chapter 19

Time was passing by, the whole family gathered, worship was being done in temples, food was being given to the poor, they were being given clothes to wear. Mother Kaikeyi had given this command that no animal or bird should be allowed to go hungry. The sage was doing the havan and chanting, the four brothers were to sit together in the completion of the havan, but Mandvi was nowhere to be seen. Ram called Bharat with a gesture, when asked about Mandvi, Bharat also expressed concern. He called two servants and sent them throughout the palace to find Mandvi, but Mandvi did not know anything.

Suddenly Mata Kaikeyi called Bharata to go to the forest, to find Mandvi under the same tree where she used to meet that young man. Bharata, riding on a horse with two servants, walked towards the forest and while searching, came under the same tree. He saw that Mandvi was sleeping peacefully.

He saw that there was no fear on Mandvi's face, neither animal nor human.

She gave voice to Mandvi. Mandvi got up in a panic and seeing the face of that young man in Bharat, she said,

"How did you come so early today?"

Bharat asked to hold both his arms,

"What happened Mandvi? Who has come?"

By then Mandvi had regained consciousness. She started staring at Bharata staringly. He asked, removing Bharat's hands,

"What have you come here to do?"

"I have come here looking for you."

Bharat said.

Hearing this, Mandvi laughed sadly and said,

"Looking for me, the Mandvi whom you did not find even for a moment in fourteen years. How did he miss her today?"

Bharata told about Rama's concern and about sitting with his wife in the yagya.

Bringing a faint smile on his face, he looked at Bharat with his eyes and said,

"So that's it. Let's all wait."

With Bharata, Mandvi rode on a horse and went towards the palace. Both the servants were slowly coming back.

As soon as Bharat and Mandvi entered the palace, all eyes were on them. Ram was satisfied.

The yajna had started. Rama, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were sitting next to their wives, but the distance between Bharata and Mandvi was expressing the pain of their hearts.

The yagya was over, the four brothers took blessings by touching the lotus feet of the sages, touching the lotus feet of the mothers, then the four brothers went on a city tour.

Today for the first time the four brothers were showing the city to their wives, the wives were enjoying the city tour with their husbands. Just Mandvi's eyes were looking for someone and she was trying to bring a fake smile but the broken heart was clearly visible.

While roaming around, it became evening, everyone went back to the house, in between, everyone used to laugh and joke. Everyone reached the palace, told the mothers about the city tour and begged the mothers to go with them the next time, the mothers agreed.

Time was progressing at its own pace.

The mothers expressed the hope that the cries of the children would resonate in their courtyard. While talking to the daughter-in-law would have been happy to mention this, the four daughter-in-law would have been shy to hear this. Mandvi was slowly trying to show herself as normal. She did not even want to forget that young man and did not forget how he had supported her for fourteen years in handling his broken heart. There was unconditional love between the two, the place of indulgence and sex was negligible.

It is said that if we stay together, a person also falls in love with a dog, there is also the culmination of attachment, he also feels pain when he is in trouble.

The same situation was happening for Bharat and Mandvi too.

The two might not have been able to love each other, but the attachment was definitely starting to happen. At the same time, in some corner of Mandvi's heart, that young man was alive all the time and his proximity was always felt.

Intimacy between Mandvi and Bharat was also increasing.

Suddenly one day, along with the morning sun, Mandvi's health deteriorated and she fell down after being dizzy. Bharat was still in the bedroom at that time, he immediately took over Mandvi and made her lie on the bed. Ordered the maid to bring the royal doctor immediately.

The maid ran and was going to call the Rajvaidya that mother Kaushalya met her on the way with a joyful spirit and started asking Bharata. The maid told that Bharat would call and bring Rajveda. When Mother Kaushalya asked the reason, she told about Mandvi being unconscious.

Instead of joy, a line of concern emerged on the face of the mother and she immediately asked the maid to bring the royal doctor and herself ran towards Bharat's room.