“I am asking for those two boons, O King! Do not break your promise to me!” said Kaikeyi. Unaware of the terrible tragedy that was to come, Dasharatha promised. “I want Bharata to be named as your successor. And I wish Rama to be sent into exile in the forest for fourteen years,” demanded Kaikeyi. Dasharatha stood stunned and silent for a while, looking at Kaikeyi as if he were face to face with a stranger. He sat down suddenly on the floor as if his legs had turned into jelly, shocked at Kaikeyi’s demands. “Bharata can have the kingdom. But don’t send my Rama into the forest! You know I cannot live without him!” pleaded the King in despair. But the hard-hearted Kaikeyi was adamant. She felt that even if Bharata became King, he would be unsafe if Rama stayed in Ayodhya. Dasharatha’s pleas fell on deaf ears.
The Two Boons
