66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

netherworld, “Stay here and watch until I return.” Twenty-eight
months passed. There was no sign of Vali. No news.
Sugreeva, distraught, decided to go into the tunnel in search
of his brother. His counsellors and the elders around him,
however, dissuaded him, saying that he could not abdicate
his responsibility, which was to become the ruler of
Kiskinda, as Vali must be presumed to be dead. They
pushed up all the mountains over the mouth of the cavern in
order to prevent, as they feared, Mayavi’s possible return to
attack Sugreeva also. They left a permanent body of sentries
to watch that blocked entrance and installed Sugreeva as
the ruler of Kiskinda.
But in due course there came out—not Mayavi but Vali.
Vali had finally destroyed Mayavi and was now emerging
victorious. He had tried the only exit and found it blocked
with rolled-up mountains, which enraged him, as he thought
that Sugreeva had been trying to seal him off underground.
He kicked the obstacle aside and came out like a tornado.
He reached Kiskinda. Sugreeva rose to welcome him and to
express his joy at seeing him back. But Vali did not give him
a chance to speak. He thundered, “So you thought you could
entomb me?” and pounced on his brother and boxed and
pounded him in the presence of all the courtiers and officials.
Sugreeva could get no word in, nor bear the force of his
attack. He still tried to speak and explain, but he could make
no progress with his sentence, although he began several
times: “The counsellors and elders …”