Samraagi

“Empress …Khushi?”

“Yes, prince! After you fell unconscious,  Rajkumari Tarini was crowned as the Empress to take care of the kingdom…” Said a minister happily.

“I request everyone leave this room. I wish to talk to the Empress, alone.” said Arnav curtly.

Nodding, everyone except Tarini left the hall. Tarini blushed vigorously thinking that Arnav wanted to appreciate her and speak romantically to her - some private stuff.

“So, Khushi! Excuse my forgetfulness, I must call you Empress now, right? How do you feel being the Empress?” Arnav said in a sarcastic  tune.

" What are you saying? Why are you calling me 'Empress'? You called me Khushi na? You yourself had decided to call me that. Did you forget that? Should I remind you?” Tarini joked with a smile, not grasping the sarcasm in his tone.

“Khushi, my foot!” he stood up and broke a bottle of medicine with his hand. Tarini looked scared and moved a few steps back on seeing his anger.

“I had never expected you to be such an opportunist! I thought you loved me but you here were taking advantage of the situations!” Arnnav scoffed.

“What did I do? What are you blaming me of?” Tarini said tearfully.

“Really? You are going to pretend like if you don't know what I am talking about now?" he scoffed. “You took over the kingdom without me!”

She went and held his shoulders softly “I did all of this for you so that...”

“So that you could achieve your  ambition no matter  whether I survive or not!”Arnav shoved off her hands from his shoulders .

“What are you saying! Can you even hear your ghastly words?”she said disbelievingly.

“The truth, Khushi! You did this all to become the empress! I thought you wanted to walk hand in hand with me, that you will be by my side forever. But no! What a fool I was to think so? You wanted to be 7 steps ahead of me!”

“ No! Please don't say such things!Understand me, please! I am saying the truth, I did this all for you only. In fact, it was me who saved you.” Tarini cried.

“Thank you, Empress, for your favour. I might not be able to take the weight of your favours on my shoulders.” Arnav angrily spoke.

Both his and Tarini’s eyes were filled with tears. Her tears were  of agony, of being victimised by the flame of misunderstanding.

His tears of were of agony, of being  not able to trust the person who currently was the closest to his heart.

“I thought you loved me, I thought you wanted to stay with me. I thought we both had perfect understanding. I thought we were more than friends for we have walked more than 7 steps together and would walk miles together in the rest of our lives. I thought you were my better half …my soulmate as it is said.
But the truth is you are an opportunist, who took the advantage of her husband to be half dead to ascend the throne and fulfil the dream of her being the oh so great Empress without an Emperor!”

“ This is not the truth!” Tarini screamed.

“Oh really? Then answer me, Tarini, are you not the empress ?”

Tarinii stood silent, noticing that he had referred to her using her real name.

“Answer me!”

“ I am the Empress...” She meekly spoke.

“You possess the authorities which my father held?”

“Yes.” she sobbed.

“Am I your husband?”

She looked at him wide eyed.

“ What sort of a question is this?”

“I asked, am I your husband?”

“Yes, with the almighty as witness to the making of our bond.”

“Are you my wife?”

“Yes!” she cried.

“Am I the emperor? Was my coronation ever performed?”

She shuddered at this. His coronation had never taken place, he was not the emperor! In haste, the people had not got him coronated. Anjali had just given  his sword to her, saying that she would rule on his behalf.

“Am I the emperor of the country Aaranya?”

“No...”she sobbed

“ According to the customs of this place, our nuptial vows and the holy scriptures, we both are equal halves of a whole eternal soul, right? Then how did this happen that one of us has all the power, while the other doesn’t have any?  You didn’t take up the crown on behalf of me, you took it up as an individual who had married me. You did this because you wanted to be the Empress but not as my wife but on your own! You weren't walking hand in hand with me You went way ahead, Tarinii, way ahead! In fact away from me.”

Arnav scoffed and left the room angrily. Betrayal was the only word playing in his mind.

Tarinii cried her heart out. So, this what the sage meant by an empress without an emperor!

Once again, she was a victim of politics.

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

“What happened? Why do you seem so disturbed?” asked Akash as he saw Arnav sitting on the bed holding his head. He was quite stressed out after shouting on Tarini. He felt bad for doing so but he was really hurt by the news he recieved as soon as he woke up.

He wasn’t upset that she took over the powers. He was sad as he thought she did this all selfishly because she wanted to be the empress.

She could have taken care of the kingdom without ascending the throne also. It was her greed for the throne and not love for the kingdom that made her do this. She took advantage of the situation like a bloody opportunist! I better not think of her anymore. She loves the throne, not me.

“Nothing, Akash. Tell me the status of our kingdom...No, first tell me how is Rajkumari Sayantani. She is fine, right? I don't know how she would have reacted to Shyam's betrayal to our father…”he said sadly.

“You just woke up from your state and you have already started worrying about the  kingdom? Take some rest!” Aman said.
“ Shyam is dead, Arnav. He died that day itself. The Empress had attacked him to prevent him from reaching you but he had been successful in hurting you by that time. However, her attack didn't go useless, he died on the spot."

"We have performed his final rites. Rajkumari Sayantani is fine. I do not think she is upset with what  happened. She thinks that whatever  happened, happened for her own good.”said Akash .

“I think she should go back to her father’s kingdom. She shall feel better then.” Arnav said with concern.

“I too suggested her the same, but she wanted to be here to support Bhabhi.” said Akash.

“Since when did she start talking to you. Till I knew, she shared her woes only with Arnav and Anjali didi...”asked Aman.

“ Nothing much, we recently became friends. So she...” Akash hesitated.

“Alright! Aman, stop your investigation about Akash and send a notice to Suryapura. Their king is dead, so it shall come under our territory.” said Arnav.

