"WHO DARED TO DO THIS...??" - A tremendously loud voice came through the door of the swayamvar hall. All attentions went towards it.
Terror ran through the crowd. Some people tried to hide and some tried to run away. Janak was also scared along with sunaina, Chandrabhaga and all four princesses.
Parshuram entered in the hall just like a spine chilling hurricane. His eyes were red in anger and the grip around his parshu was tight. Which means he is ready to slay anyone in just one strike.
" I'M ASKING IT FOR THE LAST TIME.... WHO DID IT ? WHO BROKE THE SHIV DHANUSH? "- Parshuram screamed again. His voice was scary enough to shake the entire hall. The arrogant kings who were calling them selves mighty were trembling in fear and pointed immediately at Ram while saying- " it's.... it's him Lord Parshuram... we are innocents. We haven't done anything. "
" How dare you insult Mahadev.. by breaking his bow... I'll end your life right now...." -a furious Parshuram looked at the direction where the kings were pointing. He immediately held his parshu more precisely and walked fast towards Ram while directly looking into his eyes, as if he will just ran his parshu through Ram's body.
Vishwamita tried to calm Parshuram down- " Lord Parshuram... please accept my pranam. Let me explain the situation....."
Parshuram cut Vishwamita in between - " there is nothing to explain Btahmarshi. If he had broken the bow of my Lord Shiva, then he deserves punishment.. "
He again moved like storm towards Ram and now it was Janak's turn- " Lord Parshuram... please have mercy. He didn't have the intention to break the bow. It happened accidentally. But he had fulfilled the conditions. As you had said, he is the one for Sita. Please forgive him.
Parshuram glared at Janak- " I don't care who he is and what he is. He had insulted my guru Mahadev by breaking his Pinak. Then I'll never spare him. He deserves only death. The conditions for swayamvar was to tie the threads of the bow, not breaking it. You are also a devotee of Lord Shiva, how can you accept him as your son in law? ". Janak couldn't utter a word after that.
Now parshuram walked towards Ram more fastly. Sita's eyes widened and she immediately tried to ran towards parshuram to to stop him. Urmila, Mandvi and Shrutkirti held Sita's arms tightly to stop her.
Parshuram lifted his parshu and before he could reach at Ram, Lakshman came and stood like a immovable mountain right infront of Ram. His fierce gaze had become even more fierce and he was directly looking in Parshuram's eyes. Everybody including Parshuram himself remained even more shocked after seeing Lakshman's unbelievable courage.
" Who are you, moron young man ? How dare you stood infront of me.. ? Don't you know who am I? - Parshuram exclaimed angrily.
Lakshman replied with the exact same amount of anger - " Who doesn't know you great sage. You were the one who ended the clans of Kshatriyas nearly 21 times. And in that many innocents were also got killed because of the fault of only Kartyaveer arjun and your own arrogance. You are that warrior, whose anger had caused many disaster including slaying down the head of your own mother, dear son of Rishi Jamadagni... how can a warrior forget you and your deeds.... Lord Parshuram..."
Ram holded Lakshman's hand again- " lakshman.. stop... "
Lakshman - " No bhaiya... don't stop me today. If he wants to harm you, then he has to cross my dead body first. I won't let anyone touch you, no matter if it's Lord Parshuram or Lord Shiva himself. "
Urmila's limbs became cold in fear after seeing Lakshman's fearlessness... that too infront of someone like Parshuram. Tears immensely flooded from her eyes and her heart beaten fast as if it will just explod if something happens to Lakshman right infront of her eyes.
Parshuram again took a step closer to Lakshman and said- " seems like you want your mother to be childless. This is why you are showing this courage to me... because you want to embrace death"
Lakshman smirked- " death... do you think this word will scare a warrior? Never Lord Parshuram... a warrior always walks by holding hands with his death. I thought as a warrior you must have known this fact. "
"JANAK... TAKE THIS GUY OUT OF SIGHT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I KILL HIM WITH HIS BROTHER... "- Parshuram's screaming again echoed.
"THEN DO IT.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. THIS IS YOUR EXPERTISE.. RIGHT MY LORD..... YOU HAVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE.... KILL ME AND ADD MY NAME IN THE LIST OF YOUR INNOCENT VICTIMS"- Lakshman's voice were also echoing.
"You must have some very good luck. That's why you are still alive and shouting infront of me like this. Or else..........."
