Satataharitam - Short Stories On Narayana

I Missed You, Maa

Kaushalya sees him slowly sinking into the couch across from her into a half lying down position. Her ever sophisticated son only does that when he's exhausted, and she can see it in his small eyes that he is.

She doesn't say much, only smiles at him and pats on the part of the bed next to her. She's reminded of how she would do it with her then little Rama, and he would come rushing to her and jump onto her lap instead. That was his safest place.

She sees him slip to the ground from the couch like he did as a little boy. She loves this boy of hers so much.

He stands up on his feet with much effort, and falls face first on the bed. Kaushalya laughs. So uncharacteristic of the adult Rama she knows!

But one thing is unchanged. Through everything he's seen, he's still her same little child. He places his head on her lap and looks up at her, flashing a toothy smile.

She places her gentle fingers on his damp hair, and he scrunches his face in annoyance. Kaushalya rolls her eyes. Typical.

This man wants the fluffy hair after that hairwash but hates when it's damp before the desired outcome. The nakhrebaazi!

Nevertheless, she runs her fingers through them, seemingly also relieving him of the burden of the eldest that's been on his shoulders for years.

"I missed you, Maa."
His eyelids are heavy, sleep wanting to engulf him the way it did when his mother sang him lullabies.

She holds one of his limp hands with one of hers, pats him with the other, and hums a lullaby as softly as she can.

Rama can feel goosebumps. It's still the same melody. It's still the same beauty. It's still just as comforting, if not even more.

The words that were just fillers in the music earlier now seem to make so much sense. It's as if it's personalised. It's as if she's reassuring him of her protection around him at all times.

She sings what would roughly translate to "I'm forever with you, my darling son."

He holds her hand tighter.

He knows it's a lie.

But he plays along for a moment and smiles.

She traces a finger along his perfect hairline and his eyes gradually droop shut. He sleeps like the baby he feels like when with his mother.

She always makes him feel so special. Like the emperor of the three worlds, but with the blessing of having such comfort.

×××××

A/N: Looong overdue Kaushalya Rama chapter. Wonder if I've written something similar in tIP? Have I?

I like writing shorts :')
Takes me ten fifteen mins at times and I'm done!

Anyway-

Ok bye 🤓