“Fine then I shall send an official notice to Suryapura as soon as possible.” Aman said as he left the room.

“Arnav, now that you are fine, I suggest that you ascend the throne as soon as you can.  The Empress seemed quite scared with everything that had happened today. Although, she handled the affairs quite well but the world won't accept Aaranya as strong with a female leader. Although, I think that is the point where the whole world is wrong, this is no time to fight the world," suggested Akash.

“Start the military training and arrange the coronation. Go!” Arnav said closing his eyes.

Khushkhabri (good news)

Tarini fell to the floor, her skirt spread down, her eyes dripping tears, her chest heaving shallow breaths, her mouth letting out silent sobs. She believed she had messed up everything quite a lot. She found her self guilt to be traumatising to an unprecedented extent.

But then she stood up straight.
May he say anything but he couldn't deny that he also somewhere sometime must have loved her. He could never deny that she was his wife.

A servant had informed her about the coronation which going to take place in about an hour. She wiped her tears. She had to get ready to perform her duties as his first queen. She wore the customary red and green saree signifying her position as the kingdom's most important woman. She gazed at the emeralds shining in her bracelet and her crown, reminding her of the rich status of being a noble woman that this kingdom had bestowed on her.

As she forwarded her hand towards the ground to wear her crown, Arnav's words rang sharply in her ears

I thought you were my better half ...my soulmate as it has been said in the scriptures. But the truth is you are an opportunist who took the advantage of her husband to be half dead to ascend the throne and fulfil her dream of  being the 'oh so great empress without an emperor'!

She threw the crown in disgust. What was the benefit of having a crown jewel when whom she took it up for has mistaken the purpose she accepted it for? But as it was about to fall she caught it.

She looked at the sacred jewel with reverence in her eyes.  This is not to be disrespected like this, especially not for the person who has disrespected it like this.

She was disappointed in Arnav for misunderstanding her to such an extent. She had thought that he was different from the many men of this world. Sadly, what she thought was false!

I don't owe him any explanation, let him think what he wants to. If he thinks so low of me, then this is the only way to keep the self esteem of Aaranya's Empress.

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

A royal procession arrived at the royal palace of Aaranya. Vikram singh Rane, the emperor of Raigad state descended from his beautifully decorated elephant. A palanquin opened and Anjali came out of it in her regal attire. They had come to witness Arnav's coronation. Arnav came forward to greet Vikram and Anjali.

Anjali cupped her brother's cheeks with tears in her eyes.
"Please don't cry!" Arnav softly wiped her tears.

"No, Arnav! Let me cry today! My eyes were paining to see you awake. These tears of happiness today are soothing them," she smiled pulling him into another hug.

Sayantani came forward and hugged Anjali.

"How are you now, dear?" Sayantani asked Anjali.

"I am very fine. I am glad you didn't go anywhere! I have lots of stuff to talk to you about, Sayantani! By the way where is Tarini... There she is! "Anjali smiled.

Arnav was shocked to see Tarinii coming towards them with an Aarti thaal in her hand. He hadn't expected that after all the mean things he had said to her, she would even show her face to him. Nevertheless he completely ignored her. She felt sad seeing Arnav turning away his face on the sight of her

She came forward and performed the Aarti rituals. She touched Anjali and Vikram 's feet and hugged Anjali.

The women then went to the resting hall to spend some time together while the men proceeded to have a look at the arrangements of the coronation.

"Tarini, it is because of you and only you that I am able to see my brother back in action! Thank you so much for handling everything so nicely!" Anjali smiles "After what Shyam and Maa did, I don't know if you would ever be able to forgive my family, but please!"

Tarini held Anjali 's hands. "No, didi! You are elder to me! Please don't make me feel ashamed by joining your hands in front of me. In fact, I am guilty; I was the one who killed your brother, making Sayantani didi a widow. I had taken the law in my hands and you didn't even allow me to repent my sin." Tarini felt guilt overtake her as she remembered the moment when the royal priest had commanded Sayantani to give up her colourful life, coaxed her to abide by senseless rules.

" Tarini! Dear, how many times have I told you? I am happy, anyhow. Don't be guilty for committing a 'sin' which was actually justice in disguise. He deserved that and I have no problem with any of the rules the priest requested me to abide by. " Sayantani held Tarini and consoled her.

" Have you studied Maths, Tarini? You unintentionally killed my brother but intentionally brought back my other brother to life. I owe Arnav's life to you. I don't think anything else matters here." Anjali lovingly cupped Tarini's cheek.

"How are you now? You had left because you were not feeling well?" Tarini asked showing her concern.

"Yes, I was not feeling well but now I am fine. In fact, I am very happy!" she blushed hard.

"Why?" Sayantani asked inquisitively.

"Woh.. I... Maharaj and I ... this is so difficult to say. Sayantani, you are my friend. You should understand what I am trying to say!" Anjali blushed not being able to explain her situation.

"Oh my god!"Sayantani gasped.
"Is what I am thinking true? I am so happy for you!" Sayantani hugged anjali as she nodded.

Tarini looked on confused. "Will someone please explain me what is happening? Anjali didi, why are you blushing so much?"

" Tarini, you are going to be a Mami very soon! The Raigad empire is soon going to have a heir or a heiress! Anjali is pregnant !" Saynatani ecstatically exclaimed.

"You are going to have a baby!" Tarini exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! The royal fortune teller has predicted that we are going to have a little Rajkumari  playing in my garden. Maharaj is so happy! I wish my Rajkumari grows up to be just as brave and  beautiful as you."Anjali smiled.

Tarini 's smile faded at this. She became sad thinking that she shall probably never get to see her own Rajkumari play in her gardens. It was now that she realised how big her promise was.