THE RAMAYAN DIARIES

SENT FROM ABOVE, OUR BUNDLES OF LOVE (SIYA-RAM)

  Sita picked up the final pot from the wheel and placed it beside her to dry. She heaved a sigh of relief and got up awkwardly to wash her muddy hands. She walked slowly, wobbling slightly to her personal water reservoir as she went over her morning. Her morning lessons for the girl students in Rishi Valmiki's hermitage had gone quite well. She had volunteered to teach the girls of the native jungle tribes when the hermitage had been established. She looked around the green, little, secluded place and smiled. Not many would believe that the first time she had come here, it was a thief's den, a place of criminal activities. The revered Rishi, then the much feared highway robber Ratnakar, had threatened to kill her if she did not hand over her jewels. She had done so without a single protest, and with a single question. "Why do you steal?" she had asked. He gave her the entire story about how he, once a farmer, was now land and jobless. He had no other means to sustain his family. "You are well aware that stealing is a sin. Tell me, will your family bear the burden of your sins?" he seemed confident they would, but he returned to her disappointed. He had lost all hope, for the family for which he was risking his life and karma every second did not want to share the punishment with him. "Meditate, expand your mind, and your purpose of life, the solution of your problems will appear before you." "But I am a poor man with no scriptural knowledge. What am I to meditate on?" she told him to carry on with the very first word that sprang in his mind. "Mara" he started. Sita had then gone to the home of Ratnakar to convey his decision to meditate to his family. His wife Gomti, then devoid of any wisdom, had been furious. She accused Sita of snatching away their only source of income. "I shall stay here till your husband returns, and till then, you can sell off my jewely to feed your family." The plan was agreed on. Sita, pregnant herself, had taken an instant liking to Gomti's sons. Their illiteracy bothered her a lot. Thus, she took it upon herself to teach them. She would sit with them everyday and impart her immense knowledge. Soon, Gomti and various other tribals too joined in and thus began the spread of wisdom in that forest. In the meantime, she would visit Ratnakar, who would ask her about various experiences he felt during meditation. One such day, he asked, "Who is Ram, and why does he intrigue me so?" she smiled, for she knew his meditation was successful. And so she narrated him the story of her Ram. One day, while he sat meditating on Ram's name, he heard the cry of a male love bird, weeping on the death of his mate caused by a hunter's arrow. Ratnakar cursed the hunter, but his words fell in such a perfect rhyme, it was the most beautiful tragic poetry ever. This inspired him to pen down Ram's story. "Ramayan!" he told Sita. "I shall call it the Ramayan." She smiled. "But the world shall remember it as Valmiki's Ramayan." He asked who he was. "You, reborn out of valu, the sand of the termite hill that formed on you while you meditated." She convinced him to start his work in the hermitage, and when she announced her decision to leave upon his return, everyone broke down. "You are pregnant! Where shall you go in such a condition?" wailed Gomti. "I can care for myself" she said. "Then care for us!" cried Gomti's sons and the other students as they clustered around her. She could not refuse, and thus began her stay there.

She had reached the pitcher by now, and smiled at the thought of how the time had flew since then. she bent awkwardly over her huge belly as she washed her hands. The last drop fell from the pitcher, and she realized her day's supply was over. Since her fourth month, she had started taking triple the amount of water she usually had. This troubled Gomti; she feared it would leach her of important nutrients, but the tribal women took care of that part. On any day, Sita would have requested a free student or hermitage worker to fetch her some from the lake, thanks to Gomti's strict instructions to not move around much. She fuzzed over Sita like a child, and reminded her of her mother Sunaina. Her thought made Sita sad, but a strong pang of thirst pulled her out of it. she felt oddly rebellious today, and very adventurous. She had not gone out for a long time, not felt the soft, squishy jungle earth under her feet. She picked up her pot and started going out, when she heard Gomti. "Sita! How many times do I have to tell you? Look at yourself! The last phase of your pregnancy! Heaven knows when the time shall come!" sita placed a hand on her shoulder and reasoned, "I all well aware of your concers, and respect them deeply. But, I yearn to step out for a minute. No, don't worry. I shall go to the lake. Its very close by, and I shall call for help if I need to. I shall be back before you can miss me!" Gomti was defeated. With a very reluctant heart, she nodded, and a very excited Sita left .

