The Inseparable Princes

31. To See My Corpse

"Bharat, it will be. It will be him!"

★★★

"Sumantra Kaka, you've no idea how excited I am!" said Lakshmana, jumping a little every few seconds.

"I know how excited you are, Lakshman! I can see it," said Sumantra, smiling lovingly. He had seen the princes grow up, like they were his very own children, and he loved them like his own. It almost felt to him like it was his son, Rama, who was to get coronated the next morning.

"Oh no you can't!" said Lakshmana, grinning widely. "But anyway, let's get to work now,"

"All the work is done, Rajkumar! You should seriously relax now, you're far too excited for everything," said Sumantra. Excitement, expectations, dreams, desires - when shattered were the most painful. They'd get into your little delicate heart like a shard of vicious glass, and would decide to live there for eternity.

"It's my Ram Bhaiya's coronation, do you expect me to be relaxed and calm? I need to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect. Even the smallest error, and I'd curse myself for life!" he said, while Sumantra laughed at him good-naturedly. "Matas are not going to let me in the Pakshala, so I, obviously, won't be able to manage that stuff! What I've to do is clear. It's mainly the security part of it, isn't it?"

"Absolutely, but you've another thing to do!" said Sumantra, exasperated at the behaviour of his prince.

"And that is?"

"Go and sleep! Give me the instructions, and I'll do the rest, because that is what my job is!" said Sumantra.

"Sure, but you do it all the time, don't you? Just let me do it. Pleeeeeaaaaaaaaaaasssssseeeeeeeee? The decoration of the palace hasn't been done yet. Not enough flower streamers, yet, Kaka! Please!" he said, making his most perfect puppy eyes.

"Whatever, Lakshman! I'll tell your Ram Bhaiya tomorrow, that you were doing this tonight. Then you see,"

"You're behaving exactly like Pitashree! It's okay, relax!" he said while chuckling, as he checked the different coloured flowers garlands placed.

★★★

"Putri, you should understand that Ram isn't your son!" said the hunchback woman, as she, along with Kaikeyi, stood in a dimly lit, bleak looking room.

"What are you saying, Manthara? He is my son! Stop this nonsense of yours!" scowled Kaikeyi, as she picked out her most exquisite jewelry to wear the next day.

"He is Kaushalya's son, not yours, girl! You should understand the difference! You know what will happen after Ram is coronated?" she instigated, her eyes narrowed evilly, as the winds blew fearfully and lightning threatened to burn the world.

"What will happen, Manthara? He'll be King, soon after!" said Kaikeyi irritatedly.

"Exactly! Who is the most important person in a kingdom, Kaikeyi?"

"The king, and that will be my Ram!" she said, her hands clenched together in excitement.

"Kaikeyi, you don't get it, do you? If Ram is the most important person, then what about Bharat?"

"Bharat is really important to Ram, so he'll never lose anything," said Kaikeyi confidently.

"He will lose all the importance. Your Kaushalya didi and Ram will both become indifferent to your very own son, the one to whom you have given birth. You need to understand, Kaikeyi, that all the love is only till power comes in one's hands. If he becomes King, then neither will anybody care for you, nor will they about your very own son, Bharat!" said Manthara evilly, as the clouds of black gathered around, ready to pour out a horrifying amount of rain, along with raging lightning and deafening thunders.