“It must be the story of Dhobi of Ramayana! Yes, it has to be. Ayodhya, Vashishtha, eldest son, wandering in forest, kidnapping, War, letter, abandoned…all these are part of Ramayana!” I exclaimed.
“But I didn’t know anything about that Dhobi. Hmm…so he was learned and due to his greed for fame he wrote that letter. But why should Ram consider that letter seriously and send Sita to forest? In fact, I haven’t yet understood why Ram considered his father’s promise and went to forest for fourteen years?” I could not help thinking.
“Poor Divakar! He did not mean it when he wrote that letter. And he was guilty for his doings. He hated himself for the rest of his life. That makes enough justice to him. God bless his soul.” I concluded.
~ ~ ~
I am Vajrachitra. My father was a brave Kshatriy soldier of our kingdom. He fought and won many wars for his kingdom. I was trained from my childhood to master spear. At the age of ten, I could pierce small aim kept at 20 feet away with my spear. When I became young, I became guard at King’s palace.
One day, when I was practicing my weapon at Aayudhshala, our yuvaraj came. They we arguing about who is best at aiming. The first prince aimed and missed. While second was concentrating hard to aim, I shoot my spear towards the aim and hit it. They both became very angry after knowing that I hit the object. The one who had missed the aim was burning with anger and jealousy. I told them that I simply wanted to finish the game before second prince hit the aim so that there was no competition between them and nobody gets hurt. But they threatened me of punishment and went away.
“If for a single day I get the power, I would show them what I am…” I thought.
But when the day came, I could not do what I wanted to do.
I was appointed as chief guard of palace of Queen. During my job time, sometimes I got opportunities to meet our beautiful queen. She had got beauty of heaven with radiant black eyes and dark thick hair. She was not only beautiful; she had also learnt Vedas and weapons. She was dear to all of us. I used to worship her like Goddess.
One day, when I was performing my usual rounds at palace, she called me and told: “I very much appreciate your Bhakti and devotion for me. Do me a favor. Go to main palace and make sure that my husbands do not conduct anything which is against Dharma.” I did not understand much. Her husbands were very righteous men and never performed anything against Dharma. Before I could solve my puzzle, I saw one of our princes rushing towards the palace and shouting insane words.
He came near and shouted:” Now that your husbands have lost you, you are nothing but a maid. Put aside your pride and come with me like a servant. I’m your new master. My brother will be your new husband!”
ENOUGH! I could not tolerate such a barbaric behavior, not even of prince of our kingdom.
“Yuvaraj! Mind your language. You are talking with our Queen” I declared with anger.
“You – a guard, you are talking with such a tone to me?? How dare you?” He shouted.
“Dear Prince! If you want to take her to palace, take her with dignity. She is your sister-in-law. You should not behave like this to her.” I tried to negotiate.
“She is no Queen now. Her husbands have lost her in gambling. Now she is a maid. And I would treat her like that only. That is none of your business. Go to your post. NOW” He shouted again.
I was disheartened, puzzled, and angry at same time. I could not understand what to do. What is my Dharma? Should I oppose the prince and get punishment? Should I let him fetch her and treat her insanely? What??
“Pardon me for that but you can not behave like this with our Queen.” I told him, hiding my childhood hate for him.
“And you will stop me? You?” he laughed like a mad man.
“I SHALL NOT ALLOW YOU TO PASS THIS PALACE WITH OUR QUEEN” I screamed with heroism.
“LEAVE THAT ISSUE. I’M TALKING WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAS DISOBEYED ME! You will be punished for that.” He said.
I knew that he was very proud from his childhood. The meaning of his name was – “someone who is hard to control, rule on”. I always envied him from my childhood – for all the services he got and all the power he had. And now, here was something that involved two persons with whom I was attached more than anyone else. She – I adore more than anyone and he – I hate more than anyone.
“Let me fight and kill his pride” – I decided.
I took my spear and went for fight. He was ready. He had got Gada – a weapon he had mastered. I attacked him first. He deflected my spear with his Gada.
He then hit me with his weapon. It hit me badly on my back. He was laughing and shouting insane words. I stood up and started fighting again.
Our fight went on for some time. But then I realized that with my powerless Queen and absence of her husbands, I was no longer powerful. I hoped that with our fight extending for more time, somebody may arrive that could oppose the prince and settle the issue. But I was being hit constantly and wounded deeply. Finally, I slipped on the feet of Queen.
“Pardon me O Queen! For I could not save you! Pardon me!” I cried and asked myself: for what I have fought this? For Dharma? Or for my attachment – positive and negative? Before I can fix one answer, one spear permeated me and I was gone!
