The Inseparable Princes

117.

"Maa!"

Kaushalya looked up from her book and saw Lakshmana at the door. "Laksh! Come in!"

He hopped into the room, grinning. "What were you doing?" he asked, in a childlike manner.

She held her book up to him. "Reading. You? Anything you want, that you've come here?"

"Yeah. Ram Bhaiya is with Sumi Maa, I'm here. Aaand, I'm going to bug you all night!"

"Oh wow! Very good decision!" She grinned. "So what are we going to do?"

"Chat?"

"About?"

Lakshmana shrugged. "I don't know."

"Have you read this book?"

Lakshmana laughed. "Me? Book? In one breath? Maa, that's a criminal offence!"

Kaushalya smacked the back of his head lightly, giggling. "You're impossible."

"What's the book about, though?"

"Fantasy, mystery..."

"Oh." Lakshmana said. "I'm so not interested in books." he added, laughing.

"Let's do something? A game of Pallanguzhi? (Satkoli in Marathi - only equivalent I found)" Kaushalya asked.

"YESSSS!"

★★★

"Maaaaaaaaa!" squealed Rama, jumping onto the bed next to her when she showed him her drawing. "THIS IS SOOOOOO GOOD!"

"Really?" she asked, her smile wide.

"Yessssss!" replied Rama, taking the paper from her hand. "You should've done it on something more durable though. Like on canvas? You could've sneakily stolen ons of Bharat's!" he said, laughing.

"Oh he'd have me butchered if I did that!" said Sumitra jokingly. "But I think he'd do a great job if he were to draw or paint something of this sort, no?"

"Maaa, you both should collaborate, and in sure it'll be the greatest artwork of all time! Get Urmila also to do it! She'll love it!" Rama suggested.

Sumitra liked the prospect of making a humongous painting, but shook her head and decided not to go for it. "Not feasible. All of us will get busy in sometime and both Bharat and Urmi, and I, we're all slow at getting all our details right. This sketch took me months."

Rama's face fell. He would've loved some mega project like that. "Maaaa, it's okay na, please do something like that?"

Sumitra laughed. "Why are you acting like a kid today, Ram? All your maturity disappears as soon as you step into my room?" she asked, chuckling.

"Absolutely." he said, flashing a grin for a moment. "What's the point of coming to your parents if you're going to act super matured even there. This is my place to play around and act the way I want! Just like a kid does, right?"

"Oh, Ram, you're just-" She cut herself off to pinch his cheeks.

Rama pouted. "That doesn't mean you actually treat me like I'm a five year old!"

"I definitely will!" she countered. "You are that cute." she said, ruffling his hair.

"Maa, you people should probably make a mural on one of the walls! Yesssssssss!"