Kaikeyi

by Vaishnavi Patel

The gods always answered the prayers of princesses, my tutors liked to tell me, for princesses were the most devout and holiest of all.

Is that all it takes

The scroll ended there, and I knew there was no redemption for Ahalya—the gods would help Indra but never a woman who had slept with another man.

If a woman crafted by the gods themselves could be consigned to this fate, what hope was there for a woman born of a woman?

“My undying love and affection?” I snorted and spurred my horse. “I already have that!”

Foreshadowing familial heartbreak

“But now I’ve realized your influence is making them soft,” he interrupted coldly. “And we cannot postpone the matter of your marriage any longer.

Thats so harsh

“And who is your favorite brother?” I guessed, “Mohan?” “You’re my favorite,” he said, sitting up and brushing himself off.

Awwwww

My bonds within the palace increased in number and strength. This was armor of a different kind.

“I don’t need your counsel.” I met his gaze squarely. “In fact, I don’t need you at all.”

Bit harsh these next bits

The finery gave me confidence to face whatever came next, like a thin layer of armor between me and the world.

and it was some consolation to know that I would be thought well of in Kekaya after my departure.

“Leave, Yudhajit. This time, I mean it. I cannot wait until the moment we never have to see each other again.”

This feels so cruel and cold. Something her father probably said to her mother.

Pretty words, flattery. Such things may have been the art of women, but they were the weakness of powerful men.

but as I saw more of the world, I was realizing there were many ways to ruin a person’s life.

I did not respond, for I could tell he would not listen. But neither did I pay him any heed.

Seems unwise

I was comfortable with my husband, loved him as a dear friend, but the pull of romance meant nothing to me. I could be happy for those in love, but I could not understand.

Behind Dasharath, Lakshmana got to his feet, and I silently cheered him on, watching as he quietly approached his father and then jumped on his back. Dasharath fell to his knees dramatically and the rest of the boys swarmed onto him. He gave a great cry as he tussled with them on the ground.

This is such a sweet moment

“When I came back, he told me that he had been thinking carefully about what I said. And that he believed we should stop.” She looked at me, uncertainty in her eyes. I nodded encouragement. “He said that women shouldn’t hold a council because it was immodest. That it defies the laws of the sages, and thus of the gods.”

Whats his face's influence

So Rama had, despite the best efforts of all of his mothers and even his father, adopted a poor attitude toward women. I could still fix this.

That is the hardest to bear

“Aren’t women who invite the attention of other men whores?” I slapped him.

No........

Maybe I had imagined that flash of godliness, my mind trying to teach me a lesson after my body had done something so horrifying. Maybe there had been something more in the kheer than just rice.

“This person has made themselves an asset to the kingdom of Kosala. I trust their advice above that of almost anybody else.

This will solidify a target on her back

“Stop that,” Dasharath ordered. “What?” “You think I named you saciva solely so I could send you off to Kekaya.” It was irritating how well he could read my thoughts. “Did you not?” I retorted.

Like your brother

“I can reason with Yudhajit. I’m sure I can make him understand that this stance will only hurt Kekaya.”

Oh dear

Rama was not there. I let the threads around me disappear, and Rama’s glowing form came into view. Only then did I know it for sure. My son was a god.

Well shit

Change. Even here, despite the censure of the gods, things were changing.

The mortal world corrupts, but he will be stronger than you. He was sent to this world for a reason.

Oh no, do the gods look on the changes for women unkindly?

“We studied the responsibilities and duties within family relationships,” Lakshmana said. “The role of the husband and the wife, of the parents and children.”

Oh dear i just know she will get upset

Rama nodded enthusiastically, extricating himself from me. The hurt was already forgotten. He was a god, but he was also just a boy, and I was determined to let him stay one.

“I do not understand. If your temple is still fully attended, receiving faithful worshippers and donations, how does it harm you if women in this city have some small say in their lives? I have seen no sign the gods themselves are displeased.”

have a marriage,” I told her. “A marriage in which I am loved and trusted. Without the help of the gods.”

Careful for they listen

“He will create a new empire of this world. He freed me from the prison that meddling goddess placed me into.”

Rama

The bond between Bharata and me shattered quietly. As the pieces fell around me in a dreadful rain, Bharata turned away from me and said to the court at large, “You are no mother of mine.”

The tears are torrential

“I suppose you are right,” I say. “In the end, I have always been concerned with mortal affairs. But the fact that they were mortal did not make them small. Nor did it make me wrong.