TWO PROMISES REVIVED (PART-8)

A large crowd had gathered outside the palace when Rama,Lakshmana, and Sita emerged in their austere garb, as decreed by Kaikeyi. Many wept at the sight of them, and cursed Kaikeyi again and again among themselves. A silence ensued as Vasishtha arrived with every sign of urgency. The crowd watched expectantly, a spurt of hope welling up in their hearts of a last-minute development which could transform the scene magically. For the first time people saw the sage Vasishtha looking forlorn and tired.

Stepping up before Rama, he said, "Do not go. The King desires you to stay and come back to the palace."

"It is his desire I should be away… ."

"Not his. He never said it, it is your stepmother's order.

She has …"Rama did not want him to continue his comment on Kaikeyi and interrupted. "Forgive me. It is my duty to obey her also, since she derives her authority from my father, and he has given her his word. How can it be different now?"

"Your father is deeply grieving that you are leaving him. He may not survive the separation, in his present state… ."

Rama said, "You are our teacher in all matters. Please comfort my father, see that he realizes the nature of our present situation—of my duty as his son in keeping his word.

A word given is like an arrow, it goes forward. You cannot recall it midway… ." He made a deep bow to indicate that he had nothing more to say. Vasishtha turned back without a

word, and withdrew, unwilling to be seen with tears in his eyes.eyes.

When Rama took a step, the whole crowd stepped forward, and it stopped when he stopped. No one spoke.

Considering the vastness of the crowd, the silence was overwhelming. There were tears in several eyes. Rama told someone nearest to him, "Now, I'll take leave of you all," and brought his palms together in a salutation. They returned the salutation, but moved when he moved, showing not the least sign of staying back. They surrounded Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana. The crowd was suffocating. After they had proceeded along for some distance, the crowd made way for a chariot which pulled up. Sumanthra got out of it and said, "Get into the chariot. Sita Devi may not be able to walk through this crowd… ."

Rama smiled to himself. "She has undertaken to keep me company and may have to go a long way on foot yet."

"Still, when a chariot is available, please come. At least you can leave the crowd behind and get ahead… ."

Rama helped Sita up into the chariot. The horses started to gallop, but not too far—to no purpose actually, as the crowd made it difficult for the vehicle to proceed except at a walking pace. Rama said, "Let us go slowly; no harm."

Lakshmana added, "Our stepmother has at least refrained from specifying how fast you should get away!"

They reached the banks of the river Sarayu and campedthere for the night. The citizens who had followed also spread themselves out on the sand, not in the least minding the discomfort. Past midnight, fatigued by the trekking, the whole gathering had gone off to sleep. Rama said softly to Sumanthra, "This is the time to leave. You may go back to the palace and tell my father that I am safe." While the followers slept, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana rode out to a farther point on the river, crossed it, and went up the embankment. Sumanthra watched them go and then turned back, following Rama's suggestion that he should reach the capital by another route without waking the crowd.

Dasaratha lay inert, motionless, with his eyes closed— except when a footstep sounded outside, at which time his lips moved as he whispered, "Has Rama come?" When Vasishtha or Kausalya gave some soothing answer, he lapsed into his drowsy state again. "Who is gone to fetch him?"

"Sumanthra," Vasishtha replied. Finally a footstep did sound, loudly enough to rouse the drowsy King. The door opened, and the King also opened his eyes and exclaimed,

"Ah, Sumanthra? Where is Rama?" Before Vasishtha or Kausalya could prevent his reply, Sumanthra explained,"Rama, Sita and Lakshmana crossed the river, went up the bank, and then along a foot track that wound its way through a cluster of bamboos… .""Oh!" groaned the King. "How, how … When?" He could not complete the sentence. Sumanthra tried to say, "Ram wanted to escape the crowd… ."

The thought of Rama and Sita on the rough forest track beyond bamboo clusters was too unbearable for Dasaratha.

He fell into a swoon and never recovered from the shock.

("He died even as Sumanthra was speaking," says the poet.)

The King's death left the country without a ruler for the time being. Vasishtha convened an urgent council of the ministers and officials of the court and decided, "The first thing to do is to preserve the King's body until Bharatha can come back and perform the funeral." They kept the body embalmed in a cauldron of oil.Two messengers were dispatched with a sealed packet for Bharatha, advising him to return to the capital urgently.

The messengers were to keep their horses continuously at a gallop, and were not to explain anything or convey any information. They were trusted men, experienced in the task of carrying royal dispatches, and could be depended upon not to exceed their orders. Within eight days, they drew up at the portals of Aswapathi's palace at Kekaya and declared, "We carry an important message for Bharatha."

Bharatha was overjoyed, and ordered, "Bring them up with the least delay." He received them in his chamber and asked at once, "Is my father happy and in good health?" The messengers murmured a polite answer, and Bharatha, "How is my brother, Rama?" And they repeated their polite murmuring again, and said, "We bear an epistle for Your Highness." Bharatha received the sealed message (written on palm leaf and wrapped in silk), opened it, and read: "Your return to Ayodhya is urgently required in connection with state affairs." He ordered that the message bearers be rewarded liberally and began immediate preparations for his return to Ayodhya, without having the patience even to consult the palace astrologer as to the propitious time for starting on a long journey.