What Jodha & Akbar Can Teach You About Building Real Love
Riya Kumari | Feb 18, 2025, 15:57 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
You ever meet one of those people who claim they don't age? Like, they're pushing 85 but somehow have the skin of a 25-year-old influencer who just discovered hyaluronic acid? Yeah. Turns out, their secret isn't an overpriced green juice that tastes like regret—it’s probably just an ancient Indian diet that’s been around since before avocado toast was a thing.
The relationship between Jodha and Akbar wasn’t just the stuff of historical drama—it’s a living, breathing example of how love isn’t something you force into a mold, but something that grows with time, respect, and understanding. This wasn’t the kind of love you read about in fairytales, where hearts are won in a single glance. No, this was something far deeper—an evolution of two individuals who, despite their differences, found common ground and built something meaningful together.
1. The Power of Respect Over Instant Attraction
We’re often taught that love at first sight is the ultimate romance. That if it’s real, it’s immediate. But Jodha and Akbar’s relationship didn’t start with instant chemistry. In fact, it began with distance, skepticism, and outright opposition. Jodha was a Rajput princess, fiercely independent and deeply rooted in her own traditions. Akbar, a Mughal emperor, was both a conqueror and a ruler of an empire built on power. The idea that they could find a common thread of connection seemed far-fetched at best.
But sometimes, the seeds of love are planted not in the instant spark but in the quieter moments—the mutual respect that begins to take root. Akbar never sought to force Jodha to change; instead, he respected her beliefs, her identity, and the space she needed to be who she was. In return, Jodha came to see the man behind the title, a ruler who was willing to meet her halfway. Respect is not something you earn by demanding it; it’s something you give. And in doing so, you create the space for love to grow.
2. Trust Is Not Given, It Is Built
Trust isn’t something that can be declared or assumed. It’s not a given. It’s a choice, a process, and often, a long one. In Jodha and Akbar’s marriage, trust was a slow, deliberate construction. In the face of political turmoil, religious divides, and the pressures of ruling an empire, both chose to build their trust in one another. It wasn’t always easy, but they chose to listen and engage with each other, even when the world around them was uncertain.
Trust is built in the quiet moments, in the decisions made together, in the actions that show, day by day, that your word is reliable and your intentions are genuine. It’s not something you win with grand gestures—it’s something that takes time to prove. The slow patience of this trust, built with shared understanding, is what created the foundation of their relationship.
3. Love Does Not Require Sacrifice of Self
In so many love stories, we’re told that to be truly in love, we must give up parts of ourselves. The idea is romanticized: sacrifice is seen as a form of devotion, as though loving someone means losing something of who you are. Jodha and Akbar, however, demonstrated that love doesn’t need to be about compromise at the expense of your identity. They didn’t require the other to change or conform. Instead, they learned to respect each other’s differences and find strength in them.
Akbar never demanded that Jodha abandon her Rajput roots. She didn’t force him to relinquish his Mughal identity. What they shared wasn’t an erasure of self, but an acceptance that their identities, while different, could coexist. They proved that love doesn’t have to make you smaller; it can make you larger, as you grow together while remaining who you are.
4. Real Connection Happens in the Quiet, Unseen Moments
Most people think that love is about dramatic declarations or passionate displays. But sometimes, real love is about the moments no one sees—the ways two people communicate in silence, the small actions that show you care, and the ways you support each other when no one else is watching. For Jodha and Akbar, their relationship wasn’t defined by public displays of affection or grand romantic gestures. It was about a deep, unspoken understanding, a shared commitment to each other even in the hardest of times.
We often get caught up in the noise—the social media posts, the outward performances of affection—but love, at its core, is often quiet. It’s the way you show up for each other in the most difficult moments, when it’s not about being seen by others, but about being there for one another. It’s not about what’s loud, but what’s steady, constant, and true.
5. Love Takes Courage—Especially When the World Is Watching
The story of Jodha and Akbar wasn’t just a personal journey—it was a public one. Their marriage, forged for political alliances, was constantly under scrutiny. People around them judged their union, questioned their motives, and tried to tear them apart. Yet they stood together. Their love was tested not just by their own differences, but by the world’s opinion.
It takes courage to love in a way that challenges the status quo. It’s easy to love when no one is watching, when the world isn’t ready to tell you how to love. But true love is tested when it is questioned, when others don’t understand it, and when it’s not easy. Jodha and Akbar had the courage to continue loving, not because it was easy, but because they believed in it enough to protect it from the outside world’s judgment.
