Epilogue: You are mine and so are they!

"Aryan, Aryan! Listen to me come here!" Tarinii pleaded her son who was busy riding away on Arnav's horse, Veer.

" I shall come only when you promise  that you will not make me read those boring books!" he frowned.

"But that one is a nice book, Aryan! It is literature! Nala - Damyanti is a classic, not boring at all!" she placed her argument.

" Why will you ever find it boring? It is romance after all!" He continued riding the horse in concentric circles round the royal field in super fast speed. He was too fast a horse rider for a twelve year old.

Tarini stared not approving that her son was not a literature enthusiast, unlike her. Instead this one more point of similarity between her arrogant husband and her son!

The previous night, Arnav and Tarinii had an argument about who were their children more like?

Like their mother -the sweet, innocent yet outrageous, feisty and to some extent mad, Empress Tarinii or like their father- the suave, arrogant, brave yet caring and humble Emperor Arnav Singh Raizada.

Aryan didn't like to read the type of books Tarini liked -classics, romance et cetera. Instead he preferred reading laws and  manuscripts. In fact, he would read whatever his father caught hold of to read.

True that Tarinii had also read and studied those manuscripts but  she enjoyed literature more. Is it wrong that she wanted her son to like them too?

Suddenly Arnav came in front of Aryan stopping his path. Veer, being Arnav's horse, immediately stopped and bowed to Arnav. Arnav came forward and smoothed Veer's hair lovingly.

"Prince, you are not supposed to exhaust my horse so. Please get down and stop running away from your mother!"Arnav said in a reprimanding tone. He didn't like anyone upsetting his Khushi, may it be his own son.

"Sorry, father!" Aryan frowned.

Arnav lifted him in his arms and spoke to him."Be a good prince and obey your mother. Do what Khushi is saying! By the way what is she asking you to do?"

" Mother wants me to read boring books like those classics some Nal Damayanti, Abhijan Shakuntalam et cetera." Aryan rolled his eyes.

"Oh!" Arnav said. "Then we better run away before your mother forces me to read them too."

Aryan chuckled while Arnav took him away in his arms inside the palace from the way opposite to where Tarinii was standing.

Looking at this scene Tarini frowned," God knows what planning and plotting goes on between this father-son duo!"

She felt a tug at her dupatta.

"Amma!" Aarushi said clutching Tarini 's dupatta. Khushi bent down and picked up her little seven year old daughter. "I know where they have gone!"

"Who, my princess?" Khushi lovingly pecked Arushi's nose.

"Father and Aryan bhai! They always make your lips go downwards by doing secret-secret talking."Aarushi said animatedly.

Tarinhi pinched Aarushi's cheeks . "So you are spying on me, huh? Then let's go and and spy on them, okay?"

"Yes!" Aarushi screamed in Tarini's ears.

Tarini smiled and took Aarushi with her. She knew Arnav and Aryan would be with their new partner in crime - Aarush, the youngest  Raizada prince
who was the apple of everyone's eyes.

********************

Arnav and Aryan were playing with Aarush and his toy horses and elephants.

"Hmm... I knew you both would be here!" Tarini pouted as she entered Aarush's play room with Aarushi in her arms. " I am very angry with the both of you. You both always ignore me." She put down Aarushi and frowned to Arnav and Aryan.

Aarush took baby steps towards her "Maa, me?" he questioned pointing towards himself.

"No, my little prince! I can't ever be angry with you." she kissed Aarush 's cheek and got a big sloppy kiss on her nose in return from him.

Aarushi and Aryan ran towards Tarinii and hugged her.
"Please don't be angry with us!" Aryan apologized.
" I also want a kiss, Maa!" Aarushi spoke.

Tarinii laughed at that and smirked to Arnav. "See, like I told you, these are my kids more than yours. They love me more than they love you and they are more like me than you." she giggled to him.

"Okay now, my little princess and princes. Go play with your cousins ...Have fun!" She kissed each one of them on their forehead while Arnav watched them with folded hands.

Both Aryan and Aarush nodded and went to play but Aarushi stood there with a frown.

"What happened, princess? Why are you so upset? Don't you want to play with your cousins?" Tarinii asked kneeling to her.

"I am angry. Don't call me princess, I am not a princess!" Aarushi exclaimed.

Arnav and Tarini looked at each other confused. Arnav took Aarushi in his arms and helped Tarini stand up.

"Why, princess? Why do you think you are not a princess? why do you not want us to call you a princess?" he asked her lovingly. He just adored his daughter very much. More than the princess of Aaranya, Aarushi was Arnav's princess.

" I am not princess because I am an Emperor!" she said making an arrogant expression like if she was a great personality, raising her hands up.

