66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

obeying her command and pleasing her in a million ways. I’ll
do nothing else in life except enjoy her company… . Ah! how
perceptive and helpful my sister has been! Not a word of
exaggeration in her description. Absolutely perfect.
Perfection … How good of my darling sister to have thought
of me when she saw this angel! I shall reward my sister by
making her the queen of my empire. She shall rule in my
place, while I live in the paradise of this woman’s company.”
He had already forgotten that he had intended to make Sita
the queen of his empire.
While his mind was busy with these pleasant plans, Sita
was inquiring, “How do you come to be found on this lonely
forest path—at your age? Where do you come from?”
He woke up from his day-dreaming to answer, “Well, there
is one …” and proceeded to give a detailed account of
himself in the third person—as the mightiest in creation,
favourite of the great Lord Shiva himself, powerful enough to
order the sun and the moon to move in or out of their orbits
as he pleased. “All the gods wait upon him to do his slightest
bidding, all the divine damsels, Urvasi, Thilothama and the
others, are ever ready to massage his feet and strap his
sandals on. He is greater than Indra; his capital is
unmatched, a magnificent city; he commands all the power,
wealth, and glories of this world. Thousands of women wait
anxiously for his favour, but he is waiting and looking for the
most perfect beauty in creation. He is learned, just,