A Vision for the Future

Author’s Note:  This is the main story of the storybook.  It will be the story upon which all the rest of the stories will be based.  For this reason it is very long.  I did my best to give a little bit of information about what has happened to Ravana between the childhood story and now, mostly through internal narration.  Basically, he grew up as a bully as a teenager, still trying to fit in with his peers and attempting to do so through brute strength, but after being pinned beneath Kailash he is humbled and realizes he has to change.  Now his desire is to show the demon world that they can be kind and that the image of a cruel demon is just one created by the outside society.  The story begins when he and Mandodari are headed back to Lanka from a Yagya ceremony given by Lord Shiva, whom Ravana follows devoutly.  Lord Shiva has given Ravana (at Ravana’s request) a bottle of ‘boon water’ which he is meant to give to Mandoori to impregnate her.  They have now stopped for the night, before they continue their journey in the morning.  I found while writing this that some of the most ridiculous sounding parts are not the ones I made up.  Indian epics get pretty crazy sometimes. 

 

I wander into the forest, while Mandodari begins cooking.  As I look for a good place to meditate, I reflect on the day.  The Yagya ceremony by Lord Shiva was perfect  It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly six months since my fateful encounter with Lord Shiva.  I can’t help but feel that Fate is smiling upon me, leading me down the path to peace.

As a youth, I was certainly quite the bully, secretly copying Kumbhakarna, who’d gained popularity  eating Hindu monks. If it weren’t for my determination to gain acceptance through strength and power, I would never have asked to be invulnerable to gods and demons.  And if it weren’t for that boon, I never would have survived being pinned under Kailash by Lord Shiva and realized my true purpose in life. 

During my time under Kailash I made my transition from boy to man.  I realized that the path taken in my life was pointless and could never lead to true happiness.  I was driven by others’ opinions.  I remembered the dreams and hopes of my childhood and saw the wisdom within them.

I decided that,  once  freed, I would make a change.  I would show the demon world that it didn’t have to accept the images that the world placed on it.  Demons could live peacefully with gods and humans.  I knew this wouldn’t be easy.  It would have to change gradually and this would take time, but I could do it.  As the strongest demon, I could use the power I’d gained to my advantage.  I would continue acting as the brutal, unforgiving demon lord, continuing to wear this mask, while silently working to bring the demon world into line with the rest of the universe.

After completing my meditations, I head back to the campsite.  The bottle of clear liquid banging at my side reminds me of the duty I still must fulfill. 

It’s only been a few months since Mandodari and I were wed, and I know she isn’t comfortable with me yet.  No one knows that we haven’t slept together and she won’t tell anyone for fear of angering me.  I could easily take her before she’s ready, but she is important and I need her to trust me.  The problem is that I must maintain the illusion of power, and to do this I’ll need to produce a child soon.

This is why I have the boon water.  I can produce an heir, without making Mandodari uncomfortable.  The issue now is how to give it to her.  It wouldn’t be possible to merely slip it in her drink, because then I would have to find a way to explain to her how she became pregnant.  I have to tell her the truth.

When I get back to the campsite, Mandodari‘s finished dinner and gone to bed.  I eat the meal she has left , as I contemplate my dilemma.  When I stand up, I feel my head spin.  With the distraction of my current predicament, I must have drunk more wine than I realized.  I steady my vision and stumble to the carriage. 

I climb carefully into the carriage and admire Mandodari sleeping peacefully in the bed.

“Oh Mandodari,” I whisper, “my queen of the future, I have let you believe, just as I let everyone believe, that I chose you for your beauty, but really, it is your kindness that I value most.  I know you will support my vision when I finally show it to you.”

I’m now kneeling next to her.  I reach down and present the boon water before her sleeping face. 

“This is for you,” I continue in a whisper.  “It will produce a child for us that we can raise in a whole new world, where demons don’t have to be cruel and violent.”

I lay the bottle down between us and fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.

It’s dark when I wake up, disoriented and thinking I’m back in bed at the palace.  As I grope around, my hands find the bottle of liquid and I immediately drink it all, quenching the incredible dryness in my throat.  I then collapse back into a deep sleep.

I awake to the sound of Mandodari singing.  In a daze, I glance around and slowly remember where I am.  The events of yesterday come back to me and, when I see the empty bottle, I suddenly realize what I’ve done.   I try to sit up, but an ache in my stomach makes me lie back down with a moan.  I look down and notice my stomach seems larger than usual –  as though I have just eaten a large meal.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Mandodari says, peeking her head into the carriage.  “Breakfast is ready.”

“I’m not hungry,” I reply in a gruff tone.  “Let's pack up and continue on.” I force myself out of bed, and within an hour we have the entire site cleared.  I am grateful to sit down to drive us home, because now my stomach is hurting worse than ever.  I look down and notice it has grown even larger.

“You will sit in the back on the way home,” I tell Mandodari.

“Um, alright,” she replies, clearly a bit confused by my command.

I don’t want her noticing what is happening to me.  As we drive, I continue feeling worse and worse, and my stomach continues to grow larger and larger.  About an hour from Lanka, I have developed a raging headache and a horrible cough.  My driving has become increasingly unsteady and on top of all this, my stomach is now the size of a watermelon.   I have no idea how I will explain the situation to anyone once I return.  There’s certainly no way to hide it.

Another coughing fit comes over me and I have to stop the carriage, because I can’t keep my eyes open to see where I’m going.  I climb off the carriage and double over, tears bursting at the edges of my eyes from coughing so hard.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Mandodari calls from inside.

“Yes!” I manage to reply, “just… stay… inside…”

At the peak of my coughing, I arch my back and give one final cough.  I feel something come clear through my throat and out my main mouth.  As I open my eyes and look thro