The dampness of the earth was other worldly. Sita raised her face up to the morning sun as it fell on her pale skin from between the leaves of the massive trees. In some distance, a lark sang the most beautiful melody, and she leaves rustled as a group of deer passed in some other direction. Sita let out a giggle like a five year old, thrilled at being within the nature again. She spun around, a little weirdly, and laughed. Something caught her in the middle of her round, and she looked back to see her drapes stuck in a thorny shrub. She tried to free it, but her baby bump restricted any movement. "Let me take care of that!" she heard a female voice call out. She turned to face the most exquisite woman she had ever seen. The lady was very tall, and had amazing proportions. Her skin was the colour of the earth under the feet, silky smooth and flawless. She wore coarse bark clothes, but they suited her as well as silks befitted quens. Her luxurious hair waved over her perfect shoulders, and her full lips were spread in a smile. "That would be very kind of you. Thank you." Replied Sita. The woman walked over in a graceful, fluid motion and freed the cloth with ease. Sita straightened up, and thanked her again. The woman waved her hand, and joined her hands in salutation. "I am Shivpriya" she introduced herself. Sita returned the gesture as well as she could with her hands filled out the pot, and replied, "My name is Sita." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sita" Shivpriya replied earnestly. "So, where is the mother-to-be headed to?" she asked. Sita laughed at her choice of title, and was about to tell her of the lake, when an old memory flashed back. She was taken back to the time when she had been exiled, and was still walking into the forest. She had come across a magnificient waterfall. Its water was the sweetest she had ever tasted, and the fragrance of the light breeze had left her speechless. She wanted to go there again. It was not the place she had told Gomti, but she would be fine. Besides, she had gotten the chance after so long... "To the waterfall" she told a waiting Shivpriya. "That's exactly where I am going!" she replied, thrilled by the idea of accompanying her. It was then that Sita noticed that she had a pot too, and her own enthusiasm was doubled. Nothing like a walk in the forest with a nature loving partner. "SO, I have never seen you around" said Sita, starting the conversation as they walked. "That's right, you wouldn't have. My husband and I live on the other side with our tribe. My husband, Pashupati, is the tribal head. We wished to spend some time in seclusion, and this seemed to be a beautiful place." Sita smiled. Had she been given a choice, she would have loved to stay with Ram in a forest, all alone, undisturbed, just the two of them.... Something that Shivpriya said pulled her out of her daydream. She pointed to a huge pink flower, and Sita's smile widened. Seeing her happy face, Shivpriya plucked it off the branch and tucked it behind Sita's ear. While walking, Sita realized she had a lot in common with Shivpriya. She was the daughter of the king of her tribe, Himadhish, which made her a princess, just like her. Her mother Maina was very fuzzy, protective and caring, just like Sunaina. Shivpriya had an elder sister Jahnavi whom she was very close to. "She's untamed, wild, willful, like the river" Shivpriya had said. "But in the toughest of times, you find an unfathomable depth of power, strength and courage beneath the fast flowing surface" Sita had replied, instantly thinking of Urmila. Finally, they reached the waterfall. Merely a look at it wiped out all of the journey's exhaustion. It was just as beautiful as she had remembered. Tall, shady trees surrounded the water, with soft, green grass growing all around. Flowers of all colors bloomed everywhere, and little birds chirped. The swooshing of the water as it hit the rocks was like music to her weary ears, and the spectacular smell of the wet earth took her breath away. "Now, we've come this far. Why don't you take some rest here while I fill up our pots?" Shivpriya offered. But Sita had other plans. Coming so far would be useless without a little indulgence. Besides, the water looked very inviting.... She climbed the slippery rocks near the waterfall as she heard the protests of her companion muddled by its deafening sound. Water sprayed on her face, making her giggle like a girl with delight. She bent down to fill her pot with water, and the cool water sent a funny shiver down her spine. She got up and turned around to walk to the drier rocks to sit, when she felt it.

