The Story of a Princess-5

They finally reached Mithila. I looked on from one of the palace windows as my father welcomed them. They were dressed like jungle-folk, but their bearing told me that they were the princes I had heard so many stories about. Mithila had been buzzing with excitement ever since the news of their coming reached here. Vishwamithra looked like an old man drunk with the wine of youth. There was a spring in his step and a sparkle in his eyes. The younger brother was about my age, and his face shone with the pride of a boy who had just bagged his first buck. Though in his case the 'buck' was probably a rakshas or two, as I had been told by my maids. Nevertheless, he was still much a boy. It was the older brother who really had everybody's attention. He was not the handsomest guy I'd ever seen. No. That would be his brother, once he grew up. There was no pride on his face at his recent feats. His face portrayed calm and serenity, but there was a pain hidden deep in his eyes, and suddenly I realized, he was looking right at me. I saw my father turning around to follow his gaze, and suddenly I was running, running back to my room to still my trembling heart.

"So, did you like him?", it was the Spirit again.

I: Go away.

S.: Yes. I think I'll do that. I think I'll take a stroll in the garden, smell the flowers, feel the grass....

I: Can you actually do that? Smell and feel, I mean?

S.: Why shouldn't I?

I: I mean, you are not, y'know, solid. You are like a ghost-thing, a spirit.

S.: Girl, I am the flower, I am the smell, I am the grass, I am the breeze, I am the trembling of your heart, I am the gaze of his eyes, I am the pain in his heart, I am the fall of his feet on the grass.....

I: He's in the garden?!

S.: Here I am explaining to her the greatest mystery of life and she's only interested in a blue-colored boy! Why, yes. He is in the garden.

I: Why didn't you tell me before?

I quickly changed into my disguise and ran out. I found him at the deep end of the garden with his brother. They were walking and discussing something. He looked extremely disturbed. I sneaked closer to listen.

R.: It's just that, how can I marry a girl knowing that my heart belongs to another?

I: Oh no!!

L.: You don't even know who this girl is! You just saw her once and then she disappeared. She might be anyone. She might even be married!

R.: Don't say that!

L.: I am sorry brother, but you know that we have to destroy Shiva's bow, and you are the only one who can do that.

I: So that's why you came here. For the bow! Not for me. For the bow.

I was so angry, I got careless. It was only the slightest sound, but they had been living in the jungle for months, where they probably had to be on the alert always for survival. They started searching around. I had no choice but to step out, to avoid being exposed.

I(bowing low): My lords, is something wrong?

L.: We heard someone. We thought someone was hiding around, but it was probably you. What are you doing here anyways? Has the King sent any message?

I: No, my lord.

L.: Then?

I: The princess asked me to fetch a particular flower, that she's very fond of, from the garden. I came here to get it.

L.: I don't see any flowers in this part of the garden. There're only fruit trees here. Tell me, why are you here?

I was so angry I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes downcast, as is wont of servants.

I: I am new here. I don't know my way around. I am sorry if I disturbed you. I'll go now.

L.: I don't think so.....

For the first time, he spoke," Leave her be, Lakshman." We both heard the tremor in his voice and looked at him. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

R.: Forgive my brother, Lady. Our experiences in the forest have made him too cautious.

I: Yes. I have heard stories about you, how you went to the jungle to fight the rakshasas, but they were never complete. If I might be so bold to ask, what happened out there?

L.: Don't you have an errand to run?

I: Yes. Yes, I am sorry. I'll leave now.

I was hurt, and it must have shown on my face because both of them spoke at the same time,

R.: Please, wait!

L.: I'm sorry.

And for the next half an hour or so, they told me of their adventures in Jansthan and the forest, how the people were terrorized by some rakshasas and how Vishwamithra came to their father to ask for a loan of his son, Ram.

L.: Father did not want Ram to go, him being his favorite 'n all, but he'd given his word. Then mother Sumitra told him that it was his duty as the king to protect his people. And she said to me," Lakshman, go with your brother." No hesitation, no motherly tears. Just like that.

R.: Mother Sumitra is a very strong woman. She is fire. It's a pity that society does not allow a woman to rule a kingdom.

L.: Yes. She would have made a great leader, especially now.

I: Why now?

L.: Well, Ravan is spreading his tentacles wider now, isn't he? He plans to annex all of Aryavart. Already he has started terrorizing the poor jungle-folk and the smaller kingdoms. His rakshasas sneak up in the dead of the night, burn entire villages and go away.

