I am back with Chapter 17 :) Some parts of this chapter will seem like a jumbled mess. That is due to the fact that I intended for it to be that way.
I also have a question for you guys. Should I post this story on Wattpad?
MEANING
"Raghukul Ke Raja Dharmatma,
Chakravarti Dasharath Punyatma"
Dharani loved this song. She loved these two lines. It showed the greatness of not just Maharaja Dasharatha, but also of Raghukul itself. The presence of a great king like Maharaja Dasharatha itself ads to the glory of the Raghuvansh. Additionally, very single king of the Raghuvansh have been known for their unbreakable promises, and for their bravery and courage. And in that kul, her Lord, her Raghunandan Rama was born, as were her three sons. She was lucky to have become the kulvadhu of such a clan. Ayodhya and Mithila were equals, in all ways, after all.
"Dharanii!"
She sighed. She should have known. If it wasn't her mother, it was her grandmother.
"Coming Patti"
She rushed out of the room, knowing a long list of jobs awaited her.
"Ramam Dasharatham Sumitram Janakatmajam"
A beautiful woman told this to him, her wisdom radiating all over her face, her truth shining in her eyes. Her seva bhaav motivated him, he was determined to make this loving woman, who knew him so well proud. His eyes slowly moved to the figure standing near her. Hazel round eyes, shapely and a round face, like the moon. his wife Urmila stood, her face and eyes radiating understanding, love and a hint of knowing. He knew she would let him go just like that, she would follow all his rules, she would listen to all that he says. He also knew that though she is living in the palace, she will live like he did in the forest, with Ram Bhaiya and Sita Bhabhi. Her loving smile towards his Sita Bhabhi showed him that she would be their silent strength through their exile.
Laksh woke up, sweating. He had just had a dream. Or was it a vision? He knew he was Lakshmana. All the facts and feelings pointed to that. But the familiarity of those lines, and of those expressions he had seen in his vision gave him more belief that he was Lakshmana. And Urmila? Who is his human Urmila? Where is she? Had her realisation started yet?
He looked towards his door. The only one with answers would be his Shyam Bhaiya. And his brother loved being disturbed by him. Laksh found his cell and called his brother. His instinct told him that his brother would pick up after the first ring, and He did.
"Laksh? Kid? This late in the night? What happened?", asked a concerned Shyam.
Laksh took a deep breath, and let out all his thoughts and feelings of his dream to Shyam.
Shyam sighed. He was worried about Laksh. Even more so now that he was before. Laksh was not him. Laksh was more impulsive, though intelligent and thoughtful. Laksh was as much a contradiction as He Himself was. Additionally, He and His Bhaiya, and His younger brother Bharat to some extent were guides to Him. Shyam's parents never bothered. They were worried about the society and themselves. The fact that Shyam's birth had been an odd one was another reason for the fights that happened between His parents. Shyam was self-made. He brought Himself up. Born with strong perception and understanding, Shyam had the ability to fit anywhere He was. Yet, He wouldn't actually fit. Not till He had His Lakshmi, who in this birth was Bhudevi. He had, when He was young felt the need to fit. But His father had quelled that as well.
"You don't deserve to fit", said Dheeraj. "You aren't made that way. You will never fit. Not with your brothers, not in this family, not with the world at large"
Reflecting on those words, Shyam almost laughed. He was, technically, the Lord of the Universe. He was an avatar, yet not one. He was a form of Narayana, the Creator of the Creator. Then how can He not fit?
Now that He thought of it, He never really did. He was always much more mature than boys His age, and He was more silent than talkative. He preferred to keep to Himself, yet He was very outgoing and friendly to everyone. He never looked at girls in the wrong way, though He knew nearly every girl in both school and college had a thing for Him. The women at work were the same, but His mind was only on Bhudevi.
He sighed as He turned back to typing His story. If it was something He loved doing, it was writing. Writing was His hope, writing was His happiness. In writing lay His fight. His gut and instincts told Him that that was the same with the human form of Bhudevi.