Tarinii stared her daughter in awe. This girl is two steps ahead of me.

Arnav smiled hearing Aarushi's beautiful ambition.

"My child, girls become Empresses and boys become Emperors. You are girl so you will become empress like your Maa, right?." Tarinii smiled trying to explain Aarushi.

"But I am Emperor like Papa!"

Arnav chuckled seeing Tarini's attempt to explain their adamant daughter.

" Yes, you are my emperor, Aarushi! I know somebody who once had wished to god to be the Empress and she became so." Arnav smiled to Aarushi looking sideways towards Tarini.

"Really?" Aarushi asked with wide inquisitive eyes. Arnav nodded .

"Who was that?"

" She was a very beautiful princess, just like you." he pinched her tiny button nose.

She came down his arms and ran towards the door.

" I am going to pray to our Mother Goddess. She will make me a greater emperor than you if I am not one now!" she ran outside the room with a wide smile.

Arnav and Tarinii smiled at her antics. "Hmm...True, Khushi
i! Our kids are just like you. They are more yours."

"Your wife is never wrong, my king. After all she is the Empress of Aaranya." she said showing an high and mighty attitude. " Are you feeling bad or scared? Aarushi wants to be a greater Emperor than you!" She teased.

Arnav came and held her from behind her waist, snaking his arms around it. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

" Well for a fact I know she shall be much better than me because she is just like you. But you for a fact are mine so..."He turned her.
" Eventually our children belong more to me, don't they?" he smirked to her as she blushed and nodded a yes.

Arnav smiled contently to her and hugged her. May whomever win in the argument, they both were always together and shall always remain together like they are meant to be.

***************

It was Aryan's 13th birthday and the whole of Aaranya was filled with joy. He was their beloved prince and so was Aarush. There was great pomp and ceremony in the kingdom. A big yajna was going to be held to announce Aryan as the crown prince, the next ruler in line, lest anything happens to the current rulers. When Aarushi and Aarush would be of age they too shall be crowned as the crown princess and prince.

Kings and Queens from far and near had come to witness the ceremony and bless Aryan. Akash was very busy with the arrangements as his son, Akshay was going to be nominated as a cabinet minister. Sayantani was very happy that her son was so intelligent that he had been nominated for such a prestigious post at such a young age.

Aman and Chandini also came to the function with their daughter, Naintara. They were very happy to see Aryan to follow the footsteps of Arnav.

But the most happiest person on earth right now was none other than our protagonist, Tarinii.

Arnav had given her the best gift he could have ever given her.

The gift was a public law that ensured women shall have equal right to ascend any title and position as long as they show that they are worth of the title. The same shall apply to men too.

She was happy that her daughter shall get the opportunity she never got - to prove herself.

Anjali was ecstatic to hear this announcement. Vikram thought of it to be a very good idea and decided to legalize it in his empire too. After all it would be his daughter, Anvi who would ascend the throne after him. Anjali smiled at this thought of his and hugged him.

*****************

Almost 15 years later, Arnav decided to retire from his rule due to some medical ailments and Tarini decided to retire to take care of him for the rest of her life. They had ruled together for almost 30 glorious years. They handed over equal responsibilities from their positions, to all three of their children. Aarushi, Aryan and Aarush became joint rulers of the kingdom, each taking care of their own individual department.

While Aryan took care of the military and foreign affairs, Aarush was the head of trade and economy. Aarushi was in charge to take care of all civilian matters.

Very soon, Aryan got married to Saundarya, the Queen of Jalnagar. He had visited Jalnagar on the pretext of a military expedition where he fell in love with their monarch. Jalnagar had a matriarchal heredity system and so she couldn't leave her kingdom after marriage. Aryan and Saundarya would try to meet each other whenever they were free from their duties. This way neither of them had to leave their cultures or responsibilities.

Aarushi proposed to Surya, the commander of Aaranya's royal army. She had liked him since the time she was a teenager. He accepted her proposal and they decided to get married. Arnav and Tarinii happily blessed their marriage.

Aarush was a true deviant amongst his lot. He had gone against the rule that the first wife of every ruler or member of Royal family must be of noble birth. He married Maitriya, a female warrior of tribal origin. They had met in the same forest where Arush's parents had met many years ago. He fell in love with her at the very first instance that he saw her. Arnav felt like he was seeing a mirror when he saw how dazed Arush was after returning from the forest.

At the last all the three heirs of Aaranya were well settled and happy with their lives.
Maybe the false prophecy was quite true, Tarinhi did bring new prosperity to Aaranya, a change in the mindset of people.

Today Tarini and Arnav's name is written in golden letters in the pages of Aaranya's history as rulers who walked hand in hand in all phases of life...Arnav-Khushi forever.

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