It's always said that the whole life unfolds before your eyes in a glimpse when you are about to die but no one knows the order that follows. Ravana's eyelashes batted,felt heavy and began to close as his mind raced back to the events in the past.
The young vanara was standing before him singing praises of Rama and advising him to return Sita. He added that if he fell on Rama's feet asking for his forgiveness his kingdom would be spared too. Ravana tried hard to remember the name of the young monkey man but his mind had started the evacuation process already! He just remembered that the youth resembled Vaali who was once his well-wisher.That's when he thought Vaali's son was a fool to join hands with someone who murdered his own father who was a great warrior and a wonderful ruler. For a moment he felt proud of his sons who stood by him at all times but what he forgot was the possibility that it didn't always take a son to betray, it could be a sibling just like Sugreeva!
Ravana groaned, there was a jackal biting his feet but he couldn't move even a toe to show resistance. He remembered the day Soorpnakha entered his court with a bleeding nose and chopped ears. He was very happy and sad at the same time when he heard her story. That's the moment he got to know the whereabouts of his abandoned daughter after a very long time. He had stopped his spies to bring any report about the princess of Mithila after he heard she was married off to a decent prince. But it pained a lot to know she was living in the thick forest and he was furious about Rama who was the reason behind it. He looked at his sister and smiled inside " You got the lesson of your life for going after men and now it's my duty as a father to bring my daughter back and save her from misery." He couldn't tell anyone about it ,so he just flew in his metal bird with Maricha to bring his daughter,princess of Lanka back home!
Ravana moved his eye lids and looked around. All the great men of his dynasty were lying in the pool of blood. His ministers,generals,admirals,sons and soldiers of the soil. He wept for what he brought down upon them. His well-kept secret from the world had torn him apart from his people and kingdom. All he wanted to do was teach a lesson to Rama who made his daughter suffer in the middle of wilderness. And when Rama declared a war against him not knowing his intentions, he felt too proud to go back to him with his reasons. He felt it would look like an attempt to escape behind the shield of cowardice. He was filled with his nasty ego till the brim of his soul. He always wanted to be a hero. His ego had lead him too far from where he couldn't return.
Just before his eyes closed completely he saw a blurr silhouette of a man with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. He walked slowly towards Ravana and kept a hand on his head and that's when Ravana knew it was Rama. He had one last wish and he wanted Rama to fulfill that." Rama, please don't listen to the stories floating around. Sita is my abandoned daughter when she was only a few months old,as my astrologers told me she would bring destruction to the entire Asura empire. I didn't kidnap your wife but I only brought a daughter home. It was a secret that I never told anyone before or after I brought her back as I feared my people might not let her see the light of the day once the truth was out."
But nothing came out of his mouth, he choked on his own words as they struggled to escape his throat and made only sounds that no one could make sense of. He brought his palms together to beg him to forgive him for what he had done in a state of righteousness. He wanted to tell him that he was so wrong to separate a wife from her husband even if the lady was his daughter and how blinded he was to see her side of the story. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he struggled to thank him for making him realize his mistakes,not only the one with his daughter but also for having wrong people around. His hands fell to his sides and his chest heaved for the last time before falling into a state of coma never to return.
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A pyre was set and the body was placed on it. Mandodari was standing by the window of her room, expressionless. Ravana looked up to see Mandodari, he was getting ready to ride pillion with Yama on his bison. Yama gauged the situation and gave him a few minutes before he spoke.
" Hey Ravana, the mighty ruler of Lanka. Your lady needs you. Your entire royal family and those who knew the secret have already joined me long back. She would take it to her grave unless you tell her to part with it. Would you like me to let you go back,perhaps?" . Ravana was now above all the miseries of the world and he said with a surprisingly pleasant tone " Hey Yama, God of Death,do not underestimate my queen. She's capable of taking it from here alone and as far as my daughter is concerned I have let her down and never once fulfilled my duties towards her. I wronged her when I took her away from Rama thinking I was right in doing so. This is my chance to correct what I did. Rama will rejoice over his victory and his name will be etched in the history of India. Don't forget the people of India need a king like him. This is my gift to my daughter." Yama smiled and took off with Ravana just before his pyre was ignited.
Ravana thought to himself " Rama, I won so many battles adding feathers to my crown day after day but never once was this famous. But time time, I lost my battle to you and you made me known to the world and I'm grateful to you. I'm Ravana and I live forever in the minds of people as long as you promise to come back everytime to lead me to salvation. Jai Shri Ram."
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