MIRAGE OF HEARTSTRINGS

SPLIT HEART

"then check this properly"

"Sure Maharaj"

"And......."

"Anything else Maharaj?"

"...............what are my anujs (younger brothers) doing?"

"Nothing much Maharaj. Rajkumar Bheem is in his room. Rajkumar Arjuna has gone out for a walk. Rajkumar Sahadeva is just wandering in the palace and-"

"Nakula has still not came"

"Ji Maharaj"

"It has already been above a month [WHISPER].............ok, you can go"

The servant bowed down to the Maharaj of Indraprastha before leaving the Office room of palace.

The office room of the Maharaj which is now silent, save for the scratch of a reed pen against parchment.

It is a vast chamber, high-ceilinged, its walls carved with scenes of past victories and noble kings of his bloodline. Brass lamps glowed in the corners, their flames swaying with the faint movement of air. The scent of burning sandalwood hung heavy, masking the faint must of old scrolls stacked in wooden racks.

And at the center sat the Maharaj, his posture straight at the sandalwood desk. Spread before him were documents - petitions from merchants, reports from border posts, marriage proposals sent by ambitious Maharaj's of different Rajya's for their daughters. A ruler's work, endless and precise.

He read, signed, sealed. And yet every few moments his hand would pause, the tip of the pen hovering over the parchment as his mind slid elsewhere.

He couldn't help but sigh thinking about his family that has split up like shattered pieces of mirror or twigs of thread. Only his mother is same. Still no doubtly, would be speaking with the royal matchmakers again, pressing for a Maharani to share his throne.

But his brothers.........they have split up. The brother younger than him but older than others, the second eldest Pandava who presence no doubt always mark up whenever he is out of his room, has gone quiet. Locked somewhere in his room with same excuse of everytime. Purposely making his presence vanish slowly.

"Let's go outside bhima"

"I am tired right now Bhratashree, my apologies"

The third Pandava who liked, no loves to practice, constantly trying to be best of bestest and be always beside his family, now is rather staying outside than with his family except for meal times. As if trying to make himself invisible like he never existed.

"Are you again going outside Arjuna?"

"I just want to have fresh air bhratashree, will be back soon"

The fourth Pandava, who is epitome of remarkable ideas and is constant pillar of their family while being with them, now always find a reason to be far away from them. Each excuse of checking, dealing with border problems and other outside matters only makes the eldest worries of what will happen when rather than excuses, it started becoming reasons and then habits.

"You again want to go outside, Nakula?"

"I am not going to play around bhratashree. I am going for your work matter beside others are tired so let me do it"

"But you always go for outside matters"

"That's what I like to do"

The youngest of them whose mindset is the only thing that keeps them going even in the hardest time, always being productive and giving them reasons to be productive, is now wandering in the palace like a left ghost.