"Kripiya jitne shigreh ho sake meri iccha purn kare. Mai chahti hu ki Ram aaj hi vanvaas hetu jaaye." Kaikeyi said.
Her words resounded in Dashrath's ears, he couldn't believe what he heard. Dashrath was distraught and devastated.
"Nirdayi.... Kul-ghatini.... Visheli Naagin.... Yeh kya maang liya tune !?" Dashrath was angry.
Kaikeyi stayed unbothered as Dashrath beseeched her to reconsider her demands. But she was not going to, her mind was shrouded by ill advise.
"Ram ne kya bigada hai tera !? Woh toh tujhe apni Mata jaisa hi prem aur samman dete hai ! Uske jaisa sansaar mei koi nahi aur tu chaahti hai ki mai apne nirdosh putra ka tyaag kar use van bhej du ?" Dashrath asked.
The king became pitiable as he started to sob, but Kaikeyi was unmoved.
"Mai Kaushalya aur Sumitra ka tyaag kar sakta hu. Mai apne Raajsi dhan ka tyaag kar sakta hu. Kintu mai Ram jaise agyakaari putra ka tyaag nahi kar sakta. Yadi tum Bharat ke prati mere prem ki pariksha lena chahti ho, toh mai Bharat ko Raja bana dunga kintu Ram ko yahi rehne do. Ram ke bina Mai jeevit nahi reh sakta, Kaikeyi ! Mai tumhare charan sparsh kar vinti karta hu, aisa var na maango !" Dashrath pleaded.
He begged pitiably holding the feet of Kaikeyi, but she angrily brushed aside Dashrath's pleadings.
"Var purn karne ka vachan dene ke baad piche hat rahe hai ? Yadi vachan purn kar hi nahi sakte toh vachan diya kyu Rajan ? Aap piche hat ke apni aur apne kul ki kirti ko kalankit kar sakte hai kintu mai aapko piche hatne nahi dungi." Kaikeyi said.
Dashrath cried and begged her to change her mind but to no avail. He was feeling a strong sense of guilt over his indulgent behaviour towards Kaikeyi and his neglect of other wives.
"Mai jaanti hu ki aap Ram ko rajya de, Kaushalya ke saath anand se rehna chahte hai. Mera var uchit ho ya anuchit, accha ho ya bura, aapko purn karna hi hoga ! Anyatha mai vish pi kar aapke samaksh yahi praan tyaag dungi ! Kaushalya ko Rajmata bane aur praja uske samaksh nat-mastak ho, yeh dekhne se pehle mujhe mrityu swikaar hai !" Kaikeyi declared adamantly.
Dashrath couldn't stand up straight anymore, he was feeling as if he was losing consciousness. How will Kaushalya react to her son's banishment ? How will Sita react to it ? These thoughts plagued Dashrath's mind.
"Kaikeyi, yadi Bharat tumhara saath dega inn vachano mei, toh woh mera antim sanskaar nahi karega !" Dashrath threatened as a desperate measure.
Kaikeyi assured herself that even after all the protests and threats, Dashrath would not refuse her demands.
"Ram ko bulayiye Rajan." Kaikeyi ordered.
Dashrath sent a messenger to do so. Shri Ram came immediately, Lakshman was with him. Both the brothers got startled seeing their father looking so pitiable and miserable.
"Kya huya Pitashree ?" Shri Ram asked, but Dashrath couldn't speak a word in response.
"Pitashree bataye kya huya ?" Lakshman asked but still no response. Shri Ram went pale.
"Mata, kya huya hai ? Pitashree kyu kuch nahi bol rahe ?" Shri Ram asked Kaikeyi.
"Tumhare Pitashree tumse atyant prem karte hai Ram, iss liye woh yeh samachar tumhe nahi de paa rahe. Unhone mujhe vachan diya hai aur tumhara kartavya hai ki apne pita ke vachano ka maan rakho." Kaikeyi said unabashedly.
"Kaise vachan ?" Shri Ram asked.
"Devasur sangram mei jab maine tumhare Pitashree ke praan bachaye tab unhone mujhe 2 vardaan diye the. Jo Maine aaj maange hai, aur ab tumhare Pitashree woh dene se piche hat rahe hai." Kaikeyi said.
"Kaunse var maange aapne ?" Shri Ram asked.
"Maine maanga ki tumhe 14 varsh vanvas mile aur Bharat ka Rajyabhishek ho." Kaikeyi said.
Lakshman was visibly shocked but Shri Ram's expression remained unperturbed as ever.
"Evam astu." Shri Ram said. (So be it.)
"Tum jaaoge ?" Kaikeyi asked raising her brow.
"Aapko vachan deta hu ki apne Pitashree ke var ka maan rakhne hetu mai 14 varsh van mei vyatit karunga, tapasvi ke vesh mei, ped ki chhal se bane vastra pehne huye. Mata yadi aap sidha mujhse yeh kehti tab bhi mai prasannta se aapke aadesh ka palan karta. Mere Pita ko yeh aashwasan de ki mai unke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hu, woh iss baat par sandeh na kare aur mai apne vachan se kabhi nahi mukad sakta." Shri Ram said.
"Tum van jaane hetu atyant utsaahit lagte ho, iss liye meri maano toh aur vilambh Naa karo aur aaj hi shigreh se shigreh prasthaan karo. Jab tak tum yaha rahoge tab tak tumhare pita na toh kuch khaa payenge na hi snaan kar paayenge." Kaikeyi said, too happily.
She had become even more brazen that Shri Ram wasn't showing resistance. Her words once again pierced Dashrath's heart as the old king fainted once again.
"Mai abhi apni Mata Kaushalya ko suchit karke, aaj hi jaane ki taiyaari karta hu. Aagya de." Shri Ram said.
He left just the way he had come, with a pleasant expression on his face. Lakshamn followed him behind he wasn't one bit pleased, he was agitated.
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A/N
Well as a king, Dashrath should've said no. Like Kaikeyi is sending the future king to exile and this puts the citizens and future of kingdom in danger.
But you see Dashrath was so indulgent to Kaikeyi, dare I say, lust-stricken also. Even Shri Ram admits he was.
Still the way Shri Ram analyses this entire situation is a perfect example of Yogasth Buddhi and I'll show you in next chapter ✨
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HARIHARESHWARI 11 : ℝ𝔸𝕄𝕆 𝕃𝕆𝕂𝔸𝔹ℍ𝕀ℝ𝔸𝕄𝕆
Historical FictionTo restore order and to put an end to the terror of Ravan, comes the seventh avatar of Bhagwaan Vishnu, the scion of Raghukul, the husband of Janki, the rightful king of Ayodhya. He who is endowed with virtues, valor, Dharma, gratitude, fortitude an...
