A/N : This is a recreation of "Jodhaa Akbar" in CID style with a lot of changes in the storyline. As it's a recreation you might not be able to associate many things in this story with the film or the serial but there are some scenes taken from both the film and serial. And this story has nothing to do with History.
Thanks to Poesia-Riptide for helping me with renaming the CID characters and with the "Rajvanshi" language.
Characters :-
Taravati - Tarika
Abhimanyu - Abhijeet
Dayanand - Daya
Rajatshubhra - Rajat
Vivekanand - Viivek
Purvana - Purvi
Trishala - Tasha
Divyalaxmi - Divyana
Maharaj Pradyuman - ACP Pradyuman
Rana Shamsher Singh - DCP Shamsher Singh Chotrole
Rana Rudra Pratap - Dr R.P. Salunkhe
Maharani Niyanta bai - Dr Niyati Pradhan
Special appearance :- Jodha and Akbar
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Places :- Ahmadnagar
Bijapur
Golkunda
|::| Two Became One |::|
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Near the forest of Ahmadnagar and Golkunda.
"Shigra kariye Divyalaxmi! Kahin humein koi dekh na le", Princess Tara exclaimed, struggling onto the back of her horse. She pulled Divyalaxmi too on the back after settling herself comfortably.
"Chinta mat kariye Tara. Hum samay par pohoch jayenge, humein koi nahi dekhega", Divyalaxmi assured her. "Aur yahan toh aas paas koi nazar bhi nahi aa raha", she added.
"Bhor hone ko hai. Agar daata ko kanik bhi sandeh ho gaya ki hum puri raat mehel mein nahi the toh anarth ho jayega".
Taravati removed the bridle from the horse and started for the palace. They rode on in the darkness. The wind was chilly, and Taravati urged the horse forward as fast as possible. There was a crescent moon in the sky, spreading its faint light to remove the darkness on the earth but instead it actually darkened the place. Soon the sky began to lighten up a little and slowly the sun appeared in the eastern sky. The sunlight came and lightened up the whole area. Taravati speeded up the horse to reach the palace soon. Things on the both sides of the road came to their vision and vanished in the twinkle of an eye. About an hour later they reached the palace. Taravati and Divyalaxmi got off the horse keeping some distance from the palace so that they didn't come to anyone's notice. And as they couldn't enter in the palace through the front gate both the ladies sneaked inside through the maid's quarter. It was easy as they were disguised as maids.
Reaching Taravati's room both of them burst into laughter. Taravati then brought out a bag, tied with gold ribbon from under the loose end of her dupatta.
"Trishala kitni prasann hogi na ise dekh ke?" Taravati smiled, looking at the bag and then at Divyalaxmi.
"So toh hai. Aur hogi bhi kyun na? Aap ne itni mehnat ki hai ye uphaar unko dene ki liye" Divyalaxmi said. "Tara, ab aap ye vastra badal lijiye. Kisine iss bhes mein apko dekh liya toh sab gadbad ho jayegi".
"Theek hai. Hum jaate hai. tab tak ye aap sambhal ke rakhna", Taravati handed Divyalaxmi the bag and left the room.
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In the courtyard of the palace Rajkumari Trishala was playing with the pigeons. She let a flight of pigeons loose. An elated smile curved on her lips as the pigeons were flying in the sky. Last of the pigeons was in her hand. She jumped and set it free and as she jumped, her jewellery made a clattering sound. Her long, open hair tickled on her cheeks. She smiled derisively when she heard her elder sister calling her. She turned back and Taravati hugged her.
"Janamdin ki dher saari shubhkaamnayein!" Taravati uttered, sweetly.
"Dhanyavad jija", Trishala smiled with pleasure.
"Ye lijiye apka uphaar", Taravati handed her the bag, tied with gold ribbon. Trishala opened the bag and was happily shocked. Her favorite sweets which were only sold in the kingdom Golkunda. The king of Golkunda and their father were old enemies. It was very dangerous what Taravati had done.
"Jija!" Trishala looked at her sister with wide-open eyes and with her jaw dropped. "Daajiraj ko pata chala na toh kari dand denge apko", she said slowly.
