The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

The Shakti Saga-Part 4 : 'Late Regrets'

'Death is such a powerful thing, isn't it? It can take lives away, it can renew and refresh lives, it can change worlds, and start them too. And most of all, it can reduce adamant stubborness to shambles. Because regret only comes through once a person cannot express it.'

No sound, however, was more prominent, perhaps, than Indrajit's obnoxious laughter. He stood atop his chariot, cocky as ever, one hand on the crook of his hip as he watched the spectacle below. It was all a spectacle to him, wasn't it? He had killed thousands, maybe millions. This was all a show. A mere act. He was like a sponge, gloating in the sunlight, absorbing all of the cheers of his army. "Rajkumari Indrajit ki, Jai ho!"

"Jai ho!" he cackled. "Jai ho!" And then, he put one hand up abruptly. The loud sounds behind him stopped, and he pointed to the ground. "Take me there," In seconds, he was next to Lakshman's limp body. Stepping out of the golden structure, Indrajit spun his long clothing around his arm and strutted closer, like a peacock showing off his feathers. Much like a panther would eye dead prey, Indrajit studied the lifeless body of Lakshman.

His face was pale. A pale white, paler than it normally was. His hair, perfect, yet messy as ever, lay splay behind him, and his arms were positioned so that it appeared as if Lakshman was merely sleeping. But everybody knew he wasn't. Lakshman hadn't slept for fourteen years. They had never spotted him resting. And now, finally seeing his eyes close, there was only one reason. And that was the spear planted right in his heart.

"You and your monkey army thought this could defeat me?" Indrajit guffawed. His voice was like poison to the vanars, who shuffled uneasily as they eyed the scene. 'It's just an illusion,' some whispered. 'He is trying, unwittingly, to trick us again, isn't he? Lakshman bhaiyya couldn't be defeated this easily.' So they all watched the illusion, not doing anything as Indrajit stared down at Lakshman's body.

Somehow, when he towered over Lakshman, his shadow did not show up on the man's body. It just disappeared. No God would allow such a disgrace to happen to this man. Huffing, Indrajit kneeled down. Hidden in his hand was another dagger. "Perhaps when your own leaders die, you can cremate them and mourn them. But my father will be most pleased to have this spoil of war."

Indrajit stood up, and ordered his lackeys to pick Lakshman up. They walked towards the dead body, five strong, and tried to lift him. Key word: tried. Because Lakshman, it seemed, was suddenly a thousand pound boulder. As they tried in vain to pick him up, Blood began to gush out of the wound. Still, even as ten more came to help, alkshman refused to be lifted. And somewhere, up above in heaven, Gods gagged, stepping away from the scene in disgust. "Trying to take Sheshnag?" Narad whispered. "As a spoil of war? Impossible. The day I see his honor lost is the day the world ends."

"Useless!" Indrajit barked as his goons retreated. "Let me try!" But the moment he reached down and tried to pick Lakshman up, a flying missile barreled into him. Indrajit flew back, and stared at the perpetrator. Staring at him, breathing heavily, his lip curled dangerously, was Hanuman, exhaling loudly.

"How dare you?" the vanar hissed. "How dare you?" With another kick, Indrajit was securely on the ground, and Hanuman himself reached down and lifted Lakshman. "You'd better hope, Meghnad, that when we kill you, your remains aren't so unrecognizable that your family cannot even perform your final rights." he murmured.

His voice was quiet when he usually would have shouted, angered and thundering, and with one leap, he was up in the air, and flying far far away. The only sign there was ever a body in that place where Lakshman fell was the few drops of red which had fallen, leaking into the ground. Just like that, everything was silent once more.

-----O-----

Landing heavily, Hanuman gently placed Lakshman's body on the ground once more. As if summoned, hundreds of monkeys raced towards the spot. "It was an illusion, right Hanuman-" "That's not a real body, is it?" "Lakshman bhaiyya is still out fighting, isn't he?" "What happened? Who is this?" Hanuman looked around, but Sugriv quickly ran into the scene, pushing everyone back. Soon, there was a large circle around the corpse.