21 Years Later

"...why did you ? You shouldn't have come back ever maa, he didn't deserve you." Maheen said as she lay her head in her mother's lap.

"He didn't, I agree." Meera caressed her daughters thick brown mane. "But your brother didn't deserve it too, no child should grow up without a father or a mother." She said trying to reason with the Mughal Princess.

"And if I didn't let your father into our lives again, didn't forgive him, I wouldn't have you, I wouldn't have this family and I'd trade nothing for this." She said kissing Maheen's forehead.

"I cannot forget what he did to me, what he made me go through. His words still echo through these walls, but my darling, I think I loved him more than I have loved anyone, I love him more than my life and I would have died without him." Meera said her eyes moistened.

"Life is all about tough choices Maheen, I had to choose between a horrendous past which I would have to relive everyday had I chosen stay back or one moment of bravery, a moment to forgive your father, and I chose the latter."

"He doesn't deserve it, he tortured you, I can not believe Baba could do something like this." Maheen said breaking into sobs.

"Hey..hey my little bird, don't forget we are humans, and galtiya sab se hoti hai (everyone makes a mistake)."

"Maa ye galti nahi gunha tha (this was a sin not a mistake)."

"My love, do not think much about it alright, he is your father, he loved you and he loves me. Shayad tum abhi na samaj pao, jab tumhe pyar hoga meri jaan tab shayad samjho (you won't get this today, maybe when you someday fall in love you'll realise) that love gives you a lot of strength, the power to forgive and move on." Meera explain to her daughter lovingly.

"God maa, I don't understand you and Baba honestly. By the way when is Mrunal coming, bhai is so restless since the day he came to know that chote Mamu and Mami sa are bring Mrunal to Agra too, he is more excited to see Mrunal than for his coronation."

"Of course he loves her as much as he loves you, she is his best friend and his human diary." Meera chucked. "I can't wait for Hania to come home." Meera said excitedly.

"Some might think Hania mami is your blood and not Mamu sa, considering you are more excited to meet her than your own brother." Maheen said chuckling. "But now I understand why."

"Maheen, your Baba and I had a rough patch in our lives, but otherwise we have been in love for 26 years and we are so in love."

"Eww don't give me those love sick puppy eyes, I'm going to go from here now, Gehna must be here." Maheen said getting up from her mother's lap and ran towards the door to meet her best friend.

"Sambhal kar shehzadi sahiba." Jamila said entering the chamber as Maheen rushed out. (Be careful )

"How excited are you ?" Meera asked patting on the bed next to her.

"Very." Jamila smiled sitting down. She took the glass of water kept on the bedside table and gulped it in a go.
"My knees hurt walking all the way from the harem to the south wing of the palace. Kabhi kabhi mujhse milne khud aa jaya karo." Jamila complained rubbing her knees.

After Meera had lodged herself in Ammi Be's room all those years ago, Haider had decided to construct a new section of the palace where Meera and he could have a fresh start along with his kids, no ghost of the past to haunt them or remind them of the horrific mistake he had made.

"Don't complain, I was there just yesterday. You are becoming old Jamila." Meera said teasing her.

"Oh please." Jamila rolled her eyes.
"Now come on, Avantika is waiting with the kids in the courtyard, the rider said that your bother's convoy is just a couple of minutes away."

"Really ? Let's go !"

•••

Meera's older brother Samar had succumbed to the horrors of war, Aaryan just 27 then had taken over the reign, little did everyone know then that the immature, child like Aaryan would be the best king the Rajput's would see. Soon after Samar's wife Anamika too died in childbirth along with the unborn prince, leaving Mrunal orphaned and alone, Hania however took it on herself to raise Mrunal as her own, her first child.

The gates of the palace opened, in came the king of Bundelkhand on his stallion with his son riding behind him.

Quickly dismounting from his horse in two big steps he was next to Meera and the next second holding her close to him.

The death of their brother had brought the two more closer if it was even possible.

"I've missed you Di." He said taking in her warmth.

"And I've missed you my sunshine." Meera said patting his back lovingly. "Leave me, let me at least look at you." She said pulling him from herself and looked at him with loving eyes.

"You have become fat, right in the middle." She teased him, to which he he gasped dramatically.

"You lie, I have not become fat." He shrieked, this playful side of his reserved for his family made bystanders forget he was the ruthless king.

"Cmon, maa. It's my turn now." Maheen said impatiently tapping her foot, waiting to meet her Mamu jaan.

"Oh my doll ." Aaryan said engulfing Maheen in a hug. 'My doll' an endearment he had stolen from his brother.

"My Mamu." Maheen replied just as dramatically as Aaryan and squeezed him as tightly. Maheen had taken on Aaryan's childish personality, and more than being her uncle, Aaryan was her best buddy.

"Of course you forgot me baaji ." Hania's voice made a wide smile grow on Meera's face. She turned around from hugging Sameer, her nephew to see Hania, Mrunal and Rani Maa standing.

