Urmila

Urmila was watching the garden-path leading to her father’s conference-room where she and Seeta were rarely allowed. She knew at this moment King Dashratha and her father were engaged in a talk. There was not a soul around except the sentry guarding the gate. No sound penetrated the silence outside.

Seeta’s marriage to prince Rama! There was nothing else that people talked about these days. It was being talked about in the palace, in the streets and by-lanes of Mithila, in every household of Mithila. In the palace they were walking hurriedly and bumping into each other, and laughing joyously. Yet there were many things missing. Urmila was missing; and so many other things, which people failed to notice in their obsession for Seeta’s marriage. Urmila was rather glad to be on the periphery, because that was how she liked to look at everything---watching from the periphery, silently disengaged, like a star out of the orbit.

This time she enjoyed her solitude for another reason. She liked to play with the memory of a certain moment. She liked to look at it from all angles and read several meanings into it. Then thinking that she had spent enough time in indulging herself, she would come out of it only to go back to it with a greater eagerness.

In the great excitement that followed Rama’s victory over the stubborn ancient bow, she had hugged Seeta and kissed her impulsively on the cheek. That was the moment when she saw Laxman looking at her with a spark of amusement in his eyes. And then she found that those eyes followed her everywhere. She began to take delight in the game of hide and seek, finding safety in the fact that the royal protocol did not permit them to speak to each other.

Urmila found out that this young man would meticulously avoid contact with women and was rather skeptical about love. He seemed to take pride in the splendor of his celibacy. For that reason she thought him rather vain, but charming nevertheless. to fall inlove with her solitudes. He did not seek her attention, but was happy when he received it. She liked his childlike simplicity. The more she thought of him the more she began to fall in love with her solitude.

As she stood watching the conference-room, the thought of Laxman returned to her mind. She tried to imagine him by her side and then laughed at the idea because in her imagination she could not think of him as away from his brother. And any way, why would she try to separate him from his brother? That was the prerogative of his wife--- whoever and wherever she may be!

Just then her personal attendant rushed in excitedly.

“ O my princess, fortune is shining upon you today! And may it continue to shine in the days to come; may it shine forever!”

Urmila was aware that since King Dashratha’s arrival, messages, errands and news were going around in frenzy. A princess needs not to get carried away and trust them unless she is apprised officially. Still she was curious to know because any news, true or false or half-truth was significant these days.

The attendant was eager to break the news. Without waiting, she said, “Soon you wil come to know, but let me tell you first. His Highness has promised to give you in marriage in to Rama’s younger brother Laxman.

Urmila closed her lips tightly to contain her surprise. Then, as was the custom, she removed the pearl necklace and gave it to the attendant.

Soon she returned to earth from her dream-world and wondered what role she was going to play in future in the royal household of Ayodhya.