The Inseparable Princes

35. Dead

Sumantra entered Dasharatha's room dejectedly as Kaushalya and Sumitra stared at him in horror.

"Maharaj," he said, glances steadily low. "Rajkumar Ram-"

"Has Ram come, Sumantra? Where is he?" asked Dasharatha, looking around desperately.

"Maharaj he refused to return,"

(Flashback)

"This is enough, Ram. You should return now. I do not understand why you want to follow those orders of that woman," said Sumantra in utter disgust.

"Please, Kaka. Do I have to tell you, of all people, how to address the queen?" he asked, but Sumantra only laughed dryly.

"I'm sorry, Ram, but I can't give Rani Kaikeyi the amount of respect that I give to Maharani Kaushalya or to Rani Sumitra. It doesn't make any sense if I give that person just as much respect as the deserving people get!" he proclaimed.

"Now, all I know is that you are going to return to Ayodhya," said Rama.

"Please come along with me, Ram. Maharaj had sent me with you all along with a responsibility, that of bringing you three back to Ayodhya. I cannot return without you!" pleaded Sumantra.

"I shall not come along with you, Kaka, no matter what you try. All I know is that you have to return. You need to be there for your Maharaj, Kaka! What if Rani Kaikeyi does something to him? She might not be satisfied as yet with all that she has achieved. Please return,"

"I'll return, Rajkumar. But can at least Rajkumari Sita return to Ayodhya? How can she live in this dangerous jungle for fourteen years? And you, Lakshman, why don't you return? You'll be able to comfort your father," he cried.

"I'm not going to return, sorry," said Lakshmana and Sita at the same time, before they both looked to Rama and smiled at him, as he shook his head exasperatedly.

"I've asked them, Kaka. They will not return, I'm sure of that. Please don't even try, I suppose," said Rama, as the other two smiled triumphantly at their success. "Please return, Kaka, before anymore mishaps could happen in the palace,"

(Present)

"Why didn't you just bring him along, Sumantra, why?" cried Dasharatha, grief-stricken.

"Maharaj, please, you may behead me for being incompetent, please Maharaj!" cried Sumantra guiltily.

"Ask Bharat to do it, Sumantra, ask Bharat. I'm going to die," he said, as Kaushalya shrieked in horror and Sumitra felt faint.

"Don't say such things, Maharaj," cried Sumitra.

"But that is the truth, Sumitra. I've been cursed for this," he cried.

"Cursed?" Said the other three in unison as Dasharatha began to narrate the incident.

(Flashback)

A young Dasharatha rode through the woods, as he went hunting. As he moved close to a dazzling river, named Sarayu, he could hear the noise of some animal drinking water from it. Using the sound as his help to kill the animal, he took accurate aim and shot the arrow, only to hear a loud shriek from not an animal, but a human being.

Terrified, Dasharatha rushed to the river to see a man nearly dead because of the arrow that he had shot at him, and he quickly set about to help him out.