"I see, all these years and Aaryan has rubbed his dramatic side on you too." Meera said walking towards her and wrapped her arms around Hania.

"Kaka sa has rubbed on all of us Bua Ji, more on Kaki Maa." Mrunal chuckled, Mrunal looked so similar to Meera that someone could easily mistake Mrunal for Meera's daughter, the same brown eyes, the same milky white complexion.

"Rani maa, Ghani Khamma." Meera greeted her folding her hands.

"How are you my dear ?" Divyanshi said touching her chin lovingly. "Come here." She said giving Meera a quickly hug wrapping her wrinkled frail hands around Meera.

"I'm great Rani Maa, I'm glad you came although the travel-."

"MRUNAL !" Abeer yelled and came towards them like a charging bull.

Abeer was a striking carbon copy of his father, the sharp jaw, the same green eyes, the tall muscular frame, he looked like Haider did 30 years ago.

"Why wasn't I called ?" He said showing his displeasure walking toward Mrunal in big strides. He picked her up and twirled her around making her squeal and other laugh.

"Put me down shortie." Mrunal yelled.

"I'm a good foot taller than you." He said placing her on the floor.

"But I'm older than you." Mrunal said sticking her tongue at him.

"Oh bite me!" Abeer rolled his eyes at her playfully. "Oh who is this pretty lady ?" He said looking at Hania, "you are so pretty, mind if I sent my Ammi to yours to ask your hand in marriage ?"

"Only if I had met you some 25 years ago, before you were born I would have said yes." Hania said hitting him on the shoulder.

"Damn I missed my chance." He said bending down and placing a kiss on Hania's cheek. "Never mind, I see another beautiful lady, my stars might just be aligned." He said winking at her before moving towards Divyanshi.

"Hello beautiful, I heard you are single, wanna -."

"Single and your nani, idhar aao." Divyanshi said pulling Abeer close to her and kissed his forehead holding him close to her. "Come see your grandmother sometimes, I don't know how long I have, I miss you so much." She said, her eyes moistened.

"And I missed you." Abeer said hugging her tightly.

"Chaley ab andar, or do we want to stay outside?" Jamila said holding Hania's hand and dragging her inside.

•••

It was the day of the coronation, Noor was busy pinning Abeer's coronation clothes in place, when Haider entered the chamber.

"How long Noorie ?"

"Bhai get out, honestly. My Abeer should look like a prince, let me just do my job."

"Phupho I should technically look like a king." Abeer said making Mrunal giggle who lay on the bed watching Abeer get ready for his big day.

"Yeh yeh my King." Noor said placing a dot of khol behind his ear to ward off the evil eye.

"Ammi Be would have been so happy today." Noor said as a tear feel from her eyes.

"Cmon phupho, dadi jaan is still watching is from above and she would be so proud of us all." Abeer said enveloping Noor in his embrace.

"Group hug." Mrunal shouted and jumped on Abeer and Noor. "Come in phupha ji." Mrunal said and pulled Haider into the hug too.

"What is wrong with all of you ?" Meera yelled as she walked in with Tahir behind her. "Hadi I sent you to get them to the court not get involved in their childish entices. I should have sent Tahir bhai to get them." Meera said shaking her head in disapproval.

Tahir had been called back to Agra after Maheen's birth. Haider realised that family couldn't be pushed away.

Although things at first seemed to be alright for Noor and Tahir but the mistakes of the past had done an irreplaceable damage.
Noor and Tahir had consensually decided to end their marriage.

Tahir had once again found love and gotten married, Noor however did not gamble with her heart again.

"Now will you move ? The last guest King of Awadh too has arrived with his brother. It's time for you to hustle, Mrunal, Noor come with me." Meera said and walked out of the room.

•••

The crown which was passed on from generations in the Mughal empire rest on the head of the newest king - Abeer Ali Khan, as he sat on the thrown, flower petals showered on him.

Meera stood, next to Haider with tears in her eyes. Haider slipped his hands into hers and squeezed them.
"We did this."

"We made it together."

"I love you." He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"And I love you."

-The End-

AN: this is officially the last of Meera and Haider, but not their last really.
They will continue to live on in our heart right ! Also in the next story.
So I've been getting a lot of request to write more Historical drama and I realised I'm better at historical, so here I am announcing a sequel to The Two Kingdom's

*drum roll*

The Mughal Princess

So this isn't going to be about Abeer and Mrunal, like some of you might think, I'm not even planning to pair them as cousins do not get married in Hinduism.
It's about Maheen, the Mughal princess and her journey to love, the same love her mother lectured her about at the beginning of this chapter.

Anyway I did leave a major hint in this chapter about the new plot/story.

Comment if you have caught on to it, I'll be updating the story randomly like I did with this book based on level on interaction so do read along.

I'll be putting up the first chapter soon so please follow me to know about the updates as I shall be announcing them.

Till then, shower love in the comments and towards my other stories
Stay safe
Lots of love
xoxo