"Sitey.... Sitey..... Sitey...." Shri Ram kept muttering her name even while asleep.

Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead just like tears rolled down his cheek, escaping from his closed eyes. His brow was knitted together and he stirred uncomfortably in his slumber.

"Sitey.... Sitey...." He muttered moving his hands on the ground, as if trying to reach for her but failing.

"SITEY !" He woke up with jolt, panting heavily.

"Bhaiya !" Lakshman took sat straight up and hugged him. Shri Ram broke down into tears.

Sleep had deserted him completely, and the times where would sleep the yearning and grief for Devi Sita wouldn't let him have peace even in slumber.

Suddenly he broke the hug and ran outside the caves they were staying in.

"Bhaiya !" Lakshman too stood up and went behind him.

"Theheriye Lakshman. Unhe jaane de." Hanuman said coming towards him with few fruits and berries that he had brought for them.

"Kintu woh atyant dukhi hai." Lakshman said.

"Akele rahenge kuch der toh man shaant ho jayega." Hanuman said, he was well aware of suffering of Shri Ram.

He handed the fruits and berries to Lakshman, who sighed looking at the sky. The clouds had cleared and the onset of autumn was evident.

"Sharad hritu ka aagman ho chuka hai. Aasha karta hu ki Sugreev apna vachan bhule nahi hai." Lakshman said.

Hanuman's face remained expressionless, little did the brothers know that Sugreev was losing the track of time by revelling in luxuries, staying in the state of drunkeness, surrounded by women who happily served him.

"Aap chinta na kare." Hanuman said and took his leave.

While Shri Ram was roaming the forest, as the rains had stopped recently, the nature was blooming to its fullest. But the beautiful sights pained his heart even more. For everything was reminding him of his wife, who wasn't with him at the moment.

He kept walking and walking, losing the track of how far he had come. But suddenly echoing voice of a woman fell on his ears.

"Om Namo Narayanaye."

Shri Ram frowned, who was this woman chanting the name of Narayan in such a dense forest. But for some reason he couldn't ignore the chants and felt as if he was being pulled to the direction from where the chant was coming from.

He went towards that direction, and after walking for a while he came across an ashram, where a Mahateja Tapasvini was chanting the names of Hari.

And the moment his feet stepped inside the ashram her eyes opened. She looked at him with a serene smile.

"Prabhu aap aa hi gaye apni Vaishnavi ke paas." She said, immense joy evident in her voice.

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A/N

Tune mujhe bulaya sherawaliye !
Mai aya Mai aya sherawaliye !
O Sherawaliye ! O Jyotawaliye ! Pahadawaliye !

So the story of Vaishnodevi Mata is not in Valmiki Ramayan, but in her own story she is contemporary of Shri Ram and does meet her.

And since Matarani is such an important part of our tirth culture and HHS, I had to show her 🙏

Bolo Jai Maa Vaishnodevi 🙏🙏