The Inseparable Princes

56. Jatayu

They walked. Walked and walked and walked, yelling out to Sita, who did not reply whatsoever.

Rama was losing his mind. He was going hysterical. Lakshmana had such conflicted emotions, that he had convinced himself that he was insane, after all. He wasn't able to take the torture of seeing his otherwise composed and calm and perfect brother in such a shattered state, asking inanimate objects to tell them where Sita had gone. He would go in front of a tree and ask it so politely and kindly, as though speaking to a human, if it had seen a woman go somewhere here. He would ask a boulder. He would ask the streams of water. He would ask the bushes. He would ask the deer.

"WHERE IS SITA?" he cried to the entire forest. "Tell me! Where has she gone?"

"BHAIYA!" yelled Lakshmana, losing his cool. It was anger, of a sort, but more so, frustration. "Stop this! I don't understand how Kaushalyanandan Ram is losing hope here! We will find her. We certainly will."

Rama, although extremely mad at his brother, wasn't someone who'd play the blame game. Anybody else would've pointed out to Lakshmana saying that it was his fault in the first place. But Rama wasn't the one. However, he suddenly felt a wave of rage. Yes, that was it! He had spotted some flowers and large footsteps, along with small, delicate ones, that were being dragged along, he supposed. Had Sita been forcefully taken away by a large demon? Those footsteps, to him, looked clearly like a demon's, simply because of their massive size.

"I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS UNIVERSE!" he roared furiously.

"Bhaiya, no! No! You will not do anything on the lines of mass destruction. NO!" cried Lakshmana.

"NO, LAKSHMAN! I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS WORLD!" he continued to shout, agonized by the separation he had had to endure from his wife.

Lakshmana was shell-shocked. He had never, never seen his brother in a state that was that dangerous. For the first time in his life, Lakshmana felt like he couldn't just envelope his brother in a hug. He felt like that not only because of the guilt he was feeling, but also because he was scared. Scared of his brother. Scared for his brother. What if, in all that fury, he actually ended the universe, just for personal vengeance of a sort? What if he killed himself in all the wrath? No, he couldn't let any of those happen. He had to act quickly.

"Will you end the entire universe, just for your personal issues?" he said. This brought Rama to cool down, only a little. It made his logical mind work a little. Rama's eyes dropped in shame, for he knew that he was being selfish. "It is not the right thing to do. I understand you. You are pining to meet Bhabhi, see her safe and protected, and thus you say such things." Rama sent Lakshmana a side glance, which almost froze the latter. He knew that he was the culprit. It was him because of whom there was a doubt over the safety, the protection of Sita. Trembling, he continued. "Bhaiya, you can't destroy the entire universe due to the actions of one shameless man. I suggest that we should look for Bhabhi first, and if we don't find her, then I am with you. We will destroy the entire universe, Swarga, Patala and Bhoomi, we shall destroy it all, okay? But at least give this world a chance, oh magnanimous Lord. Why do you resort to unwarranted mass destruction when we can still find the culprit and punish only the ones who have committed a crime?"  he reasoned practically. Rama dropped to the floor, sobbing. Lakshmana didn't even go close to him. Perhaps Rama had conveyed to Lakshmana that the former didn't require a hand to pull him up. Perhaps Lakshmana had interpreted it in such a way, that his gesture meant that support wasn't required anymore, for Rama.

"I-I shouldn't have..." Rama trailed off, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed silently. Suddenly, he realised that there was somebody there, physically, although not mentally. He looked up at Lakshmana who stood numb, staring at his tear-bathed face.