A servant of Kaikeyi's came to her and notified her that the King was about to arrive. She thanked the servant and dismissed her, then began preparing herself for the King. Kaikeyi put on her saddest face and tried to appear as upset and possible. However distraught she might appear, it was only a front. On the inside, Kaikeyi was cool, calm, and collected. The King was already caught in her trap, he just didn't know it.
The King arrived in the Kopa Gruha and looked upon his wife. He wondered what could have upset her this much, and tried to comfort her. The King's mind had been slipping for some time now, and he was unable to sense the treachery lurking in Kaikeyi. As the King tried to comfort her, he fell deeper into her trap. After a few minutes of this, the King began to feel personally guilty for the emotional state of his wife. Kaikeyi noticed this and jumped on the opportunity. She asked the King if he remembered the promise he made all those years ago, after Kaikeyi had saved him. The King recalled him promise to grant to wishes to Kaikeyi, and was eager to grant them in order to appease his distraught wife.
Kaikeyi in the Kopa Gruha, Wikipedia
The King's wife sensed this eagerness in her husband, and spoke her two wishes to the King while sobbing. Upon hearing the wishes of his wife, the King realized there was nothing he could do. He refused to break his word, and told Kaikeyi that her wishes would be granted. The King also called her out for being deceitful and treacherous, but Kaikeyi felt no guilt upon hearing them. She continued with her sobbing facade, but behind this face she was smiling from ear to ear.
Author's note: This story was inspired by Narayan's The Ramayana. I wanted to illustrate Kaikeyi's plot as a premeditated attempt to usurp the throne from Rama. She wishes the throne for herself, but she knows that this can never happen. Instead, she aims to put her son on the throne and rule vicariously through Bharatha.
Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana
I loved how you mentioned the King falling deeper and deeper into Kaikeyi's trap. Some people are so good at putting up a facade and making it look absolutely real. It also really sucks when you make a promise to someone and have no choice but to keep true to it because you don't want to not keep your word. I feel terrible for the King and the situation that he was in. He knew that Kaikeyi had saved him and he had no choice but to repay her with whatever she wanted. I think you re-told this story very well! Good job!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you focused on the premeditative side of Kaikeyi's trap. That just makes her plot to de-throne the king that much worse. Your story flowed really well and was really easy to read and understand. Your vocabulary was also really good throughout the story. I think you did a really good job painting a clear image of the story in the readers mind. Keep up the good work!
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