Urmila’s Chamber
"Devi, Devi Urmila."
Urmila was in her royal chamber. A heavenly aroma filled her chamber. It was lit brightly with diyas, and smooth rays of the sun drifted from the balcony. She sat on a beautiful diwan enjoying the blissful music played by some of the finest and famous musicians. The same musicians were to play for Sri Ram's coronation in a few days. The whole kingdom was happy. Urmila's joy knew no bounds. Her elder sister was going to be a queen.
Recently, Raja Dashrath had announced the royal coronation of Sri Ram. The entire kingdom was full of excitement. The big day was just around the corner, and preparations were to be made. Urmila herself had taken up the duty of flower decorations of the royal courtroom. She was an expert and had excellent knowledge of flowers. She wove beautiful garlands.
She was, as usual, surrounded by flowers. Jasmine, roses, marigolds and so on. Weaving garlands, deciding what flowers will be used in which ceremony, and listing down more requirements. She kept herself busy. Lakshman, her beloved husband, had made sure she received all the kinds of beautiful flowers at her disposal from all over. Sri Ram's coronation was going to be a great day after all.
She was lost in her thoughts. As children, the sisters would tease Sita. They would make her the queen and place a tiara on her head. Sita would then give them sweets to eat, and they would laugh playfully. They would treat Sita as their queen and roam around the palace in pretty clothes, and all their friends would be Sita’s subjects. Urmila wondered how quickly the days passed by. The childhood dream was about to become a reality. She was proud of her elder sister.
Urmila smiled to herself, remembering the good old childhood days. She admired Sita and loved her dearly.
Such was Urmila. Selfless.
“Devi, are you listening? Her maid called her again”.
“Kamla, please don't disturb me. Can't you see I am busy with my garlands? Pass me those flowers, please. Start getting more flowers. These are going to be so less. I want the entire palace decorated with flowers. Ram and Sita should walk on these red petals as they move towards the throne. These yellow ones, we will distribute them to the guests present in the court, so they can shower them on their king. Later, those present will shower these beautiful pink petals when they both sit together as our king and queen.”
“Devi, Sri Laksmana, has decided to go with Yuvraj Sri Ram. He will be accompanying his elder brother Ram and Mata Sita”.
Urmila spoke out without concern to wave away the disturbance in her work. “Oh, don't you worry. They will be back by evening. My husband will not leave his elder brother for a minute. He is a devoted younger brother. But where is Sita going? Shouldn't she be resting? It is a big day for her too. She should have taken me along. She mustn't wander around, you know, she's a queen now”.
“Devi, Sri Ram has been ordered to be away in exile by Maharaja Dashratha. Mata Sita is going along with him. They will be gone for fourteen years, Devi, Fourteen years! Laksmana, your husband is going with them, Devi.”
"What?” Urmila asked in utter confusion and shock. “Exile for Sri Ram? Sita? And my Lakshman? What have they done wrong? What is wrong, Kamla? Do not hide anything from me, dear. Is Lakshman being ordered to go too by his father? I do not understand Kamala. What on earth are you saying?”
“No Devi. It's his decision.”
His decision? why?
The beautiful jasmine garland fell from her hand. Her face was warm, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The pink colour on her cheeks disappeared for a while as she clutched the roses with her palms. The soulful music faded, and she could not hear anything going on around. She froze on the spot.
The next second, as though a magic wand had been turned, she changed. The expression on her face changed, and she relaxed. A thought clicked in her mind. The pink colour returned to her face. “Is this a joke, Kamla? If yes, I am going to kill you for this.” She laughed and threw a rose at her.
Such was Urmila. Innocent.
The maid stood looking at her, unable to explain. How does one explain to an innocent girl that her beloved has just made a harsh decision that she wasn’t even aware of? Urmila continued her work at hand. The smile playing on her lips, and a hint of anger in her eyes. She had already decided to complain about this to Lakshman. Kamala was getting naughtier day by day. Who jokes about these things? That too on such an auspicious occasion.
