Chapter 23
"Mandavi didi try to hold this bush please," Urmila was desperately trying to straighten the rose bush that had fallen. From morning there were heavy winds in Ayodhya and now though the wind subsided it was clouded and everyone was expecting heavy rain.
"Urmila this bush can't be steadied it has fallen. Maybe we will have to take it and plant it somewhere," mentioned Mandavi.
Urmila had to agree to what her sister was saying. There was no way they could steady the fallen rose bush. Urmila's heart was beating fast. She had felt assured a week back everything was going to be fine. But with this fallen bush and the wind and rain which was so out of season she felt something bad was going to happen to her Sita didi. She had to pass the message to Sumitranandan. She asked Mandavi and Kirti to tend to the bush and ran to her room.
Once in the room she sat on the bed, closed her eyes and prayed to wind God to take her message to her husband. As the breeze flew over her face, she understood the wind God has listened to her prayer. She began to talk.
"Sumitranandan a great calamity is going to fall on Sita didi. I am sure of it. Let whatever happen don't leave her alone. Be with her. Else the price will be too high to pay."
"Lakshman go and check on Raghunandan," shouted Sita. She was panicking and crying.
Lakshman was trying to calm down his bhabi but his efforts going futile. From the time a golden deer was seen outside their hut Lakshman was feeling uneasy. He had asked his brother not to go chasing that deer. But Ram had wanted to give that deer as a gift to Sita bhabi as she was mesmerized by it. He had ordered Lakshman to guard her and had gone behind that deer. Now they were hearing his voice calling out to Lakshman and Sita in the panic mode was asking Lakshman to go.
"Lakshman, you won't go. If you stay here then I am going to kill myself," saying it Sita took the knife and kept it on her neck.
"Bhabi I will go please put the knife down," saying so Lakshman took an arrow and draw a line. He invoked all the Gods and Goddess and asked them to protect his bhabi as long as she was within the boundary of that line. He humbly requested Sita not to cross the line. That line was drawn with the power of his selfless service towards his bhaiyya and bhabi and that will offer her protection.
"Lakshman, I won't step out. You don't wait. Go and help Raghunandan," ordered Sita crying profusely.
Reluctantly Lakshman stepped out from the hut and as he just turned to have a look at his bhabi he saw the strand of jasmine flowers from her hair had fallen on the ground crossing the line he had drawn. The sign looked ominous to Lakshman. He understood Urmila had sent the message. She was telling Sita was not safe. Just like the flowers on her hair that fell across the line something will force his bhabi to cross the line. He was not supposed to leave her alone. He knew Urmila had given him message before also not to leave Sita alone. Now she was giving it again. He stood at the entrance of the hut for sometime undecided on what to do.
"Lakshman you are still standing here. You have decided not to obey my order. I think the best way is for me to end my life so that you will go," screamed Sita taking out the knife.
"No bhabi please don't do anything foolish. I am going," replied Lakshman and as he walked, he asked for forgiveness from Urmila.
"Mila I am sorry I have to forgo your warning else my bhabi will take me wrong. She will feel I am not dutiful towards my brother and will commit suicide. To protect her life dear wife, I have to obey her order and leave her alone. But you don't worry. I have drawn a line with all the power of my good karma and I am sure it will protect her." Even as he said those words Lakshman was not sure. The jasmine flowers across the line came in his vision. But there was no time to think over it and he ran towards the direction in which Ram's voice was coming.
Urmila sat in her room. She was feeling pensive. It was raining heavily in Ayodhya and night was slowly falling. Mandavi had informed her that they had uprooted the rose bush but they couldn't plant it again because of the rains. The uprooted rose bush was kept safely in her room to be replanted when the weather becomes normal. Urmila got up and went near the bush. She could see it has been badly affected by the wind. However, its roots were intact so that it could be replanted. But the condition of the bush at that point made Urmila shiver. It felt like Sita didi was going to go through a trauma that will uproot her. Though she will weather that storm nothing will be the same again.
Just then a breeze flew over her face and some toy figures in her room fell. Urmila just got up to arrange them back in their position. It was then she observed the position of the figures. A woman figure was standing lonely at one point while two men figures had fallen away from her and were not even looking at her direction.
Urmila got up in shock. It meant only one thing. Her husband had and Ram jeeju were away from the place where Sita didi is. Sita didi is alone in the hut. Irrespective of all the warnings something had forced her husband to move away from his bhabi. She didn't know what it was. She only knew a bad news was making its way towards Ayodhya and she needs to brace for it.
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