The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

You Before Me

      She didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be possible, her Shatru could not have forgotten her birthday. But it was true. Everytime he looked at her excited face, his brows curved up into a confused expression, a frown, almost. She knew her arya was good at acting, but this was the truth, reflecting on his face. The absolute, positive, complete and utter truth.

Shrutakirti never was forgotten amongst the family, though many evil villagers tried to tell her that. Yes, sometimes overlooked, but she loved her in-laws too much to even think about that! Sumitra Maa always gave her and Urmi didi the same amount of attention as each other, her husband only paid attention to her, and Raja Dasharath practically doted on her. So why would any of them forget that her birthday was tomorrow?

Shatrughan sometimes forgot about things, and that was okay, but not something as important as his wife's own birthday! Urmi didi only forgot the unimportant things, but she didn't seem to have a clue about it either! Mandavi, her best friend, always forgot everything, so she didn't count on her much, and Sita didi was enjoying her marriage too much to pay attention to anything else. Bharat bhaiyya was too immersed in his painting, and only Kaikeyi Maa and Mandavi didi could rouse him from his trances. Lakshman bhaiyya had the best memory, in order to hold grudges, among them all. He never forgot anything! But he too had forgotten her birthday was coming.

Shrutakirti felt tears coming to her eyes as she stared across the room. Everybody was conversing happily, and though her husband sometimes squeezed her hand, or talked to her about their next sweet-stealing escapade, he never even came close to asking her when her birthday was. Was she really forgotten? Were those poor, gossiping citizens, who had nothing else to do, was it really possible that they were correct? No, no, that was stupid. It couldn't possibly be right!

"Hey, we have a celebration coming up!" cried Ram, and Shrutakirti looked up hopefully. Yes, reliable Ram bhaiyya would always remember her birthday! Why wouldn't he? How could she have ever doubted him? "Maa Kaikeyi and Papa's anniversary is coming up! Isn't that exciting?" He slapped Bharat's back as everyone laughed as Maa Kaikeyi smiled graciously as Dasharath blushed in lovestruckness. Shrutakirti slumped again. It would be completely naive of her to think that they could remember her birthday.

                                                                                    ---------O--------

"Hey, what's wrong?" whispered Shatrughan, as they both stood on the balcony, staring at the stars, and giving them names. He wiped a silvery tear that had inched its way down her cheek. "Kirti, what's wrong? You never cry, are you alright?" Shrutakirti sniffled, taking in a deep breath. She had heard these things from Urmila didi, how people pretended to forget, and then threw a surprise party for them. However, the Raghus didn't do such things, they didn't hurt their family so much.

And she wouldn't be so dumb as to purposefully not tell them that it was her birthday. "It's my birthday tomorrow, did you forget?" she snapped as the emotions boiling in her overflowed, reaching the top of the volcano. "Did you forget your wife's own birthday?" she ended in a whisper as she looked back up at the stars. Shatrughan's silence answered her question.

"I-I forgot." he swallowed hard, swallowing the lump full of guilt that threatened to make him sob loudly into the emptiness of the night sky. "I-I forgot." he took another deep breath. He had been fortunate enough to marry a kind, understanding one like Shrutakirti, and he couldn't even pay enough attention to her to at least remember her birthday? "I'm sorry." he mumbled, but he knew it wouldn't make it any better. There had been a time in his childhood where this had happened to him too.

Flashback

"Maa! Maa! It's my birthday today!" squealed a five-year-old Shatrughan as he ran down the corridor. "Did you know, it's my birthday today!" Maa Sumitra walked up to him, her hands brushing over the top of his head as she kneeled down and looked him in the eyes, smiling closely. It was her son's birthdays, the best day of the year for them.