Just then, Laksmana entered the chamber. Urmila ran towards him with a jasmine garland in her hand. She placed the divine-looking white jasmine garland around his neck. She looked at him with her big eyes as if to tease him. Her ever-smiling husband did not respond to her love. This was when Urmila sensed something was wrong. She could always sense his feelings. His anger, his mischiefs, his love and at this moment, his sadness. The look on his face was speaking for itself. Her husband had never looked so dejected before. It was not a joke, after all. She ordered all the maids and the musicians to leave.
Now, as they were alone in the chamber, she prayed for herself to be strong. She looked at Laksmana, unable to grasp what she had just heard. Her face was burning. Her eyes were slightly moist, but they equally had a question she desperately wanted an answer to. She tried to read Laksmana's face to see if she could read it and get her answers.
His decision? why?
Both of them faced each other. Urmila knew Laksmana would never be the first to break the news if it was a bad news. He loved her too much to do that. He was quiet, but then he had to speak. He knew Urmila would understand his dilemma, but he would have to let the initial shock settle. It was not an ordinary decision he had made. That too, without consulting her.
“Urmila, Dear, listen to me. Something has happened, and I will have to be away from you for some time. Sri Ram has been ordered to be in exile by our father, King Dashrath. I know Sri Ram will never disobey our father. Mata Sita had decided to go along with him. As a younger brother, to fulfil my duties, I will be going too.”
“How long?”
Laksmana closed his eyes and answered, “Fourteen years.”
Urmila’s mind ran wild. What on earth was happening? How come an auspicious day like this goes this bad? Was she dreaming? But never in a dream would she have created a situation like this one.
“Kamla was right.” She steadied and faced the truth. Unable to stop herself, she looked at him and asked, “Why you, why not someone else? Bharat can go. Shatrughan can go. We have an army of qualified bodyguards who can go with them. They are perfectly able to protect Rama and Sita on their journey, aren't they?”
Tears stung Urmila’s eyes. She tried to brush them aside and pleaded like a child.
“Aren't they the most capable? Then why do you have to go? Why not stop them from going? Let us speak to Maharaj. He is a father first, isn’t he? He will order everyone, and everything will be alright again.”
Lakshman remained silent and let her speak. He then explained to her in a calm and steady voice, “I decided to be with Sri Ram. I will be there with him, protecting him from all the bad things that can happen during his years in vanvasa.”
With a stern voice, determined to get her way, Urmila said, “Then take me along”.
Such was Urmila. Courageous.
“I will be there too. I will protect you all. I will be with Sita and take care of her. You will be with Sri Ram. We both would do our duty together. Wouldn't that be much better?”
“No, Urmila, I cannot put you through all the trouble. Be here. You are a delicate princess. The vanvasa life is not for you. God knows what kind of dangers will be there. I do not want to put you through all those”.
Urmila laughed. “Dangers? Have you forgotten I am a warrior princess? I know no dangers. I can fight like a soldier, you know that. Yes, I am a princess. So is Sita. If she can go...so can I.”
Such was Urmila. A warrior.
The shock was gone, now replaced by anger.
The anger that she was not consulted. She was not included. She was not even aware that something like that happened in the courtroom while she was pleasantly dreaming and weaving garlands. The words that it was her husband who had decided to go, stung her and gave her unbearable pain.
His decision? why?
She was a woman, after all. A wife who loved her husband and vowed to be with him throughout their life. It was her duty to explain to him what is good and what is unreasonable. She was a good wife. She was confident she could stop all this. If he could just hear her out. Change his decision. Would she go down in history as a bad wife? The one who stopped her husband from doing his duties.
How was she to live without him for fourteen years? Did he not think of that?
Suddenly, the sadness was back. Her heart ached with the thought of spending fourteen years without him. She tried hard to convince Lakshman to take her along. Alas! Nothing was working today. Lakshman was determined to go and go alone.
Urmila knew and understood Lakshman’s love for Sri Ram. They were inseparable. He was devoted to Sri Ram like no other. She knew he would go through any trouble to keep his brother safe. She did not doubt it. The funny thing was she was not angry about it. She was proud of Lakshman. No ordinary brother would dare take a decision as difficult as this. Just that she wanted to be with him. Was it unreasonable to ask for simple pleasures from your husband?
