The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

Vacay Day

"They're not charging!" Nal exclaimed. "They're not charging! Why aren't they charging! It's been at least thirty minutes since dawn!" Neel ran up and took his turn at the viewing scope as well, and shook his head when the Western gates did not open up with the newest legions of warriors and men. "You can see it too, right? It isn't me hallucinating?" Nal asked hopefully, and when Neel nodded, Nal turned to Ram. "Prabhu? Agya do."

Ram glanced for a moment through the viewing scope before shaking his head, his eyes drifting to where the sun warmed up the sky with its pink colors and orange and red splashes. "It's been at least an hour since the sun first rose out of the sky. Even Ravan knows to respect the boundaries of war, and timing. He would have come out by now. Something is not right." Ram turned hopefully towards Vibhishan, who stared back at him wearily.

"Prabhu, I think I know what this is. Ravan has just lost Prahast, who was one of his most loyal, if not his most loyal general, and certainly his best fighter. Ravan would always favor Prahast over the rest, and in turn, the legion leader would often be the one to kill the enemy leader. If I am not mistaken, Prabhu, Ravan is mourning the death of his army general and grandest legion leader. And he is allowing the widow time to grieve as well."

There was awed silence in the tents. Monkeys set down their maces and boulders, and Lakshman unhooked his sword for a second, his eyes lingering on Ram's shocked face. Neel stepped away from the viewing scope, staring at the spoil of war, the crown on the table at the end of the tent, and Nal grinned proudly at him, ruffling the top of his head. Sugriv grinned proudly, cuffing Hanuman on the shoulder. "This means..." Hanuman trailed off.

"It's a vacay day!" Angad shouted ecstatically, and jumping from foot to foot, his tail swinging this way and that. Hanuman rolled his eyes, but Sugriv dropped his mace and sat down on a bed with a sigh. "Come on! Neel, we got a vacay day!" Neel grinned, and took Angad's hands, and they began to dance around the tent, shaking their tails this way and that. Nal still occasionally peeked out of the viewing scope, before finally convincing himself that Ravan indeed had decided not to charge, and began to dance too.

"Wait!" Jal squeaked. "Does this means that the medics have more time to heal the injured?" Jambavan eagerly grabbed a cloth and began to bandage a moaning vanar who suffered from the battle yesterday. Lakshman looked around, his mouth still slightly parted as Ram laughed, slapping his arm. "This also means-" Jal added. "That Prabhu Shri Ram can tell us more stories to help the injured relax!"
Silence, before Nal ran over to Jal and hugged her tightly. "You've never been so genius before, I always thought that you were a big fat dumbo, completely ruining my intelligent image, but here you are coming up with master plans!" He paused thoughtfully. "You're so great, I'll marry you off to Neel!" Silence as Neel coughed up the water he was drinking. "I considered it before, didn't think you deserved him, but now that you brought this up, I think it'd be great!" Jal choked.

Jal and Neel stared at each other in horror, neither seeming very excited about the plans Nal had built up for them. "Congratulations?" Lakshman tried, the first to recover from the shock. "I-ship it? I guess?" Neel stared at him in a way that said 'NO! Don't agree to this'. "Oh-I-I meant that I rip it! I don't like it! I mean they're completely wrong for each other. Neel would benefit from someone who shared his interests, like healing-oh wait." Neel put his head in his hands.

"Don't listen to him." Ram laughed, patting Jal on the back. Nal practically fainted that the great Prabhu Shri Ram had paid attention to his incompetent sister. "Lakshman is terrible at giving relationship advice, just terrible at it. I'd sooner take advice from Shatrughan about love than him, and Shatrughan flirts with people with his wife, Shrutakirti right behind him, and in complete earshot. Not that he should flirt anyways, but-"