The Sitayana- Siya Ke Ram- Episode 8

RECAP: Sita and her sisters marry Ram and his brothers. Sita bids farewell to her family.

Ram expresses his desire to meet Shanta, his sister to Sita. They reach Shantas hut in the forest. Shanta welcomes the couples and does tilak to them. She congratulates her brothers, but refuses to come to Ayodhya with them. She send them off with her blessings.

Ram and Sita along with the other couples reach Ayodhya. Grand welcome ceremony has been arranged. The Praja of Ayodhya are rejoicing at the entry of their beloved princes and their wives. Raja Dashrath, Queen Kausalya, mother of Ram, Queen Sumatra and Queen Kaikeyi wait eagerly for them. They do the aarti and tilak of all the couples. Sita and her sisters enter the palace.

Raja Dashrath falls ill. Ram sits beside him and takes care of him while Sita prepares an Ayurvedic medicine. Later, Dashrath tells Sita about the death of Shravan Kumara. Dashrath accidentally killed him while hunting, and was cursed by his parents to suffer the same fate of losing his beloved son. Sita confides in Ram about this issue. Ram comforts Dashrath and says he will never leave him.

Raja Dashrath decides to crown Ram the King of Ayodhya. Guru Vashisht decides a date for Rams Rajya Abhishek. The first rituals are completed at night. Ram and Sita are required to sleep on the floor that night. Ram asks Sita if this arrangement is hurting her. She replies that her first priority is her Swami, then only other comforts. Ram gets happy and embraces her.

Meanwhile, Manthra, the chief maid of Queen Kaikeyi, is poisoning her mind about Ram. She says that once Ram becomes King, he will throw her out of the palace along with her son Bharat. Kaikeyi is shocked. Manthra continues, and says that Ram must not ascend the throne tomorrow, otherwise you will never have a happy life again. Kaikeyi formulates a plan to stop the ceremony.

The next morning, Ram and Sita dressed in traditional regal clothes and attire, go to the Raj Sabha. They sit on the throne and are waiting to be crowned, but Queen Kaikeyi is not to be seen. Raja Dashrath goes to find her, soon followed by Ram when both are missing for a long time. Sita’s heart detects that something bad is going to happen to her Swami.

Ram comes back, and says that he will not be crowned King, rather he will go for vanvaas to the forest. Sita is heartbroken as she thinks of the pain in her Swamis heart, which is being masked by a smile. Lakshman on the other hand explodes in naked fury, and proceeds to confront Queen Kaikeyi. Ram stops him, but lets him come with him to exile. Sita pleads with Ram to take her along with him, but he refuses and commands her as a husband to remain in Ayodhya when she persists. Shocked, Sita begins to cry and runs to her Kaksh.

Ram comes to her Kaksh and consoles her, but is unable to dissuade her. He relents and gives her permission to come with him. They sacrifice their regal clothes and don simple attires. They exit Ayodhya after taking the elders permission and blessings.

PRECAP: Exile life, thirteen years leap.