Epilogue

After seven years,

Rana was driving the car. Little Aashi was sitting next to him on the passenger seat. He was bringing her home from school. He was her bodyguard these days.

"Uncle, I want ice cream," asked Aashi.

"Sorry beta, Mumma will scold me," Rana said helplessly.

"Give me your phone. I want to make a call" Aashi asked.

Rana knew why she asks the phone and to whom she would call. Yet, he gave the mobile as he could not deny Ms. Aashi Singh Raizada.

Aashi dialed a number. The other side got attended.

"Hello baby, where are you?" Asked her father Arnav who was reading the news about the detective agent NK.

"Papa, I'm on the way home."

"Okkkay... Why did you call me?"

"I want ice cream. Rana uncle has not bought it for me" she said pitifully.

Arnav got stuck. Aashi had a fever after having a lot of ice cream at a Birthday party last week. Till then Khushi restricted her to eat ice cream strictly. Aashi likes ice cream very much a little more than other children. Arnav as well as Khushi knew that.

"Baby, you had a fever last week"

Cutting him,

"But I'm completely alright now, Papa" she pleaded cutely.

"But, Mumma will get angry if you have ice cream"

"Please please, you console her, Papa"

"You just come home. We will talk in person"

"Ok..." She pouted.

Rana smiled seeing her cute expression. She gave his phone back making a sad face.

"You just get Mumma's permission. I will surely get you ice cream" Rana tried to console her.

"But she won't permit me to eat ice cream," she said sadly.

"Because she wants you to be fit and fine. How severely did you suffer from fever last week...? That's why Mumma is not permitting you to have ice cream, beta"

"I will eat only one, uncle" she argued.

"Do one thing. Take Papa's help and talk to Mumma"

"Mmm" she looked outside through the window.

Rana nodded no smiling and continued driving.

RM

When Aashi came home, Khushi lifted her in her arms and kissed her.

"Do you know what I have prepared for you?" Khushi asked excitedly.

"What?" Aashi asked with disinterest.

"Jelabi..."

"Mumma, it's your favorite sweet. If you want to eat it, you can eat. Why do you say you make it for me?" She asked.

Khushi was stunned. What happened to Aashi? Why did she look upset?

"What happened beta? Does anyone annoy you?"

She nodded yes.

"Who? "

She pointed at Khushi raising her finger.

"Me? What do I do?"

"You stopped me from eating ice cream"

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"This is why you are upset?"

Aashi nodded yes.

"Why do I stop you from eating ice cream?"

"I had a fever," She said in a feeble tone.

"Do you want to suffer from fever again?"

Aashi said nothing but pouted.

"Do you think Mumma is doing this to snatch your happiness?"

She nodded no.

"You suffered a lot in fever. You became weak. Do you want it to happen again?"

"Only one ice cream won't harm me, Mumma"

"Oh really? When did you complete MBBS that you are talking like a doctor?"

Aashi pouted again. That's when they heard,

"Then we will ask our doctor a succession."

Aashi smiled seeing Arnav whereas Khushi sighed.

"What say? You both should accept the doctor's suggestion. And that's final. Ok?" Arnav said.

The mother and the daughter nodded ok.

Removing his phone, Arnav called the doctor.

"Hello doctor, this is Arnav Singh Raizada speaking"

"......."

"Is Aashi alright?" He turned the speaker on.

"Yeah, she is alright now"

Aashi's face literally lit.

"Is she allowed to eat ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" The doctor paused which made Aashi's face sad.

"Ok... Only one ice cream can be allowed. She should not think of ice cream for next one week" the doctor said.

"You mean, one ice cream per week, right doctor?"

"Yes, not more than that. When she eats ice cream, make sure that she drinks Turmeric pepper milk that day-night "

"Oh, sure doctor. Thank you " Arnav disconnected the call and looked at them.

Both Khushi and Aashi were in different states.

Though Khushi was not fine with ice cream she was relieved thinking about Turmeric pepper milk. Though Aashi was happy about having ice cream she was horror-struck about turmeric pepper milk.

"Turmeric pepper milk?" Aashi asked miserably.

"Of course, baby. If you want ice cream, you should drink milk with turmeric and pepper" Arnav.

"Yes. You have to drink. Didn't we say we would accept the doctor's suggestion?" Asked Khushi.

"Ok..." She said in a feeble tone.

"Let's go to the ice cream shop," Arnav said.

Aashi rushed to him hoping.

Khushi smiled seeing them going. Her smile vanished as something stroked her mind. The doctor Arnav talked to was an allopathy doctor. How does she suggest turmeric milk for Aashi?

She called the doctor.

"This is Khushi Singh Raizada"

"Hello Mrs. Raizada..."

"Thank you for suggesting turmeric pepper milk for Aashi, Doctor"

The doctor was silent.

