The Inseparable Princes

49. A Frightened Lakshmana - 2

"Sita! Sita, what's your plan? Tell me!" yelled Rama, as Lakshmana glanced at the couple confusedly for a moment, before shrugging it off.

"Stop yelling!" ordered Sita, pulling him closer to her. "Another deal, Ram. I don't intervene in your plans, you don't intervene in mine,"

"What? That makes no sense!" complained Rama childishly.

"Why? I know how you'll intervened in my plans. You'll do so by telling Laksh exactly what I've told you not to," she said softly, so as to not let Lakshmana hear her.

"So? That's still not-"

"All's fair! This is final, Ram."

★★★

"Bhaiya! Where's Bhabhi? She asked me to get the berries today, and I've done it. Where is she?" yelled Lakshmana at the top of his lungs, as Rama swallowed hard before walking up to his brother.

"She must be somewhere here, Laksh. Look for her," he said guiltily. He never lied. And ideally, he still wasn't lying, because she was right there. In a way in which Lakshmana wouldn't find her.

"I've looked for her for long enough, Bhaiya. I've seen everywhere and she isn't here!" he complained. Rama sighed sadly; sad at his fate that his opponents, that is his family, was always so smart in making him lose the bets, the prank wars and whatnots. But suddenly, he realised that there always was a ray of hope. This time, in the form of his brother. He grinned, before taking his brother's right arm with his own hands.

"Go and look for her! You'll find her! The ray of hope! She'll be there! She has to! Go!" Rama yelled in a wildly ecstatic tone. Lakshmana stared at him, wide eyed. Had his Bhaiya gone---mad?

"Bhaiya, I think you've gone just a little too far, you know. You're feeling alright, right?" asked Lakshmana, only displaying concern, while he was actually quite panicked, apart from wanting to laugh a little at the reaction too.

"No, I meant that you should look for her once more. That's all. And I know what you're thinking, and I shall answer that for you," said Rama, before continuing firmly. "I have not gone mad. Not yet. Not yet,"

★★★

Lakshmana seated himself on a boulder outside their cottage. He hadn't found Bhabhi. The sun had come down, but he hadn't found her. The stars were shining, but hadn't seen her. His mind was going wild. What could've happened to her? Where would she be? Lakshmana was always known for over-thinking. He would just think and think and think until the world ended, but he wouldn't stop until the objective of his over-thinking had been completed. And over-thinking, more often than not, had no objective. That meant that he'd never stop that anyway. This-This was a hard concept, Lakshmana thought and knew. 'Only smart people like myself can understand this! Not just anybody!' he thought to himself.

But wait, if he was smart, then why was he falling for this?
That wasn't the point.

The fear was slowly making its way into Lakshmana's frame of mind. He was starting to feel slightly frightened at his continued over-thinking, which could well be true. He was thinking of the same things that he had thought of when his brother had ended up being "missing" thanks to Ram Bhaiya. But this time it had to be real. His Bhaiya wouldn't be toying with his emotions once again. His brother was and had always been a quick learner. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Or would he?

★★★

"Here you go! Happy now?" said Rama frustratedly, as Sita munched on some little berries.