The Broken Prince

Chapter 12 - Half Brother ?

"Mantharaji... What do you mean?"

Manthara examined the surroundings carefully. She has to make sure that no one will overhear her words.

"Tell me... What is the reason?" Asked Lakshman. He was really impatient.

Manthara faced him with a fake smile. Like the other people in the palace, she  also was afraid of Lakshman, the angry one.

"Prince Ram is upset with you because..."

"Because of what?"

"Because you are not his real brother, but you are just his half brother..."

Lakshman glared her with a questioning eyes. He couldn't understand what she meant by saying 'Half brother '.

Manthara sensed his doubt and cleared it. "Prince Lakshman, he is your half brother because he is the son of queen Kausalya and you are the son of queen Sumitra. "

"So what... It makes no difference. I have three mothers not one. " Replied Lakshman.

Manthara sighed in fury.
'It is the problem...'

The queens of Ayodhya were soul sisters. They never hated each other. And each of them consider all the princes as her own son. Manthara tried to make Kaikeyi bothered about it's consequence, but the latter warned her not to repeat that.
So, to save her Bharath's crown she planned something else. And Lakshman was her first priority to make it possible. Because he was the most vulnerable one, in anything related to Ram.

"You are a kid my Prince... That is why you can't understand... Do you think he really loves you?"

"Yes... He loves me the most..." Said Lakshman in an adamant voice. He had no doubt in it.

"No... I am sorry... But no is the truth..."

Lakshman stared her breathlessly. He wished to kill her with his bare hands. But in his deep mind he was slowly becoming weak. Lakshman tried to mask his fear by anger but his eyes were terribly honest.

Manthara smiled.
"If he really loves you, then why did he avoid you... Why did he ask you to get out from his room? "

Lakshman gulped. He had nothing to say.

"That is why I am saying... A half brother is always a half brother... You can't be his real brother, ever..."

Lakshman collapsed on the floor. The word 'half brother ' was revolving around his head.

Lakshman was always possessive for his Ram bhaiya. Sometimes he becomes extremely jealous when his bhaiya shows his affection to any other person. That is why he always tag him self with Ram, he didn't allowed anyone to be that much close with him, even his other two brothers.

"I can't lose him... I can't..." He cried covering his face.

Manthara waited for him to feel that fear. She wished to convert his love to hate. Because if Lakshman is with him, Ram is definitely beyond her targets.

"Prince Lakshman... You usually say that your Ram bhaiya need no words to understand your mind... If he can then why doesn't he?"

Manthara's questions were like arrows and he had no shield.

"I request you to be close with Shatrughan... He is your only real brother..."

"I love him... I don't know anything else, but I love him..." Said Lakshman... He couldn't breath. It was like moving into the great depth of Sarayu... What is the purpose of life if he is not with his bhaiya...

"I think he is not worthy for your love..."
Said Manthara.

"No...he is... But I am unworthy... I am unworthy to be his brother..."

Manthara suppressed her evil grin. That was the answer... That was the answer for which she planned this game.

"If you think so then why are you trying to be close with him? If he doesn't want his half brother to be close with him, then why are you trying to hurt his wishes?"

"I won't hurt his wishes. I love him... I can't hurt him in anyway..."
Told Lakshman wiping his tears. He acted as brave... He didn't want to show his broken heart to the world.

"Then move away from him. Just move away..."

"Yes I will."

Lakshman stood up with a determined face. At that moment,for first time in his entire life, Lakshman wished to embrace death...

  .....................

Precap :

"I can't... I can't live without him... Why doesn't he understand...What made him hate his Ram bhaiya..."

Ram cried sitting in his room... He was alone...

................

"We have only two mangos... Let me divide them. I will give each half for each of you..." Said Kausalya and started  to cut the mangos.

Lakshman suddenly ran from there.

"I hate it... I hate the word Half..."

...............

Ram smashed his opponent's wooden sword with his real metal one.

"Lakshman raise your head..."

Lakshman glared at the ground.

"Lakshman I said look at me..."
Ram roared...