"Ahhhhhhhhaaahhh!!!!!"

"Push harder, Begum Sahiba. You will have to push harder. Keep trying."

"I can't.....I cannot.....not anymore. I can't....please."

"We have almost reached there....just a few more minutes. You can do this."

"I can't.....it is too painfu....pain...."

Another contraction made Jodha scream her lungs out. She had been in labour for more than a day now, and yet the baby had not come out. Every new contraction made her ten times weaker as she cried in pain. Jalal waited outside with Ruqqayah and Hamida.

"Begum Sahiba, the baby's face is visible....just a few more..."

"TO HELL WITH YOUR FEW MORE MINUTES.....CALL JALAL!!!!" She cried hard and shouted at the nurse, who was quite used to getting shouted on by pregnant ladies. One of her attendees rushed to call Jalal but he was already there, as Jodha's shouting had resonated in all of the harem.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he rushed to her, placing his hand on her head. She was covered in sweat and had lost a lot of blood as well. She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears as she tried to speak something but right at that moment, another contraction started and she pushed but it didn't end.

"Malika...you will have to push even harder. It is the only way to get you out of pain. Please cooperate with us."

"I can't...." Jodha sobbed, her eyes were red now as she cried and Jalal's heart pained at her sight. He held her hand in his, as he sat beside her and slowly wiped away the few strands of hair on her face. She was calm for a moment before another contraction started and she screamed louder this time, her hold on his hand tightened.

"Will she be okay, why is she suffering so much pain?" Jalal asked concerned and the wet nurse looked at him reassuringly. "She will be fine, Shehenshah. She is a strong woman."

"EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! I DON'T SEE A BABY COMING OUT OF YOU!!" The nurse chuckled as Jalal looked at Jodha, his eyes widened. "WHAT?" She barked at his expression. "IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU. NOW GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME, OR I WILL DIE HERE, AND IF THAT HAPPENS, I WILL HAUNT YOU FOREVER JALAL." He looked at her, scared as he tried to pull away his hand but she didn't leave it. "STAY RIGHT HERE." And he sat back, gulping in fear. The attendees were shocked at their king's condition.

"It is okay, Shehenshah. It is very common for Begum Sahiba to lose patience. She will be fine once the baby comes." And as she said so, another contraction hit Jodha hard and she screamed and pushed hard at the same time, and the nurse along with her attendees helped her as well, and with one last push, the baby finally came out. The entire chamber was silent for a second as Jodha fell back on the bed, exhausted. When the baby did not cry, Jalal's heart came out for a moment. Not again, he would go mad. He couldn't lose...no..nothing would happen. Jodha opened her eyes slowly as her gaze diverted to Jalal and followed his to her newborn, covered in blood, wrapped in the nurse's arms.

"My child..." Jodha said slowly and the nurse looked up at her, smiling, as she looked back at the baby whose eyes slowly fluttered open, and the next thing they knew, the chamber resonated with the crying baby. Jalal stood frozen as the nurse approached Jodha.

"It is a Shehzada, Begum." She looked at the woman as she handed her the child. Slowly with weak and exhausted arms, but still strong enough for her child, Jodha wrapped her child in her arms as a tear escaped her eyes and another one and in moments she was crying. She looked over at Jalal, who still stood frozen on his spot. Did he become a father? He? Now someone would call him Abbu? His wish finally came true? He looked over at the child and then at his begum, the woman he loved more than life. Today, in a true sense he felt complete. She gave him the baby and with shaking hands he took him in his hands.

The little bundle of joy cried and he smiled looking at his child as he broke into tears too. Then he looked at Jodha who was already looking at them. He held her hand and together they looked at their child, happy, content, satisfied for real in a long time.

"Begum, Shehenshah, we need to clean the child and wrap him in clothes. It's the monsoon season. We don't want any infections to reach our little prince." The nurse said slowly and they handed over their child to her. Once cleaned and properly wrapped, the baby boy was sent to his mother again. Jodha was tired and too exhausted. She had been bathed by her personal maids and attendees after which she changed into light cotton clothes and slept. Jalal stayed by her side and now even Ruqqayah and Hamida joined them. The entire city was celebrating the birth of their prince. Now that finally, their Shehenshah had a child, people were very happy for him.

The prince lay next to his mother as the duo slept soundly. As Ruqqayah and Hamida entered Jodha's chambers, their sight quickly fell to the little child wrapped in white cloth, cuddled next to his mother. Ruqqayah recalled the conversation she had with Jodha, three years ago, before Jodha had gone with Jalal to the different saints' aboard to be blessed with an heir.

"Promise me Jodha, you will be with him all this while. For I know, I have an intuition that he will be blessed this time, for real."

"I will be with him always, Ruqqayah. I just don't want you to worry too. It will be okay, and I will take care of him."

"What if he never....no he will....I shouldn't even say that!"

She looked at them and realised how her prayers had come true. Jalal finally became a father and the mother of his child was the woman he loved; what more could he have asked for.

As she looked at them, a tear escaped her eyes. Some years back, she too had this dream, but now it was just a fragment of her thoughts, which could never come true. She looked down, no, not now. She couldn't cry right now. Her two best friends were having the best day of their life, how could she be like this? She had to be strong, if not for anyone else, then at least for the prince.

"Do we have a name yet, Jalal?" Ruqqayah asked as she moved forward and sat on one corner of the bed, Hamida beside her. Jalal smiled as he looked at her, and then looked at the prince, his eyes were beaming with happiness. 

Jodha slowly opened her eyes because of all the talking and then smiled as she looked at the people around her.

"Good that you are up," Jalal said as he stroked her head lovingly. She smiled and tried getting up, but couldn't as she had lost a lot of blood in childbirth and hadn't had anything to eat ever since. "Don't get up. Don't strain yourself." He said as he caressed her cheek lovingly. Then he took the child in his hand as he held Jodha's hand with his other free hand and looked at her and then at the child, "Salim. I name him Salim after Baba Salim Chisti, because of whose blessings I finally have a son. A healthy child with the woman I love." He said out loud and Jodha's cheek turned a shade darker, even now, after seven years of their marriage, he still had that effect on her. He looked at her lovingly and then at Salim as he smiled. Hamida looked at them fondly, finally, her son got the happiness he always deserved. She was happy, for him, for herself and was thankful to God, for finally fulfilling her wish.