Sita: The Fiery Flame

Prologue

The world was a blur that rushed past him, Ram could barely register the sharp thorns rip his skin as he brushed past them. He didn't pause to notice the forebodingly gray clouds looming above the forest, as if in warning. No, he didn't even stop to see if his brother, Lakshman, was following him... none of that mattered right now. 

Not the wind slapping his face as he ran towards their shelter that was alarmingly small from this distance, not his brother's cries of warning and worry that was somehow muffled to him, not the cacophony of the frightened animals in the jungle, nothing mattered except that one cry for help. That one sharp, clear and desperate cry for help that erupted too far from him, but against all odds he hoped it hadn't been too far for him to reach on time. He hoped. 

He had been a fool! How could he have not smelled the trap from a mile away?! A golden deer? How had that ever been believable for him to leave her side? Like a damn fool, he'd chased that demon, the demon who'd all along been planning to ensnare his Sita like a fly trapped in a spider's web. But who? Who could be so heartless to lay harm to one of the most kindest souls like that of his Sita? But none of that mattered now, he told himself. All that mattered was his focus, he had to keep his senses sharp and open, out there reaching for her before he could. 

'Please, Sita. Please be waiting for me by the door, please...' 

He felt his heart grow heavier as their shelter grew in size, it looked the same but at the same time it didn't. When Ram got to the clearing, away from the canopy of trees, he was sure the world would've heard the shattering of his heart as he took in the scene. A beautiful wooden basket was strewn on the ground, the fruits it held covered in mud as they rolled away, a garland of flowers lay a few feet away, the flowers still fresh and bright... not a single one was crushed. Dhanveer, the deer stood transfixed, his eyes fixed on the sky as if his look of desperation can persuade the gods to bring his mother back, an identical garland adorned his neck, the one she made for him, 'He'd look better than me!' she'd declared as she made it...

Nothing else was out of place, their shelter was perfectly intact with their newly repaired roof holding strong, the bird house they'd made still held the water Site had refilled a few hours ago, even the mud beneath his feet was too perfect, not a single footprint in sight. Not one. There was no sign of intrusion, nothing to indicate a fight... no evidence of a kidnapping.

 It looked like a normal day of playing with their animals; Site would've gone inside to bring fresh fruits to make up for the one Dhanveer had accidently dropped, her garland slipping to the ground as she tried picking them up... he'd have told her to get the fruits and that he would clean up this mess... but none of that had happened... yet Ram couldn't stop himself as he rushed into the shelter, with very hope of finding Site filling a new basket with fresh mangoes.

But the shelter was starkly empty. Site wasn't there, fetching mangoes or waiting for him.

 She wasn't there. 

She wasn't anywhere. 

***

"Bhaiya! Bhaiya! Bhabi-" Lakshman stopped in his tracks as he beheld the scene, just like his brother. Fear, shame and guilt pricked his heart, their thorny claws sinking themselves in as they squeezed in, choking him. He'd left her here, alone. Despite the warnings of his brother, despite the danger he could've exposed to, despite everything he knew could go wrong, he'd left her alone. Now she was gone and there was no one to blame but him. 

He watched ,unable to tear his eyes away as his brother emerged from the shelter, to his shock, he couldn't recognize the man. For he didn't look anything like the brother he grew up with, there wasn't an ounce of calm or quiet in his eyes, all that was visible was unadulterated fury. Wrath so intense it could burn the world to ash. 

He looked nothing like the brother who had chided Lakshman for cursing their gurukul friends when they had taunted him, nothing like the man who was the embodiment of tolerance. Nothing like Ram, his brother, son of Kousalya and Dhasarath not even the exiled prince of Ayodhya. He was a stranger the world needed to fear, a man of fury who'd lay ruin to the lands he walked upon, a man who'd kill without a second thought, a man who was drowning in grief... a broken man. 

Before Lakshman could reach his side, Ram bhaiya fell to his knees with a sickening thud, his hands falling flat open on the wet mud outside their shelter. He watched his brother, claw the mud with his bare hands, like a wild animal, his face turned skywards and those bloodshot eyes brimming with rage fixed on the glooming cloud above, like a warning sent out to the gods themselves. 

Lakshman felt the world shake in terror as Ram bhaiya let out a thundering cry, a cry so agonizing even the clouds cleared a little, afraid to lay in its way. A cry so distressing, it sent the birds fleeing their nests in panic, the whole jungle erupted with an uproar so loud his mother would've heard it from Ayodhya, even the ground seemed to tremor in fear as  the wolves howled to join his brother. It was pandemonium and Lakshman knew in his bones that if he didn't do something now, his brother would shatter reality in mere seconds with the agony that ran in his veins. 

He took another deep breath as he watched his brother for another second, clutching the Earth with his hands, almost as if he'd pull it apart to ask her where her daughter had gone. Fearing what awaited them, Lakshman made his way to his brother, it was his duty to get him back from the pits of grief and agony he was in, for they did not have the luxury of time to grieve the kidnapping of bhabi, they needed to act quick, get their senses back on track and go in search of her... time wasn't something they could waste, even if it was to let out the tormented monster inside them... they couldn't afford it.

Despite his surprisingly focused senses, Lakshman couldn't shake his brother's cry out of his head as he walked to him...

He could still hear the anguished cry ringing in his ear...

The cry that came with the promise of war... 

He could feel it brewing in the near future...

A storm was coming and he could only hope the world would remain strong enough to survive it...