Crash! Shivpriya heard the pot fall from Sita's hands as she clutched her huge belly, her face twisting with agony. "Sita!" she shouted. She rushed to her side in a flash and held her firmly, preventing her fall. She towed her to the spot under a large tree and helped her lie down. "I'm ..... ah!....i'm ....fine" Sita managed, very embarrassed at being practically carried. "Its just......oooh......its" Shivpriya laid her down then, and the ground seemed to wrap itself around her, comforting. "Shh, Sita" Shivpriya said as she stroked her forehead. "Its all right. The biggest turning point of your life has arrived. Your child is coming!"

No sooner had she said those words, than the entire nature seemed to change its course. The bright noon sun seemed to dim so that she might not be bothered, the birds stopped chirping and pearched on the tree to watch. All the animals, deer, lion, monkeys, jackals, appeared from the shades, awaiting. The wind started blowing in her direction, fanning her face with the water-cooled air. Sita breathed heavily as the sweat beaded all over her body. The pain was excruciating; it felt like everything below the waist was being pierced by a thousand knives. She pushed hard as Shivrpriya called out words of encouragement while wiping away the sweat. "RAGHUNANDAN!!" she cried as she gave the final push. And then she heard the cry. She opened her eyes slowly as she saw the image of a bloody baby in Shivpriya's arms, crying. "It's a boy!" she called out to her. Sita smiled weakly, but soon her face twisted up again as another pang of pain seared down her body. It was not over. "There's another one! Oh Sita! You are a very lucky mother!" but Sita could not be happy at her words, for the pain was all she could think about. It was stronger, more overwhelming than the first one, and it numbed all her thoughts and senses. She had to try, she had to make it, or her baby would die. But the pain made her go limp, and she couldn't find her strength anymore. In desperation, she thrashed her hands on the ground. It was then that she caught 2 fistfuls of grass and pushed real hard, her back arching with the effort. Then, she slumped down with a cry. A few moments later came the wailing. "Another boy!" she heard Shivpriya exclaim, but she couldn't find the power to look this time. She was so tired... the thought of nursing her boys brought her back to her senses, and she tried sitting up. "No you don't!" Shivpriya protested, pushing her back. "We'll take care of it." sita fell back, and lay for a few moments, resting. She then opened her eyes again, and asked Shivpriya to help her up. She went to the waterfall to freshen up, and on coming back, found two female monkeys holding up her bathed newborns to her. She took them carefully in her arms and smiled at the monkeys, thanking them. A few birds flew down and pearched in front of them, a large piece of cloth in their claws. Shivpriya tore it up in 2 halves and wrapped the babies in them before handing them back to their mother. Sita held them gently in the cradle of her arms as she sank back against the tree trunk. All the animals peered at the babies from wherever they could, their expressions awestruck. A doe and her baby came from behind and dropped tiny bundles of leaves in front of Sita. Shivpriya opened them and offered Sita the fruits that it contained. Sita ate contentedly, and thanked the kind doe and its little one. "So, I have in front of me the most exquisite boys ever", said Shivpriya. Her remark made the boys blush, and they looked up at her from under their long lashes, making her laugh. "But I have no idea what to call them! Tell me Sita, what shall you name your boys?" sita looked at their radient faces again as she thought for a while. "When we were little, my dearest sister, Urmila had made me promise her that I would let her name my first born. Would it be a daughter, she would name her Sursundari, the most beautiful girl in the entire Universe , and if it were a boy, she would call him Lav. Her absence doesn't mean I cannot keep her wish. Therefore, I shall name my first born Lav." Shivpriya seemed clearly impressed by her choice to keep her sister's wish. "And what about the other one?" Sita looked at her right arm where her second son lay, trying to catch a butterfly which flew above his head with his tiny hands, giggling. She smiled too. She looked at the messy grass she had clung to while giving birth to him, and said, "this grass gave me strength when I was sure I had none. It revived me, helped me save my child. It gave me hope, courage and power in the toughest, most painful time. Just like this grass, who supported his birth, my son too shall remain a reservoir and constant source of courage, strength and hope for not just me, but everyone. Like this Kush grass, he shall always remain deeply grounded to his roots, never perturbed even by the most challenging tempest. I therefore name him Kush." Shivpriya stared at her in awe. "Such poetic and meaningful names Sita! I am sure they will live up to their significance!" Sita looked at her with an earnest, gratitude filled expression. "Had it not been for you, Shivpriya, I'm.." "Shh" she was silenced in her speech. "Consider me to be Mata Gauri's blessing!" sita shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. Shivpriya took out two long threads from her drapes and tied them around the necks of the boys. In the middle of each thread was a Rudraksh. "These will protect your sons from everything negative and hurtful there thoughts and actions shall remain forever pure. They shall carry out each task with determination and dedication, and their valor, wisdom, justice and virtues will make them the rightful sons of Ram and descendants of Raghukul." Sita stared at her in shock and confusion. She had never told Shivpriya about her relation to Raghukul, or Ram. Then how did she... "Devi Sita!!" she heard the panic stricken cry of Rishi Valmimki. A number of footsteps followed, and she turned her head to look in the direction of approaching hermitage workers and students following the sage, all deeply concerned. "Are they the people you live with?" she heard her companion ask. "Yes, and you must come with me. They shall all be delighted to... Shivpriya?" her companion was gone. The footsteps hurried now, they had obviously spotted her. But where was Shivpriya? How did she simply vanish? She was just here....

