The Inseparable Princes

112.

Leave him alone!

Lakshmana had thought of that, but he was worried it would just make things worse for him. What if he just moped and moped, not expressing himself, OR keeping himself busy? It could go dangerously wrong, and Lakshmana simply couldn't take such a risk with his brother.

Maybe some more mean things to him?

To Lakshmana, that was always the best idea. But he wasn't sure if his twin's wounded heart could be stabbed anymore. He hated to do it, but if his Ram Bhaiya, who was clearly not half as brutal as him, could do it, then he most certainly could.

How about making him happy?

Lakshmana was very sceptical about that. Firstly, he thought he wasn't good at doing that. Secondly, he knew that things wouldn't just magically "change" and that he would suddenly be happy in a real sense. He would still just be faking it and that was exactly what they DIDN'T want Shatrughna to do.

So what was he supposed to even do?!

He decided he would just go into it without any plan at all. "Shatru, you know when I was along with Bhaiya... After Bh-Bhabhi's..."

"I get it." Shatrughna said instantly, seeing that it hurt his twin to say it. Lakshmana almost jumped up in triumph, before composing himself and carrying on. Why did he feel triumphant you ask? Shatrughna had given up on being cold and had done a very "Shatrughna" thing by ensuring that Lakshmana wouldn't have to go through something heartbreaking all over again. That was his Shatrughna. "What happened?"

"Nothing, actually."

Lakshmana was failing miserably. He had no idea what to say, and now, he had just failed even more by starting off some topic and then cutting it off. "What'd you have done if you were in my place then?" he asked randomly.

"I would've backed Bhaiya and would've been there to shield him at all times. But why do you ask?!"

"I don't know."

Lakshmana was afraid he was lessening the impact of Rama's words on his heart. What that meant was that he wasn't doing anything productive, but simultaneously, he wasn't letting the impact of Rama's long drawn talk stay either. Clearly, he wasn't great at this consolation thing.

Thankfully for the older twin, Bharata passed by, holding his little canvas in his hand victoriously as he strode around the place. Lakshmana quickly gestured something to him, which Shatrughna understood as "take over, please."

Bharata did just that and the valiant Lakshmana fled hastily.

"Why did he run away?" Shatrughna asked suspiciously.

"Let's go to my room? I want to show you something!" asked Bharata, his tone so casual and flawless that Shatrughna couldn't help but fall for it.

"But Lakshman-"

"That's okay." Bharata coaxed. "You know how idiotic he is!" Shatrughna could not disagree with that. Never in his life. Of course his twin was idiotic! He just walked along with Bharata as the latter led the way.

Bharata walked into the room where he had been making the painting earlier that day. "Why have you brought me in here?" asked Shatrughna inquisitively as Bharata asked him to sit down.

"To show you some of my paintings." said Bharata, smiling.

"Paintings?"

"Yeah! Look at these..."

Bharata brought a whole bag full of little canvases in which he had drawn and painted many different things from childhood. It was all about their daily life, all happiness. The same set also had some of his paintings from the later days, when he was into his twenties and he painted the emotion of love. He painted so many things just for the absolute delight of it.