After departing from the river bank, Lakshman rushed towards the forest. The fear of loosing the woman he loves was making him anxious and the tears in his eyes were making his vision blurry. But nothing in the world could have stop him from reaching at Urmila today.
Along with his feet, his mind was also racing. And the terror of the moment, when he read the letter from Urmila was becoming alive in his consciousness. Each and every word from that letter was freshening up in his memory and taking him back to that moment again and again....
When he opened the door of his room in the guest house, an arrow dugged right infront of his door caught his attention.... especially the letter scroll, which was wrapped perfectly around it. The white swan symbol on it's back was confirming that it was from the royal palace. So he immediately pulled the arrow out and read the letter.
"Rajkumar Lakshman,
I know you must have been so tensed now. Because our parents have fixed our marriage, which you have never wanted. Your father, Maharaj Dashrath has promised my father, Maharaj Janak that he will welcome me as his third daughter in law. So you can't even deny for this marriage now. Because the promises of Suryavanshis are above their personal choices.
But don't worry, you won't have to marry me. I know you can't step back but I can. So I'm refusing this marriage. Before the varan vidhi starts, I'll tell both the kings about my descision. And they will cancel this marriage.
If you are thinking that I'm sacrificing for you, then you are wrong. I'm not sacrificing anything. Whatever I'm doing is for my own happiness only.
Because my happiness is you, Rajkumar Lakshman. I'll never make you suffocate every moment by marrying you. I don't know what do you feel about me... and don't want to know it either. Because it doesn't matter now. All I want is you to be satisfied with your life. And if it looks better without me, then I'll never enter in it. I promise... I'll always stay away. My sisters are going to be your sister in laws, which is making you a part of my family. But still.... you will never see my face again in your life.
But I'll always pray for your happiness and prosperity. May you touch every hight of success in your life... may your path get sprinkled by happiness and joy....
and may you get a girl, with whome you will never feel the suffocation that you feel around me.... the girl who will never fight you, never shout at you and never make you eat sweets.
Lastly... I want to apologise, for the troubles I have created for you. I will never be able to unlove you. But if you are satisfied in your life, then this heart ache will become pleasurable for me.
Thank you very much for the heavenly happiness you gave me in these last couple of weeks.
And after your brothers and my sisters marriage, we will never see eachother again.
- Urmila "
At various regions of that letter the ink had faded on patches... which were none other than the stains of Urmila's tears. Lakshman's pounding heart was tearing his eye up, and by remembering the words of Urmila his mind was going crazy. And these were not going to stop until the vision of Urmila graces his eyes.
He reached at his destination, the Neel kamal pond, way faster than imagination. As usual the environment was silent. The only audible things were the slossing water, swinging leafs of tress and some unknown bird's singing.
His feet finally stopped when his eyes fell upon Urmila, who was sitting at the bank of the pond. Lakshman took slow steps towards her. Her back and head were resting on a nearby rock. Her hair was open and eyes were shut. All of her jewelleries were scattered on the ground like leaves and not a single piece was on her body. Her milky white face had turned totally red and dried stains of tears were visible on her cheeks. Her hands were still shaking a little, which were resting on her knees and her chest was going up and down because she was facing difficulty in breathing because of cold.
The sun was directly falling on her face and it was looking as if she has fallen asleep.
Lakshman's feet froze again and tears flooded from his eyes. Immense pain generated in heart as if somebody just stabbed him right on his chest... Because he was the reason behind this Condition of Urmila.
He had no idea how much time he just stood there and looked at Urmila with those tear filled golden brown eyes. But he had to go near her...he had to talk to her... he had to fix this mess up.
With slow steps he walked towards Urmila and stood between her and the sun. As a result the shadow of Lakshman fell upon Urmila's face.
The curves of her pale lips went up gently while her eyes were still closed- "Have you come here to thank me because of the cancellation of our marriage..??"
His voice trembled while speaking- "Are you not going to even look at me ??"
Urmila answered in her thickened voice- " I can't, Rajkumar Lakshman... if your image will fall on my eyes, then it will start tearing again. And I'm so tired of crying. "
Lakshman wipped his own tears- " I don't know what to say rajkumari ,and where to start.."
"You don't have to say anything. As I had mentioned in the letter, I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself. So you don't need to say anything... please go back to your brothers. Their Varan vidhi is going to start soon. "- Urmila replied in the same manner and without opening her eyes.
Lakshman sat beside her and slowly his hands went upon her hands. His fingers curled around her fingers and this made Urmila open her eyes slowly.
His heart skipped a beat after seeing her tiered, glossy and red eyes. Which was clearly explaining how much she has cried since last day. Those big bright eyes in which he was losing himself were looking terrible today. Slowly his eyes also turned red and tears flooded from it.
Urmila was looking at him with a questionable gaze while he looked down, because he didn't have the courage to look at her eyes. She was so exhausted both mentally and physically that she couldn't even free her hands which was under Lakshman's hand.
"I don't know in which words I should apologise. Whatever I did to you is definitely not forgivable. But still.... I'm really sorry Rajkumari Urmila. And i'm requesting, please come back with me"- Lakshman said while looking down.
Urmila frowned and didn't get what was he saying. So she just stood up from her sitting place by freeing her hand from his hands. - " You don't have to say sorry as well. I'm repeating, I did all these for my own sake. Please go back and leave me alone here."
