THE STORY OF LIFE | A 21ST CENTURY RAMAYANA

LOST AND FOUND, AND LOST AGAIN

IT WAS A SET-UP !!!!

It struck Lakshman harder than the blow he received next. Lakshman fell hard and every single thought about the incidents of his past rushed through his mind. The fire in him burned even higher. He needed to beat him now, not for his family, but for HIMSELF.

He got up and ran towards the man. He pushed him down and jumped over him pushhing his elbow into his stomach. The man groaned in pain. Lakshman ran from the ropes and threw himself onto him. Blood spurted out from his oponnents mouth. After a few more blows, Lakshman pinned him and the referee called the match out.

The crowd rejoiced in his favour, he was the new champion. Lakshman looked around, Indraneil was not there. He just enjoyed his victory.

As they pulled out his opponent out, the referee came up and handed lakshman the prize money.

He took it in his hand and put it in his bag safely. It was his earning.

Lakshman, tired and sweating walked out towards the gate. He heard someones footsteps behind him. He kept his bag down and turned.

A man came face to face with him.

"You bas***d." he said. Lakshman noticed it was the same with him he had fought.

Lakshman fell with a thud. The blow hit him hard.

The car halted in front of the Suryavanshi's residence in Manali. Indraneil got down and opened the back door. In the cold mist of the morning, it was difficult to do anything without gloves. But Indraneil had none. 

His hands biting through the cold dragged an unconscious Lakshman outside. As Lakshmans feet landed on the ground, he held him by the shoulders and wrapping his bag around himself walked slowly towards the house, which even though a few metres away seemed an eternity. Lakshman was heavy, and it was becoming hard for Indranil to pull him.

"God knows why he hasn't come till now!" Yelled Siya, frantically looking around and looking at the time again and again on her mobile phone. Suddenly, she noticed something moving to her right, and turned to see a man pulling another man up slowly. With deeper gaze, she gulped on seeing an unconscious Lakshman being brought by Indraneil. She ran inside the house.

Urmila sat with swollen eyes on the sofa, staring into the unknown. She thought herself to be responsible for Lakshmans disappearance. And she wasn't wrong to think so, for she was the only one who had seen him before he left the house.

Ram walked around frantically, sobbing whilst talking on the phone with the Police of that Area. His interaction with the training camp had made him acquainted with the Police, and on his order they had sent a search party around.

Siya ran in and yelled,

"Lakshman has come!!"

Urmila broke from her trance and looked up at her, as a lone tear escaped her eye.

Ram stopped talking and cut the call.

Without a question, they followed Siya running to the front door of the house. 

Indraneil was panting heavily, yet walked on till the front door. Ram and the others came rushing out. Jaydev, whom Ram had called with the police a few minutes, too arrived just then, trying to grasp the situation.

As Indraneil almost dropped to the floor, Ram caught hold of the unconscious Lakshman while Jaydev held the former.

Ram felt himself back as he held Lakshman in his arms. Seeing his brothers dead face, swollen lips, blood stained and dark circled, Ram couldn't make out what had happened, nor could he control himself anymore. His emotions and logic came to a standstill as he wrapped his arms around Lakshman completely, enough to hold Lakshman upright.