"Daata ko pata chale tab na", Taravati put her hands around her sister's shoulder and continued, "Kya hum apni choti behen ki liye itna bhi nahi kar sakte?" she smiled.
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At the royal-court Rana Rudra Pratap, the king of Ahmadnagar was discussing some political issues with his court members when a messenger from king Pradyuman's court arrived with a message. Maharaja Pradyuman, king of Bijapur had asked for Rudra Pratap's daughter Taravati's hand for his elder son Prince Abhimanyu. This proposal gave Rudra Pratap much pleasure and made him quite happy. It was a great way to expand his kingdom.
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The three sisters Princess Taravati, Princess Trishala and Princess Purvana were gossiping about random stuff in Trishala's room. In the mean time, their mother, Maharani Niyanta Bai entered the room. Seeing their mother the girls stood up and greeted her.
"Ekaant!" Niyanta Bai ordered and the maids left the room. "Tara, hum apko hi dhoond rahe the. Kuch avashyak baat karni hai apse", she said.
"Kahiye na maa", she said.
"Bijapur ki raja Maharaj Pradyuman ne apni jesht putra ka vivah ki liye apka haath manga hai. Apki daata iss sambandh se bohot prasann hai. Parantu apki iccha janna bhi avashyak tha. Aap kya kehti hai?"
This news left Taravati in a shock. But she managed herself and replied, "Hum vivah ki liye taiyaar nahi hai maa".
"Parantu kyun? Kunwar Abhimanyu ki shoor-veerta ke baare mein hum sab jaante hai. Aur wo toh itna accha manushya bhi hai. Phir aisa kya hai jiski waja se aap vivah ke liye mana kar rahe hai?"
Taravati turned towards the window and walked there. She looked out and could see the outline of the jungle which was the border between Golkunda and Ahmadnagar. A soft, cold breeze came in and caressed her face as she spoke. "Humse kuch maat puchiye maa. Humari paas koi uttar nahi hai".
"Theek hai. Abhi toh hum jaa rahe hai parantu aap iss sambandh ki bare mein avashye sochna". Her mother left the room, a bit disappointed.
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That night, outside the palace Princess Taravati was standing, disguising as a maid. She was waiting for someone. After sometimes she saw a hazy figure in the darkness approaching towards her.
"Aa gaye aap Kunwar?" she whispered. The figure came in vision and Taravati hugged him. "Daata humari vivah ki vishay mein soch rahe hai. Aaj maa ayi the humse sambandh ki vishay main baat karne. Humne kisi tarha baat ko taal di parantu... kab tak ye nahi pata!" Taravati exclaimed.
"Rajkumari aap chintit mat huiye. Hum kuch karenge", Prince of Golkunda, Dayanand said patting on Taravati's hair. Taravati raised her head. "Aap humari sambandh ki liye apne daajiraj se kehke sandesha bhejiye. Hum kisi aur se vivah nahi karenge", she paniked.
"Rajkumari! shaant ho jaiye", he cupped her face in his hand to calm her down.
"Daajiraj aur ranaji ki beech ki shatruta ki baare mein aap ko pata toh hai. Phir ye hath kyun? Humne kaha na hum prayas kar rahe hai unko manane ki", he gulped air in his lungs.
"Kintu - " she was interrupted by him. "Shhh..!" he shushed her. "Kuch mat kahiye. Hum par vishwaas kijiye. Hum sab thik kar denge. Abhi aap mehel wapas jaiye", he assured her. She walked to the palace as he had assured her about their marriage. After taking a few steps she glanced behind her.
"Ek baat kunwar, apna jeevan hum aapke siva kisi aur ke saath nahi bita sakte", she uttered and ran inside the palace.
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In the palace.
Taravati was walking from one side to the other in her room. She felt restless and nervous. She was anxious as well, thinking if Dayanand would be able to convince his father Rana Shamsher Singh for their marriage and even if he did would her father be ready for this relation. She was irritated and slammed herself into the sofa and covered her face in her hands. In the meantime Divyalaxmi entered in the room with a plate in her hand.