Lakshman also stood up and took one step closer to Urmila.
" my Brothers and your sisters are not going to let your letters reach at my pitashree and your pitashree...."- Lakshman said.
"What.... ? So you are here because of that.... Don't worry Rajkumar Lakshman, i have other ways to cancel this wedding. I'll go and talk to Maharaj Dashrath directly..."- Urmila announced confidently and turned back to leave that palace. But Lakshman grabbed her wrist again and pulled her close- "Please listen to me first. I have changed my mind.... I want to marry you."
Urmila's eyes widened in shock- "What.... What did you say??"
"I WANT TO MARRY YOU URMILA. This is what my heart desires. But my stupid mind had overtaken it for some time. But I had realised it now.... I was wrong, your presence will never weaken me, it will enhance my strength. Please... Change your mind and come back with me. "- Lakshman tried to convince her...
Urmila couldn't say a word after hearing this. She just looked blankly at Lakshman but then smiled again in disbelief. - "So I'm dreaming again. You have gone totally crazy Urmila. How can you dream the same thing again and again with wide awake eyes..."
Urmila walked away from Lakshman with that dull smile.
He again came to her front... so close to her.- "It's not your dream. I'm actually present in front of your eyes... requesting you to come back with me. And you are sick. Stop hurting yourself for me now... please..."
After hearing Lakshman's request, she gently ran her fingers from his forehead to cheeks inorder to confirm if she is dreaming or not. And his warmth made her believe that he is actually present in front of her.
He again held her hands and said softly- "I know it's not easy to forgive me.... and you should not do so easily either. I deserve severe punishment and I'll accept whatever punishment you give... but please don't pull yourself away from me.... Please don't think about cancelling our marriage. "
Urmila pulled her hands away aggressively- " But you don't trust me Rajkumar. I'm too tender and elegant to live with a tough man like you. I can't support my husband if he chooses his duty over me. I can't survive without golds, diamonds, maids, workers, other's attention and respect. I'm just born to sit on a swing and get cherished whole day.... isn't it??"
She turned away from Lakshman and looked at a different direction, while tears made their way from her eyes towards her chin.
Lakshman went to her front again. - "This is why I'm here apologising to you. I was extremely wrong about everything. And please don't think that I'm not trusting you... i know I'm very much late but still... i realised my mistake. So please forgive me or punish me.. but come back with me. I don't have much time either. The varan vidhi will be starting soon. "
Urmila replied in a rough voice- "You don't have to sit in the varan vidhi... it can lead you to destruction. And I can't see you facing trouble.... it will hurt me more than you. So you should go back. And..............."
Before she could complete Lakshman again held both of her hands tightly amd sat on his knees on the ground, right infront of her...- "Urmila..... if you won't come with me, probably my soul will left this realm by leaving a breathing dead body behind. I'll never be able to face myself... I'll never be able to face my Ram bhaiya and Sita bhabhi.... I'll never be able to face my maa..... So I'm begging you, please bring me the happiness of mine and my Urmila, who loves me."
Her heart fastened after hearing 'my Urmila' for the first time in his serene voice. But she didn't say anything.
He continued- "Do you know, when I saw you for the first time at the Gouri temple, a strange vision came to my mind. It felt as if I have seen you before also. You felt so familiar. I tried so much but couldn't remember anything. But from that moment you had become so important for me. Everytime, only your thoughts were dancing in my mind. The way you speak, the way you look, your smile, your voice... everything was so familiar. I had contemplated a lot and I have no idea when this strange feeling transformed into something very beautiful in my heart...."
Couple of tear drops escaped from his gorgeous eyes which made Urmila's heart ache. And she also had no idea when her grip around his fingers also tightened. The slow wind was again making his frontal hair fall upon his face but neither he was fixing them or wiping his tears which were flowing nonstop from his eyes.
Lakshman- "I can't believe it took me these many days to realise what I actually feel for you. Everything feels so empty when you are not around. You have become my life. You are the other half of mine.... You are my everything. "
Then he looked down for a moment and closed his eyes. His hands were still locked with Urmila's hands and he slowly said again by lifting his head and directly looking in her eyes- "It was never meant to happen. But.... it happened anyway. I have been hiding this in my heart. But not anymore. Because you deserve to know.... I have fallen for you Urmila, I LOVE YOU... PLEASE BE MY WIFE... "
Urmila's breathing became more heavy and she was moonstrucked. The limerance in his eyes and love in his voice just melted her anger, tension, depression, anxiety, frustration and every opposite thing away from her heart. Her eyes found the greatest reason to shed thick tear drops again and she just lost herself in his eyes.
"What did you say..?"- Urmila's words didn't came properly out of her mouth but he understood.
" You heard me Urmila... I have helplessly fallen in love with you. You have captured my heart in ways beyond comprehension. In every moment of my life I want to see you beside me... till my last breath. "- He answered with a soft gaze.
Urmila fell on her knees. Her eyes got locked in his eyes and slowly the curves of her lips went up. Lakshman gently wipped her tears away and the loving warm touch of her dream man made her close the eyes again. Her hand automatically got wrapped around the hand of Lakshman, which was on her face.... and he gently pulled her into his arms.
And both of them hugged eachother tightly.