Suffered in silence ~~ Legend of Sumitranandans

A Misunderstood son- An abandoned Mother

It took me thirty minutes to think of the title!

************

Bharat shuddered. Their city, their Ayodhya, was dead silent. Silence was never this frightening, never ever. As they moved through the streets of the place they grew up in, he could notice people glaring them. He pulled Mandavi closer to himself protectivly, shielding her from those disgusting glances

He looked back towards Shatrughan's chariot, who looked as puzzled as he was. Bharat knew, somewhere, that this isnt going to end well.

***********

 "Maa?" Bharat entered Kaikeyi's chambers, his heart trembling. 

All this felt really bad, he thought. That urgent letter, the weird behaviour of the citizens, and the sudden summoning by his mother. Bharat just hoped that it wasnt as bad as he was thinking.

 "There you are, my son! Welcome, welcome, the king of Kosala! Welcome home!" Kaikeyi's words took time to get registered in his mind, and when they did, he felt like he was going to have a heart attack

 "M-Maa? Where i-is bhaiyya? Let me speak to him first. And Pita is the king, obviously-" Bharat staggered, looking at her clothing.

No sindoor, no mangalasutra, no toe ring, no green bangles and no nose pin. All 5 signs of a married woman were gone, which meant-

 "P-Pita?" Bharat's eyes popped out, as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, only to find a tear- stricken Mandavi. 

He looked on, and found Shatrughan standing at the door, almost leaning on to the frame for support. Those emotionless eyes of his brother spoke many things, and one of them was  that-

'There is more, bhaiyya'

 "Ah, there you are, the queen of Ayodhya. See, you went for just a vacation, and here I am, with an unvaluable gift for you both, my dears." She said, attempting to cup Mandavi's cheek, but Mandavi stepped behind, not allowing her to do so, and glared at her dangerously.

Kaikeyi frowned. Yeah, she did expect her son to, maybe, be little upset with her for what she had done, but obviously, he would gradually understand and take over the throne. 

But Mandavi? She was the last person Kaileyi expected, would protest. Mandavi, she knew, was a girl with ambitions, and she expected great appreciation from her daughter in law for this, if not anyone else. And that is what has been comforting her, that if not her, Bharat would SURELY heed Mandavi's words. She conviniently thought that Mandavi would be glad and thankful for the throne, which she would never have gotten if Sita was there.

But, turns out, she was terribly mistaken. Mandavi seemed least interested in becoming the queen of Ayodhya. 

 "What gift, what- MANDAVI? do you know what happened?" Bharat asked, totally confused

Kaikeyi's eyes shone, as she detailed everything that took place with such excitement as if she had done some achievement

'Well, she achieved in breaking a perfectly happy family' Mandavi thought, bitterly

By the end, Mandavi couldnt comprehend whether Bharat was trembling with rage, or the sorrow thrown at him mercilessly by his own mother. However, she held his hand tightly, trying to support him anyway possible.

 "How could you?" Bharat whimpered, and Mandavi knew it was the silence before the storm

 "HOW COULD YOU, YOU PSYCHO WOMAN?" Bharat screamed, to which Mandavi flinched and Shatrughan stormed out, partially not wanting to see the disaster with his eyes, and partially to find out the REAL culprit, which he knew wasnt Maa Kaikeyi.