"I'm glad being an allopathy doctor, you have been understood the importance of home remedies," Khushi said.

"Yeah..."

"I'm going to tell my friends about what you suggest. I'm a daughter of an Ayurveda Doctor you know. I know Allopathy medicine cannot work with the help of our traditional medicine. At last, you too understood that"

"Sorry, Mrs. Raizada... it was not me who suggested that but Mr. Raizada"

"Is it?" Khushi asked as if she didn't know that.

"Yes, he said, then only you will let Aashi eat the ice cream"

"Oh..."

"In fact, Aashi is alright now..." The doctor said.

"But, she gets cold easily"

"We can check her up if needed"

"Oh...ok Doctor. Thank you" Khushi disconnected the call.

She waited for Arnav and Aashi.

After half an hour, they came home. Khushi acted like she knows nothing. Aashi looked so happy and Arnav was so satisfied. They had dinner with family as usual.

"Shyam Bhai, how is your knee pain now?" Khushi asked.

"I'm cent percent alright Khushi. I had a talk with Babuji this evening. He asked me to stop the medicine"

Khushi nodded ok.

"Everyone in Raizada Mansion became your father's patient," Manorama said.

"Not everyone Mamiji...Except, Aashi..." Khushi said looking at Aashi.

"Mumma, Nanu's medicines are so bitter you know," Aashi said making face.

"But, you will get cured completely beta," Nani said.

Aashi looked at Arnav miserably.

"You know what Nani... Even her doctor suggested drinking turmeric and pepper milk to get rid of cold." Khushi said.

"Really?"

"Yes, Nani... these Papa and beti won't listen to us but only their allopathy doctor," Khushi said sarcastically.

"Oh... so, Aashi is going to drink turmeric pepper milk tonight?" Anjali asked teasingly.

Aashi nodded yes pouting.

"you go to your room. I will bring you milk" Khushi said.

Aashi looked at Arnav pleadingly.

"Khushi, I will take her milk," Arnav said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup"

"Ok..." She shrugged her shoulders off.

Aashi went to her room. Khushi prepared the milk and handed it to Arnav. Arnav saw its color and frowned.

"Khushi, how much did you add pepper?"

"Why Arnavji?"

"Its color is very light. It seems you added a very little amount of pepper..."

"Aashi is a kid... she can't stand a strong taste of pepper"

Arnav nodded yes and went to Aashi's room. Aashi saw him bringing milk.

"Papa, papa, I don't want to drink this," she asked, clutching his chin pleadingly.

"No beta, you have to..."

"But, it would be hot"

"Of course, the ice cream tasted chill and you enjoyed it. Now, you have to drink the hot tasted milk to protect yourself."

Aashi pouted cutely.

"Beta, listen, we can't taste only sweets and chilling ice cream in our life. Life is a mixture of happiness as well as pain. We should learn to manage them equally. Then only we can get succeeded"

Aashi took the milk glass in her hand nodding ok. She drank it. Her face lit.

"Papa, this tastes good"

"Really?"

"Yes..." She drank it in a go.

"I thought Mumma would have been added a lot of pepper but she didn't..." she said smilingly.

"What do you think? She cares for you. That's why she didn't allow you to have ice cream. She doesn't want you to suffer from fever again. she loves you so much. More than you, she feels the pain if you fall in ill. You are an understanding girl but forget everything when it comes to ice cream. That's why I didn't deny you when you wanted it" he smiled.

"I'm sorry..." she pouted.

"That's ok... go to sleep"

"Good night papa" She kissed his cheek.

Arnav came out of the room switching the lights off. When he came out of the room, he felt a clutch on his hand. He saw Khushi with a smile.

"Finished lecturing to your daughter?"

"She is a kid... she will listen to us only if we advise after giving what she wanted"

"That's why did you ask the doctor to tell her to have milk?"

"How do you know?" he asked wondering.

"I called the doctor"

"Aashi wanted to have ice cream...I wanted to protect her... that's why..."

"I know... that's why I mixed an Ayurveda medicine in the milk instead of pepper"

Arnav looked at her unbelievably.

"Was not that pepper?"

"No... her Nanu specially prepared a medicine for her with a good taste."

"He saved us" he chuckled.

They came to their room and closed the door.

"I like what you advise Aashi"

Arnav smiled.

"You are so understanding. You have patience, Arnavji"

"This is how we should lead our life. Aashi is too small to even understand things. We have the responsibility to make her understand that. But we should not do it forcefully. It should be done in the way she likes. That's what I'm doing. This is the secret of life. If we understand the secret our life will have Royal happiness"

"I understand the ROYAL SECRET" Khushi smiled, leaning on his chest.

Arnav cuddled her in his arms with an adorable smile.

THE END.