The Compensation

Avsar

Avasar

(OPPORTUNITY)

In the royal court of Aaranya, Emperor Aaryamann sat on the magnificent throne with Mayuri beside him. Arnav sat on a different couch on the right while Shyam too occupied a seat on the right.

Anjali amd her husband, Vikram had left for their kingdom earlier in the morning.

Tarini entered the hall. Small tingling sounds echoed in the hall not of the anklets which she was supposed to be wearing being a princess, but of the chains which bound her wrists and ankles lest she escaped.

The soldiers had a hard time dealing with her as she wouldn't let them bind chains on to her. It was only when she fainted due to dehydration that she was chained. She was facing the ground, her hair unkempt, her eyes swollen due to a sleepless night which she spent crying over her broken vow to save Shashi's life. Her only relief had been when the prince had come to help her.

Arnav was shocked to see her state. In the darkness of the dungeon he had not got to see how tired and tortured she looked. He felt guilty that somewhere he too was responsible for this state of hers.

"The war has ended peacefully,"declared the Royal Minister making the crowd cheer. "It has taught a lesson to all sub kingdoms of Aaranya of what shall be the consequences of betrayal to us.

We have acquainted 10 new kingdoms in our territory and the royal treasury is filled. All the families who lost their members during the war shall get a compensation, may they be Aaranya's soldiers or the enemy kingdom's from the royal treasury of Padmadurg. Members of those families are always welcome for job opportunities in the kingdom. They shall recieve special reservation as an effort to compensate their loss, to which we extend our condolences." The minister read out the scheme they had prepared from the meeting they held, the previous night after Arnav returned from the prison.

"What about me? How will you compensate my loss?" spoke Tarini in a low dangerous tone still facing the ground, her eyes red.

"Your fate now lies in the hands of my son, the Yuvraj (crown prince ) and you dare not revolt, O princess of the fallen Padmadurg or your family shall face worst consequences. Such consequences which you can't even think of in your nightmares.

Your loss was inevitable, your father had done wicked deeds. He is not worthy of your mourning I hope you understand." said Aaryamann in a haughty yet soft tone keeping in mind he was talking to an agonized eighteen year old.

Shyam at once stood up on hearing the first line of Aaryamann's speech but was utterly disappointed when Aaryamann asked Arnav what had he decided as Tarini's fate.

"She shall be my wife, father. Let her late dishonest father's promise be kept so that he gets some place at least in hell if not heaven. She shall be the younger Kulvadhu of Raizada dynasty." Arnav rose from his seat.

"No! You expect me to marry you after what you did to my father!" Tarini widened her eyes and spoke aloud. The soldiers tugged on to her chains and pulled her back as she angrily tried to move ahead.
"Oh! So is this why you helped me last night? I don't need your cursed sympathy!" She roared. She felt heartbroken thinking that Arnav had been pitiful to her and not empathetic like she had thought.

"Stay in your limits, princess. Dare you talk to my son in that tone. Your fate is sealed. You are on the list of the compensation to be sent by Padmadurg. For now we are sending you back to your kingdom but remember,
you need to be back here within 3 days with all the treasury of your palace. This is not a request, it is an order which you shall obey if you care the smallest bit for your family." shouted Aaryamann.