[Meghnad's POV]
Sob! Sob!
Sob! Sob!
"Mother? I am not going for a war, you know," I said, trying to inject some levity into the situation as I watched my mother, Mandodari, wipe tears from her eyes. Her delicate features were streaked with sadness, her usual grace momentarily eclipsed by her worry.
We stood in the private chambers of the palace, the hum of the royal court far behind us. Here, it was just the two of us—a mother and her son, caught in a moment that neither of us wanted but both knew was necessary.
"I know, Meghnad," she said softly, her voice trembling but warm. "But you are my child, my heart. It's not war, but it is the beginning of a journey that will shape you, challenge you, and take you far from me. How could I not feel this ache?"
