66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

e back? What made him go? Did he go there before the
King’s death or after? Has he committed a wrong? What
could be the cause of his exile, if it is an exile? Did the gods
decree it or the King? Did he go before or after the King’s
death? Oh, impossible thought—did he commit a wrong?
But if Rama committed a seemingly wrong act, it would still
be something to benefit humanity, like a mother forcibly
administering a medicine to her child.”
“It’s none of what you think. He went away with the full
knowledge of your father.”
“My father dies, my brother is exiled… . What has
happened? What is all this mystery? What is behind all this?”
“Now attend to what I am going to say, calmly and with
good sense. Of course, it would have been splendid if your
father had lived. But it was not in our hands. You will have to
accept things as they come and not let your feelings
overpower and weaken your mind. Through your father’s
irrevocable promise to grant me two wishes, you are today
lord of this earth, and Rama has willingly removed himself
from your path. After he gave me his promise, your father
became rather weak in mind… .”
Bharatha understood now. He ground his teeth, glared at
her and thundered, “You are a serpent. You are heartless.
You have had the cunning, the deviousness, to trap the King
into a promise, and not cared that it meant death to him.
How am I to prove to the world that I have no hand in this?