The Inseparable Princes

43. Time - 2

"Why don't you tell me a story now, Sita?" said Rama.

"Ah! This was a few years before our weddings,"

(Flashback)

"Didi! Didi, where did you just leave me and run off?" squeaked Urmila, as Sita turned around, hands placed on her hips and eyebrows raised.

"Yes ma'am? You want me to stick to you all the time? Urmi, Maa had called me! Don't act like a baby," said Sita, rolling her eyes, as Urmila pouted.

"But didi, I can't stay away from you! That, I certainly cannot do that!"

"Okay, whatever, Urmi. Come along with me everywhere?" said Sita.

"Urmila, the shadow! That should be the title of some multi-book series. And each book should have a long drawn tale about how Urmi can only tag around, behind Sita," commented Mandavi, before bursting out into laughter.

"You're just jealous, okay? All you do is boss around, after all, you're the older one in you and Keerti! I pity you, Keerti. I have the most understanding, lovely older sibling one could ever ask for, and here she is, your Didi, who is just such an absolute demoness!" said Urmila, while Mandavi rolled her eyes, least affected by the talk.

"Stop fighting, both of you, will you? I don't understand! There is no reason that you both need to fight for!" said Sita resignedly, as Mandavi continued to laugh.

"Well, Didi, you should tell your laadli Urmi to act just a little more matured than she naturally is, because running behind an older sibling is different from being loyal or devoted to them. Devotion is where you actually revere them, you understand them, their decisions-"

"So I do all that, right? You think anybody, ANYBODY AT ALL, could ever understand Sita more than me? No chance!" said Urmila, her eyes indicating that she was openly challenging Mandavi.

"Oh sure, Madame! Nobody possibly can. And I'll tell you what's even harder? Trying to understand you!" said Mandavi, smacking Urmila's head as she turned around to Shrutakeerti, who only laughed at the banter.

"Maan, you're just such a demoness! Like, you only want to trouble everybody around you!" scowled Urmila, eyes narrowed into thin slivers, as Mandavi decided to play a trick.

"You just hate me, don't you? Why don't you just tell me the truth? I know, there isn't anything for anybody to love, in myself, but a little bit of affection from one's sister, I thought that was a right!" said Mandavi, a long-face in action, as Sita simply raised an eyebrow incredulously, while Shrutakeerti, who was standing behind Urmila, thankfully for Mandavi, was on the verge of bursting out into the loudest laughter possible, as she covered her mouth, trying to control it. "Well, Sita, after all, I'm not her own sibling, so I understand her dislike for me-"

"Oh no, Maan! I-I didn't mean that! I was just-just, you know, speaking playfully, but I really really love you! You're my sister as much as Sita. I don't exactly revere you as I do Sita, but that doesn't mean I love yiu any less than her. I don't dislike you, Maan, I really-" Urmila continued to speak but broke off on hearing a literally blaring laughter, and Urmila stared at her confusedly. "Keerti! Oh dear, I think Keerti has, I'm sorry, but looks like she has gone m-mad!" she resumed, and this time, Sita and Mandavi too burst out into laughter if the same sort, and now, Urmila felt that she wasn't in the right place.
"Um... All of you've gone mad! I-I'm in the incorrect place, I suppose! Or, you guys are just some mad people in place of my sisters. Tell me, where are my sisters? Sita never laughs at me like this!"

"Oh my god, Urmi!" was a lite sentence Mandavi managed to say, before she burst out into laughter once again.

"STOP!" yelled Urmila confusedly, as the trio of purplish, laughing sisters finally ceased laughing. "Why were you laughing, you geniuses?"

"Oh god, Urmi! She was just acting, I mean, you fell for her stupid acting? Really?" said Shrutakeerti, before giggling again. Urmila simply looked down in embarrassment, having no other choice.

"Oh enough, guys! Nobody will say anything about my Urmi, now," said Sita, wrapping an arm around Urmila.

"Oh stop, didi! You were laughing too, now don't back off!" said Urmila, looking down, upset.

"I mean, Urmi, that was so funny! The way you fell for it! But fine. I'm sorry, okay?" said Sita, holding her ears in a cross apologetically, as Urmila turned her head away.

"Sorry, meri maa! Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

(Present)

"Hold on, Sita," said Rama, upon noticing Lakshmana. Lakshmana's hands trembled slightly, and Rama could see that the rise and fall of his chest was rapid. "I think-"

"P-Pranam, Bhaiya!" he said, bringing on a plastic smile, as Sita swallowed almost guiltily.

"Laksh, you didn't have to!" murmured Rama, before turning around to get into their cottage disappointedly.

"Didn't have to? What 'didn't have to'?" asked Lakshmana confusedly, as Rama whirled back sharply.

"Lakshman, I know how much you miss Urmila, seriously! Why, god damn it, would you want to stay here, with me?! Your heart is there, Lakshman! Why don't you just return?" said Rama, holding a hand of Lakshmana's.

"Bhaiya, just tell me, even now. An order from you, and I'll leave right away," said Lakshmana, pulling his hand away, as Sita stared at the duo in bafflement, and Rama readily spoke.

"Okay Lakshman. Leave. Right now. Leave," said Rama, as Lakshmana grabbed his brother's feet, seeking blessings, as did he to Sita's, before turning around and walking back. He turned back to catch a glimpse of his revered Ram Bhaiya, and Rama could feel tears filling his own eyes.

Lakshmana walked a fair distance steadily, before he reached a distance and stopped. He turned around once again. His heart was in Ayodhya, yes. He could see every thought of his Ram Bhaiya play before his eyes like it was all recorded into a movie. Rama loved him like nobody else, and he knew that so very well. He felt like a piece of iron that was meant to be attached to the literally magnetic Rama, but now, he was being pulled away from his magnetic field. He felt pained. He actually collapsed, and Rama could still see him very well. He instantly ran towards his brother.

"What's wrong? Idiot, did you trip on something?" asked Rama worriedly.

"All my strengths feel pulled away from me when I go away from you, Bhaiya. I just cannot live without you. You are my soul. I miss Urmila, sure, but I cannot live without you, and I'm certain that you cannot either. I'm sorry, Bhaiya, but I cannot return,"

★★★★★

A/N: Why did I write this? Even God doesn't know! Man, this was bad, like seriously bad! You know, I almost HATE this chapter. This is the worst thing I could've ever written in my life. Or wait. The worst after that weddings chapter, yes! Man, that was so damn horrid!

So, I wrote this because I didn't have any other ideas, but right now, I just got a great idea for the next chapter, so I should go and draft that. But yeah, I'm really sorry that you guys had to go through this torturous chapter, perhaps the a/n is more interesting than the chp itself. And I didn't proofread it, because I don't want to die before I can update this😂

That's all, guys. Thank you for bearing this torture! Byee💖😁