Chapter 34 Part -2

Hira stirred towards him and in a casual tone she stated, "Thare snan ke vaste garam pani aur kuch kapde rakh diyo hai. Tu snan kar le tab tak me thare vaste roti leke aati hu." [I have kept hot water in the bathroom so you can take a shower; meanwhile, I will go and get food for you.]

Jalal strained his shoulder a bit to get up from the bed, but he sighed in pain and fell back in the bed.

Seeing his discomfort, Jodha loped towards him and bent down to give him support. She circled her hand towards his back.

While giving support, she almost cuddled him, but this time Jalal was in his complete awareness. Her sweet sandalwood divine aroma mingled his soul; how could Jalal forget her signature heavenly scent! Her gentle touch and intense care and concern gave a solid endorsement to his doubt. He embraced and pulled her down on top of him; for a moment, Jodha got lost in his embrace.

His soul, His body, His mind, everything cheered at once; with a deep sigh, Jalal hissed, "JODHA."

Every time she heard Jodha, her senses returned with a blow. In haste, she got up with pretense as if nothing happened, and without a single word, she ran out of the cottage. He futilely tried a few times to look at her face, but her cotton veil covered her entire face. Her action... Her hesitation... Her concern... Her care... Her worry... and Her silence little by little added happiness in Jalal's spirit.

He watched her scurrying away from him. With a grin, he slurred, "Jodha, you can try to hide, but I have recognized you. How could you think if you hide your face from I won't' recognize you? You are the source of my breath. You can speak in any tone you want, but your sweet melodious voice touches directly to my heart every time you utter a word. I don't need to hear your voice, but with every word, I feel the vibration. Your divine scent still resides in my breath and your tender flowery soft body that I can feel around me all the time. My heart began to beat once again with your mere touch. It's not just me; even my heartbeats recognize you. How could you forget that we are one, our souls are connected? How long will you uselessly try? Let's see Queen Jodha; how long will you play this hide and seek game with me.

After taking a hot shower, Jalal felt renewed with strength. The medicine worked like magic; his shoulder's pain was endurable; his inner force regained the desire to get cured quickly. As per his daily routine, he prayed to Allah. At the end of the Namaz, he looked up towards the sky with his open hands, and with a pleading tone, he appealed, "Hey parvardigar... mere yaqeen ko tutne mat dena. Woh hamari Jodha hi hai, usse hume mila de. Jo iss bar tumne humse khel khela toh hamara yaqeen iss duniya se uth jayega. Apne bande pe apni meher rakhna. Meri arji ko sun le mere mola. Iss bar jo tumne mere dil toda to us se aesi aah niklegi. Jisme hum jal ke mar jayenge."

"Yah Allah, don't let my trust be broken this time. Don't hurt me once again; I won't be able to bear the pain. Please let her be my Jodha only. Let us unite again. If you played any trick with me this time, then I would stop believing in divine power. Please shower your blessings on your child, my lord. Please hear my pleas. If you ruptured my heart this time, then I will die."

Jodha understood that she couldn't go in front of him anymore. He has substantial doubt on her. Every time she went near him, he felt her presence around him, and again & again, he called her Jodha. She prepared a lunch plate, then requested Naresh to take food for Jalal.

Without any questions, Naresh agreed and went into the cottage to deliver lunch to the injured man. In a very respectful tone, Naresh asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Jalal scrutinized the middle-aged, muscularly built man with his sharp orbs and responded, "Much better than before."

"I am Naresh, living in this Ashram. What is your name?"

With a smile, Jalal answered, "Kishan."

Seeing the lunch plate in his hand, Jalal felt disappointed; He waited for her to bring food for him to assure further and ask her straight to disclose her identity.

Naresh felt strange after seeing him deeply lost in thought. After a while, Naresh broke the silence and informed him how he found him in a Jungle and how he brought him to the Ashram.

Jalal, with admiration, thanked him.

Naresh served him Roti and Vegetables to eat. The moment Jalal's eyes wedged on Ameri-style curry, a reassuring smile kissed on his face, and after eating the first bite, his heart cheered with contentment. The familiar taste of the food once again supported his doubt, not only the Ameri food but the way it was made especially for him. Customarily Ameri food is way spicier than this, but only Jodha knew how much fiery food he could handle.

Jalal ate in silence overlooking the company; Naresh felt weird how he was grinning while eating for no reason. After relishing the delicious Ameri food, Jalal inquired further to Naresh while eating the last bite, "Do you know the woman who took care of me the entire night?"

Naresh responded casually, "I think you are talking about Hira; she is a very nice and decent lady and also a medication expert. In reality, she has saved your life. She prepared the medicine on time and stopped bleeding; otherwise, it would have been difficult to save your life. I dropped off Vaid ji back home; he praised her for quick treatment, but unfortunately." he paused with hesitation.

The puzzle pieces were perfectly fitting in his mind, expert in medicine, Ameri food.

"How many people live in the Ashram." Jalal queried.

