Is she worried about Ram being punished for firing the Asuraastra?
‘Ram will not be banished, Sita. The Asuraastra is not a weapon of mass destruction. Guruji has already told you. We can manage the Vayuputras …’
Arishtanemi knew the Vayuputras liked Ram and would probably agree to waive the punishment for the eldest prince of Ayodhya. And if they didn’t … Well, the Malayaputras wouldn’t be too troubled by that. Their main concern was Sita. Only Sita.
‘Ram believes that he should be punished,’ said Sita. ‘It is the law.’
‘Then, tell him to grow up and not be silly.’
‘Try and understand Ram, Arishtanemiji. I am not sure you realise how important a man like that is for India. He can transform us into law-abiding citizens. He can lead by example. He can do a lot of good. I have travelled the length and breadth of this country. I don’t think the ruling nobility, including yourselves, understand the simmering anger among the common folk against the elite. Ram, by subjecting himself to the same laws that apply to them, increases the credibility of the establishment. People will eventually listen to a message delivered by Ram.’
Arishtanemi shifted on his feet, impatiently. ‘This is a pointless conversation, Sita. The Malayaputras, the only ones authorised to recognise a Vishnu, have chosen you. That’s it.’
Sita smiled. ‘Indians don’t take kindly to choices imposed from above. This is a country of rebels. The people have to accept me as the Vishnu.’
Arishtanemi remained silent.
‘Perhaps you didn’t understand the point I was trying to make earlier about wisdom,’ said Sita.
Arishtanemi frowned.
‘I suppose the Malayaputras want to keep Raavan alive till, at some stage, I kill him and hence am accepted by all Sapt Sindhuans. Who would deny a leader who delivers them from their most hated enemy … Raavan.’
Arishtanemi’s eyes widened, as he understood what Sita was saying. The Malayaputras had just committed a major blunder. That too on a strategy that they had been planning for decades.
‘Yes, Arishtanemiji. You thought you were setting Ram up for punishment. But instead, you have made him into a hero for the common man. The entire Sapt Sindhu has suffered Raavan’s economic squeeze. And they now see Ram as their saviour.’
Arishtanemi fell silent.
‘Arishtanemiji, sometimes, a too-clever-by-half plan can backfire,’ said Sita.
Sita looked at her husband as he rode beside her. Lakshman and Urmila rode behind them. Lakshman was talking nonstop with his wife as she gazed at him earnestly. Urmila’s thumb kept playing with the massive diamond ring on her left forefinger; an expensive gift from her husband. Behind them were a hundred Mithilan soldiers. Another hundred soldiers rode ahead of Ram and Sita. The convoy was on its way to Sankashya, from where it would sail to Ayodhya.
Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Urmila had set off from Mithila two weeks after the Asuraastra laid waste the Lankan camp. True to their word, Vishwamitra and his Malayaputras had left for their capital, Agastyakootam, taking the Lankan prisoners with them. They would negotiate with Raavan on Mithila’s behalf, guaranteeing the kingdom’s safety in return for the release of the prisoners of war. The Malayaputras had also taken the bow of Lord Rudra, the Pinaka, which had been their treasure for centuries. It would be returned to Sita when she took on the role of the Vishnu.
Noting Samichi’s improved state of mind, once the Lankan problem had been taken care of, Sita had made her friend Mithila’s de facto prime minister. She would work in consultation with a council of five city elders established by Sita. Of course, all under the guidance of King Janak.
‘Ram …’
Ram turned to his wife with a smile as he pulled his horse close to hers. ‘Yes?’
‘Are you sure about this?’
Ram nodded. There was no doubt in his mind.
Sita was impressed and worried at the same time. He truly did live by the law.
‘But you are the first in a generation to defeat Raavan. And, it wasn’t really a daivi astra. If you —’
Ram frowned. ‘That’s a technicality. And you know it.’
Sita paused for a few seconds and continued. ‘Sometimes, to create a perfect world, a leader has to do what is necessary at the time; even if it may not appear to be the ‘right’ thing to do in the short term. In the long run, a leader who has the capacity to uplift the masses must not deny himself that opportunity. He has a duty to not make himself unavailable. A true leader will even take a sin upon his soul for the good of his people.’
Ram looked at Sita. He seemed disappointed. ‘I have done that already, haven’t I? The question is, should I be punished for it or not? Should I do penance for it? If I expect my people to follow the law, so must I. A leader is not just one who leads. He must also be a role model. He must practise what he preaches, Sita.’
Sita smiled. ‘Well, Lord Rudra had said: “A leader is not just one who gives his people what they want. He must also be the one who teaches his people to be better than they imagined themselves to be.” ’
Ram smiled too. ‘And I’m sure you will tell me Lady Mohini’s response to this as well.’
Sita laughed. ‘Yes. Lady Mohini said that people have their limitations. A leader should not expect more from them than what they are capable of. If you stretch them beyond their capacity, they will break.’
Ram shook his head. He did not agree with the great Lady Mohini. Ram expected people to rise above their limitations and better themselves; for only then was an ideal society possible. But he didn’t voice his disagreement aloud. He knew that Sita passionately respected Lady Mohini.
‘Are you sure? Fourteen years outside the boundaries of the Sapt Sindhu?’ Sita looked at Ram seriously, returning to the original discussion.
Ram nodded. ‘I broke Lord Rudra’s law. And this is his stated punishment. It doesn’t matter whether the Vayuputras pass the order to punish me or not. It doesn’t matter whether my people support me or not. I must serve my sentence.’
She smiled. He will not stray. He is truly incredible. How did he survive in Ayodhya all these years?
Sita leaned towards him and whispered, ‘We … not I.’
Ram frowned.
Sita reached out and placed her palm on Ram’s hand. ‘You share my fate and I share yours. That is what a true marriage is.’ She entwined her fingers through his. ‘Ram, I am your wife. We will always be together; in good times and bad; through thick and thin.’
We will come back in fourteen years. Stronger. More powerful. The Vishnuhood can wait till then.