Lajjo : Broken in Love

Lajjo is a heartbreaking character in the series Heeramandi. She was brought to the Shahi Mahal as a child and raised to become a Tawaif. Lajjo feels broken and knows she may never be someone's first choice. The series explores the lives of these courtesans and their journeys. Lajjo's main focus is her love for Zorawar, who has rejected her. She creates an alternate reality where Zorawar still loves her. Lajjo becomes delusional and disconnected from reality. She dances at a wedding, hoping Zorawar will take her back, but he slaps her. Lajjo's obsession with Zorawar leads to her self-destruction. It is a heartbreaking and emotional storyline. Lajjo is one of the most heartbreaking characters in Heeramandi. She was brought to the courthouse when she was just six years old and was raised in Shahi Mahal under Malika Jaan. She was told off by her aunt or auntie in the Jehnoom of Heeramandi as Lajjo puts it. Lajjo is broken from the day she enters the Shahi Mahal. She is raised like a third daughter by Malika Jaan, Vibho Jaan, Lajjo and Alamzeb, the three daughters destined to be Tawaif. Lajjo acts as a third V, a girl who soon learns to be on the periphery of the world and knows that she may never be someone's first choice. She may cease with the fact she would always have to impose her presence in the world. Welcome to our latest episode in association with Netflix and Part 1, where we delve into the captivating world of Heeramandi, The Diamond Bazaar. As the most-watched Indian series on Netflix, Heeramandi has become a cultural phenomenon, mesmerising audiences worldwide with its rich storytelling and vibrant portrayal of courtesan culture. Praised for its compelling characters and stunning visuals, Heeramandi has set a new standard for Indian series on the global stage. Join us as we explore the character arc of these formidable Tawaif and their journeys in the series. So, let's dive in. In the first episode, Lajjo is introduced as she becomes part of the celebration of Basant Panchami in the Shish Mahal. In fact, wo dance karti hai 13th-century Sufi saint Amir Khusro ke bahuti famous gaane pe Takal Ban Rahi Phool Sarto. Historically, iss gaane ka context bahuti zilchast hai. It was sung and composed by the poet Amir Khusro when he saw unke peer Nizamuddin Auliya bahuti dukhi and destroyed over the loss of his nephew. Ek den Amir Khusro saw two ladies going to Yogmaya temple in yellow sari and carrying musket flowers. Amir Khusro asked them, Aap kaha ja rahi hai? To khil khila ke hasne lagayi saari ladkiyon aur unhe bola, Arey hum to mata ke yaha pe phool chadane ja rahe hai. Amir Khusro ne phir pucha, Kya ye phool dekh ke woh khush ho jayenge? To unhe ne ka, Haan, haan, zarur. To tabhi Amir Khusro ko ek sarkeej bhuji. Unhone apne aap ko yellow sari ne banda aur apne disciples ko bhi bola ki yellow sari ke andar aana. Pir woh Nizamuddin ki darga pe gaye jo usbag kankha tha and wahate Nizamuddin ke chaaru taraf gol gol khumne lag gaye. Ye dekh ke Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya jo kaafi mahino se udas the woh hat pade. Nizamuddin Auliya ne pucha Amir Khusro se, Ye kya hal bana rakha hai? To Amir Khusro ne bola, Dekhye, mera margaz aur kaaba to aap hi hai. Isliye, main chaaru taraf aapke dhoom raha hoon. You are the center of my universe. You are the center of my dedication. Tab unhone ye gaana gaya tha, Sakal ban rahi phool sarto. Aap maanenge nahi, magar aat to saal se ye abhi bhi tradition Nizamuddin darga me talta aa raha hai. Abhi bhi har janwari ko basant panchami celebrate hoti hai Nizamuddin darga me, jaha pe door door se log aate hain. The procession starts throughout the darga and ends at the Nizamuddin Auliya ke burial ke paas jaha pe woh dafna hai. Yaha pe kawal singers gaate hain gaana, sab yellow color ke kapde pehnte hain and mustard flowers ko distribute kar aata hai. Toh yehi context aur ithi gaane pe, bahut hi popular gaane pe Heera Mandi me dance kara hai and that becomes the introduction song for Lajjo. This is also the scene jaha pe the song sets everyone's mood in the series. The occasion is in fact joyous, but there is also sadness somewhere lurking in everyone's life. After the song, in the room, the three sisters sit on the bed and discuss their aspirations. She tries to cheer her younger sister Alamzade saying she should feel cheerful and happy since Lahore awaits her debut as a tawaayar and of course Mujra. Lajjo daati hai apni behen ko ki she won't become a tawaayar who will be objectified. Alamzade kehti hai ki dekhe main kabhi tawaayar nahi banungi and in fact main kabhi bhi Mujra nahi karungi. Lajjo daati hai apni behen ko. Woh kehti hai ki nobody chooses to become a tawaayar but you have to because that is your destiny. Lajjo hafke ye bhi bolti hai ki Alamzade tumhara jo shaira banne ka jo sapna hai, wo sapna hi better hai, aapko tawaayar banna padega. Woh bolti hai ek reality check ki tarah aurat ki asli dushman toh uske swabh hote hain Alamzade, dikhai toh dete hain magar poore nahi hote hain. That gives a glimpse of the reality that Lajjo lives. Lajjo doesn't believe that a tawaayar has the freedom to dream, especially of her life other than being a tawaayar. A courtesan may have the finest skills, the best wine, the most beautiful jewellery and the best asra. Yet she is a bird in a golden cage that cannot be more than a courtesan. The respect of a tawaayar starts and ends at the kotha. When Alamzade asks magar aapke toh sapne zorawar hai, kya nahi hai, toh Lajjo dreamily replies, he is not a dream but a reality, my only reality. For Lajjo, the validation she may have once received from zorawar makes her yearn for him. The attention, love and a sense of belongingness that he provided Lajjo briefly pushed her not to give up on zorawar even when he moved on and insulted her repeatedly. Lajjo