A Beautiful Indian Woman
My lady's life was a difficult one after my lord Dasaratha died from grief over Rama's exile. The people resented her and cursed her name under their breaths. Nothing was so terrible, however, than the reaction of her own son, upon his return. Bharatha, upon hearing of the events that had taken place during his absence, berated her and declared his hatred for her, terrible in his sorrow for his brother's departure. She took his anger as a wall weathers the writhing waves of the ocean during a fierce storm. He sobbed and screamed, clutching her arms, tearing at his hair and still she remained silent, her eyes slightly rimmed with tears. Bharatha's anger subsided and he stood once more before his mother, cool and calculating, expecting an explanation from her. Only then did she smile at last, happy in her own heart for passing his test of overcoming grief and anger. Now he was ready to accept the truth and fulfill his role as a guardian of the city, and more importantly, as a warrior.
Kaikeyi at last spoke to him.
"Your father's death is terrible, my son. I do not pretend to be unhurt by his passing. However, my sweet Bharatha, there are greater paths that must be discovered. We were betrayed. Your king broke a vow to my noble father and it had to be reconciled. Rama's exile was necessary for many reasons, Bharatha. First, there was no greater punishment for Dasaratha than to be denied the company of his favorite son. Second, Rama must be exiled for a time so that my father's request could be fulfilled. You could not be king so long as Rama remained in the kingdom. Third, my son, your greatest trials, yours and Rama's, have come from these events and these tests will make you warriors. There is no greater role for man on this earth."
My lady ran her fingers over me gently and I knew from that touch the power that lay beneath her flesh and it thrilled me.
Her intentions had been made clear and Bharatha seemed to understand.
They were not allowed to participate in Dasaratha's funeral, their family ties having been severed by the king. It was an awful blow to the mother and son, but they both accepted it humbly. Bharatha watched from the ranks of soldiers while my mistress, dressed in armor made to look exactly like the armor she had worn when she saved the king, stood alone on a hill not far away. Drawing her sword, she cut a piece of her hair in mourning, fastened it to the hilt of the sword, and thrust the blade into the ground. She glanced upwards towards the heavens and whispered "Dasaratha" softly before turning and walking slowly away.
After the funeral, Bharatha took his place outside of the city to protect it, as he had promised Rama until Rama's return. My lady spent her days in quiet solemnity, knowing she had done what was right, but yearning in her heart to gain Dasaratha's forgiveness.
Fourteen years flew by until at last Rama's joyous return awoke the sleeping city. The entire population went to see him, except my mistress, who remained quietly in her room, still somber despite the perfumed air and shimmering spectacles of the city. Dasaratha appeared before her, nearly scaring me out of my fastenings. The king looked splendid - as he did in those times of war when youth had not left him. He slowly took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes, perhaps into her very soul.
"You are forgiven," he whispered softly. "Rama has made a plea for you and I have seen your role in this great epic." He kissed her hands, then her forehead, and finally her lips. I could feel my mistress's heart beating hard in her chest, the way it used to when the two were so madly in love. And with that, he was gone. Kaikeyi was overjoyed and hastened to the celebration, ready to begin the newest chapter of her life.
Bibliography: Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana.
Buck, William (1976) Ramayana. The Uttara Kanda.
Author's Note: It was extremely important to me to include Bharatha's return and subsequent conversation with Kaikeyi in this final story. His reaction would have been, of course, very complicated. Kaikeyi is first and foremost his mother, but she had done something that had, at least in most people's eyes, torn the family apart. Including this scene in my storybook helped me to further clarify the intricate web of reasons Kaikeyi had for acting the way she did. Hopefully, this helped clairfy things in my readers' minds as well. I also found it very important to create a scene in which we get to witness Dasaratha forgiving Kaikeyi for all that has happened. In this way, readers will get a sense of closure and an ending that is somewhat bittersweet.
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