Sita sat on the porch of her hut, looking at the cribs of her babies, which had been made by tying a large piece of clothe between two trees. Rishi Valmiki had been more than relieved to find her safe and sound. The realization of the arrival of the babies had made him even happier. Not one second had been wasted in returning to the ashram. Gomti welcomed the newborns with their mother with the ceremonial Arti. Rishi Valmiki sat surrounded by the overly enthralled students as he played with the boys, while the women took Sita for some ceremonial venerations. Immediately upon her return, he expressed his desire to be their teacher, to which she had gladly agreed. Gomti had prepared a delicious rice pudding with many other delicacies which everyone relished a lot. After such a busy day she had finally returned to her hut, which was by the river at the farthest end of the ashram. She looked around her little home shining in the pale full moon. She had planned and made it to be an exact replica of her hut at Panchvati, the place where she had spent the happiest years of her life, with her loving husband. The thought of her husband made her sigh sadly. Ram would have gone crazy with happiness had he been here today. He loved children. Whenever they would go out to meet the common people, Ram made sure to spend time with the children, whom he would shower with sweets, toys and clothes. She still remembered the night she had told him of her pregnancy. He had stared at her wide eyed, his mouth gaping open for a few minutes before he hurled her up in his arms and spun her around the room till her head spun. He had hugged her fiercely then, tears of joy streaming down his face. The impact of the news had left his wordless, but his actions had conveyed all his sentiments better than any language could. The next day, he was an unrecognizable man. He rushed about the kitchen, supervising the preparations of sweets for the royal household and the people. He had then gone barefoot to a Shiv temple on the outskirts of Ayodhya in scorching heat to thank the lord for this priceless blessing. The memory brought a little laugh and a happy tear in her eyes. How would he have reacted today? He would have certainly gone mad with delight. The children would be sleeping in his arms, for he would refuse to put them down. "What better cradle than a father's lap?" he would have asked, and she would have shook her head with a laugh. He would have been absolutely grateful of Shivpriya for having saved his wife and children. The thought of her made Sita frown. She had shown up exactly when she needed her, had stayed with her till the birth of her twins, and left, no, vanished, only when the hermitage dwellers had come. In the midst of the celebrations, Sita had done her little research. The students who came from the other side of the forest told her that there was no tribe who had seyyled there, and they certainly didn't know any Pashupati or Shivpriya. Was she just a hallucination then? Sita touched her hair, her fingers brushing against the flower in it. She had definitely not worn it herself. A sound from the cradle sent her rushing over to the boys. They were just turning in their sleep. She looked at their chubby, pink faces shining in the moon. Her eyes then fell on the Rudraksh beads in their necks, further evidence of Shivpriya's existence. She went back over their conversation, trying to find something of significance. She really wanted to know how she was aware of her relation with Ram. A sudden thought made her stop, and she smiled. She looked up at the sky and whispered, "you were Mata Gauri's blessing afterall."

THE END