Epilogue 01 Mama Is Mine
Five years later
the Rathore mansion was no longer feared for its silence.
Now it was feared for one tiny chaotic child.
"NO!"
A loud little voice echoed through the hallway.
Immediately followed by
Aaransh Rathore Mehra, age five, stood dramatically on the sofa with tiny crossed arms and furious teary eyes.
Directly opposite him
Ekansh Rathore sat equally offended.
"Excuse me?" Ekansh replied calmly. "She was my wife first."
"She my mama first!"
"That is biologically impossible."
"It true!"
From the kitchen doorway, Aarohi Mehra pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly.
Again.
Every day.
Same battle.
Same emotionally unstable father-son duo.
Vivaan walked past casually eating chips.
"Ah yes. Morning territorial dispute has started."
Aarohi glared.
"You're not helping."
"I tried once. Tiny boss threatened me with dinosaur."
Fair.
Because Aaransh Rathore Mehra was terrifyingly similar to his father.
Same sharp eyes.
Same intense emotions.
Same possessiveness.
Except instead of mafia empires-
his entire world revolved around one woman.
His mother.
Meanwhile Ekansh wasn't any better.
If Aarohi hugged Aaransh too long, Ekansh suddenly appeared nearby.
If she kissed Ekansh first, Aaransh looked personally betrayed.
Competition existed constantly.
One evening Aarohi returned late from the hospital after an emergency surgery.
The second she entered the mansion
thunder attacked her from both sides.
"MAMAAA!"
"Baby."
"Wife."
Aarohi barely had time to breathe before Aaransh attached himself to one leg while Ekansh wrapped an arm around her waist possessively.
Both glaring at each other.
"He hugged first," Aaransh accused immediately.
"I'm her husband."
"I'm her baby."
"I'm her favorite."
Aaransh gasped dramatically.
"MAMAAAA!"
Aarohi burst into helpless laughter.
"You both need therapy."
Ekansh looked offended.
"I already married therapist."
"That explains nothing."
At dinner, things somehow became worse.
Because Aarohi fed Aaransh one bite personally.
Immediately Ekansh looked betrayed.
"She never feeds me like that anymore."
Aarohi blinked slowly.
"You are a grown man."
"I can still feel neglected."
"Mama feed me more," Aaransh announced smugly while staring directly at his father.
Ekansh narrowed his eyes.
Tiny war.
Daily war.
Savita openly enjoyed the drama now.
Rajeev simply stopped reacting years ago.
And Vivaan?
Vivaan documented everything mentally for future blackmail.
Despite the chaos
their family was beautiful.
Soft.
Healing.
Whole.
Ekansh remained terrifying to the outside world.
Still untouchable.
Still powerful.
But at home?
He became softer in ways only Aarohi and Aaransh ever witnessed.
Every night, no matter how late work ended, he returned home for dinner.
Always.
Because once upon a time he ate alone in silence for years.
Now he had family waiting.
One particular rainy evening, Aarohi sat between father and son on the large living room couch while watching a movie.
Correction:
trying to watch.
Because both idiots competed for affection again.
Aaransh lay with his head in Aarohi's lap while Ekansh rested against her shoulder.
Then suddenly
Aaransh glared upward.
"Mama kissing papa too much."
Ekansh smirked instantly.
"Skill issue."
"What skill issue?!"
"You need experience."
"You OLD."
"You literally eat crayons."
"They tasty."
Aarohi laughed so hard tears formed in her eyes.
God.
Her entire heart.
Eventually during the movie, Aaransh fell asleep curled against her side.
Still clutching her hand.
Ekansh watched quietly for a moment.
Then gently brushed hair away from Aaransh's forehead.
The softness in his eyes never failed to affect Aarohi.
"You love him so much," she whispered softly.
Ekansh looked toward his sleeping son silently.
Then toward her.
"You both saved me."
The quiet honesty in his voice still carried the broken eighteen-year-old boy somewhere inside him.
Aarohi immediately held his hand tightly.
"No," she corrected softly. "We loved you."
Silence filled the room warmly afterward.
Rain tapped softly against windows.
Their son slept peacefully between them.
And Ekansh looked around the home once filled with darkness and trauma.
Now filled with laughter.
Tiny shoes.
Toy dinosaurs.
Family pictures.
Love.
Everything he once believed he would never deserve.
Then Aaransh shifted sleepily and suddenly mumbled
"Mama mine..."
Ekansh immediately whispered back
"No. Mine."
Aarohi stared at both of them in disbelief.
Then laughed quietly into the peaceful night.