BORN TO RULE

[Eng] Chapter 26: Parents of Tej Pratap

After the naming ceremony, with Tej in his arms, Arjun was standing in front of the wall where all their ancestors' portraits were hanged.

He was standing in front of his mother's portrait as if talking to her. Tia quietly came and stood beside him. There was silence for a few minutes till he spoke up.

"If Maa-sa was here today, she would have been very happy...." he smiled sadly.

"Wherever she is, she must be watching us and will be very happy."

"Hmm..."

There was silence again.

"I miss her a lot...." his cracked voice broke the silence.

She turned her gaze from the portrait to him and saw his eyes turn glassy. She kept a hand over his shoulder.

"She must be very proud of you. The way you took care of Gayatri, she must have been very proud of you."

"Maybe..." he took a pause before continuing "Gayatri and Tejaswini were very small when that accident happened. Gayatri was immature, it took her very long to realize what tragedy took plave. She had thought that like always Maa-sa must have gone somewhere with Meera-maa, I mean...Tejaswini's mother. And Tejaswini...she literally used to follow Meera-maa like a shadow. She was totally traumatised..."

Tia was intently listening to him but her eyes were stuck on Tej.

"Rani-sa, why did you name him...." he couldn't even finish the question.

"Why did I name him 'Tej'?" just like always she completed his question with a chuckle. "Accidentally Gayatri had blurted out in front of me. And even the meaning of it is so nice. Just like his name, even he has lightened up our lives," she placed a light kiss on his forehead, "And he's my pride, that's why 'Pratap'," she rubbed her nose with the baby's with a huge grin.

A smile automatically curved on his face.

"Rani-sa, tell me...."

"Hmm," she replies lightly caressing Tej's head as he sleeps peacefully in his father's arms.

"I don't understand how do you always know what I am going to say?" he laughed in surprise.

"Maybe....." she acts to be thinking, "Maybe we are soulmates!"

Both bursted out laughing which broke Tej's peaceful sleep.

"Oh so sorry, baby," Tia took him in her arms as he yawned cutely.

"Awww, he yawns so cutely."

"Just like you..." Tia blurted out and immediately bit her tongue.

"Hmm....someome seems to be observing me very closely. Isn't it, baby?" Arjun asks Tej teasing Tia.

Tia blushed.

As they were busy playing with their little bundle of joy, someone cleared their throat. They turned around to find Gayatri, closely followed by her friends.

"Sorry to disturb, newbie parents. But everyone wants to see our little prince charming," teased Gayatri.

One-by-one Reema, Freda and Payal hugged Tia, while Nikhil shook hands with Arjun. Yohan just waved at them from a distance.

"Oh my God, he's so cute!" chirped Payal.

"After all he's my nephew," Gayatri dramatically flicks her hair.

"Ha ha ha! Very funny," says Reema.

"His eyes are so lovely!" exclaims Freda.

"Just like Arjun's," replied Tia with a smile.