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186
JAIN RAMAYAN
flashed before her and disappeared. She left her chamber and went to Shri Ram's chamber. He too had not been able to get sleep that night.
"Narad told us that mother Aparajita and mother Sumitra never wear fine dress; never meet anyone and that they are always grief-stricken; and that they keep weeping over the misfortune that has befallen them. They must be experiencing inordinate grief!" Sita's tender heart seemed to break on account of grief. She too wept like a helpless child.
"Narad said the same thing about mother Kaikayi also. Kaikayi has great affection for us. She never thought that Bharath would refuse the kingship and that for that reason, we would go to the forests. If she had even an inkling of those consequences, she would not have asked for the throne of Ayodhya. Well! What is the use of thinking of those things now? Those things now have become the painful dreams of the past. We are going to meet them tomorrow." Shri Ram looked towards Sita. His face was filled with great joy on account of the anticipation of going to Ayodhya. He said in a soft voice.
"Dear Queen! Our four mothers, Bharath and Shatrughna will be awake now in the expectation of meeting us. They too will be joyously anticipating our arrival. They too will be dreaming the sweet dreams of meeting us again."
They would also be eager to know all about
"And yes! our life in forests."
"More than this they will be eager to meet us." "Really?"
"Am I not right ?"
"You are indeed right. You are always right!"
"Since Vibhishan sent the architects and sculptors to decorate Ayodhya and since Narad would have informed our people at Ayodhya of our arrival at Ayodhya, the whole city of Ayodhya would be talking of nothing except the news of our arriving at Ayodhya. Even common people will be talking of only this!"
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