Vijayakshi - The Cold Princess

3. Birth of the Younger Twins

Fast Forward 6 months.....(A/N: Cause we Lazy)

Sita was enjoying her new life in the forests. Picking fruits, admiring the flowers, playing with the girls, her ladla devar's visits, both of them playing with the kids were what made a part of her daily routine these days. Sure, there wasn't any family around but you should enjoy the present rather than mope about the past, right?

Then there were her kids. Skipping around without a care in the world. Playing silly games. Vijayākshi being the most loved elder sibling just like her father. God only knows what irritation she will sign up for now...

Sita was musing on these thoughts as she went about whatever little work she could do while pregnant, till a certain somebody was tugging her pallu...

"Mmmmmm....." said the kid

"Who...?" Sita turned around and saw a tiny Mrityunjay almost looking like he would cry and he was pointing to a certain miffed elder sister and had an expression of "What to do? Didi is angry"

"What did you do Jay? Why is Didi upset?" asked Sita while Mrityunjay just nodded his head in no. "Well, should we ask Didi then? Come" said Sita and Mrityunjay was like alright. Sita carried her son to where his sister was sitting.

"Vijayā, what happened Putri?" Sita asked her. "Mmmm...pot bwoke cauz of im an al kheel ell out. Wan oo eat kheel" she said in her baby voice. Sita pacified her and made her some kheer. Just like her Lakshman chacha at times. She thought. When both of them were eating....she felt a sharp pain in her belly...

Soon after there was chaos in the household. Midwives running everywhere. Hot water, warm cloth, and Sita's screams were the only sounds people heard. Maharishi struggling to comfort the elder ones who were anxiously waiting for their brothers was also a key feature.

Then the brothers were born. Aniruddha and Aditya. Wild, exactly like the Sumitranandans. Will do anything to be their elder siblings. Lakshman and Shatrughan will be proud of the pranks they'll pull in the future...

"What should we name them, Maharishi?" asked Sita, the boys born were wild ones or as a little too well-to-do and posh people would say, precocious, at the very least, for temperament.

Maharishi took the first one in his lap and said, "This boy will face many challenges. Testing his resilience and his trust. He will bring about prosperity and auspiciousness in everyone's life, even at the cost of his own. Knowledge, Skills, Love, Respect, and Devotion will be his assets in life. He will be unrestrained and rigid in his principles and that will create many obstacles. Hence, in the name of the Almighty, I name this boy Aniruddha"

Maharishi kept him down with a solemn smile and saw tiny Jayā trying to pronounce her brother's name. She managed to coax Aniwuddh out of herself and she glared at the sky making a silent promise that if anybody touches her brothers, hell awaits for them. Maharishi sighs about the relationship the siblings will share. It will be a bond so pure, that even the slightest pangs of jealousy, envy, or hatred will be having a tough time breaking it. Their destiny lies in their choices, he thought.

That said he picked up the second newborn and addressed the crowd saying, "This boy will face a lot of struggles. He will be the light for his family, but will give residence to darkness in himself. He will try to keep everyone happy, but inside he might be sad. He would dedicate himself to his duties. Love, Respect, Knowledge, Devotion, and Skills will be his guiding light in this birth. He would not have a definite exterior but will mould himself to circumstances. He will represent comfort, warmth, and light and hence will be known as Āditya from this day forth."

Mrityunjay gave a small smile to his brother, a smile of hope. Somewhere inside his heart, he knew that destiny won't be kind to them. They will separate, they will sacrifice but deep down he knew that this newborn will be a part of his soul and nothing will ever change that. This boy will be his anchor, his support system, his to love, his to cherish. No one will ever be able to take his place, he thought and smiled, ready to accept the future. His sister made a silent promise, he made a silent prayer, that even if troubles await them, they will have the strength to overcome, conquer and be above and beyond of what life throws at them.

Sita looked at her four children. The younger ones have the most protective elder siblings the world has seen. She just hopes that they wouldn't break in front of taunts, the rejection, the embarrassment that the world throws. "No they couldn't break", she said consoling herself.

***

Meanwhile at the palace...

"My 3rd and 4th child will be born today. Wouldn't they Lakshman?" said Ayodhyanaresh Rām, sitting inside the Royal Bed Chambers, bedecked with jewels, with hand-made embroidered custom blankets befitting an emperor, but he was an unfortunate man, who had to abandon his love, his support system, his wife in the most vulnerable state of womanhood. The guilt had been eating him up from the inside making him lose interest in his health and his life. There he was, Maharaj Rām, clinging to the only form of light he ever knew...

"Yes Bhaiyya" Lakshman said, equally emotionless. He had lost the will to celebrate, ever since his family had been broken by evil he couldn't control or eradicate in time. The gentle breeze blowing gave no hope, the choicest of delicacies gave no satisfaction, forms of good news gave no happiness. They say family is the most vital...in this case, it proved suit...

"Do you they will need a father?" asked Ram. Lakshman said no words, but gave a solemn expression. Indicating that they always will feel the absence of a father either at home or by the society, but they will have the strength to live and wait for that lone day...the day the family will meet and become one...never to be broken again.

***
Phew...
Heavy Update People...This one personally made me cry.
Now I want your opinions on something...Should I kill one of the main characters in the course of the story or not?
Feedback will be acknowledged and deeply valued, if not now then in due course
Next Update in this week or after 25th March, 2022 as I have a stage performance coming up

-Anuradha