The Inseparable Princes

64. The Cave of Wizardry

"Your prediction has been right, Hanuman." said Angada, sighing exhaustedly. "It has been days. So many days. There is no food here, none at all! What do you think we can do now?"

"Move on and on until we find Her. Or until we die." said Jambavan.

"We choose the former, don't we, Yuvraj?" said the ever optimistic Hanuman. Angada nodded unsurely.

"I am afraid, however, Hanuman, that we might not be too far from the day we see the latter too!" said Angada, and practically, it was right.

"Oh come on, Yuvraj! Stop being so pessimistic!" said Nala, rolling his eyes.

"I am only being realistic, Nal, please! Don't add on to the troubles by talking nonsense now." said Angada, genuinely annoyed. "But... But we have to keep going. Because otherwise, my uncle, Sugreev, if you all didn't already know, is going to kill all of us. He is going to have us all executed, perhaps. Things will all go wrong, as if they aren't bad enough already." he said. He turned to his troop. "So, boys, we must keep going, even if it means that we may not live. We must keep trying, because this is the order of the king and the wish of a noble man. And most importantly, this may also determine the condition of that noble woman who is now in danger." The monkeys chattered a little, before they all continued to walk faster, and with more energy.

★★★

"Doesn't something feel wrong to you both? Or to anyone, really?" asked Urmila softly, as Bharata frowned.

"Is everything okay, Urmila? You seem particularly disturbed these days. I did not see that in you even when L-"

"Yeeaahhh! I feel something's wrong too!" Shatrughna cut his older brother off, scowling at him.

"I can't place it, though, Shatru. Your instincts are always spot on. Could you, perhaps, tell what's wrong?" said Urmila.

"This time I don't know, Bhabhi. But things have felt wrong for months now." said Shatrughna, looking down and shaking his head.

"I just hope Ram Bhaiya and Lakshman are okay. I'm sure Sita Bhabhi will be fine. She cannot even have harm coming upon her with the presence of both of them!" said Bharata.

★★★

"She should have been protected at all times. She shouldn't have been left all alone. It was wrong, it was all my fault!" cried Rama.

"Bhaiya, please! Lamenting is not going to do any good any longer. Just stop, please!" said Lakshmana, trying to comfort his brother, which he had now done for so many months that, to him, seemed like a lifetime. He didn't have enough things to tell his brother, who would suddenly get extremely enraged, or sometimes would retreat into himself for weeks and end up increasingly depressed. He was running short of words now, to encourage his brother, and wished that somebody would find out where his Sita bhabhi was.

"But it was my fault, Lakshman. I shouldn't have! They didn't find her anywhere in the west. I don't think they'll find her in the east either because that group did send information to Sugreev. Not like they're going to find her in the northern or southern directions either!" ranted Rama and Lakshmana exhaled sharply.

"That is enough, Bhaiya! Stop blaming yourself, or..."

"Or?"

"Or... Or I'll leave! Yes, I-I'll leave! I'll go!" declared Lakshmana. Rama placed his hands on his hips, his attention getting diverted from his lamentations.