The Inseparable Princes

119.

"So... Special seats for 6 + 3, right Prince?"

"Yes." said Lakshmana. "Please get everything set up in a couple hours. That's all the time we have."

The man who was in-charge of arranging for the seats, nodded and left. "Seats, Laksh?" asked Bharata, coming to the same place after the man had gone.

"I've told the guy. But I'm realising only now... We're a family of...eleven? That's big, no?"

"We should've been a bigger family." replied Bharata, smiling sadly. "One member's missing."

Lakshmana raised his brows. "Looks like you're missing him."

Bharata shrugged. "Well, I am. He wanted this coronation more badly than even we probably do. Pa always wanted to see Bhaiya on the throne."

"But I've never seen you 'miss' anyone except Ram Bhaiya-"

"You don't see people missing others, Laksh. That's nonsense."

"It's not. I've seen you miss Bhaiya. Like, for real. Never Pa, though."

"It's probably because you weren't even there when I was possibly missing our dad?"

"Okay, Bharat, let's get to work... This conversation is taking us nowhere."

Bharata grumbled something, but left the place and got to work anyway. Lakshmana, however, couldn't stop thinking about the void that was there in place of his father now. It was his Bhaiya's coronation, and his father wasn't there. The magnitude of the loss was only starting to sink in at that point, because of how accustomed he had become to living without the people he loved and was loved by. He was only starting to realise what a hard time they'd have if they thought about their father during the coronation itself. Because everyone knew that it had been Dasharatha's most sincere wish to see his eldest son bless the throne of Ayodhya by ruling Kosala.

★★★

"I'm sorry I'm bringing this up, but don't you all think we should do something to ensure Pa's presence is felt at the coronation?"

Everybody except Sita and Rama - who had gone for a temple visit that was required before the coronation - was present. And this request, of sorts, from Lakshmana, stunned everyone. Nobody had actually thought of this, despite their realisation that Dasharatha had left a huge void behind him.

"Just ensure Ram doesn't end up breaking down at his coronation though... He'll already be brimming with so many emotions, and I'm sure he'll be missing his dad a lot." said Kaushalya. Lakshmana made an expression, as if asking his mother, "Are you serious?"
"Well, think about it. It's actually possible, Laksh. Ram associates the sabha with his father, his coronation will inevitably be associated with his father by him, he associates himself to his father, obviously, and you know how much he misses him... So..."

"But what if making him feel his presence will ease Bhaiya a little?" asked Mandavi. "I don't know, honestly, but sometimes, people take momentary comfort fron such things."

"But when that momentary comfort is over, there will be some pain. We don't want Bhaiya to experience that tomorrow." said Shrutakeerti. "Look, I see what Laksh Bhaiya is saying. Pa is not just an indispensable part of our family and Ram Bhaiya, but he's also one of the greatest emperors of Kosala, and the people of Kosala hold him in high esteem even today. And we all know how much Bhaiya respects and loves Pa as well. But how will we have Pa around when he's not meant to be? And how do we do it, while keeping in mind that Ram Bhaiya shouldn't tear up from sorrow upon thinking about Pa?"