In the end, the love between Jodha and Akbar wasn’t the kind of love you’d find in a fairy tale. It wasn’t perfect or flawless, but it was real. It was grounded in respect, trust, patience, and acceptance of each other’s true selves. It wasn’t about trying to create the perfect image of love, but about finding strength in the quiet, unsung moments of connection. And perhaps that’s the most important lesson of all: love is not something to be chased, performed, or idealized. It’s something to be built, slowly and steadily, with care and intention.
1. The Power of Respect Over Instant Attraction
Jodha
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
We’re often taught that love at first sight is the ultimate romance. That if it’s real, it’s immediate. But Jodha and Akbar’s relationship didn’t start with instant chemistry. In fact, it began with distance, skepticism, and outright opposition. Jodha was a Rajput princess, fiercely independent and deeply rooted in her own traditions. Akbar, a Mughal emperor, was both a conqueror and a ruler of an empire built on power. The idea that they could find a common thread of connection seemed far-fetched at best.
But sometimes, the seeds of love are planted not in the instant spark but in the quieter moments—the mutual respect that begins to take root. Akbar never sought to force Jodha to change; instead, he respected her beliefs, her identity, and the space she needed to be who she was. In return, Jodha came to see the man behind the title, a ruler who was willing to meet her halfway. Respect is not something you earn by demanding it; it’s something you give. And in doing so, you create the space for love to grow.
2. Trust Is Not Given, It Is Built
Akbar
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Trust isn’t something that can be declared or assumed. It’s not a given. It’s a choice, a process, and often, a long one. In Jodha and Akbar’s marriage, trust was a slow, deliberate construction. In the face of political turmoil, religious divides, and the pressures of ruling an empire, both chose to build their trust in one another. It wasn’t always easy, but they chose to listen and engage with each other, even when the world around them was uncertain.
Trust is built in the quiet moments, in the decisions made together, in the actions that show, day by day, that your word is reliable and your intentions are genuine. It’s not something you win with grand gestures—it’s something that takes time to prove. The slow patience of this trust, built with shared understanding, is what created the foundation of their relationship.
3. Love Does Not Require Sacrifice of Self
Jodha
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
In so many love stories, we’re told that to be truly in love, we must give up parts of ourselves. The idea is romanticized: sacrifice is seen as a form of devotion, as though loving someone means losing something of who you are. Jodha and Akbar, however, demonstrated that love doesn’t need to be about compromise at the expense of your identity. They didn’t require the other to change or conform. Instead, they learned to respect each other’s differences and find strength in them.
Akbar never demanded that Jodha abandon her Rajput roots. She didn’t force him to relinquish his Mughal identity. What they shared wasn’t an erasure of self, but an acceptance that their identities, while different, could coexist. They proved that love doesn’t have to make you smaller; it can make you larger, as you grow together while remaining who you are.
4. Real Connection Happens in the Quiet, Unseen Moments
Jodha akbar love
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Most people think that love is about dramatic declarations or passionate displays. But sometimes, real love is about the moments no one sees—the ways two people communicate in silence, the small actions that show you care, and the ways you support each other when no one else is watching. For Jodha and Akbar, their relationship wasn’t defined by public displays of affection or grand romantic gestures. It was about a deep, unspoken understanding, a shared commitment to each other even in the hardest of times.
We often get caught up in the noise—the social media posts, the outward performances of affection—but love, at its core, is often quiet. It’s the way you show up for each other in the most difficult moments, when it’s not about being seen by others, but about being there for one another. It’s not about what’s loud, but what’s steady, constant, and true.
5. Love Takes Courage—Especially When the World Is Watching
Love
( Image credit : Pexels )
The story of Jodha and Akbar wasn’t just a personal journey—it was a public one. Their marriage, forged for political alliances, was constantly under scrutiny. People around them judged their union, questioned their motives, and tried to tear them apart. Yet they stood together. Their love was tested not just by their own differences, but by the world’s opinion.
It takes courage to love in a way that challenges the status quo. It’s easy to love when no one is watching, when the world isn’t ready to tell you how to love. But true love is tested when it is questioned, when others don’t understand it, and when it’s not easy. Jodha and Akbar had the courage to continue loving, not because it was easy, but because they believed in it enough to protect it from the outside world’s judgment.
In the end, the love between Jodha and Akbar wasn’t the kind of love you’d find in a fairy tale. It wasn’t perfect or flawless, but it was real. It was grounded in respect, trust, patience, and acceptance of each other’s true selves. It wasn’t about trying to create the perfect image of love, but about finding strength in the quiet, unsung moments of connection. And perhaps that’s the most important lesson of all: love is not something to be chased, performed, or idealized. It’s something to be built, slowly and steadily, with care and intention.