"So, girls, did you all like your respective life partners?" asked Sita in a dramatically, falsely formal tone.
"Of course. Aren't you exactly waiting for this. I know, you just act innocent on the exterior, but otherwise, you're just ever so happy that we're all getting married to random boys who we've met practically like a week or two back!" Mandavi rattled angrily.
"Random boys, sweety? Oh you're so wrong!" Sita said. "You know, Urmila is like best friends with my dear devar," she whispered.
"Didi!!!" screeched Urmila in the highest possible pitch. "What's with you? What do you like so much in your deeeaaaarrr devar?!!"
"He's so respectful and fun-loving, and-" Sita listed out. "You know better, Urmi. Aren't you both the bestest of friends?" she said with a hearty laugh.
"Ram bhaiya is much better than you. Sorry, but this sounds almost traitorous of you, to side with your to-be husband's brother, rather than your very own sister!" she hissed.
"Didi, stop getting so angry. What if we can never be this happy again in our lives after our wedding?" Shrutakeerti pointed out. She wasn't entirely wrong, but her reason was. "What if, in Ayodhya, we're limited and-"
"That won't ever happen, Keerti. You know Rani Kaikeyi? Bharat Bhaiya's mother. She actually fought battles! Which means their kingdom cannot be an oppressive one. And besides, Pitashree and Raja Dasharath are friends, good friends. So much so that he told that he'll keep us like we're his daughters, not daughters-in-law," Urmila explained.
"Hmm," Shrutakeerti wasn't entirely convinced yet. "But still.... I don't want to get married!" she whined.
"Neither do I!" Mandavi said.
"Why?" Shrutakeerti asked.
"God, that Bharat, he doesn't even speak. He came to me and said that his name was Bharat! I mean, come on! I already knew that!" she said. "He doesn't even speak. The other three speak so much more, how is only he this quiet and boring?"
"He, I don't believe, is quiet and boring. He is so nice! I'd love to have an elder brother like him, who would listen to me, unlike you and Urmi, who never ever listen!" she said. "Shatrughna is the one who is basically talking all the time. First he asked if he could climb the mango tree, then he said he felt like eating jackfruit. Then he asked for any melons! Eating all the damn time!"
"He is normal, unlike you, who can starve for twenty years and still be alive! Mangoes don't fill the stomach well enough, at least not for normal people. You say 'Oh, I'm so full' when you eat two slices of a mango, abnormal genius!" Mandavi scowled.
★★★
"I'm hungry!" he announced.
"So am I, Shatru, but that doesn't mean that you scream that out, announcing it to our host's soldiers!" said Lakshmana angrily.
"Hey Shatru, why don't you go and ask Keerti to give you some mangoes or melons or whatever you'd like?" Rama teased. "I'm certain that she won't deny,"
"Bhaiya!!" screamed Lakshmana. "They're right there!" he added in a whisper.
"Pranam Bhaiya," Mandavi and Shrutakeerti said, addressing Rama.
"Pranam, girls. Actually, we're all hungry. The three of us wouldn't mind eating anything you serve to us, but Shatrughna is a little adamant that he wants mangoes and melons," said Rama.
"What? No!" Shatrughna exclaimed in confusion. "When did I ever say that, Bhaiya?"
"I don't need you to tell me everything for me to know," teased Rama with a wink.
YOU ARE READING
The Inseparable Princes
Historical FictionRamayana. An Indian epic that has lived through the centuries and has only grown even more in the process. An epic that shows ideal characters, many of whom we worship, and other characters from whom we learn what we shouldn't be at any cost. But...
