The king was lamenting in his sleep again. The tear stains had dried and the king did not have any more tears to shed. The grief had constricted in his heart. The grief of losing a son. Kaushalya and Sumitra rushed into the chambers followed by Urmila. The king had a faraway look on his face "My time has come. He is coming here." Kaushalya held his hand "What are you talking about, My King. There is no one here. It is only us - Kaushalya, Sumitra and Urmila." Dashrath's eyes went wide with fear "No no.. He is here.. To take me.. My doings have brought me to this predicament... What I have sown is what I am reaping." The queens nor Urmila coulnd't understand what the old king was saying. They feared that the king was going mad. His face went ashen and his lips ghosted a small smile. The last words that they heard from the king were "Ram.." And those eyes closed, to never open again. The older queen fell to the floor lamenting over her second loss for the day.. First it was her son and now it was her husband who she dearly loved. Urmila was at her side in an instant cradling her in her arms, trying to to give her solace. The younger queen stood still in her place, not moving an inch. She took a look at the older queen and walked out of the chambers. All this while, the middle queen's chambers were a complete opposite. She was completely oblivious to the happenings around the royal palace, being in her own webbed world. She was with Manthra discussing about the arrangements to be made for the crown king to be made. Manthra was a man woman barking orders to the maids around. One of the maids announced the arrival of Queen Sumitra into the chambers. In walked the youngest queen with no emotions on her face. She was followed by two maids who carried finery and jewels with them in large platters. Queen Sumitra looked at the middle queen with an expressionless face "Hail Queen Kaikeyi.. The Royal Queen on the palace.. Maids.. Lay the platters on the table and leave." The middle queen looked confused at her actions.. Why wouldn't she ?? Her son had chosed to go into exile along with his older brother.. Wasn 't she supposed to mourn over her son !! Why was she here in the chambers with all these royal finery.. Queen Kaikeyi questioned "What is all this Sumitra ?" The young queen looked at her "Is this less ?? Should I cal for more jewels ? Afterall this is the Royal Queen we are talking about." Manthra interrupted to Queen Kaikeyi "Look at her Kaikeyi.. She has the audacity to belittle you." The young queen walked towards ther old lady and gave her a slap across her face "Watch your tone, Manthra !! Mind you that you are just a hand maid who happen to travel with the queen to Ayodhya while I happen to be a queen. I do not appreciate you speaking inbetween." Queen Kaikeyi argued back "Watch your words Sumitra.. Manthra is like a mother to me. You cannot speak to her like that." Queen Sumitra gave a mirthless laugh directed to the older queen "What kind of a motherly figure is a woman who cannot even show the queen she raised like a daughter the difference between right and wrong !! What kind of a motherly figure is a woman who poisons the queen she raised like a daughter's mind against the son she trated so dearly !! What kind of a motherly figure is a woman who has become the cause of the death of the husband of the queen she so dearly raised as a daughter !!!" The last words were aced with a furious anger directed towards both the queen and Manthra.. Kaikeyi stepped back a few steps and held the wooden table for support.. What did she just hear !! Dealth of her husband ?? No.. That cannot be true.. Sumitra was just venting out her anger.. The kind couldn't be dead. She shot an accusatory glare at Sumitra with a finger raised "Do not ever play such jokes on me Sumitra... And definitely not about the king's health.. The king is just being hard.. He will come around in sometime.." Sumitra did not laugh this time.. Her eyes directed anger and fury.. At that moment, she truly looked like the mother of Lakshmana. For her anger was no less that an erupting volcano "Enough Queen Kaikeyi !!! Do you take me to be a fool to be spreading such jokes !!!! It is you and only you that is entirely responsible for all the chaos happening right now in the palace.. You seperated a son from his ailing father, a wife from her husband and a sister from a sister.. Just for your own selfishness." Queen Kaiykeyi defended herself "I did it for my son and his welfare !!!" Sumitra bellowed "Let us see Queen Kaikeyi !! The very son who you did this for will never accept that predicament levied upon him !!!! He whose love for Ram is greater thatn anything shall never accept the crown.. Even then I have broght you the royal jewels to adorn yourself with !! Celebrate your victory, Queen Kaikeyi. You have managed to make us widows." With that, the younger queen walked out of the middle queen's chambers leaving her to think over what had just happened.