"Only six people reside in this Ashram and eight students who stay in the camp."

"So Heera cooks for everyone," Jalal inquired further.

"No, she is caretaker of the Ashram; she cleans and cooks only for those who live in the Ashram."

"Why did you stop in the middle? What is so unfortunate about Hira?"

Naresh sadly responded, "Sometimes God is cruel. Six months ago, she came to Pandit Ji to get shelter because her husband left her. " Then he pointed his finger at the kid and continued, "See that little five-year-old child, Nandu, who is playing in the sand, that's Heera's child. I seriously feel pity seeing her condition; I have not seen her smile once in the last six months. It seems like she endured through a lot in her lifetime in this immature age."

Jalal shockingly asked, "What? What did you say, her kid?"

Naresh again pointed his finger towards the ground where Nandu was playing. "Look at that kid who is playing; he's Hira's child."

Jalal was so traumatized hearing that he forgot to swallow the last bite and began coughing, and his eyes filled with tears.

Naresh instantly gave him a glass of water.; Jalal gulped the water without any expression. For a few seconds, his mind got numbed, all his hope went in a vein just with one statement, and his heart smashed again into million pieces. He felt like someone poured hotly molten on his ears; he didn't understand how to react to it. Even his mind and heart were shouting and assuring him that Hira is Jodha', but when he came to know Hira is a mother of a five-year-old child, he lost all of his senses, and his spirit fractured into slices. Jalal walked out of the cottage towards the River without a single word; Naresh watched him running towards the River like a foolish madman. He was surprised and shocked by the sudden change in his behavior.

Jalal was utterly wrecked; he felt like killing himself out of guilt for touching some other woman as Jodha. His mind and heart both questioned how he could touch some random woman sensually. Many dark emotions seized his beaten soul; He felt guilty, angry, sad, disappointed, helpless, frustrated all at once. His condition was ultimately devastated and horrified.

Naresh went to drop the food plate at Hira's cottage and warned her that the guest, the injured man, acted a little weird. He also advised her to be careful.

Jodha was surprised to hear that; she asked further, "What happened? Why do you sound suspicious of that man?"

Naresh gave her details about their conversation. Jodha immediately comprehended that once again, his hopes have broken. Seeing Jodha in shock, too, Naresh felt confused and left.

Jodha was in the same state as Jalal. She knew precisely what had happened to him, and this is what she feared since she saw him. Without thinking further with teary eyes, she ran towards the River mindlessly to see him.

It was a scorching and sunny afternoon. Sun was burning with its supreme glory, and waves in the River were blooming with golden sparkles of sun. Hot radiant rays were making the sand sizzling fiery. It was complete silence in the surrounding; only a few birds were squeaking in soothing water waves. Winds were blowing with steaming warm air. Jalal was walking on the burning hot sand without shoes while looking at the sun furiously; his eyes burned, and tears pierced out. He screamed loud at the top of his lungs, "JODHAaa..". and broke down. He looked towards the sky with extreme rage as if he complained to God for his unfair cruelty. His inner turmoil was so intense he didn't even realize when he began to sing his pain out with tears.

Jodha stood behind a tree and watched him from far, seeing his condition. Tears stabbed out her eyes profoundly. She never felt this much helpless in her life before.

(Note from Author: This is one of my favorite sad songs from the movie HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM... this song is close to my heart... Please do read every word of this song and, if possible, listen to this fantastic song)

See Youtube Video Link:

बेजान दिल को तेरे इश्क ने जिंदा किया

Your Love gave life to my lifeless heart

फिर तेरे इश्क ने ही इस दिल को तबाह किया

And then it was your Love destroyed my heart

तड़प तड़प के इस दिल से आह निकलती रही है

From deep within, my tortured soul is aching with burning sighs

[Hearing his agony with intense bitter words... watching his visible deep longing for her was too painful for Jodha. It was unbearable to see him in this state even after six months. Every second she was cursing and blaming herself for his heart throbbing pain. She was feeling so vulnerable that she began to hit her head on the tree in angry despair. To see him helpless was worse than death.]

मुझको सजा दी प्यार की ऐसा क्या गुनाह किया

You have punished me for falling in Love; what was my fault?

तो लुट गए हाँ लुट गए

Yes, I have been robbed,

तो लुट गए हम तेरी मोहब्बत में

I have lost everything for my Love

[Jalal took some hot sand in his hands to show his anger to God. The throbbing of his heart was so extreme that he didn't even feel the pain of burning.]

अजब है इश्क यारा

My dear, Love is strange

पल दो पल की ख़ुशियाँ

It's just a fleeting moment of happiness

गम के खजाने मिलते हैं

Then comes with a treasure full of sorrow

मिलती है तन्हाईयाँ

In Love, you find nothing but loneliness

कभी आंसूं कभी आहें

Sometimes Tears, Sometimes Sighs

कभी शिकवे कभी नालें

Sometimes Grievances, Sometime Howl

तेरा चेहरा नज़र आये

But Your face appears everywhere

तेरा चेहरा नज़र आये मुझे दिन के उजालों में तेरी यादें तड़पाएं

Your face haunts me in the divine glory of the day

तेरी यादें तड़पाएं रातों के अंधेरों में तेरा चेहरा नज़र आये

And at night, your memories haunt me. I see only your face everywhere

अगर मिले खुदा तो पूछूंगा खुदाया

If I see God, I will ask him Oh 'God.'

