Princess of the dawn

Chapter 45

Jodha was surprised when Abdul was announced. Jalal's friend ...
"Is my punishment coming now?" she thought uncomfortably.

"Adab Rajkumari Jodha Bai!"

"Pranaam Abdul Khan! What brings you here?"

"I have something to bring you from the emperor!" he said seriously. He held out a moss green scroll to Jodha. She swallowed hard and took the roll. It had an official character.

"W ... was the emperor angry?" She asked uncertainly?

Abdul had to keep from laughing. Obviously, the Rajkumari feared the consequences for entering the garden.

"Well, he wasn't in a great mood. But who am I that I can interpret his moods. I'm just supposed to bring you this message! I wish you a pleasant day, Rajkumari!" He said goodbye with a polite bow. Barely out of earshot, he burst out laughing and ran back to Jalal.

"So what did she say?" asked the latter excitedly.

"Well, she was unsure. She asked me if you were upset. She probably fears the consequences because she was in your garden!" He laughed again. Jalal joined in his laugh. "Punishment is needed!" Jalal said, amused.

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Jodha unrolled the message with trembling fingers. Empty! Confused, she looked at the paper! Then it was probably not an official message! She quickly lit a candle and held the paper over it. In fact, after a short time, letters became visible. She eagerly began to read.

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Adab Rajkumari Jodha Bai,

last night a beautiful flower blossomed in our garden. The flower can unfold undisturbed in the garden at any time, nothing will stop it.

Jalal ud-Din Muhammad

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Jodha's cheeks turned dark red. What wonderful lines! And she had permission to enter his garden!

"Jodha, Bakshi Banu Begum would like to be received!" Moti tore her from her thoughts.

"Ah, bring her in, Moti!" She quickly pushed the message under a pillow.

"Salaam Jodha. May I come in? The weather is so nice, do we want to go to the gardens? I have a little something prepared."

"Pranaam Bakshi! Why not. Let's go! Moti, come on."

They strolled through the gardens and Jodha admired the many fragrant flowers and small fountains. Bakshi had had a pavilion prepared with carpets and soft pillows. Roses arranged in bowls gave off their sweet scent. Chilled Sharbat and plates with fruits, nuts and sweets were ready. The pavilion was protected from prying eyes by light strips of fabric. Only the front was open. From here one had a wonderful view of the Yamuna on which small boats passed.

"What a beautiful view of the river! Everything is so green! What a contrast to our yellow, dry landscape in Amer!" exclaimed Jodha.

"I love the view from here!" replied Bakshi. "And the roses smell so wonderful! Tell me about Amer! You made me curious."

"Yes! The scent of the roses is indeed wonderful! Amer! The palace and the houses are made of yellow sandstone. When the sun rises and sets, they shine like liquid gold. The plants and the soil are barren. But the people defy the barren nature and are warm-hearted and hardworking. I support them wherever I can. With our vaidya I am often in the city and in the surrounding area and try to alleviate hardship and suffering. Our people are very important to me." Her voice was proud and her eyes shone as she told Bakshi about Amer. Bakshi was impressed with the warmth and pride with which she reported about her homeland. She could not imagine taking care of the ailments of the population in Agra or Delhi.