Lakshman's Daughter

The Clash

Six years later

The afternoon sun shined in the cloudless sky with all its might. The mantis's prayer was mingled with the cheerful laughter of a six year old girl. She was fair with deep black eyes and black braided hair was as fine as silk. She wore a purple skirt that reached her ankles and a yellow blouse with puffed sleeves.

"Even harder!" the six year old girl shrieked happily as one of her handmaids, or rather one of the few companions appointed by Maharaja Ram, pushed her on the swing that was made for her underneath the big mango tree of Ayodya Palace's Royal Gardens. Her aim was to pluck the big ripe mango above her head.

"Be careful Sudha!" another handmaid, Nisha, in her teenage told to the handmaid who was pushing the swing as her eyes focused on the thin strand of jasmines she was weaving. "Who will face Prince Lakshman's fury if she falls?"

"That won't happen" Somada added happily as she kicked her legs in the air as she tried to reach out, with one hand extended to pluck the mango hanging on the tree and succeeded.

Sudha pulls the swing back to a halt too annoyed as the pitiless sun, even under the genuine shade of the mango remained a threat to her skin. "Princess, can we please stop playing and go inside? It's too hot! I think I'm becoming dark!"

"Even I should be going inside Princess" said another handmaid who sat under the shade the shade of the tree, throwing beseeching looks at Princess Somada, as she fanned herself with the hem of her sari "If I get dark in this sun then my betrothed and my in laws will call off the marriage that is to happen in a month's time!"

She stood up and walked away haughtily towards her quarters to spend hours soaked in turmeric and curd to counter the ravages caused to her skin by the sun. Sudha too walked away with her, leaving Somada and Nisha alone.

"Don't mind them, Princess!" Nisha smiled.

"I don't Nisha!" Somada said as she shook her legs again and smiling as the grass tickled the soles of her little feet. "True love knows no beauty and distance. It's about what you feel inside your heart and accept someone for who they are."

"Not everyone is lucky enough to find true love, Princess!" Nisha smiled and stood up.

"Are you going Nisha?" Somada asks looking up at Nisha as she nods. "Keep this mango in the kitchen please. Devansh likes mangoes"

Somada hums a lullaby to herself as Nisha walks away. She carefully sits crossed legged on the swing and reaches out to her ragged doll, Pipi, her only companion ever since her brothers left the palace to a Sage's Hermitage for studies. They would be coming twelve years later. The palace used to be lively and active before the boys left and for the past few months it has been dreadfully quiet without the boys around. Somada had no one to play with. She nestled Pipi on her lap "It's you and me as all way, I guess." "I think we need to buy another doll, Pipi. Well! Don't be upset! I was just joking! Isn't it boring anyways since don't have any real person to play with?"

Somada hums the lullaby to herself as she slowly rocks herself in the swing. Suddenly she hears a whistling tune. It was a little boy in a sky blue dhoti who was passing through the gardens. He had short black hair that went well with his lightly tanned skin. He was holding a blue lotus in his little hands. Somada's eyes fell on the blue lotus he was holding and as she recognized the boy "Devansh! Devansh!"