Princess of the dawn

Chapter 53

Agra

After two days Jalal returned to Agra. He had rushed himself into the hunt to control his flaming anger. He had taken up the fight with a cheetah with his bare hands. Its sharp claws and teeth had left marks in the form of deep wounds. Jalal felt no pain. He felt numb all over. At night he sat by the campfire and again and again Jodha's message and the words of his badi ammi went through his head, exuding their poison and igniting his anger again. He still couldn't believe what she'd done. But the message spoke a clear language! He trusted her! Believed to have found a soul mate in her. He grabbed his chest. The dull pain intensified. "Why does it hurt me so much? She is no different from the others. How could I be so wrong! "Abbujaan, when will I find the one I can trust and with whom I can share ruling the empire?" he spoke into the dark. He fell in an unruly sleep. He dreamed of Jodha reached out her hand to Sharif ud-Din. She turned around and her face turned into a grotesque sneering laughing grimace. The sneering laughter echoed in his head. He woke up, drenched in sweat! After endless sword fights with an invisible enemy, he collapsed and fell to his knees. With a loud, tortured scream, he yelled his pain into the impenetrable depths of the forest.

"Ya Allah! Why? Why?" He broke down. The pain crept through his limbs. The grass cooled his hot body. He dragged himself to a small brook. Horrified, he saw his reflection in the water. Red, bloodshot eyes, his hair dishelved, stained with mud and blood, his kurta ripped, deep cheetah scratch wounds everywhere. With both hands he threw water on his face and then washed out his wounds. He had to go back! Too long he had given in to his rage. He had to talk to Abdul, had to solve the mysterious assassination attempt on him. With his last strength he mounted Sultan and rode off. Several times he threatened to fall off Sultan, but just managed to hold on to his back. Late in the afternoon he reached Agra and rode through the gates of Badalgarh. The guards looked in horror at their ruler, who could barely hold himself up on his horse, and made a report of his arrival. Atga Khan hurried over.

"Guard! Have the Hakim come to His Majesty's chambers, and notify Mariam Makani and Ruqaya Begum!" he yelled.

"Shahenshah kya...?" He looked at him in dismay.

"It's all right, Atga Khan!"

"I'll take you to your chambers!"

"We can walk alone!" Jalal slid off Sultan's back. Atgah Khan caught him and supported him. He took him to his chamber, where the hakim was already waiting.

"Help him onto the bed huzoor!" As soon as Jalal lay on the bed, he fainted.

Immediately the hakim began to examine Jalal. Carefully he washed out the wounds, spread ointment and herbs on them and bandaged him.

"Jalal, beta, what happened with you?" Hamida Banu rushed into his room and anxiously sat down at the edge of the bed with him and reached for his hand. "Hakim saheeb, how is he doing?" she asked fearfully.

"Some of the wounds are deep, it seems that he fought with a predator." Hamida drew in a sharp breath.

"His Majesty has a good constitution. If they don't get infected, the wounds should heal in a few days Her Majesty. He is strong but he needs rest now. I will check on him several times a day and also take care of the wounds freshly."

At the same time Ruqaya and Maham Anga rushed in the room.

"Jalal!" "My son!" They also sat down at his bedside. Concerned, they looked at him.

"His wounds were taken care of huzoor. His Majesty needs rest! He is exhausted. I have poured poppy juice into him for the pain." the Hakim said. "I stay here and take care of him."

The ladies shared a worried look and left him in the care of the Hakim.

"Mariam Makani, what happened to him?" asked Maham Anga concerned.