"Rujkumari Tara!" she called and Taravati looked up. "Hum apki liye 'laddu' laye hai. Apne subah bhi kuch nahi khaya tha na..." Divyalaxmi brought the plate in front of Taravati but she refused and removed the plate from in front of her quite rudely.
"Humein nahi khana. Aap jaiye yahan se", she said.
"Parantu rani maa na kaha..-" her words were cut by Taravati, "Humne kahan na humein akela chod dijiye", Princess said angrily.
"Rajkumari aap theek toh hai na?" Divyalaxmi wanted to know.
"Ekaant", Taravati yelled, stood up and turned her back towards Divyalaxmi. All the maids left the room.
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Taravati had been called to her parent's room. There Rana Rudra Pratap informed her that he had agreed to Pradyuman's proposal of Abhimanyu and Taravati's marriage. Taravati was shocked to hear this. She refused for this marriage instantly.
"Taravati hum pita hone ki naate aapka maan padh sakte hai. Jis mein Rajkumar Dayanand base huye hai", Taravati looked at her father astonishedly and he continued, "Kintu ye sambandh hona asambhav hai. Agar hum chahe toh bhi nahi. Humein kehte huye bilkul bhi accha nahi lag raha hai lekin apni pita ki liye na sahi, apni kul ki maryada ki liye Rajkumar Abhimanyu se apko vivah karna hi padega", he pleaded.
Taravati glanced back at her mother, standing, holding a pillar behind her and hugged her. She cried her heart out and Niyanta bai patted her daughter's hair.
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Prince Dayanand went to his father to talk with him about Taravati but as soon as he entered in his father's room Shamsher Singh informed him about the war going on between their and Mewat's solders. He ordered him to go to the site and handle the situation. And so he couldn't tell about his feelings for Taravati to his father.
Taravati was in dilemma. She sat in front of the mandir in her room. "Kanha andhiyare mein ghire huye hain hum. Koyi toh rah dikhaiye humein", she uttered. And then she walked around the palace and all the places she had memories with. Coming out of the palace in the courtyard she turned right where she and Trishala used to garden and beside that there was the cage of rabbits which she and her sisters used to play. She walked across the kitchen where her mother first taught her to cook. Taravati knew it wasn't easy for her but she had to and so she said yes to her parents.
There Prince Dayanand was waiting for the war to end so that he could tell his father about Taravati and on the other side Taravati agreed for marriage.
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All the rituals began in full swing. Emperor Akbar and his Rajvanshi wife Jodha also attended the ceremonies as Jodha was the cousin sister of Taravati and a very close friend. Jodha's father Raja Bharmal was a step brother of Taravati's father Rana Rudra Pratap.
Learning about Taravati's marriage with Rajkumar Abhimanyu, Jodha was quite astonished. Because she knew that Taravati and Dayanand were in a relationship. So reaching Ahmadnagar the very first thing Jodha did was meeting Taravati. She asked Taravati why she agreed for this marriage without love, why she was doing the same thing Jodha did couple of months back. Taravati's eyes filled with tears and she explained the whole situation to her. Jodha embraced her sister with love and care. She totally understood what Taravati was going through.
Jodha looked quite disturbed during the 'haldi' ceremony. So Jalal held her hand and led her to their room and asked her what the matter was. Jodha wasn't willing to tell him at first but when he told her that as a husband it's his duty to share his wife's problems and she could trust him, she told him. After listening to all these he said, "Inn dono ki saath bhi wahi hua jo humare saath hua hai. Lekin iss baar inn dono ki rishtey ka buniyaad nafrat nahi balki samjhota hoga". Jodha looked at him, hurt and he continued.
"Sach kehte hai log Jodha Begum, Itihaas apne aapko dohrata jaroor hai magar nakal nahi karta". Jodha looked thoughtful and then walked to her husband. She held his hand from behind and he turned back. She took his hand in hers and spoke, "Hum baas yahi prarthna karenge ishwar se ki unn dono ko humari jitni parikhaye na deni pade".
Jalal pulled her in his chest and put his hands around her.