Raghili- A Ramayana Fiction

Chapter 24- Secrets Out!

"I want to meet the Royal Family of Mithila."

Lakshman choked and started coughing badly.

"Ram! Rub his back quickly" Keikeyi instructed

"Ahan...ahan.... Mithila.... Ahan...why?" laksh questioned between his coughs, while Ram rubbed his back.

"Bhaiya! Don't you know, its bad to talk while eating.  See you choked even then you are not keeping quite.  I think there is some serious problem with Mithila. Enlighten us as well please." Shatrughan dramatically asked.

"Um..umm...No, there is no problem with Mithila. I was just curious to know, why do you suddenly want to meet them.Anything specific?" Laksh pretended to be clueless, but he was very well aware of was going through his twin's mind. In the past also, Shatrughan has tried his best to get some insights about the Mithila trip as he sensed something fishy everytime Ram and Laksh escaped from spilling the beams about the trip.

"Nah Bhaiya, its just that Mithila is a very good ally of ours and recently they have increased their business with us. I studied about the kingdom and I feel they can be of great help to us." Shatrughan announced to everyone as they were all curious of this sudden demand, while Laksh mentally facepalmed.

"Very smart." Laksh whispered to himself. 

"Its not a bad idea to be honest. Also, they once invited us, I think we should invite them as well. Also, I have heard alot about King Janak's four daughters, we will get to see if any of them suits our princes." Keikeyi giggled and supported Shatrughan much to his relief.

Now, Shatrughan was confident that if Mata Keikeyi bought his words everyone would. He looked towards his brothers who were glaring at him, not buying even an ounce of what he said. Ram decided to ignore, Bharat made a mental note to ask him later while Laksh decided to be careful.

"In that case Mata, I can hear wedding bells for Ram Bhaiya" Laksh piped up in the conversation.

"What?" a confused Keikeyi questioned.

Ram got closer to Laksh and whispered"Don't try to mess with me Laksh, otherwise the wedding bells you are hearing will be yours, you know how much I love my sister. I won't even think twice before laying the proposal." He threatened Laksh and flashed a smile at everyone.

"What were you saying Laksh?" King Dashrath questioned.

Laksh gulped and giving Ram a look who was smiling answered " Nothing Pitashree. I was just saying I like the idea."

Everyone agreed to the idea and a letter was sent to Mithila, inviting them to Ayodhya.

*****

The brothers were in Ram's room. Bharat and Laksh were trying to get the truth out of Shatrughan's mouth. All three of them were having a playful banter but Ram was lost somewhere else only. He was having a stroll down the memory lane, remembering his visit. Though they were small but the memories were very well afresh in his mind. But, there was this one thing that kept nagging in his mind whenever he used to think of Mithila.

Does Urmi know that she is adopted? Did Sita tell her the truth? If yes then how Urmi accepted it that she is adopted.

Yes, this was the thing that made Sita cry on the last day. She heard Mata Gargi talking to her acquaintance that, Choti Janaknandani is not Siya's real sister. She was adopted. 

That day is still crystal clear in Ram's mind, how he found Sita in that condition. When she told him the truth, he too lost his senses for a few moments, but stayed strong for Sita as she was already broken.