chapter 10

She walked slowly up to the hallway, yet no one paid any attention to her.

The king touched the feet of Dasharatha and with his rounding, started looking at her husband with oblique eyes. But Bharata did not look at her even once, she became very upset, tears came out of the corners of her eyelids even though she did not want to. Everyone started taking King Dasharatha away, the women of the house were weeping in the roar, but neither tears were flowing from Mandvi's eyes, nor she was able to move, she had become rooted.

After the king's program, all the people had gone towards their respective homes.

The daylight was moving towards darkness at the zenith of the evening. Everyone was going to their respective rooms, Bharat did not know anything. Kaikeyi, who was sitting between Mata Kaushalya and Sumitra, felt guilty. Mandvi was waiting for Bharat to come sitting next to Urmila. Shrutkirti and Shatrughan were handling the arrangements of the house. Urmila's heart was very nervous in the darkness of night, she was missing Lakshman a lot. She was fainting over and over again.

Mandvi was caressing Urmila's head over and over again, perhaps Nidra Devi(goddess of sleep) took pity on Urmila, she put her to sleep in the lap of sleep, there was silence everywhere.

Still, Bharat did not know anything, after Urmila had slept, Mandvi started wandering around the palace. Sometimes she would be worried for her husband, sometimes she would get angry at his cruelty. But she could not find rest, she is sitting in the corner of a room and started crying full of sobs. Suddenly she heard the sound of a rattle, so she held herself up, wiped away the tears and came out.

She stared at the stars, started looking for her husband in the image of Chanda(moon), but she could not understand anything, sometimes she would remember King Dasharatha, sometimes worrying for the elder brother Ram and sister Sita and Lakshmana, thinking that there was some wild animal somewhere. Do not eat them. This distraught mind yearned for Bharat. She started looking for him inside the palace but Bharat was nowhere to be found. Suddenly she remembered Bharat's cruelty, her face flushed with anger. Sitting on the swing, her imaginations started flying.

"did Bharat like anyone else, ever since I came after getting married, he never showed his belongingness to me. Our bond was not forcibly done... Somewhere despite Bharata's wish, he was married off to me."

Thinking of this, she wept bitterly.

Now there was no one to hear his cry. Do husbands call it the same, who can not even know the pain of his wife after marriage.

This thought started trying to sleep on the swing with eyes closed, urging Nidra Devi(goddess of sleep) to come into her eyes, only a few hours were left in the morning. As soon as she started sleeping with her eyes closed, the pair of owls sitting on the tree disturbed her sleep, she got up from the sad mind and slowly went to her room and lay on the bed. When Nidra Devi(goddess of sleep) took him in her arms, perhaps Virah Devi(goddess of separation) also took pity on him.

The chirping of the birds made her realize the morning, the sun was spreading light in the chamber. She took the girdle and sat down on the bed of the shell, searching for her destiny between the palms. The whole body was hurting, she got up slowly, then she saw a maid, the maid greeted her and asked,

"Princess, what should I do for you?"

She refused, shaking her neck with a faint smile and slowly headed towards Mata Kaushalya's room.

Her feet became heavy and her heart was crying. On entering the room, she saw Mata Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. She touched the lotus feet of Mata Kaushalya and sobbed, Mata Kaushalya hugged him to the chest.

He softly asked Kaushalya,

"How is he?"

Before Mata Kaushalya could answer, Kaikeyi looked at her with devoured eyes and asked,

"Why do you have to do with him?"

On hearing this, Mandvi's eyes filled with tears, even after stopping, tears started flowing. He said,

"Mother! I was just asking. Haven't even seen whole life since then."

On hearing this, Kaikeyi got angry and said,

"His father is dead and you didn't even feel sorry."

She wept bitterly,

"Mother! What are you saying, why don't I feel sorry for my father? There are many people to console you but I am completely alone mother. I am living the life of a widow even after being clean. You have your son to wipe your tears, I don't even have a part of him. There is darkness in the silence of life, mother."

She wept bitterly.

"Come on, shameless! Shame on you curses my son."

she cried,

"Mother, he is my husband, how can I even think like that."

Saying this, Mandvi sat down at his feet. Kaikeyi, pushing him with his foot, stared at him with angry eyes.

Seeing this, Mandvi's heart was filled with hatred. His mind was trying to cry but he did not let the tears come out.