The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Plan-Makers Supreme

The moment the sun peeked over the silhouette of Lanka, Ram was up and out of his bed, grabbed his bow and paced out of the cave impatiently. The minute the dawn had overtaken the night, Hanuman had readied his mace and strode out of his bed. The second the stars blinked away, Angad shook Sugriv awake. It was unnecessary. None of them had slept in the first place. None of them possibly could. This was the day of reckoning. Thousands of monkeys would leave the mainland sometime soon. Thousands may not return.

The scorching sun would beat down upon them soon enough, but for then, the chilliness of the dark night still lingered hesitantly. Ram, Sugriv, Hanuman, and Angad agreed to meet on the welcoming sands on the beach, where the rising sun provided ample light to see, speak, and listen. The four groups came from every direction except South, where there were only choppy waves and the dark shadow of Lanka.

Nal and Neel dragged a large wooden slab over, and in a flash, placed palm leaves on the sticky sand for the leaders to sit upon. Thin sheets of bark were spread across this makeshift table and the musty smell of damp bark drifted about in the crisp dawn air. Ram sat down on the largest palm leaf, and Sugriv and Angad on the opposite side. Hanuman began to speak to the monkey artist, who drew a detailed map of Lanka just from Hanuman's memory. This map was placed in front of Ram, who nodded.

"We need to make a plan." he began sharply. "I may have not been a prince for fourteen years, but I have enough of a memory to remember this part of being royalty." Ram cleared his throat, and Lakshman calmly set down a few pieces. Large stone monkeys were the leaders. Smaller ones were the archers. And then there were the ones that charged, the swordsmen and the macemen. And right at the front of this army was a small figurine of Ram. Lakshman stepped back, glancing at Lanka for a moment before simply averting his eyes to the ground.

"Lanka has an army alright, and a great one, commanded by Ravan." Hanuman grunted, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Ravan meant to try and make us underestimate him, I'm sure, when he tried to protect his garden. He sent some of his weakest guards to defeat me that day in the Ashok Vatika. I wonder, was it because he thought I was too weak?" He cleared his throat. "Nonetheless, Ravan has a large army, larger than even we have. And we have the entire vanara population of the world."

Ram looked up, his ice blue eyes meeting the ones of Hanuman. "Which means, Pawanputra, that if and when we defeat Ravan and his army, we may as well have defeated a good population of the world's demons, terrors, and rakshasas. If we win this battle-Raja Sugriv-we will not only regain Sita, crown Vibhishan King of Lanka, but we will also have finished off a great section of terrible demons."

Ram turned around to face Lakshman, who had crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Lakshman, go get Vibhishan from his quarters. We need the information-if he gives it. He has a good idea of Ravan's might in battle." Lakshman turned around and stepped away from eyesight, eventually returning while escorting Vibhishan, who walked with a sense of urgency and eagerness. Ram smiled. "Here is where we need you most, my friend. Tell us-how mighty is Ravan and his sons in battle?"

Vibhishan sat down on a hastily brought palm leaf as well. A heavy wind passed by, and Vibhishan swallowed, closing his eyes. "What Ravan will do first-his first line of defense-will be sending his main army, and a few lower class generals, to fight you. Normally, the enemy falls even at this line, but there are a few that have crossed it. He does this to appraise the enemy, see how good they are. He also does this because he doesn't need to do anything else. By the great army of Lanka, the enemy falls."

Vibhishan took in a deep breath as Ram's sparkling eyes urged him on. "If you pass this "test" of Ravan's, he sends his generals next. His generals, and a more well prepared army. Higher class, better fighters." Vibhishan looked away. "The capable armies fall, but the superhuman ones go to Ravan's next level. No one has passed this one. Ravan sends his sons. Atikaya, Narantaka, Meghnath, Kumba, Nikumba. Sons, nephews, brothers, cousins. No one can beat them-rather, no one has beat them so far."