Before Parshuram finishing his line, laksman shouted- " And this is your great luck my lord that, even after seeing your trials to harm my brother, I'm still talking to you without raising my bow.... but I can't do that. A Raghuvanshi protects brahman, women and cows but don't raise weapon infront of them. "
Parshuram- " so you think I'm just a regular brahman, who performs yajna and spread knowledge.... then let me tell you, you are wrong. I am that Brahman whose hymns comes out from his swords. And before that sword could end you, move away from my place. Nobody can stop me from punishing the man who broke the bow of shiva."
Lakshman smirked again- " unbelievable... a person like you, who call himself a warrior, is just obsessed with a bow. But breaking of bows are very normal for us Raghuvanshis. We don't mourn on that. And here, my bhaiya just used a little extra force and this bow broke into two pieces. What's the fault of him "
Parshuram's fist tightened- " His fault is that, the bow he broke belongs to My guru Mahadev. It's not like an ordinary bow like yours. It's special."
Lakshman replied with rage- " And every bow is special for a warrior. The strength comes from the warrior's mind. Not from these non-living wood pieces".
Parshuram remained speechless for a moment because Lakshman was right. But still he had no control upon his anger.
" YOUNG MAN.... YOU ARE TESTING MY PATIENCE. MOVE AWAY FROM MY PATH OR ELSE I'LL SLAY YOU DOWN IN SECONDS " - Parshuram's extremely loud voice echoed in the hall by making everyone tremble. And Lakshman replied with a similar loud voice like him - " THEN DO IT LORD PARSHURAM... BUT I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH MY BROTHER AS LONG AS I'M BREATHING..... "
Parshuram again lifted his parshu to strike Lakshman. Still there was no fear in Lakshman's eye. Urmila's entire body was shaking and her tears were not stopping. Her hand was strongly held by Sita so she couldn't even move.
Before Parshuram could proceed further Vishwamita again came inbetween and requested parshuram - " Great sage, please spare him. He is just a kid who loves his brother immensely. But he is not an ordinary person. He is Lakshman, the finest warrior and third son of Raghuvanshi king Maharaj Dashrath, who ended the whole demonic army of Tarka within minutes.
And he is Ram, the first son of Maharaj Dashrath, who killed Tarka and broke Devi Ahilya's curse. They are great followers of Dharma."
Ram soulfully bowed down to Parshuram and touched his feet.- " pranam Lord Parshuram... "
Parshuram remained silent for a moment and then said- " you can't melt my heart by showing off this respect. You have insulted Mahadev, and i won't spare you for that. Lift your bow Ram... and fight with me. "
Ram politely replied- " Great sage, as my brother had told, we Raghuvanshis can never raise our weapon against Brahmans. And about the Pinak.... i broke it accidentally. And you know very well my lord, nothing in this world happens without the permission of Mahadev. If this bow broke in my hands then it was meant to be broken in my hands. But still, if you think i had committed a crime, then you can definitely punish me. I can happily give my life but won't raise my bow against you".
When Parshuram looked in Ram's eyes his rage mind became silent. As if the time stopped in the swayamvar hall once again. Parshuram couldn't understand how suddenly the fire in his heart an mind got replaced by gentle snowfall. Ram's gaze felt familiar to him. He just looked into his lotus petal eyes and slowly realised that Ram is not an ordinary human being. He must be.........
Parshuram couldn't think further. So to clarify his doubts he pulled out the bow from his shoulder and extended it towards Ram... - " Ram, this is Sarang.... the mighty bow of Lord Vishnu, equally powerful as Pinak. Can you launch an arrow through it ? If you will be able to do so, only then I'll accept that Mahadev's bow was meant to break in your hands. "
To Parshuram's utter surprise, Ram effortlessly lifted the Sarang as well. And while he was pulling an arrow through the bow, parshuram's eyes glimmed while his doubt got cleared and he realised the fact that the prince standing infront of him is none other than the 7th incarnation of Narayan himself. And Sita is the incarnation of Mahalakshmi.
Parshuram teared up when as the 6th Vishnu, he saw the 7th Vishnu right infront of his eyes. Before launching the arrow, Ram asked- " Lord Parshuram, the strikes of Narayan dhanush never goes waste. It will hit it's target anyway. So please tell me, where should I lunch this arrow. "
Parshuram answered gently- " I have gotten the signs from Narayan... that the time for me to go in deep meditation had come and for that the most important thing is the peace of mind. So Ram, i want you to destroy my anger and arrogance by this arrow."
Ram lifted the bow and launched the arrow in sky. A divine calmness ran through the hall automatically and parshuram smiled peacefully. Because his wait was over and the 7th Vishnu had already came to take up his duty to establish Dharma in the world.