The mixed emotions confuse the mind. The heart says something while the intellect refuses to listen. The mind wonders if it can be something that can become a possibility, whereas the body refuses to let go. Urmila's emotions were mixed. Not able to understand which emotions should be dominating and which ones to be controlled.
His decision? why?
At last she asked the question that was troubling her from the moment she heard the news. “How can this be your decision? Shouldn’t you have talked to me first? I have the right to be part of your decision, you know”.
Lakshman kept silent. He knew anything he said or did would not help reduce the pain caused to Urmila. He went away. Urmila collapsed on the floor. Unable to absorb all that was happening, she went still for some time. She then got up. She would not let the pain take over.
Such was Urmila. Steady.
***
The Courtroom
Urmila walked into the courtroom with her head held high. She stood beside Lakshman who was wearing ochre coloured simple clothes. So were Sri Ram and Sita. The entire courtroom was silent. Everyone hoped somehow Maharaj Dashrath would change his mind. Somehow, the fourteen-year exile would be cancelled. Somehow, the coronation ceremony would continue.
Mata Kaushalya was heartbroken. She was helpless in front of her husband’s decision. Why had Kaikeyi asked her son to be exiled? That was her only question. Urmila went to Mata Kaushalya and held her hand. She knew she had to be strong to be able to help the grieving mother. Mata Sumitra was there too, to help Kaushalya accept the fact. She promised that her son, Lakshman, will be there to protect her son.
The three of them looked devine. Dressed in simple clothes. Not a single jewel on them. Ready to leave. Sri Ram was addressing the people who had come to meet him. Urmila went back to her chamber. She did not want her tears to be seen. Everyone was sad in their own way. She did not want her tears to add more sadness. She did not want to make it difficult for Lakshman to leave. She did not want her sister to feel it wasn't right. She did not want Sri Ram to see her sad and unwilling to take Lakshman with him.
Such was Urmila. Compassionate.
***
Urmila’s Chamber
Urmila sat in her room alone. She had given up her golden robes. Given up her beautiful gems and jewels. She ordered the maids to throw all the flowers and garlands away. She was dressed in simple clothes, just as her husband had.
How could I wear beautiful robes when my beloved would be in colourless robes?
How could I wear jewels when my beloved would not be wearing any?
How could I sleep on a soft bed when my husband sleeps on the floor?
Urmila was all prepared to live in her own exile.
“Urmila”. She heard a soft sound. Nectar poured onto her ears. It was Lakshman. He had come to say his final farewell to his beloved wife. She realized this could be the last time she heard her name from Lakshman. She was sure she would not live even a few days without him. Fourteen years was a long time.
“Go, Dear”, she said. “Do your duty towards your brother. Protect him. Be with Sita. Treat them with respect and love. Do not worry about me. I will be here. I will wait for you to return.”
She walked towards him. She had the same white jasmine garland in her hands. She placed it this time on his feet, showing respect for his decision. She knew this was the only way Lakshman would be able to leave her without hesitating to perform his duties.
Such was Urmila. Magnanimous.
“Urmila, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. Would you be kind enough to grant me one last wish so that I can carry out my duties without fail?"
“What else can I give you? What do I have with me now without you?”
“Devi, I have prayed to the goddess of sleep to take away my sleep so that I can be vigilant while protecting my brother and his wife. Instead, the goddess of sleep will bless you with sleep. You will sleep for fourteen years. It is the only way that I can be without sleep. How I wish I did not have to ask you to do this.”
Urmila smiled.
One more sacrifice was asked.
One more sacrifice was given.
Such was Urmila.
***
Author Note: I have tried to create the scene where Sri Lakshman decides to go along with his elder brother for fourteen years. With each scene, I have tried to bring out the qualities of Urmila that are rarely spoken about. Her selfless love, her devotion, her compassion, her courage and her sacrifice. Salute to her.