Ten years later...

Urmila walked towards the front entrance of the palace. Ram was standing on the top of the stairs that lead to the palace. Bharath - who was now the Prime Minister stood by Ram. The entire kingdom was abuzz with the news of the war which just ended. Lakshman, the chief commander of Ayodya's army was returning with his brothers and the rest of the army towards sunset.

The palace was fully lit up with lanterns and oil lamps. Thick festoons of jasmine and marigold were draped at every pillar and archway. The kingdom was abuzz with tales of Lakshman's bravery and how he slayed the ruffians who terrorized the villages on the foothill of the Himalayas. They were away for more than three months.

The citizens of Ayodya cheered Lakshman's name as his chariot rolled into the city. They threw flowers as they welcomed their beloved prince back to the kingdom. Shathrugan's chariots rode behind Lakshman's. Shathrugan's chariot was followed by 8 young handsome princes who rode on their white horses. 

The war was intense. Lakshman and his army, which included his twin, his sons and his nephews, spent three months away. They set camp on the middle of the jungle that lead to the foothill of the Himalayas. For the first two months they observed the ruffians, the ways they attacked and the weapons they used. Lakshman had asked his sons and nephews to live in disguise amongst the villagers, to protect them as much as possible from the ruffians who frequently invaded the village. They soon learnt that the ruffians were enormous demons that lived in the mountain caves. 

Shathrugan had deployed the best war strategies within the two months. Towards the third month, with Lakshman's leadership they attacked the demons. 

They fought from sunrise till sunset, until Lakshman beheaded the leader of the demon clan and ended the long reign of terror.

Lakshman looked at Ram with a smile on his face and Ram nodded in contempt. The cheers grew louder and the percussionists played the horns and the drums louder as Lakshman ascended the stairs to greet his brothers and wife. 

Urmila wore her red wedding sari with the same set of jewellery. She was waiting impatiently to greet her husband with a silver platter of lamps, and sweets.

A young and beautiful lady in pink silken sari ran excitedly towards the balcony. Her hair was messily braided and she had a simple necklace on her dainty neck.

"Princess don't run!" A maid called out as she scurried behind the princess - but the princess's speed could not be met. She pushed through the other women who stood on the balcony, which included her the other female ministers and her aunts. 

It was only six years ago, when Ram had officially announced that he would be including the women to hold ministerial roles in his court. His decision had mixed reactions across the kingdom and the entire nation.

Ram had offered the Ministry of Public Administration to Mandvi, who had 14 years experience in Nandigrama.

Shruthakirthi took over as the Minister of Performing Arts. Meanwhile, Urmila was given the role of Minister of Trade.

"You are late, Princess Somada!" Her aunt Mandvi said. "Your father's victory procession has already finished. Your mother is performing the welcome aarti to your father."

"Aren't you supposed to be downstairs with your mother?" Her aunt Shruthakirthi asked nudging Somada, who was occupied with scanning the crowd below. Shruthakirthi leans into Somada's ears whispering, "Go down, like a good girl!"

She took flight again, running towards the main entrance.

"Father!" Somada exclaimed happily as she hugged him.

"Good to see you after so long, Somada." Lakshman said caressing her head. He smiles as looks at her with pride. Somada had grown over the years to be a very intelligent and courageous princess. She looked just like her mother; dusky and lean with a sharp jaw. She had a small nose and a pair of deep black eyes like her father.

"Have the same amount of excitement for us, sister! We've been away from home for more than 10 years!" Angad remarked as he walked up the stairs with Chandra. Over the years Angad had grown to become a fine replica of his father. Sage Vishwamithra who taught them in the gurukula, kept on praising how Angad reminded him of Lakshman.

Chandra too was a replica of his father. He did inherit the rare shade of his mother's eyes though, and earned the title of the most handsome of the Raghu Dynasty. 

Somada smiled and rushed to hug both her older brothers. "I was hoping to see you and all my other brothers three months ago! Who thought you will be whisked away to war as soon as you finished your 10 years of gurukula training?"

"Just like our father and our king!" Chandra said smiling.

"Except, when our father and our uncle returned, they can home with their beautiful wives." Kush joked.

"We might have returned home without any sisters-in-law for Somada." Kush says smiling. "But I can ascertain that Luv has started to develop feelings for the Princess of the Anga Kingdom. We stopped by in Anga on the way back home to offer our prayers to the Ganga River and for refreshments, when someone bumped into the Princess."

"Did he meet her in a garden, as well?" Somada asks excitedly.

"Yes, and he was so lost in her beauty!" Kush nods. "Aren't you planning to attend her swayamwar next week, brother?"

"Children, you are blocking the entrance!" Urmila remarks as she finished welcoming all the 8 young princes. "Save some chat for dinner tonight! Boys, all of you go and get ready for dinner. I've asked the maids to prepare a nice and relaxing bath for each of you. Go! Get ready now! Your mothers have also made your favourite dishes!"

"Can we have the food and have a bath after?" Angad asks playfully as he walks into the palace.

