The Inseparable Princes

73. Off To Lanka

While everybody was still sleeping, just before the break of dawn, Rama and Lakshmana hadn't done that for the past few hours. They weren't even trying or pretending to sleep. They were just sitting next to each other, not even talking. It seemed like they were both lost in thought completely. And for anybody else, it would have been awkward, or uncomfortable, perhaps, to sit together with somebody, silently for hours together. But those two men seemed to know that the silence was all they needed.

Finally, after hours and hours of it, Rama decided to shatter it. "Laksh," he began, and Lakshmana hummed, still appearing very determinedly lost. "Look here, will you? What have you been wondering about for so long?"

Lakshmana turned around to his brother, head tilted tentatively. "How long do you think it's going to take us to reach Lanka? We need to do it as quickly as we can! We should've left as soon as Hanuman and everybody else returned!" he said disappointedly. Rama chuckled a little.

"Your innocence is unparalleled, I have to admit!" he commented, as Lakshmana scowled at him and Rama chuckled again. "They came back yesterday after so long, didn't they? A night's rest is the least they can ask for. They deserve some time off after what they've achieved, although I do know that you, and even I, wanted to leave right away. Anyway, we are leaving in a few hours, aren't we?" said Rama, and Lakshmana nodded thoughtfully. "Also, Mr. Owl, why haven't you slept?" he asked and Lakshmana got up, hands on his hips, and Rama looked up at him innocently, and looked back down.

"So I see that you are talking in your sleep?" said Lakshmana.

"Okay, we have had such arguments too many times in our life. I don't require a repeat telecast." said Rama resignedly. "I mean, you haven't been an owl since birth, but living with a man who has transformed himself into an owl in the span of fourteen years has made me an owl as well!" Lakshmana stared at him accusingly.

"So it's my fault that you don't sleep?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" said Rama firmly.

"Yeah, well, I mean if I hadn't done what I have done, then you would be sleeping, you know, in Panchavati..." he trailed off and plopped back down on the ground. Rama sighed. His brother, when he said he was never going to forgive himself, he meant those words very strongly.

"When are you going to stop blaming yourself?" asked Rama, grabbing his arm.

"I'm just stating facts! I'm not blaming myself. The point is, I know that I can't do anything by being miserable. We need to pick ourselves up, don't we, and move on." said Lakshmana, smiling a little, and Rama stared at him, awed.

"Woah, when did you grow up, Laksh?" he asked softly, and Lakshmana shook his head.

"You sound like Kaushalya Maa!" he said, rolling his eyes playfully. "You're just a day, a teeny weeny day older than me, okay? You're talking like I'm ten years younger than you!" chided Lakshmana playfully, and Rama laughed, pulling his little brother closer to him, as he almost choked in the tight squeeze.

★★★

All the monkeys, raring to help Rama retrieve his wife, stood in troops and troops, chattering things that were incomprehensible for anybody who had to hear all of them talking at the same time. Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva, Angada, Hanuman, and Jambavan stood in front of the entire population of Vanaras, facing them. Sugreeva and Rama were discussing certain things about how they would plan their attack and other things, just vaguely, in case Ravana had taken them seriously at all and sent people to battle them or something. Hanuman and Angada looked really excited to go ahead and finally be a part of the main thing - rescuing Maa Sita from the stupid demon. Lakshmana seemed very happy too, but he tried his best not to express it on the outside. Emotions must be set aside during battles; his father always said that. Jambavan was the hardest to read. He had so much fur, like a grizzly, although he was a sloth bear (not discriminating! Sloth bears have a lot of fur too, okay?), that it became really hard to read his expressions and understand him. He always looked like he had that look of disapproval. It was difficult indeed.