The Forgotten Sister

Chapter 15

Another arrow whizzed past them as they dodged it. " Don't seperate,stay close " Shanta whispered as she threw the same venom dipped knife at the huge form standing outside their cottage. A few more tall, bulky figures appeared from inside the hut and growled at the sight of Rishyashringa, advancing towards them.

"Don't wound them, go directly for the kill. I 'll have your back" Rishyashringa said swiping his sword at the nearest demon. Shanta threw her knives one after the other at the approaching demons, wounding some,killing some. Greyish liquid oozed out of their wounds as she removed her knives back. A large shadow fell on her and before she could turn, the demon slumped to the ground with a large groan. Only the hilt of Rishya's sword could be seen.

" All clear?" she whispered. " No. They are shape shifters,there are more.." he replied looking around.

As Rishyashringa had predicted, twelve more demons came into view forming a circle around them,closing on them. " I don't have many knives left" Shanta said getting tense.

" They are all similar!" Rishyashringa said holding her arm. " It's not twelve but only one demon with twelve reflections. We need to kill the real one, look closely"

Sure enough, Shanta saw that all the demons wore the same clothes, held the same weapon at the same angle. They were advancing nearer. " The shadow!" she said suddenly. Rishyashringa could see only one demon having a shadow and knew that it was the real one. Immediately he took the knife from Shanta and before it could throw it's spear, he flung the knife into it's heart. The forms around them disappeared as the demon lay writhing in pain before it went limp.

" That was a bit scary." Shanta shuddered. " It was my first real fight. And kill."

" The rules in the forest are different, Shanta. Any land or space unoccupied for a long time as we have done,  can be occupied by others. The wife of a King, if the king dies, becomes the wife of his brother or the next king. That is the law which the Vaanara follow further south. We need to be careful." Rishyashringa said piling the enoromous bodies quite far away from their residence.

" They won't come again?" she asked tentatively.

"No. Hopefully not." he whispered. " You fight well"

She hugged him from the back "That was so close, Rishya."

" Nothing to worry, Shanta. We won't get hurt so easily." he said turning around fondling her. 

In the years to come, Shanta got several letters from Ayodhya. She demanded complete description of her brothers. Ram, the eldest was born to Kaushalya, Bharath to Kaikeyi and twins as Rishya has said, Lakshman and Shatrughan to Sumitra. Reading the letters, she felt as if she had seen them, heard their voices, played with them everyday. Rishyashringa and Shanta made several visits to Anga and to Sage Vibhandaka's Ashram.

It was nineteen years later after the Putrakameshti Yajna, when Shanta was getting pots of water from the lake that she saw a lanky woman  standing by her cottage.

" It must be someone who have lost their way!" she muttered to herself as she hurried to her home. She tapped the woman on her shoulders. The woman turned around. Clad in pale blue robes, Kaushalya looked so beautiful in Shanta's eyes that for a second Shanta felt  so shocked that she felt the pot slipping from her hands but caught it in time. " Ma!" she whimpered before hugging her. " You could have mentioned that you would visit in one of your letters!"

Kaushalya let her tears flow hugging her child to her bossom, rocking slowly. " I have not come alone, my dear."

" Ma Kaikeyi, Ma Sumitra have also come? " Shanta said happily turning around to see her mothers.

" Unfortunately they were needed at the palace. But some others have come." Kaushalya said her eyes twinkling.

Shanta stared at the four boys standing before her. They had grown so much in the years. She had always imagined them to be her baby brothers but seeing the teenage versions of them made her realise how time had flew.

The tall one at one end had a fair complexion, a small smile, was leaner than the other three and seemed to have intelligent eyes. " Shatrughan!" Shanta whispered. Pleased that his sister had recognised him, Shatrughan  came forward and touched her feet. " Didi!" he whispered before giving her a beautiful flower that was only grown in Ayodhya.  She pulled him into an embrace. 

A slightly shorter lad, the fairest of the brothers, more built than Shatrughan, wore a peacock feather in his head band. " You are Bharath!" Shanta said gleefully. He laughed deeply as he touched her feet before embracing her. " It's nice to see you finally. How could you guess it was me? " he said before parting. " You have got Ma Kaikeyi's looks and confidence, how can I not see that?" Shanta smiled.

The tallest of the lot stood smiling looking at Shanta. He was the most heavily built. It was his kind,loyal eyes that caught Shanta's heart. " Lakshman!" she said. He bounded up to her excitedly and touched her feet. She embraced him. " You are just like Ma Sumitra, My dear brother."

She turned to the last boy who was shorter than Lakshman, a shade darker complexion, she felt as if she was looking into her own eyes. A calm smile prevaded his lips,he casted an invisible radiance around him that pulled everyone to him, his presence was just as the meaning of his name, Pleasant. " Ram!" she whispered. He came forward to touch her feet. She embraced him fondly repeating his name.

Shanta took the sight of her brothers again unable to process the happy proceddings. " Rishi Rishyashringa is not around?" Kaushalya asked looking around.

" No, he will be back any soon. Come in please" she said ushering them inside, feeling elated.

 Rishyashringa was already there but had chosen to stay hidden so as not to interrupt the beautiful meeting of the siblings. He went in slowly smiling. Meeting the princes of Ayodhya was interesting. Especially if the rumours he had heard from the other Rishis were true.

*Thank you for reading so far, hope you like it :)