Ayodhya was drowning in grief, first their crown-prince was exiled. Now the king died. To prevent the anarchy in the kingdom, Vasisth was quick to send letters to Kekeya, asking Bharat and Shatrughan to return.

On the other side, on Rishi Bharadwaj's advise, Shri Ram, Devi Sita and Lakshman settled in Chitrakoot. Living in forest was hard, but it didn't bother them, especially Devi Sita.

With her husband and ever-vigilant brother in law by her side, she had nothing to fear. Lakshman used to walk ahead of her leading the way, while Shri Ram walked behind her, protecting her from any unforeseen danger.

Lakshman still retained anger on Dashrath and Kaikeyi, Shri Ram remained stoic while Devi Sita didn't had a tinge of sorrow. One would say that she wasn't here for Vanvas but for vihaar.

Her excitement in the forest would uplift the spirits of Shri Ram, he would enthusiastically tell her about different trees, plants, flowers, fruits, animals and everything that they would encounter.

At night he would lovingly make her sleep in his arms, in morning he would make her sit on his lap affectionately. Both of them lived in harmony even amidst nature.

But on the sixth night, Shri Ram wasn't feeling at peace. Something seemed off. Thus when Devi Sita was asleep, he went outside their hut where Lakshman was guarding the place.

Both the brothers sat together and Shri Ram laid his emotions bare in front of his younger brother.

"Lakshman, mujhe yeh chinta sadev sataaye rehti hai ki humare Mata Pita humare virah mei rudan kar karke andhe na ho jaaye. Mujhe Vishwas hai ki Bharat unhe sambhaal lega. Bharat jaise Dharmatma bhai ke baare mei soch ke mujhe saantvana milti hai." Shri Ram said.

But then the thought about Kaikeyi revelling in her good fortune and then possibly harming Kaushalya and Sumitra, made Shri Ram anxious.

"Lakshman, ek baat toh siddh ho chuki hai ki Kaam, Dharm aur Arth se atyant shaktishali hota hai. Mujhe Matayo ki aur Pitashree ki atyant chinta ho rahi hai. Tum Ayodhya laut ke yeh sunishchit karo ki woh thik hai ki nahi." Shri Ram urged his brother.

"Bhaiya, abhi aap bhaavnao mei beh rahe hai. Chinta mat kijiye kuch ahit nahi hoga." Lakshman said.

He too was still angry at the vanvas, but seeing his brother in this unrealistic mental agony, Lakshman didn't add his own.

"Lanat hai mujhpe ! Meri Mata ne mujhe itna prem aur sneh diya, aur ab jab meri baari hai unki sewa karne ki toh maine kya kiya ? Mai unhe chhod ke van mei agaya ! Bhagwaan kare ki kisi bhi Aryaa ko meri jaisi santaan na mile jo keval dukh deti hai ! Meri Mata kitni durbhagyashaali hai mere jaisa putra paa ke ! Lakshman, tum laut jaao Ayodhya." Shri Ram said.

A moment before he was fighting back his tears but now he let them flow freely, down his cheeks. The thoughts of leaving his mother alone made him feel bitter emotions.

"Aisa nahi hai Lakshman, ki mai apne adhikaaro hetu lad nahi sakta. Mai chahta toh akele Ayodhya kya sampoorn prithvi ko jeet sakta tha. Kintu mai apne niyati se lad koi adharm nahi karna chahta tha. Iss liye maine Rajyabhishek mana kar vanvaas ko swikaar kiya." Shri Ram said sobbing.

Having poured his heart out, Shri Ram became silent like a serene waveless ocean.

"Bhaiya, nisandeh aapke bina Ayodhya aisi ho chuki hogi jaise chandra bina raatri. Kintu iss bhaati shok manana aapko shobha nahi deta. Aapka dukh bhabhi aur mujhe, dono ko atyant peeda de raha hai. Jis prakar machhli jal ke bina nahi reh sakti, waise mai aur Bhabhi aapke bina ek kshan nahi reh sakte. Aapke bina toh mai Shatrughan kya ? Apni swayam ki Mata ko bhi nahi dekhna chahta." Lakshman said earnestly.

