Ramayana
Chapter 25
Bharat and Shatrughna
Leave Ayodhya
Prince Bharata had left for the
kingdom of Kaikeya in the Northwest, escorted by his ever-vigilant maternal
uncle Yudhajit who had camped in Ayodhya for a sufficiently long time with the
explicit intention of overseeing the political interest of Bharata, Kaikeyi and
his own kingdom on the Northwest of the continent. Bharat’s bonding with
Shatrughna being strong and natural; the two brothers were seen as a distinctive
and inseparable unit among the four sons of Dashratha.
Kaikeyi had always identified
Bharat’s welfare and political future as closely tied up with the fortunes of
her father’s state. She saw the two brothers off with a heart rather heavy and
full of forebodings at this time in the course of the events. Bharata who had
attained a mature understanding of the complex realities of his relationships
and the political undercurrents defining them, watched his mother’s silence as
she placed her hands on the heads of both the brothers simultaneously. He was
trying to read her mind and as usual she was careful not to betray any sign of
what she was contemplating at the back of her mind.
The days when he could chide her
playfully for her unjustifiable fits of willfulness were over now. He had begun
to see an inscrutable pattern of reason behind her behaviour; but he could not
yet read it clearly. As always, she refused to divulge what was going on in her
mind. While in her presence, he was able to feel something hardening inside
her. When he had entered her chamber along with Shatrughna, he could not fail
to notice the absence of smile on her face, though she observed all the
courtesies and the protocol correctly.
At the time of farewell she had
looked at him steadily for some time, as if she was trying to gauge his inner
strength. Bharat had met her gaze with a stubborn note of circumspection and
she had tried to veil her feelings as she asked them if they were happy while
they were here, during this very significant period of their life. Then she had
said to Bharat, “God speed my son; I need you very much.” Bharat had watched
the hardening, and the struggle of her veiled feelings, trying to break through
the wall.
“Mother, take care”, he had said
briefly before taking leave.
Bharat had been to take leave of
his father before coming to see his mother. Normally both of them would be
together at the time of saying adieu to him, on all previous occasions. This
time he noticed the tacit estrangement between the two. He had felt sad that
over the period of time his parents were not able to achieve harmony and peace
in their relationship. The distance between them seemed to have widened and it
seemed as if his father was growing tired of his mother’s inscrutable behavior and
was developing a kind of indifference or some sort of belated defiance towards
her. He also noticed that his father tended to be a little secretive about the
political realities facing the kingdom of Ayodhya. He was warm as he showered
his benediction but there was no word of advice for his two sons regarding
their conduct of life in the near future, although the time pointed to the need
of it. He had a feeling that for some unknown reason, his father was eager to
see him out of Ayodhya as soon as possible.
Both brothers had received a
whole lot of worldly advice from Kausalya and Sumitra on how to keep their young
brides happy without letting them interfere too much in their own princely
responsibilities. The two couples had hardly got to know each other during
those days of hectic ceremonies and festivities. The counseling was artless and
answering to the necessity of the time.
Rama was warm and Laxman sedate at the time of leave-taking.
But Bharat’s mind was perplexed by the
thought of something going amiss.
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