Marvelous episode. I could only register 3 people in this episode and they were the helpless father, Intrigued & insecure mother and a devoted son.
Dashrath, the father could not even talk to his son or wife as he was tied by his vachan and pratha of Raghukul that no Raghuvanshi will go against his word. Added to that he had taken an oath on his beloved son's name. He was stuck in both ways. If he fulfill his vachan, he will have to send his son away for 14 years which told him that the Rishi shrap is eventually workout. He could not visualize him to stay away from his son for 14 long years and his end will happen when he will be away in the forest. If he doesn't fulfill his vachan, something bad may befall on his son which he can't bear. Either way he will be away from his son and that made him sure that his end has fast approached.
Kaikeyi, the mother who loved and still loving her son immensely was unable to utter the reality directly o his face. That itself made Ram prepare himself for the worst. The wife who was wronged by her husband, who thought all the hurry to crown Ram was just a tool to degrade her. The pain of being cheated took over her love for her son and he insecurities for the future, took over her trust on her dear sister and made her to steel her mind and spell out those two boons she had asked her husband to grant, even though tears were forming and evaporating at the end of her eyes. She knew what she is doing is wrong, she knew what fate befalls on her (in the form of Widow life), she knew her subjects will hate her for what she is doing, her sisters will never forgive her for her distancing their beloved son from them for 14 years and her daughter Sita will never pardon her for snatching away her fortune and life by plucking her life bud even before it blossomed and last but not the least, she was unsure of her son's response for her deeds But still she went ahead and made sure that her son heard her right and will keep the Raghuvanshi parampara clean and unstained. She was dying inside but was determined outside and how could she give him permission to go away from her? Had ram asked her to bless him (Ashirwad instead of Agya) she would have done that without hesitation and with full love and affection but her son asked her permission to leave the state for 14 long years and she will not be able to see him for so many years and will she be able stay without his presence?
Ram, Raghunandan, Raghukula tilak, the beloved son of Dasrath & Kaikeyi, was pleased to hear that he could actually be the reason for his father keeping his words and he could actually payback for his mother's Immense love in the form of fulfilling her wish. If he could repay his mother's debts just by staying away from royal palace and wealth, that will be his blessing. How could a son retrack from paying tribute to the unadulterated love he received from his mother ever since his birth and if that mother who had neglected her biological son for foster son for so long, and if she feels she has to take care of him now, how can he find fault in that? As he knew the shrap given to his father by a rishi in his last minute, how can he think that it will be wrong for him to live his ailing father? He had been taught about niyati and his sister is a live example for him about the tyag for their parents, how will he feel sad for what befalls him?
A man who knew his fate, still was not ready to accept, a woman who knew half of what is going to happen because of her adamant behavior still stick to her stand and a son who feels it his duty to obey his parents and thinks it is his fortune that he could actually be able to fulfill their wish and words, didn't even flinch for a moment and embraced his fortune with open arms.