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This site contains Randy Hoyt's writings for the Epics of India online course. Randy completed this work during spring and fall 2005.

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Story Retelling: Breaking the News to Ravana

As Ravana held Sita in his twenty arms for the first time, he was amazed by her beauty: not just that she looked beautiful, but that she felt and smelled beautiful. He had longed for this moment since he had first seen her in the image painted by his sister Surpanakha: now it was finally here. And he knew she wanted to be here; otherwise, his ten heads would have exploded because of Nalakubara’s curse.

“This is just what I have always longed for,” Sita said to Ravana. “I am so happy that your son has killed Rama, my former husband, so that I could be free to be with you. If only I had met you first, then we would not have had to wait so long. But at last the wait is over. What a joyous day for me: praise Indrajit!”

He delighted in hearing her say these things. He began to undress her, and he became more and more intoxicated with her beauty and with passion. He held her small body with his ten left hands and caressed her body with his ten right hands. She closed her eyes and sighed softly at his touch. “No human could ever satisfy me this way,” she uttered breathlessly.

She embraced him, pressing her naked body against his. The warmth from this woman flooded over his body with an intensity that he had never felt with any other woman, demon or human or otherwise, and he nearly passed out from the sensation. She gently kissed his neck, and then his cheek, and then his lips. His head was spinning in absolute bliss.

Suddenly the door to the bedchamber flew open. “Your majesty, Rama is —” started Suka, Ravana’s general, bursting into the room. When he saw the couple together, he stood paralyzed: he looked terrified for his life and in awe of Sita’s beauty at the same time.

Sita reached for a blanket from the bed to cover herself, and Ravana angrily ordered Suka to leave. “This can wait!”

“But, er, your majesty,” stammered Suka, looking down at the floor, “I’m afraid it cannot wait. Rama is alive again.”

Ravana yelled at him again: “I said this can wait! I will seek you out when I want to hear what you have to say.”

Suka quickly left the room and shut the door behind him. Ravana turned back to Sita and uncovered her: he pressed her body close to him again.

“Ravana, we must not do this—not now,” Sita told him. She pushed herself away from him.

But Ravana could not think clearly. He pulled her back to him and started to kiss her. She resisted, but he was too strong for her. She implored him again to stop, but he ignored her. She cried out for help, but no one could hear her; even if they could, no one would have interfered. With all her strength, she cried out, “RAMA IS STILL ALIVE!”

Suddenly, Ravana heard and felt a loud explosion: he knew immediately that Nalakubara’s curse had come upon him at last.

* * * * *

“Rama is still alive,” Suka’s voice said. “Your majesty, wake up.”

Ravana came to his senses and found himself lying in his bed, drenched with sweat. He had been dreaming. He took a few moments to collect his thoughts and looked around the room. His general was there, as were a number of sentries.

“Sentries from the wall have seen Rama walking in the enemy’s camp,” said Suka. “Rama is still alive.”

“I must see my son, the master of deception and illusion.” He rose from his bed and dressed himself. He left his bedchamber and headed straight towards Indrajit’s invisible grove.