Dharani's eyes filled with tears, as she relived one of the most painful memories of Sita.
"No. Ma Trijata, don't say that", said Sita, distress filling her. "My son Lakshmana cannot be hurt and lying unconscious"
Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, her thoughts on Lakshmana, her son. He was her first son, along with Bharata and Shatrughana. And he was lying in the battlefield. What would be doing this to her Lord? Without Lakshmana, He won't survive.
"Ma, without Lakshmana, Raghuveer will not survive", said Sita. "The two of them are like one soul, just in two bodies. Without Lakshmana, my Lord will never survive"
Not knowing what to do, and turning to her source of comfort, she folded her hands, and said, "Jagadambe! Sankathaarini! Please save Lakshmana. If anything happens to my son, the entire Sun dynasty will end. Ma, only you can protect him now"
Sita closed her eyes, her thoughts on The Divine Mother, her soul hurt due to Raghunandan's hurt and Lakshmana's unconscious nature, her heart hurting for her little sister Urmila, for she could feel Urmila's pain all the way in Lanka.
Dharani felt the tears roll down her cheeks, but she didn't care. At that moment, she was Sita. She was a Ma grieving for her darling son, for her husband whose very existence was based on Lakshmana's. Her hurt manifested further as she felt Lakshmana's pain over and over again. She remembered thinking that it was because of her that Lakshmana had gotten hurt. But then she realised that that was not the time to angst. Instead, it was the time to pray for her son, her little sister and most importantly for her husband. After all, Without Lakshmana, there is no Rama! Without Sita, Rama could be', she wrote, for she existed in His heart, but without His soul, Lord Rama could have never lived. That is why Lord Rama sacrificed His life once He did Lakshmana Parityaag. The love the brothers shared was obvious in the Lakshmana Shakti incident. The Dheer Veer Gambhher Raghuveer had broken down in the middle of the battlefield, in a way that He hadn't for Sita Haran'.
She wasn't trying to find fault with the Lord. She was trying to state the fact and explain the meaning of Rama-Lakshmana's sibling bond to the world. But would they understand? Or would they destroy the precious relationship that Lord Rama shared with Lakshmana, and instead add new twists to the tale? Would they make Lakshmana the reason for Sita Haran, when he wasn't? Would they make Lord Rama be harsh on Lakshmana? One could never tell. Not with the way people are trying to gain a new perspective. The sad part was that these people who are bashing any character from any epic were doing so with misunderstood knowledge on the character, with improper knowledge or understanding of the epic.
How can people bash Dharmaraj when they don't understand the Dharmasankat that he faced in the infamed hall of dice? How can someone bash Lord Rama for sending Sita away when she herself accepted it? When she understood that it was the Queen and not the wife sent away? How can anyone blame Lakshmana for hurting Shurpankha? Shurpankha was a demoness, who wanted to kill his Ma-samman Bhabhi. Lakshmana wanting to hurt her was not wrong. As a protective son, he did what he had to do.
Additionally, how can people blame Kunti for causing the war of Kurukshetra? It was Dhritarashtra's fault. It was Shakuni's fault. It was Gandhari's, and the Kauravas fault. Kunti cannot be blamed for Panchali marrying the five brothers either. She didn't know Panchali was even outside the hut.
Dharani sighed as she stopped typing. She knew what she wanted to say, but the flow of her thoughts were faster than her typing, leading to a jumbled puzzle of an essay. She had to rework the entire thing, edit and add points to what she had typed.
Stretching herself, she went back to doing it, as she had to get that article ready for a newspaper on mythology, which was quickly becoming popular. She was glad her cousin started this venture. This would hopefully teach the world a thing or two about ways to live, and the meaning of Dharma and Karma, the meaning of Love, and above all, the meaning of God.
Seher Hone Ko Hai
Anupamaa
