Suffered in silence ~~ Legend of Sumitranandans

Superhuman Anjaneya!

They walked. And walked. And walked some more. Determined as they were, they refused to give up in front of anyone, even if it was their own hunger and thirst.

But the practical side of Angada told him that this couldn't go on forever. While their will power was rock solid, they all knew that to keep going physically, they would definitely need food and water, none of which was available at that moment. He wondered for how long they would be able to motivate their army, before they lose hope.

Angada also knew one more thing, however. That was that they couldn't go back to Kishkindha without the news about the whereabouts of Sita Maa. And that had two reasons. Firstly, his uncle had issued strict orders to not return if they hadn't found Sita, and Angad's self respect won't allow him to step foot into Kishkindha if those orders weren't fulfilled. But most importantly, Angada's heart went out for that man, Rama, who had placed so much trust in them. He didn't want to witness as Rama's heart broke yet again. He didn't want to go back to him without good news.

Hence, they walked on and on, until they found a cave. A dark, dark cave, which was seemingly endless. Endless, for they had walked on and on for days, for weeks, and yet, there seemed no traces of any light on the other end. But of course, they hadn't stopped walking, they hadn't stopped hoping.

And their hopes did bear fruits, eventually. After a long, long walk, their eyes were hit with blinding light. All of them covered their eyes with their palms instinctively, squinting as the brightness hit their eyes. But when they did open their eyes completely, they were all starstruck like never before

And why not? The place they stood at was worth every bit of attention that it was receiving. Even Angada, who was a prince, and had grown up with all the luxuries that Kishkindha could offer, hadn't seen such ravishing paradise ever. His jaw hung open.

There were huge palaces and big fountains, each overflowing with such clear water that the reflection they saw in it could be rivalled by no mirror in the world. The trees stood tall and proud, and held the weight of so many kinds of fruits that they could keep counting, but would fall short of numbers. There was lush greenery all around, and they could smell the fragrance of the sweetest of the dishes drifting towards their noses. And along with all these, there was also a lady dressed in the clothes of a Sanyasini, looking at them with a keen interest

"Who are you, Devi? What is this place?" Hanuman finally asked, joining his hands. The lady smiled

"I am Swayamprabha, In charge of this Swarga on earth. Who are you, and how did you find this place?" She asked, casting an eye on all of them curiously. Hanuman sighed, and started to narrate their story

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(The italics are flashbacks)

Rama was, for some reason, very happy that evening.

The thirteenth year of their exile, and this was the first time he had felt this happy. Like, truly happy, not the forced one. It was raining heavily outside, and he sat with Sita inside their hut, with hot cups of tea. Lakshmana sat in the front porch, which was covered with a roof, with his own cup of tea, doing god-knows-what.

And Rama felt happy, like his heart was bursting with all the energy in the world. The rain somehow bought some vigor, some irresistible joy along with it. Maybe it was the drifting smell of the mud, or the heavenly beauty of the Panchavati, or was it the presence of the most beautiful woman in the universe by his side?

Rama looked at Sita. And goodness, she was SO beautiful! Her saree draped around her fragile body so securely, she adorned the jasmine flowers in her loosely braided ivory curls. Her eyes shone like the stars and her smile resembled the lightening.