The sun was shining brightly and the birds were chirping musically. The sun rose early today. The hakim had woken up early as always and was doing his morning prayer when he heard some noise from the other side of his tent in which he kept all kinds of medicines. As he had reached the end of his prayer, he got up and walked slowly outside. He had spent all his life serving Mughals and now he had aged considerably but since he was a hakim, he knew what things would be best suitable for his health and he walked daily and also performed namaz five times a day. All this enabled him to walk properly while most people his age wouldn't even be able to get up. In any way he was old, and so he couldn't walk as fast as he used to.

As he stepped inside, he saw a few bottles shattered to pieces as they lay on the ground and one of the bottles not in its place. Surely someone had been here. He did not appreciate interference with his work. He sighed as he neared the bottles. He was sure it was Aqib's doing. The young boy had no sense and would mix up work and mess it up and then run away from the fear of being rebuked.

Picking up the bottles which were not broken and placing them properly, he asked one of his attendees to clean up the area as he stepped out of the tent, to give Aqib a good one.

But as he removed the curtain of the tent, he saw Jodha and his heart skipped a beat. He ran to her as fast as his legs and body allowed. Dropping down on his knees next to her, he took her hand in his as he started rubbing her palm to give her warmth.

Patting slowly on her head he whispered, "Begum Sahiba, get up." He always thought of her as her own daughter and was doing his best to save her but seeing her here in this position made him scared. What happened to her? Why was she here of all places? The last he remembered he saw her in Shehenshah's tent then what was she doing....? And then as if all his questions were answered he saw the poison bottle broken to pieces, devoid of its contents near Begum's hand. He shivered acknowledging the fact that Begum Sahiba tried to kill herself. But why? He had no time to think of all this. He called a few attendees and took her inside his tent.

"Hakim Baba, what will happen now? Will Begum be okay?" A few of them asked, scared for the Begum's life and more scared for Shehenshah's reaction.

"We don't have time to discuss all this. Do as I say if you want to save her."

~

Jalal was still asleep. His head was on the bed as he had slept yesterday while he sat down on the floor. He had barely slept for some hours when an attendee rushed inside the tent.

"Shehenshah!" She cried but he didn't wake up. All the exhaustion of the past days took a toll on him as well. Scared for her life, for if she tried to wake him up, he might kill her in anger and if not, he would definitely kill her for not waking him up. So, she ran to Begum e Khaas. Ruqqayah was her last hope now.

"Begum Sahiba..." she cried. Ruqqayah was also asleep but she woke up with a jolt. She had been lying on the floor and on seeing the attendees' condition, she immediately got up.

"What....what happened? Jodha is okay, right?"

"No, Begum Sahiba. Jodha Begum drank poison and is struggling from a life-death situation." Hearing this it was as if Ruqqayah's soul left her body. She looked at the attendee in shock as she got up somehow, her legs wobbly, as she lost her balance a few times. But as she gained it back, she held the girl's hand and looked at her.

"Does Jalal know?"

"I tried to wake him up...." Ruqqayah nodded as she stepped out of her tent. Her hair was in disarray and her veil thrown somewhere on the ground, as she ran towards Jalal's tent. Entering his tent, she ran up to him and fell to the ground as she woke him up. As he opened his eyes and looked at her, his brain not able to comprehend anything, he simply spoke, "Ruqqayah?"

"Jalal, Jodha Begum drank poison....and she....she is dying." As she brought him back to reality, his eyes widened, the realisation too painful. What? What did Jodha do?

"Why? Where...is she? When did she leave here? She was here....I was holding her hand and I just took a nap for some time...."

"Jalal, she is in.....in the hakim's tent. Please.....sav....save her." Ruqqayah broke down as hot tears flooded her eyes and then flowed down on her cheeks, burning them, burning her, as she lost all hope. She clutched onto his robe for support as she put her head on his chest and cried. Jalal was shocked. He had never seen Ruqqayah in such a condition. What was happening to her?

"Ruqqayah, look at me. Nothing will happen to Jodha. I promise you; I promise myself this. I made her go through all this and I am promising you she will be back with us, all fine. I...I..promise." and he found himself breaking down.

~

Champavati was seated on her bed when the announcement of Bhagwan Das's arrival was made. She got up and as he reached and greeted her, asked him to take a seat.

"You called for me Ranimaa?"

"Yes, Bhagwan, I want you to do something for me. Will you?"

"Sure."

"Your father informed me some days ago about how Jodha left Agra. I know why she didn't come here even though this is her home, will always be. It is because of me. I was so blinded by my selfish reasons and ego that I never really thought of her. That I may have only one Jodha, but she had me and also her father, and she loved both of us equally. I don't even know how much she had gone through and I am sure she does not want to return to Agra, at least for now. I don't know what happened there that she had to leave, but her Amber is always there for her. Ask her to come with you, to Amber, to her mother."

Bhagwan Das looked at her in shock. But he nodded and left without a word. He too was concerned about Jodha. He knew Jalal found her, as he had sent news to Bharmal but would she really want to go back to him? After all, for all he knew, it must have been something terrible that happened between them, for why she left.

But even if that was the reason, she would never agree to come back to Amber after Champavati treated her so harshly and humiliated her by not acknowledging her presence when she visited earlier. How would he then make her come? And as he walked out and reached the veranda, his wife was waiting there for him with his daughter.

"Is everything okay? You seem worried." She asked concernedly and he simply nodded, sitting beside his daughter.

"So, how is my little princess?"

"I am fine, Bapusaa. I am actually designing my dress these days."

"Dress? What for?"

"You forgot already? It is for Sona Buasaa's wedding." And that is when it struck Bhagwan Das what a great opportunity he had and he had forgotten all about it. Smiling towards his daughter, he patted her head lovingly.

~

The day was ending as the sun was setting. Jodha had been fed medicines and some attendees were always by her side, as she lay like a lifeless human in the hakim's tent.

Jalal and Ruqqayah were with her all throughout the day. Only some minutes ago, Ruqqayah had left to take a rest while Jalal stayed there. He had wronged Jodha in so many ways that staying up all night was nothing compared to it. After almost everyone left, Jalal looked at his wife, pale and lifeless as she lay there. He grabbed her palm in his as their fingers intertwined, and he recalled all the good times he spent with her.

Whenever he needed her, she was there and when it was the opposite, he wasn't with her for he was the one who had caused her all this pain. She was in this situation today because of everything he had put her through. He looked at her and her lips trembled. He closed his eyes, his hold on her hand tightening as teardrops cascaded down his face. As he opened his eyes, he brought her hand closer to his head and kept it there for a while. Slowly he moved closer to her and kissed softly on her head.

"I am truly sorry, Begum. I never knew things would turn out like this. I lost myself....I lost my control...and I lost you all because of my foolishness and anger. I can never replace you.....no one is as important to me as you....I love you....I promise to respect you...I will never...never let go of you again...I accept it today....that you....you alone are more important to me than a million children...if possible please forgive me, Begum. Don't pain yourself and take yourself away from me...for I cannot imagine living without you."

He looked at her and kissed her softly on her cheek and her lips trembled again and as he stood up to leave, he felt her fingers moving through his hand. He looked at her but her eyes were still closed. Looking down, he decided to leave for a walk, but just as he turned around, a glass fell and shattered, making him turn around. Jodha's hands moved a little and the glass fell. As he looked at her, her eyes were opening slowly and relief flooded all over his body, relaxing his inner self as he called for the hakim.