13. TWO PROMISES REVIVED (Part - 4)

In that darkness and in the manner she had turned her

face down, he had no means of judging the mood in which

she spoke. It was difficult to be bending down so low, and he

pleaded, "Why don't you get up and sit on that couch, so that

I may sit beside you comfortably and listen to you?"

"You may seek all the comfort you want. I need none of it.

Dust and rags are my lot hereafter."

"What makes you talk in this manner? Get up and share

the happiness of the whole country. Let us drive around in

your chariot and see the joy that has seized the people."

"I want to be dead. That's all. If you could send me a bowl

of poison, that would be more welcome to me now." It was

most awkward for him to crouch or sit on the floor trying to

appease her. His joints ached and creaked. But she would not budge. It was no time to call up an attendant, and so he pushed a foot-stool beside her and lowered himself onto it.

After a great deal of cajoling, she announced: "Swear to me,

by all that is holy, that you will grant me what I ask for;

otherwise let me die in peace."

"I have never said no to you. You shall have whatever you want."

"Will you swear by Rama?" she asked.

He evaded a direct answer, as he felt uneasy at the

mention of Rama's name. "Tell me what you want," he said

clearly.

"You offered me two boons long ago. You may have

forgotten it, but I haven't. May I mention it now?" Now she

had sat up, and it was less irksome to communicate with

her. He tried to reach out and touch her, but she pushed his

hand off. "On that battlefield when you went to the rescue of

Indra and fainted, do you remember who revived you?"

"Yes," he said. "How can I forget it? I have lived to see this

day because I was revived, otherwise that evening any

chariot wheel could have rolled over me."

"Great memory you possess. I am glad you remember that

far. And do you remember also who nearly gave her life to

nurse and revive you?"

"Yes."

"What did you promise her in return?"The king remained silent a moment, then said, "I have not

forgotten."

"Bear with me if I repeat some small details that might

escape your recollection. Let me help you. You said, 'Ask for

two boons of your choice and you shall have them.' And then

what did she do?" When he failed to answer, she added, "I

said I would wait to take them, and you vowed, 'Whenever

you like—even if it is a hundred years hence, you shall have

whatever you ask for.' "

The King, who was becoming increasingly uneasy, simply

said, "I see that the time has come for you to ask." There

was no cheer in his tone. He was seized with dismal

forebodings.

"Should I speak about it or not?"

"Get up and put on your festive clothes and jewellery so

that you may shine like the resplendent star that you are. Let

us go."

"Yes—in proper time—after you have fulfilled your promise

to me." He had completely lost all courage to let her mention

them. The sound of words such as "promise," "vow," "fulfill,"

"boon" shook his nerves. She looked up at him with tears in

her eyes. He dared not look at her; he knew that he would be

overwhelmed by her charms, and when she said presently,

"Leave me now. Go back to your Kausalya and feast and

enjoy. Leave me to myself." It was not necessary for her to mention "bowl of poison" again. He knew she meant it, and

the prospect unnerved him. He said passionately, "You know

how much I love you. Please, come out of this room and this

mood."

"You have promised me the granting of two boons, and

you have sworn to it in the name of Rama—your darling son

Rama. And now I'll speak out my mind. If you reject my

demand, you will be the first of the Ikshvahu race, proud

descendents of the sun god himself, to go back on a

promise for the sake of convenience." She took breath and

demanded, "Banish Rama to the forests for fourteen years;

and crown Bharatha and celebrate his enthronement with the

arrangements you have already made."

The King took time to understand the import of this. He got

up to his feet muttering, "Are you out of your mind? Or joking

or testing me?" He moved away from her in search of the

couch. He felt faint and blind, and groped about for a place

to rest. He reclined on the couch and shut his eyes. She went

on. "Send a messenger to fetch Bharatha at once… . He is

quite far away. Give him time to come back. Tell Rama to

take himself away."

"You are a demon," he whispered with his eyes still shut.

"Don't curse me, great King. I am not surprised that you

find me less agreeable than Kausalya. Go on, go back to her

and enjoy her company. I never asked you to come here and

curse me. Iretreated here just to avoid you."The night continued in this kind of talk. Dasaratha made a

last effort at compromise: "Very well, as you please. Let

Bharatha be crowned… . But let Rama also stay here. You

know him. He will hurt no one. Let Bharatha be the king by all

means—he is good. But please, I'll touch your feet—I don't

mind prostrating before you—but let Rama stay here in his

own home and not go away. How can he walk those rough

forest paths and go on living in the open, un sheltered … ?"

"He can, he is not the soft infant you make him out to be.

For fourteen years he must live away, wear the bark of trees,

eat roots and leaves… ."

"Do you want him to die … ? Ah …" The King screamed.

She merely said, "Don't create a scene. Either you keep

your word or you don't, that's all."