Lakshman's sweet words touched Shri Ram's heart. The son of Kaushalya was rarely vulnerable due to emotions, but when he was Lakshman was always there as the pillar of support.

----

It didn't take Bharat and Shatrughan long before reaching Ayodhya. They were devastated to find their father dead and brothers exiled.

Bharat was unaware as to how this tragedy happened, he went to Kaikeyi's chambers, where she smugly described to him the way she secured the kingdom for him despite the late Dashrath wanting it to be given to Shri Ram.

The unrepentant Kaikeyi thought that her son would be grateful. But to the contrary Bharat was angry and embarassed.

"Tumhare karan Pitashree ka swarg-vaas huya ! Tumhare karan Ram bhaiya ko vanvaas huya ! Yeh kaisa durbhagya hai mera ki meri apni Mata ne mujhe iss paap ka bhaagi banaya ! Maa ke roop mei tu meri Shatru nikli Kaikeyi ! Mai tujhse baat bhi nahi kar sakta ! Naa hi mai Ayodhya ke logo ke woh ashru ka bhaar utha sakta hu jo unhone yeh soch ke bahaye hai ki yeh sab mere Karan huya..... Kaikeyi tera putra aaj tujhe tyaagta hai ! Aaj se tu meri Mata nahi !" Bharat snapped.

Kaikeyi's heart was pierced listening to the words of her son, she did realise that there was no undoing of her actions.

"Mai yeh pran leta hu ki Ram bhaiya, Sita bhabhi aur Lakshman jaha bhi hai, mai unhe punah le ke aayunga aur Ram bhaiya ko swargiya Pitashree ke iccha anusaar Ayodhya ke singhasan par baithaunga. Hey Ishvar, jab tak Ram bhaiya Ayodhya ke Raja nahi ban jaate, mujhe mrityu ka sukh na dena !" Bharat pledged and stomped out.

Walking outside the chambers with tears in his eyes, Bharat heard screams of woman. The screams came from none other than Manthara who came running towards him.

"Bharat ! Bharat ! Uss Shatrughan se mujhe bachao !" She said.

And just than Shatrughan came with the stick of Manthara in his own hands. This hot-headed man had definetly given her few good hits, seeing her red body.

"Tujhe mujhse aaj koi nahi bacha sakta kulta !" Shatrughan blazed in anger.

"Ripudaman ruko." Bharat said.

"Nahi bhaiya ! Iss stree ke karan aaj humare parivaar ki durgati huyi hai ! Mai isko jeevit nahi chhod sakta !" Shatrughan said.

"Jo tum iske saath karna chaahte ho mai wahi Rani Kaikeyi ke saath karna chaahta hu. Kintu Ram bhaiya hume stree par haath uthane ke liye kabhi kshama nahi karenge." Bharat said.

"Ram bhaiya ne khud Tadka jaisi atanki Rakshasi ka vadh kiya tha ! Mai bhi iss manushya ke khaal mei chhupi Rakshashi ka annt kardunga !" Shatrughan said.

"Abhi iska samaye nahi hai Shatrughan ! Isko aur Kaikeyi ko jo dand dena hai, woh hum nahi, Ram bhaiya nischit karenge. Hume abhi unko, Sita bhabhi ko aur Lakshman ko punah wapas Lana hai." Bharat said.

The Ripudaman huffed as Manthara escaped from there as quickly as she could.

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A/N

Haye.... Shatrughan bhaiya, ab jaake hridaye ko shaanti mili 🙂✨

And did you know Shri Ram only laid his emotions bare in front of two people. Devi Sita and Lakshman ji.

As you saw Lakshman ji wasn't always the angry young man. When Ram ji was emotionally vulnerable, Soumitri was the wisest and calmest person on earth ✨

Lakshman ji knew what Shri Ram needed to hear and when.

And many people think Shri Ram to be a very stiff person, but in reality he was emotional, he did show emotions a lot. Infact Shri Ram was more emotionally expressive than Shri Krishna ✨