The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

Mera Jeevan....Kuch Kaam Na Aaya

A/N-Some parts of this chapter may not be in any Ramayan version. I tried to stay as loyal to the Ramayan in Yudh Kand, but some parts I couldn't resist.

Blindness, eternal darkness, and all the Healers' frantically issued warnings set carelessly aside, the sun was stared at intently as it peeked out of the tip of the purple mountains shyly, and immediately sunk right back down, back into the darkness and the welcome loss of attention at the legion of monkeys sitting there, on the dusty Earth in the early morning, waiting just for it to come up.

Just kidding! The sun, being the attention hogger that it was, rose out in full style, Gucci, Versace and all, shaking its imperceptible booty to show off, and excitedly beating the reins on his flaming white horses, who also neighed, with designer sunglasses and hooves autographed by the great Surya himself. Nal shook his head, shorting as Neel danced along to the tropical jingle which had also started playing.

But still. Numerous eyes, thousands of pairs, tracked the sun's journey up from the mountains, rushing into the upper left sky and letting its welcome and somewhat unwelcome light cascade across the tents of the vanar sena and Lanka's many palaces and domes indiscriminately. Angad closed his eyes as the light bathed him in its sad optimism. His tight grip loosened over his mace.

Lazily, almost innocently, the vanar sena bathed in the light, basking in the golden rays of the ball of hope. Perhaps this was their first real chance to live in this war. Perhaps, in this day, for the first time, they would prove themselves to the almighty, their king, and their lord on Earth, Prabhu Shri Ram. Perhaps, on this first day of the summer months, they would defeat some great rakshas, or cause the fall of Lankesh. But many knew that it was their last.

------O------

Ram and Vibhishan watched this moment of bliss from the distance, arms crossed and staying uselessly at his side respectively. "It's, like a battlefield before war," Vibhishan disrupted the silence with his words. "So unassuming. You wouldn't believe the bloodshed about to occur, on this seemingly innocent Earth, soon to be drenched with the blood of friends, enemies, fearsome warriors and youngsters alike. You could stare at this scene, and imagine it of a painting after a victory."

Ram tilted his head slightly. "They're just accepting it. They accept that Kumbhakaran is one of the largest threats they've ever faced, and will face, and they accept that this may be their last day alive." He exhaled, steadying himself on the dirt floor, his feet hard and scabbed from thirteen years without his sandals. "In a way, they're braver and stronger than I could have ever been in this situation.

Vibhishan sighed, his eyes suddenly weary. "You know, before Ravan took over his mind, and poisoned it, Kumbhakaran was...." he paused. "He was still just as terrible. His selfishness was legendary around the ashram. He'd eat anything he could, kill little animals and get pleasure out of it, knock over young babies, and old women. Ravan just took advantage of this wickedness of his, and put it to use."

-----O-----

This wasn't going to be a normal fight. No generals were going out. As soon as the conch was blown, Ravan's army rushed out, and met with the vanar sena. But there was no Nal, no Neel. Angad, Sugriv, Hanuman, Jambavan, Lakshman, even, were missing from action, holed up in the planning tent with Ram, awaiting the inevitable entrance of Kumbhakaran. It was as if standing on the brink of death and waiting for it to launch up and drag you into its endless depths. But still, they waited. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

And then finally, the Earth shook. Angad quickly grasped onto the table before he fell, and Nal grasped Sugriv's arm for support. Ram glanced up, and through the flying flaps of the tent, he spotted the great doors of Lanka, the golden ones which had said farewell to countless greats before, thrown open widely, and a heavy breeze escape it, which made even the rakshas fly into the air whereas they had staked their spears into the ground hopefully.