The Ramayana - Lakshmila's POV

The Little Princess

"Pitaji !! Pitaji" a voice sounded through the hall. Two little feet trotted along the big varandah of the vast palace having not yet found the "Pitaji" person. The noise of their anklets being the only sound that filled the quiet pillars. It was a girl running clearly out of breath yet not coming to a halt for breath. She rounded a corner and bumped into something, or rather someone. Brown, doe-shaped eyes looked up to realize that she had bumped into a man. "Child !! Why are you running hither-tither ??" questioned the man. He was surprised to see her running at quite a fast pace. "I heard the maids talking. Is it true Chote Pitaji ?? Is my sibling about to take his/her first step into the world ?" asked the girl with such a big twinkle in her eyes that her Chote Pitaji smiled. She wasn't more than 3 years old yet she knew her words. "Sita. It is true. I have come to take you to Bhabi. She wanted you to be the first person to meet your new sister" answered her Chote Pitaji looking at her eyes brimming with happiness. She held his hand as he led the way towards the chambers where apparently mother and daughter were. As they walked towards the chambers they were met with two other people - a lady and a baby not more than a year old in her arms. "Pranam Chote Rajan" exclaimed the lady. Sita looked at him and he mentioned her to go inside. Sita was met with four people. A man was standing with a bundle in his arms, a woman was resting on the bed and there was another woman who sat beside her on the bed, all three of them smiling at the bundle. "Pitaji !!" exclaimed Sita. The man with the bundle turned around. From the first look at him, anyone would say learned. For the truth was he was a very learned scholar who was known for his thirst for knowledge rather than power. His name was Seeradwaj Janak and he was the king of Mithila. He smiled at Sita and within a moment she was by his side, hugging his waist for that was where she could reach upto.

Both women smiled at the sight. Maharaj Seeradwaj Janak balanced the bundle in one hand while the other patted the head of Sita. "Putri..." He called softly. She lifted her head up and smiled at him and then looked at the bundle in his arms. "This is my new sister, ain't she ?" The woman on the bed smiled weakly at her having given birth just hours ago. "Yes Sita. That is your new sister" replied the woman who was sitting. "Do you want to see her, Sita ?" asked Janak and Sita nodded enthusiastically. He placed the bundle beside the mother so that Sita could see her. Sita ran a tender finger across the baby's cheek. The baby smiled. "She likes me" Sita simply said. The woman resting on the bed asked "Why wouldn't she Sita ? You are her big sister. Someone who she'll look up to" Janak chided softly "You need to rest Sunaina. You are tired" Sunaina smiled at her husband. "Kushadwaj.. We need to spread the happy news to the people. I am sure they would want to hear about their new princess." Kushadwaj's reply was as ecstatic as his brother's "At once Brother. What will the little one's name be ??" Kudshadwaj was Janak's younger brother. He was a skilled warrior. His wife's name was Chandrbhaga and he had a year old daughter by the name Mandavi. Chandrabhaga was the woman sitting beside Sunaina. Janak though for a while "Urmila. That would be her name. She would be like the waves of the ocean - calm yet wild. The difference would be that she would be the waves of passion in which she would mould herself with." Chandrabhaga exclaimed "That is such a beautiful name Bhaiya" Sita exclaimed "I will call her Urmi." The elders turned to smile at her. "Ofcourse Sita. You can call her Urmi. Its beautiful." Sita could only smile with happiness. She had two sisters now. Though Mandavi was her cousin, Sita loved her like her own sister. And now Urmila had entered  into their lives to make it more joyful. It would only be a few years until another sister would join their small world of happiness.