The Inseparable Princes

107. स्वागतम्

Bharata sat before the sandals of his brother, his hands folded, and a smile that he couldn't possibly suppress adorning his face. "You don't know happy I am today, Bhaiya!" he said, scooting closer to the 'padukas'. "The fourteen years are over. You're returning, finally! I'll finally be able to see you on the King's throne. You know that's the only thing I've ever wanted, right?" He chuckled.

"You can hear me, right?" he whispered. "I don't know why I'm talking to your sandals, Bhaiya!" He paused. "Actually, I'm talking to you. Not to your sandals. You can hear me even if I don't say anything! You can see what's in my mind and heart. So-" Bharata put his face in his head. "I think I'm addicted to talking to your figure that's in my mind! What's this supposed to be?"

"Devotion, Bhaiya! It's called Bhakti!" he heard Shrutakeerti's voice from behind, and instantly got up. He was very embarrassed by now, for his little sister had heard him talking to practically nobody.

"Keerti? What are you doing here?" he asked, tilting his head. She smiled.

"I'm here to show you something. Come on!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his humble cottage, dragging him all the way to the more populous parts of the city. Bharata's eyes glowed when he saw the many decorations on the roads. Big, colourful Rangolis, fluffy flower streamers twining around pillars, thousands and thousands of diyas, freshly made sweets and so much more.

"Isn't it beautiful, Bhaiya?" she asked, grinning. Bharata looked at her, his grin wider than any other, as he nodded.

"It's almost as if Kosala had been mourning for fourteen years and has come back to its festive self only with the return of its dear Ram." he said. Shrutakeerti smiled. Despite their thousand attempts to keep each other and the citizens happy, they only got more sorrow, more annoyance from the citizens. For the first time in so many years, she thought she actually liked the behaviour of theirs. "But, Keerti, what if-" Bharata's smile faded, and he shook his head vehemently, fighting against his own thoughts.

"What's wrong, Bhaiya?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"What if he doesn't return?" he asked. Shrutakeerti sighed, somehow going against her urge to smack her forehead.

"Why won't he?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Bharata shrugged.

"How would I know that?"

"Well, you know everything about him. Then why not this?" she argued. He didn't have an answer. "Bhaiya, just stop thinking negatively. There's no reason for him to live away from his brothers, his mothers, us and Ayodhya. He loves us all."

"Keerti, I'll be honest with you." he began dramatically. "You have more sense in your head than any of us. Especially Shatrughna and me. So thank you for that. It truly helps, you know!" Shrutakeerti laughed. "What?"

"You're both impossible!"

★★★

Kaushalya walked out of the kitchen triumphantly, her saree's pallu tucked in as she brought out stacks and stacks of different sweets. Urmila, Mandavi and Shatrughna were welcomed by this sight when they were walking past the corridor.

"Maa!" laughed Shatrughna, grabbing one of the six plates from her hand, before taking another. "What on earth are you doing?" he asked, amused. Urmila and Mandavi took the other four plates in their hands, freeing their mother of any "burden". Kaushalya laughed, wrapping an arm around Shatrughna, making him feel like he was speaking to a Kaushalya he had never known before.

"I'm taking sweets to the temple so we can do the Puja, and then Ram, Sita and Laksh can eat it all up!" she exclaimed, before withdrawing her hand and clapping them both together. Shatrughna saw the Kaushalya Maa he had seen when he was just a young boy. Her irreplaceable smile, her joyous laughter, her excitement at the smallest of things - he loved this form of hers. He had seen all through how the world had turned upside down for her fourteen years back, and how now, that her son was returning, she had so quickly transformed back into her old self. He marveled at how quickly she adjusted herself to happy occassions but always tried to let her know that she needed to keep that smile going even when things weren't going her way.