अन्तः अस्ति प्रारंभः।
The end is the beginning.
A caterpillar dies, to birth a butterfly. Water evaporates to rain down. Dead carcasses fill the stomachs of vultures.Life gives way to death and death to life. In a vicious circle of different karmas...
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Rukmanetra removes his weaponry and sits down on the settee in the main hall of his parents' chambers. He keeps the armour and the weapons near him so that he remembers to take them back when he leaves after the inevitably horrifying discussion.
Rukmi is already there, massaging his forehead, his bald head and clean face almost making him almost unrecognisable. Rukmanetra hates it, he hates that his brother's new appearance was forced on him, hates it that his brother was humiliated like this. Especially by a man who is now their brother by law.
A part of him, the small part that would have killed Shishupal if he hurt Rukmini, that part which doesn't mind if Mihira puts questionable ideas of dharm in his head, that part is sort of glad for this punishment. At least his brother is alive. Rukmanetra is no fool, he knows Rukmi would be burning on a pyre if Vasudev wished it. The only thing that stopped him was Rukmini's wishes. Rukmanetra runs a hand down his face.
He knows there is no better man or state for Rukmini to marry into. A man who is so powerful, who already has rumours about being divine. A state which is the wealthiest state of the continent, a state which was crafted by a god, rivalling the heaven's beauty from what the rumours are. In the corner of his heart, he knows that there could have been no better match for his sister.
Rukmanetra's parents enter the room and they all stand up to greet their parents. Father waves a hand and gestures for them to take a seat and Rukmanetra sits back down. He feels the weight of Mihira's machete pressing on his calf where he had hastily tied it after getting it away from the soldiers who had confiscated it earlier.
He had wanted to give it back to her immediately after she was let go and declared to be free, knowing how dangerous it would be for her to roam without a weapon, considering how insulting she was to Chedi Raj and how she helped Rukmini. There would be numerous people out for her blood now. Unfortunately, though, she had been led away by a frantic looking Eklavya and Rukmanetra had been ordered to attend the family meeting.
He is just glad that he had the presence of mind to get it in his possession so quickly. Otherwise, it would be thrown in with other confiscated items of the Crown and the hassle to get it back to Mihira would take weeks, if not months.
He is pulled away from his thoughts when his father clears his throat, his expression grim as he removes his crown. "My sons, I know that we are in the midst of an unexpected situation. However, before I say anything else, I will request you to keep yourself calm, for the only way to solve a problem is to focus on it, and not on crying about it."
Rukmarath, the youngest and most casual spoken of them, shakes his head. "What is there to discuss, father? Rukmini eloped and we cannot do anything about it. There is no use discussing what has already happened. We must focus on the future now."
Rukmi runs a hand down his face and grumbles,"I sometimes think you all should have had the exact education that I and Netra had. It would be necessary for you all to understand what consequences your actions could bring. Rukmini eloping like that could have ruined our state if Chedi was a more powerful nation."