cannot comprehend the reality that she has once again been used as an object and discarded without a second thought. Lajjo ke liye ye reality accept karna ki zorawar ab unko nahi chahate, bohot bada dhakta tha. And that is why she created an alternate world jiske andar zorawar still considers Lajjo as the priority of his life. Her fierce loyalty to zorawar leads her to design an alternate world where zorawar truly wants her unconditionally. Lajjo is an emotionally rich person, a common trait with many talented artists. Aap hameshe dekhenge jo acche fankar honge, acche artists honge, wo emotionally bohot hi passionate bhi hote hain. They feel the world with all its emotions, sadness, happiness, ecstasy, everything. She feels the world deeply, which makes her experience rich and her relationship with other people extremely strong, but also stops her from feeling different emotions and seeing the world as a whole. Lajjo is micro-focused on feeling love and desire for the absent zorawar. Lajjo doesn't believe she can escape the life of Sawaiya, no matter how much she tries to run away from the reality. But it's unacceptable to think that zorawar rejected her because of lack of affection, rather than her being a Sawaiya. As Basant Panchami, she is heavily dosed with drinks and opium. She confides wrongly to Bipbojan that zorawar will soon marry Lajjo and help her escape the reality of being a Sawaiya. The fact was, of course, that zorawar was marrying someone else and had discarded Lajjo without a second thought or consideration. Lajjo yeh bhi claim karte hain ki she drinks out of happiness and not sadness. Yeh toh main khushi mein peeti hain, dukh mein nahi peeti. It is a critical scene between Bipbojan and Lajjo. Bipbojan asks Lajjo to borrow the pink bloody saree from her. Lajjo kehati hain, yeh toh possible nahi ho paega chuki yeh saree zorawar ne gift kari thi. Lajjo seems delirious and happy in a high, unhealthy manner. She seems unhinged and undone, as if even the slightest wrong done will make her come undone. Lajjo fabricates a story and tells Bipbojan, zorawar ne yeh vilayati georgette saree mujhe gift kari thi. He says, ismein angrezi main dikhti hun, Miss Lajjo, aur woh khud khila ke hakti hain. Bipbojan sits quietly and seems disturbed by Lajjo's state. She is concerned that once again, Lajjo has created a parallel world of life far away from the reality. Lajjo is lost in her world and thoughts and she seems disconnected from reality. She continued to add, tumhe pata hai, what he gifted me, besh keenti Iranian moti and yeh jumke and pichle hafte toh hawai jahas bhi gift kara tha. Bipbojan, visibly angry, starts asking Lajjo questions to break her from the delusion. Unable to take it any longer, Bipbojan kehati hain guste mein, Lajjo aapa, khud se aur kitna jhoot bolenge aap. Yeh saadi Zorawar sahab ne nahi, ammi ne di thi, aur yeh jumke humne diye the. Lajjo comes undone. Do palke jhoot se hamara dil behl jaata hai, toh behl jaane deti, tum toh hisaab leke bet gayi. And finally the viewers catch a glimpse of Lajjo. The true Lajjo, who is not delusional, who is rather an emotional, rational being. Someone she has met before, she met Zorawar. She sits idly every day, drunk in the cafes, believing she is sitting with Zorawar, like the earlier times. In reality, Zorawar had left her for a noble woman. Then Bipbojan suggests and pleads that Lajjo should find a new nabaag. Lajjo kehati hain Bipbo ko, asli aisi zalil baate tum jaisi tawaas hi kar sakti hain. Hamari mohabat bikaun nahi hai. Lajjo wants to completely dissociate herself from being a tawaas. She subconsciously believes it is her being a courtesan that has led her to be unloved by Zorawar. Her stubbornness to not move on is an attempt to honour and justify her fidelity. By pretending to be a noble woman who loves Zorawar, she escapes a reality and a life she did not want. Lajjo is not hopeless in love, but rather she is very hopeful in love. She wants a domestic life for herself, where she is a nobleman, noblewoman and a begum of a haveli. The other crucial scene is when she dances Mujra as an offering at a wedding of Zorawar. She is so obsessed with the idea of Zorawar, she believes that perhaps he will fall in love with her and will take her back. When Zorawar slaps her, she mutely looks down. She has reached the boundaries of obsession and intehaan. There is no coming back for Lajjo. Lajjo decides to be part of the wedding which she wants for herself. She dresses as a bride and dances as a way of self-flagellation. She has decided to eradicate and self-distrust herself to this one-sided love. As a viewer seeing Lajjo cry and perform in utter humiliation, tugs at the heart of the viewer. Each one of us has been in conflicted love dynamics, where we yearn for respect and care. Lajjo deserves to be loved. She abandoned, Lajjo deserves the love she abundantly gave, but what she received was betrayal and utter and utter disgrace from the man she loved. Malika Jaan appears at the Mujra and asks Lajjo to continue her performance, telling her that no tawaif leaves the Mujra incomplete and provides Lajjo with the protection and dignity she always had provided her as a surrogate mother of Shahi Mahal. Later Malika Jaan reveals Zorawar's true identity and scolds him for having no quality of being a nobleman. Lajjo finally gets some closure when she realizes that even Zorawar is not from a pure blood, but an illegitimate child of Malika Jaan, a courtesan. However, it is now too late. Lajjo brings herself to death. Malika Jaan and the women of the court are danced at her funeral as a way to celebrate her freedom from the courtesan life. They are heartbroken, but they know Lajjo is finally at peace. Lajjo was a broken soul who made only one mistake in her life, to be in love with the wrong person in a wrong life.