"Not on my watch!" Urmila says sternly and turns to her daughter. "Let's get you decked up as well. It doesn't suit the only daughter of the dynasty to look so simple and bare necked!"

* * * * *

Urmila signals Lakshman's male attendants to leave as she walks into their chambers.

"I'm assuming you want to do the honours of taking off my battle armour?" He asks smiling.

"Yes." Urmila smiles as she starts to unknot the armour around his arms. "I hope His Excellency told you about the special invitees for dinner."

"He hasn't yet."

"The Magadhas are coming. Prince Dharmendra - who was coronated last month as King, will be visiting us with his mother."

"This is the same prince who we-"

"Yes, do you remember we along with your brother told him that we can think about the topic of marriage once Somada is well into her late teenage?"

Lakshman nods.

"Lakshman, they are coming her to talk about getting Somada betrothed to the Magadha King!" Urmila said worried.

"Mila, don't worry!" Lakshman says soothingly as Urmila gently unknots the rest of his armour. "We will not do any wedding preparation without out daughter's consent. We are not going to push her into a marriage without her consent."

Urmila sighs in relief as she takes off the bronze armour on his chest. Lakshman pulls her into an embrace. Urmila closed her eyes as she rested her forehead on his shoulder. Lakshman caressed her head as Urmila tried to ease her mind.

"Go and freshen up soon!" She murmured. "I'll bring you some ointments and elixirs for your battle wounds."

* * * * *

Somada wore a gold and ruby choker paired with a long golden necklace embellished with precious stones. She was asked to change into a regal purple silken sari and a matching blouse. The sari was made of the most exquisite silks from the entire land. She decided to keep her simple earrings and her mother's dainty little nose ring on. She decided to turn a blind eye to the two dozen platters of elaborate and grand golden jewellery sent to her room chambers by her uncle - the King of Ayodya. 

Oh to be the favourite child of King Ram! Somada is the first and only daughter to be born into the dynasty after her aunt Shantha. Ram and her parents left no stone unturned in raising the one and only daughter of their family. She was taught every art and skill there was. She grew up to be the best musician, a fine dancer, a gifted painter and an excellent singer. She learned statecraft from her uncle, Prince Bharath - the Prime Minister of Ayodhya, the art of preserving akingdom, of strengthening ties with with other rulers, the trick of recognizing spies who may havewormed their way into the palace. She learned also the differences between righteous and unrighteous war.

Ram and Lakshman took on the task of ensuring she was an all-rounded warrior princess. Somada accepted them as her guru and trained under their guidance throughout her childhood and her teenage.

She mastered the art of horse riding and she was the best sword-wielder. Lakshman often noted how she inherited his battle rage. Angad and Chandra too inherited it, but Somada's battle rage matched Lakshman's. Even Ram noted it during a sword duel which he observed a few years ago. 'Fierce as Goddess Kali' he said to himself proudly.  Ram taught her archery, and later went to give her the knowledge of using the divine weapons such as the Bramastra and the other weapons like the Varunastra, Agneyastra.

Soon she was taught the art of wrestling and mace-wielding. The only trainings she was denied. Within a few months she mastered those as well, much to everyone's surprise. Even though she was groomed to be a powerful warrior, even though she had the same knowledge and divine weapons as her brothers, father and uncles; she was denied entry into the battlefield. 

She spent most of her day playing the veena and training Ayodya's first ever all-female regiment of soldiers. She trained them in basic combat and these female soldiers would in turn protect the civilians. Somada felt her true potential being wasted with what she was doing everyday. Her family made her a talented artist and an all-rounded warrior, only to have her decked and prepared to become a wife to a young Crown Prince or King.

Somada hissed as her handmaids pulled her hair into a tight and neat bun, and had several yards of fragrant jasmines flowers wound around it. The handmaids told her this was how her family expected her to be dressed for the evening.

Somada threw herself on her bed as soon as her handmaids left the room after decking her. She hated it when she had to dress up with all the grandeur. Her mother and her aunts were the same too when they were Somada's age. The princesses of Mithila grew up wearing vibrant and simple cotton saris paired with simple dainty necklaces. After they were married, they had to change everything, which included the way they dressed. They wore the silken saris along with the gold and jewel encrusted jewellery that defined the Raghuvanshis.

Somada sighs and sits up in a flash hearing the door open.

Her handmaid walks in with a water lily. 

"A token of love for the princess!" She says as she gives it to Somada.

"Who?" Somada asks.

"He said you will know, and if you are clueless, to look out of your balcony." The handmaid says and walks out. Somada runs towards the closed balcony and pushes the door open. Her balcony had a breathtaking view of their beautiful garden. 

The red roses, the water lilies, the lotuses, the orchids and all of them were about to bloom within a few weeks. The sky was spread in a veil of splendid purple, burning with red light as the sun was about to set.

A tall and dark young man stood in the garden, looking up at her balcony. He had a chiselled face with a thin nose and deep smouldering black eyes. Somada smiled as she recognised him.

TO BE CONTINUED

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