R.: We reached one such village in the morning. The cottages were still smouldering. There was stench of burning flesh all over. Most of the people had not been able to escape their burning homes, and they were the lucky ones.

I: Why?

They looked at each other. I knew they were debating whether to tell me all of it or not.Then Ram spoke,"Some people escaped the fire. They were captured and taken to the forest. We found their tortured and mutilated bodies some distance away." There was so much anguish in his eyes as if he could somehow physically feel their pain. And somehow, through him, I could too. It was so intense I found myself crying.

I: So did you capture the culprits?

L.: No we didn't. We killed them in battle.

I: Just the two of you?

L.: Well, I was all for it. But Ram here decided to organize the villagers and forest-folk into a small fighting unit. We sent out messengers to everyone to meet up at Jansthan. They were hesitant initially, afraid that we would not win, that the rakshasas would take revenge on them afterwards. But eventually most of them came.

R.: They had been trampled on for too long. They had totally lost faith in themselves. Fear does that to people. Our biggest challenge was to remove that fear. That's why organizing them to fight back was essential. We might have fought the rakshasas alone. We might even have won. But new rakshasas would have come as soon as we left, knowing that the people were weak and afraid. But now they will think twice before attacking any village, because they know that the villagers and jungle-folk would unite immediately to drive them out of their holes and slay them.

L.: You should have seen the change that came over them. Suddenly those meek and trembling men and women lost their fear. They had a new determination in their eyes. The very thought of fighting for their freedom seemed to have freed them.

I: I should have liked to have been there.

L.: And what would you have done there?

I: Fought alongside you, of course. Didn't you say the women fought too?

L.: The women took care of the food and the injured. The battlefield is not meant for them.

I: The battlefield is not meant for anyone, man or woman. But when someone attacks your freedom, you have to fight back the best you can, otherwise you may lose it forever. You cannot afford to wait for someone else to come and save the day.

R(in a strange voice): Who are you, Lady? No common servant-girl can have the guts you have, talking to two strange men so frankly, nor the wisdom, saying the things you have said.

L.: Nor would she carry around a dagger hidden in her clothes!

With that he cut the string holding the dagger which fell down, and tried to hold my hands behind me. Now, he could have been rude to me and I would have forgiven him, but no man touches me. No one. With one move I threw him down and jumped some distance away. All this while Ram hadn't said a word. I addressed him now.

I: Prince Ram, I am not your enemy. But may I count you as my friend?

R.: Friends don't come under disguises, Princess. But since you have asked for our friendship, you shall certainly have it.

L.: What?! You're the Princess Sita?! But why the disguise in your own palace?

I: Think.

R.: I guess you wanted to know what sort of people we were. But why? It's not like you have a choice over who you are going to marry. Those are the rules of the competition!

I: Don't I?

R.: But how? I don't see the good King Janak backing out of his promise if someone manages to string the bow.

I: Yes. If.

L.: Hey! Stop being so mysterious now! Tell us. You said we were friends.

I: The question is: Do you really want to know? Do you really want to string the bow?

L.: What can be so difficult about stringing a bow?

I: Why don't you give it a try now? It's getting dark. The temple would be empty.

L.: Are you challenging us?

I: If you want to take it as a challenge...

We went to the temple. It was dark. We entered via the back entrance even though the front was always kept open, just to avoid being noticed. Lakshman went ahead to look at the bow. I and Ram stayed behind.

R.: Y'know, before I came here, my sole intention was to destroy the bow so that it could not be used by anyone for wrong purposes.

I: Never mind if you got a bride for your efforts?!

R.: Yes, but that was till yesterday. But when I saw you at the palace window today, and after talking to you......I think you are a remarkable woman....but of course, only if you wish to.....

There was a long pause.

R.: Of course, if you don't want.....

I: The bow can't be destroyed unless it is strung.

It was as if three people started breathing simultaneously. Lakshman started laughing. I sensed Ram was blushing and so was I. I threw Lakshman a reproachful look.

L.: Hey! You eavesdropped on us too!!

And then we all laughed.

R.: So how do you string the bow? Have you tried, Lakshman?

L.: Did you really think I would?

I showed them how to string the bow, and then how to destroy it. When I came back to my room, I found it filled with a very beautiful fragrance. It felt as if the Spirit was smiling at me.