Aug 18, 2007

Chapter 80: Ashoka Vatika

Sita meanwhile keeps throwing beads, necklaces, bangles to earth from PV. Some of these fall on a community of human monkeys the head of which are Vaali and Sugreeva. They gather the ornaments and realizes a woman being kidnapped. They order Hanuman, the Most Valuable Player amongst them, a pious follower of Rama to gather all the ornaments and safeguard them. Hanuman does so, thinking the ornaments either belong to munivar’s wife or woman who was given these by a Munivar’s wife. It is the same divine ornaments given by Anusuya.

Ravan welcomes Sita to Lanka, telling that no maanav has ever come to Lanka, whoever tries to enter Ravan Lekha will die - even if they do not get devoured by the massive ocean. PV arrives at Sri Lanka and lands at a place called Ashoka Vatika (AV) - Lanka's best garden. All women rakshasis are there. Ravana asks the head to take Sita to put her in a palace and that would be the prison for her.

But Sita requests the head not to jail her in a prison as she is not supposed to be in Royal quarters for 14 years as her hubby has taken her a pledge not to enter a palace for 14 years too. Ravana agrees although laughing at the fact that she still considers herself as wife of Rama. She requests him to kill her. But he laughs and refuses. Now that she is his, how can he kill her. Also, if he kills her, Rama could not come to her, and he would’nt able to kill him, who had humiliated his sis.

Ravana leaves her. Sita, accompanied by head of AV (HAV) "Trigitya" rests herself at AV tree. HAV asks Sita if she needs any help. She is a kindly one, though others around are not. Sita calls her “Maatha” and requests death. HAV says Maatha doesn’t kill daughter but takes care of her. And leaves her alone. Sita looks at Sun and says : You see me and you see Rama. Tell him where I am and show him my plight. (same words to Moon at night)

Shurpanakhi hears of Sita at AV. Believing that only if Sita is killed, will Rama be hers, she proceeds towards AV. But just before killing, HAV stops her. Little fight before Ravana enters the scene and cools Shurpanakhi and orders her to go away. He also orders HAV to kill Shurpanakhi if latter disobeys him. He convinces Shurpanakhi of value to him if Sita is kept alive. Ravan prisons Shurpanakha in her own chamber.

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