The Inseparable Princes

39. Who does?

Disclaimer: Not proofread.

★★★★★

"Raghav? What are you thinking about?" asked Sita, upon seeing a troubled Rama sitting atop a tree, a place where virtually nobody could disturb him. "Why don't you come down so we can speak?"
He didn't reply. He was still lost in thought, before Sita decided to scream a little more loudly. "Raghav, I'm speaking to you!"

"Huh-Yeah? Did you-er-What did you say?" he responded, startled.

"Come down please," she said calmly.

"Oh- um- Yeah sure," he said, before he jumped down and landed on his feet. "Yeah tell me, Sita," he continued, trying to hide his grief with a simple smile.

"You really don't have to mask your feelings in front of me, Ram. What were you thinking about at that time, atop the tree? You even looked ready to fall when I called you. Were you really that startled by my call?" she asked, an eyebrow raised disbelievingly.

"Pitashree," he cried, voice choked. "H-He is no more, Sita. I-I couldn't even meet him once. I wasn't there with him. H-He died because of me!" said Rama accusingly. Sita stared at him, mouth slightly agape in how she almost saw Bharata or Lakshmana in him, when he blamed himself so thoroughly for something he could never be the culprit behind.

"Because of you, Ram? Are you serious? He died because you weren't there, not because you did something. Oh come on," she said, trying to comfort him.

"But-"

"Ram, isn't he always with you, in your heart? Where has he gone? Nowhere, absolutely. He is with you, always, and with all of us, isn't he?" she said, a genuine smile on her face. Looking at her once with the corner of his eye, he broke down into tears, as he slowly sat on one of the boulders.

"I already miss him, Siya," he said, looking down.

"Ram, you're going to be the king of this entire empire, of our Kosala!"

"Really, pa? Will I have to do all that you do?" asked Rama.

"Yes, putra. Obviously, and you'll do everything perfectly well!" said Dasharatha ecstatically.

"But P-Pitashree... What if I fail? What if the public hates me? What if everybody hates me? What if even the ones who love me now, begin to hate me? What if-"

"Oh Ram!" said Dasharatha, picking his son up in his arms. "You'll never fail, Ram. You're perfect! How do you think people can hate someone as sweet as you? It isn't quite possible, Ram! Everybody loves you. And you know what? You'll certainly succeed in being perhaps the greatest ruler of Raghuvansh,"

"I've failed, have I not, Sita?" he asked sorrowfully.

"What? You haven't failed. Why do you think so?"

"I wasn't there for him when he required me the most. I-I was here! What I did was wrong! Absolutely wrong!"

★★★

"I am leaving now, Shatru, but I'm right here. Nandigram isn't that far away," said Bharata. Shatrughna stared at him almost hostilely.

"Why do you suppose I'll come to Nandigram, Bhaiya?" his voice rang loudly in Bharata's ears.

"T-To meet me? Just if you want to- um- you know," he replied sheepishly.

"Shouldn't it be you who comes here, Bhaiya? You're the one who is leaving the family, the responsibility and going to live in Nandigram. Why should we come, no seriously, why should we?" he questioned.