Back in the king's chambers, the older queen was still lamenting over the king. She had known the king the mose out of the three kings. He was very dear to her and she couldn't take that he had passed into the afterlife leaving her alone in the world. She lamented "Let me go Urmila.. I want to join my husband.. Let me join him in his pyre.. My King !!! Let me go Urmila.. Please.. I beg you.. Let me go along with him.. He would be so alone there.. I shall follow him in his funeral pyre.." She was fidgeting in Urmila's arms.. Urmila was trying to control the older queen from doing anything drastic. Her own tears were threatening to fall.. What was supposed to be a day of joy had turned into a day of doom in a matter of seconds.. She was trying to pacify Kausalya "No Mother !! Please, you cannot do that.. I cannot let you do this Mother.. What will I answer Brother Ram when he comes back and asks me about you !! How will I fave him Mother ? How will I face Sita when she asks me if I had looked after you.. Please Mother.. Please don't do this.." The queen stopped fidgeting in her arms and turned to look at her "Ram... Sita.." And she fainted in Urmila's arms.. Sumitra had just entered the chambers and ran towards Kausalya. She patted her cheeks and sprinkled some water to bring the old queen back to consciousness. She sent for one of the guards for the royal Chiefl Minister, Sumantra.. He came rushing on on hearing about his beloevd king.. Sumitra ordered to him "Sumantra.. Send the fastest messenger to Kekaya to summon Bharat and Shatrughan back.. Quickly.." Sumantra bowed down and rushed out to execute the order. The old queen came back to her senses. Sumitra had a palm to her cheek "Sister.. Sister.." The old queen look worn out and lost. Her eyes looked dull and there was not twinkle that shone in them.. They heard footsteps from behind... They turned around to see Kaikeyi walk in, her steps calculative and slow. SHe hadn't believed Sumitra's words about the king's death but looking at him lay lifeless on the king-size bed made her heart clench. She rushed towards the bed and caught hold of his hand "My King.. Is this some kind of a childish game you are playing with me !! I know you are angry with me but is this how you treat your dear Kaikeyi ?? Is this how you trouble your beloved Kaikeyi ?? Wake up my King... Enough of all these games.. You cannot see tears in my eyes.. But now these tears in my eyes don't seem to stop at all.. Please My King.. Wake up and look at your beloved wife." She felt her hands being pulled away forcefully from the king's hand.. There stood Sumitra, her eyes filled with fury.. At that moment, Urmila truly believed that she was her husband's mother.. She had never seen her mother-in-law's anger but she now knew where her husband got his anger from. She gulped. Sumitra screamed "Enough Queen Kaikeyi !! You had said and done enough !!! Why have you come here !! To laugh at our fates !!!" Queen Kaikey defended herself "The king happens to be my husband.. As his wife, I have all the rights to see him !!" Sumitra cut her off in the middle "No Queen Kaikeyi.. You do not have the right whatsoever.. The king had disowned you.. You have no right whatsoever to meet him.. I would appreciate it if you leave this chamber and let our drown in our misery.. The messenger has been dispatched to Kekeya... Bharat and Shatrughan must becoming.. Leave Queen Kaikeyi !!" The middle queen left the chambers with a tearful face, ponderung over her actions and thinking if she had done the right thing. But wen you have someone like Manthra with you, things are bound to happen.. The middle queen questioned her own actions infront of the large mirror in her chambers. She voiced out her thoughts loud to the scheming Manthra who had at one rubbised her fears by saying that Sumitra was just lamenting over the loss of her son and her jealousy that Bharat would get to be king and not Ram. The middle queen's mind was again poisoned by Manthra and she straightened herself up by asking the maids to continue with the decorations for Bharat's coronation.

The king's corpse was laid down and dipped in oil so that it would be preserved until Bharat and Shatrughan returned ack to Ayodhya with their wives. Kausalya and Sumitra were in the royal hall dressed in white - a widow's color. Their heards were empty of vermillion and so were their hands empty of bangles. Urmila stood as a support to both the queens.. She acted strong so as to provide moral support to both the queens... She pondered over the previous days. What had happened in a matter of minutes.. The entire city was mourning the death of their king. QWueen Kaikeyi did not appear in the hall. She was in her chambers dressed in white and mourning over the king. But Manthra had worked the queen's mind into action and now she was looking into ther palace decorations along with Manthra.. Urmila though of Lakshman and what he would be doing... On the other side, it was deep forest. Ram, Lakshman and Sita had travelled to the banks of ther River Tamsa. They had left in the middle of the night so as to not have the people follow them and now continued their exile through the lush jungles of Kosala towards the south of the place. Lakshman though of his dear wife in Ayodhya.. He knew his Mila was strong and she would remain his strength and his power of determination throughout these fourteen years.. A serene smile spread across his face as he sat picking at the straws he was tying to prepare a hut for their stay. Ram had brought firewood and Sita was setting up the fire to prepare food for them to eat. Ram had gotten roots and few edible vegetables and fruits for them to eat. Lakshman had almost finished the hut and stood proudly infront of it. He called out "Brother Ram !! Sister Sita !! Look at this.." Sita had a full smile on her face as she looked at the beautiful little hut he had built for them to stay. Ram smiled at his younger brother and entered inside with Sita. Lakshman stayed out. Ram and Sita came out. Sita went towards Lakshman "Lakshman. Its is so beautiful.. I feel at home.. Thankyou Lakshman." Lakshman looked at her feet "No No Sister Sita.. This is my duty to make you feel as comfortable as I can during this fourteen exile.. Please don't thank me.." Sita smiled and kept her hand on top of his head "When I have you and Ram with me, what else do I need " Lakshman folded his hands and smiled at her feet. At Kekaya, Bharat and Shatrughan were getting ready to return back to Ayodhya.. Bharat had a uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach and voiced it out to hid younger brother.. Shatrughan had replied that he too felt that something was not right back at Ayodhya. WIth blessings from Bharat's maternal uncles, Bharat and Shatrughan left for Ayodhya along with their wives. THey did not know what awaited them at Ayodhya..