66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

“Do you know how people can change overnight?
Tomorrow this time, he will be a different Rama. His only aim
will be to stay long and strong in his seat, and to achieve it
he will remove all hurdles. The chief hurdle will be Bharatha,
who may assert his claim any time and win it by public
support. Rama will banish him or break him down or behead
him. You will no longer be a queen, but an ex-queen, of an
ex-king, and will probably be reduced to the status of being
the handmaid of the queen mother Kausalya.”
“Never! how would she dare!” cried Kaikeyi involuntarily.
“Let her try!”
“By this time tomorrow, it could happen; it’s bound to
happen sooner or later.” Thus Kooni had brought Kaikeyi to
the brink of panic, before spelling out the remedy: “Do you
remember that Dasaratha was saved by you at one time,
and there are two ancient promises of his to be fulfilled?
Leave alone his promise to your father: you are not
concerned with it. But hold on to the two promises given to
you. Demand first the banishment of Rama to the forests for
fourteen years, and secondly the crowning of Bharatha in his
place immediately.”
“Impossible conditions; you must be drunk.”
“No, quite practical, only go about it this way… .”
Thus it happened that when Dasaratha sought Kaikeyi’s
company, as was his wont, he did not find her in her