's nice to meet you, Sona!"

"I came to see my Jiji. It's been so long since I last saw her. But she seems happier than she was back then." Jodha smiled at her. "It seems you are treating her well, Jijasaa!" Jodha eyed her not to ask any further questions. "Did I say something wrong, Jiji?"

"No, not at all." Jalal intervened. "I do take care of your Jiji, Sona. Why would you say that?"

"Jiji was eyeing me!" she pointed at Jodha.

"Yeah, she does that a lot. You have to learn to ignore her at times."

Sona laughed and Jodha gave Jalal a death glare.

"Jiji, c'mon you will scare Jijasaa! Now, Jijasaa, does she treat you well?"

Jalal smiled and nodded a no. "She has a feisty temper and she gets too overboard when she cries. It's difficult."

"I am glad I don't have to deal with all that anymore." Sona laughed and Jalal joined in.