The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

Hanuman (and the rest of them too)

So, now, Raja Sugriv certainly wasn't stupid enough to forget to dispatch his subjects again. But he was worried that he would. So he called everyone he planned to send out, all the able, willing, and most importantly, devoted monkeys and bears in his kingdom of Kishkindha. Sugriv cleared his throat and spread his arms out as the entire kingdom stared back at him inquisitive and ready to follow his every orders.

"My friends, my subjects," he began, looking into each and every eye that studied and heard his words. "I have made a promise to my ally and good friend, one which I intend to keep after a blasphemous delay. We are going to search for Yuvrani Sita of Kosala, who was abducted from Panchavati forest a few months ago. Her husband and brother-in-law are searching for her. We have news that she was taken by Raja Ravan of Lanka."

Sugriv pointed to the four groups that he had assembled. "We will search for this pious woman in each and every direction. One of you will go to the north, another to the south, another to the east, and another to the west. We will not delay. Either come back with Maa Sita or information about her whereabouts, come back having searched every single direction and having had exhausted all of your resources, or don't come back at all."

No one had ever seen Sugriv, believed to be a gentle sort of fellow normally, so authoritative. Hanuman grinned. Here was the king that would help them defeat any army. Here was the king of the people. Here was the king that Prabhu Ram had trusted with the finding of his wife, and here was the king that would prove that trust to be well-placed. Here was his best friend, and his employer, and his king, all in one. Now wasn't that rare?
Angad looked between their group. Between them, they had Hanuman, a mighty warrior and accomplice as well as a good leader, Jambavan, king of the bears and wiser than any of them, as well as older. And then there was him, son of Vali, previous King of Kishkindha, and Yuvraj of the same. Between them, they had a force to be reckoned with. And they were heading South. Angad tried not to think about the fact that Yama always went South, because what was the point of that? He snorted.

"We have a lot of manpower," Hanuman began as they started to walk out of the city. "And we have the blessings of Prabhu Ram. I have a good feeling about this direction. It just feels like the place to go, the right path. Doesn't anyone else feel that way? " When all he got was silence the very excitable and optimistic Hanuman jumped about. "Come on! We need some spirit between us, or how will we brave the journey?"

Jambavan shook his head. "The only way to get more spirit into these monkeys is a cued Bollywood sing and dance along, and my back is too creaky for that, not to mention that Bollywood hasn't even been invented yet of course-" When all he got was a few inquisitive looks back, Jambavan grunted. "Okay, I agree. These kids are way too quiet and reluctant to do anything. The question is-how do we get them happier?"

Hanuman hummed as they climbed over the first hill in their path. "You know, when I was younger, to make me happier and more easy to deal with, my mother always gave me fruits and sweets, but I suspect that we don't have enough sugar around here to make sweets, now do we?" Hanuman thought about it for a second. "You know, I don't think that we have enough desi ghee around here either."

Angad cleared his throat. "I don't think we have enough food around here, forget desi ghee and sugar and whatever else it takes to make a sweet." Jambavan grunted in agreement. "How about a chanting mantra though? Something to get them riled up and ready for war, you know? Even though we're not fighting. We might as well be with how grim we are." Angad looked about. "Not that I like fighting, too grisly, but sometimes we have to do it."

Jambavan shrugged. "A war brings people on each side together in order to tear two other halves apart, is it not? It is preventing 16 tears into a fabric in the palace of just a single. I agree with what Yuvraj Angad has said. It does make sense. Now we just have to come up with a war chant! Something not too torturous, not too weird, and not too corny!" Hanuman nodded along like he did almost everything the old bear said.