The Inseparable Princes

72. Time For The Report

Angada plopped down on the ground tiredly. Tired of waiting for Hanuman, his favourite Hanuman to return from Lanka and tell all of them stories about how he found Mata Sita, in what condition she was, and how he had executed everything in Lanka, apart from the adventures that he would've had to face. But Hanuman hadn't returned. It had been so long.

Hanuman was somebody who was looked up to by almost everybody. Everybody adored him. Everybody admired him. He was like the superhero for so many Vanaras, and in later Yugas to come, he would be a superhero to practically anybody who knew his stories, his greatness. But in his era, everybody respected him a lot, but also felt extremely comfortable with him.

And Angada was one of those Vanaras who looked up to Hanuman. All he could wish for, at that point, was for him to return to them, safely and successfully too. When would he come?

"Nal! Where is Hanuman? He still hasn't returned!" he said, as Nala shook his head, stretching his hand out to Angada for him to get up.

"Look there! I feel like there's a lot of smoke from there. I don't know. Am I hallucinating or something?" said Nala, and Angada stared in the direction in utter horror. What if there was a massive fire for some reason, and Mata Sita and Hanuman, the only two people whom he knew and cared about in Lanka, had died or something? But Neela jumped to Angada, and yelled.

"Look up, Mr. Crown Prince! Don't you see Hanuman, right there?! Nal, Angad, you're both blind, seriously!" he squealed. The other two looked up and Angada sighed, relieved, and Nala squeaked too, dancing.

"Hanuman! Hanuman is here! All of you get up! Get up, LAZY BUMS! GET UP!" screamed Nala, and Hanuman beamed, as he landed on his feet slowly. Angada practically hugged him tightly, while Nala was still too busy dancing and screaming things.

"Hanumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! Finally! You've been away for an eternity! How're you? You are okay, right? You must be, you certainly must be! Did you find Maa Sita? Is she okay? And," Angada paused and grinned excitedly. "Did you fight? DID YOU FIGHT ANYBODY? Not for passing time, of course. For a reason. Did you fight, though?" he asked, as Hanuman beamed at the young prince and smacked him on the cheek gently, placing his mace on the ground.

"I will tell all of you, okay? But-"

"Noooooooooooooooo, Hanumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" whined Nala. "We want the story right now!" he cried dramatically, as Hanuman chuckled, shaking his head resignedly.

"Wow, I never knew that you were still a four year old, Nal! I will tell you all while we are on the way back to Kishkindha, okay? We all need to reach there as soon as possible, because we need to inform Prabhu about Maa Sita!" said Hanuman, sensible as always, and all the monkeys had their eyes twinkling and faces in ear-to-ear grins.

"You have told us the main bit of it, Hanuman!" said Jambavan, who looked like he was really proud and happy for him. "Our object has been completed!"

★★★

Lakshmana felt like he could see a lot of dust flying up in the air at a distance. To him, it looked like an army was approaching them, eagerly waiting to attack. He sighed when he saw a flag that he had seen around Kishkindha, and turned around rather disappointedly, before his eyes flew back to the flag excitedly and he jumped up, banging his head to the ceiling of the cave - he was too tall - and rubbing it while running to Rama, all at the same time.

"BHAIYA! I think they've returned!" cried Lakshmana being all jumpy, and Rama turned around, amusement evident in his expression.

"You mean Hanuman and group, right?" he asked a little tentatively and Lakshmana nodded. "Don't be so jumpy and all. Who knows better about how much it hurts to have expectations and dreams shattered?" said Rama rather uncomfortably, but Lakshmana barely heard it.