जिस्म मुझे देके मिट्टी का

You have given me a weak, feeble human body with emotions

शीशे सा दिल क्यों बनाया

And Made my heart crystal clear glass?

और उस पे दिया फितरत के वो करता है मोहब्बत

and on top of that, you gave It the spirit to fall in Love,

वाह रे वाह तेरी कुदरत

how glorious your handiwork, oh nature!

वाह रे वाह तेरी कुदरत उस पे दे दिया किस्मत

and on top of that, you gave fate

कभी है मिलन कभी फुरक़त

Sometimes reunion, sometimes separations

कभी है मिलन कभी फुरक़त है यही क्या वो मोहब्बत

Sometimes reunion, sometimes partitions, is this what Love is?

वाह रे वाह तेरी कुदरत

What a glorious work! Oh God

सिसक-सिसक के इस दिल से आह निकलती रही है

From a battered heart with a sobbing sigh. I am asking you.

मुझ को सजा दी.

For what sin have you punished me?

Both of them were utterly shattered, and their restless souls were deeply wounded with scars on them. Jodha sat down under the tree while cursing her destiny, and Jalal laid down on the hot sand lost while his eyes blankly pierced through the flaming sun.

Eventually, his numb senses returned with sweltering pain on his upper arm; Once again, his tattered soul returned to the realism that he had lost his Jodha forever. He finally got up from there with a heavy heart and decided to go back to the palace and run away from this Ashram where destiny played a malicious joke. While going back to his cottage, he saw Abdul and a few soldiers searching for him; Jalal felt a little comfort after seeing Abdul in the Ashram. The moment Abdul's eyes wedged on Jalal, he hopped from the horse and rushed towards Jalal and, without saying a word, hugged him tightly with relief. Jalal could tell how worried and scared he was. With moist eyes, Abdul gripped him firmly in excitement and relief to see him safe. Jalal yelled in pain, "Ahhh."

Abdul immediately released him to see his wound and asked concernedly, "Jalal, are you alright? You got wounded?"

Jalal smirked sarcastically and replied, "Abdul... Sher Kabhi zakhmi nahi hote. Aur yeh toh sirf bahari zakhm hai... Jaha humara pura sina chalni ho chuka hai vaha iss mamuli zakham ki kya qeemat."

Abdul, a Lions, never gets injured; they only know to fight and survive. These injuries are nothing compared to my inner wounds.

Abdul got shaken seeing Jalal's vulnerable mental condition again, just like before. There was a distinct difference between the Jalal who held his emotion inside flawlessly for the last six months and the Jalal standing in front of him; who looked like a poor beggar in dirty clothes without shoes, unsaved, unruly hair with burned hands. What came on the spur of the moment and broke his iron-like resilient man? Why did Jalal look the same as the first day when Queen Jodha left?

Jodha felt much relieved after seeing Abdul. Soon it occurred to her that she is late for the class, and her students would be waiting for her. She nearly ran towards her cottage to change her dress and then she ran towards the camp.

Seeing Jalal's mental and physical poor state, Abdul advised him to stay there for a few more hours and start their journey towards Royal Tent in the evening. Jalal agreed and quietly laid on the bed for a few hours with a dense mood and thoughts about every moment he spent with Hira. Still, his heart was confused and was not ready to accept that Hira is not Jodha. Darkness forced his mind to believe that Hira is not Jodha and conquered over his heart with a warning not to think further about her. His tears wholly dried up with his hopes and dreams. To end with this chapter, after a few hours, Jalal got ready with a disheartened temper, but before leaving the Ashram, he went to see Panditji and Naresh to express his gratitude for saving his life. He also opened his true identity and, with a polite gesture, donated dinars towards Ashram charity and courteously told them that anytime they need help for Ashram, send a message to Agra.

Somewhere deep down in his broken heart had one very tiny hope left, which overpowered his mind. Jalal requested, "Pandiji, Hum yaha se rukhsat Lene se Pehle Hira ka shukriya karna chahenge... kya aap bata sakte hai hum usse kaha mulaqat kar sakte hai."

["Panditji, Before leaving, I would like to personally thank Hira for taking care of me the entire night, so can you please tell me where I can find her."]

Panditji gladly responded, "Why not? You can surely meet with her; At this time, probably she is working at a practice camp." Acharya and Naresh came out of his cottage and showed him the practice camp area.

With respect, Jalal bent a little and said, "Khuda Hafiz" to Panditji and started to ride towards the camp.

Question:

Do Hindi dialogues distract the rhythm while reading?