"Ramey, suryodaye ho gaya hai putri." Shri Ram shook her a little.

Rameshwari opened her eyes, and looked at her father. A frown appeared on her face seeing his gloomy expression.

"Kya huya Pitashree ?" She asked sitting up.

"Shigreh, taiyaar ho jaao putri. Tumhari Sitey Maa ashram hetu prasthaan kar rahi hai. Unhe vida karo." He said ignoring her question.

"Jaisi aapki aagya." She said as he stood up and walked out, without saying anything.

She stared at him with a confused expression as he left.

----

Shri Ram looked at Devi Sita, who came towards him with a smile on her face. But seeing a frown on his face, she got worried.

"Nath, sab thik toh hai ? Aap itne dukhi kyu hai ?" She asked.

He forced a small smile on his face, as he kept his hand over her womb, if one looks closely they can tell that it had started to protude due to the pregnancy.

"Punah virah ki ghadi aa gayi hai Sitey." He said.

"Nath, keval kuch dino ki hi toh baat hai. Mai van mei vichran kar, aur Rishiyo ko naman kar aa jayungi. Tab tak aap akele Raj-bhavan ka sukh bhog lijiye." She said with such innocence that broke him inside even more.

"Tum toh jaanti ho Sitey, tumhare bina toh mujhe swarg bhi nahi chahiye." He said trying not to choke on tears.

"Ha ha jaanti hu. Sahastro baar aap yeh keh chuke hai. Aur mujhe iss baat par purn vishwas bhi hai." Devi Sita said with a smile.

Suddenly the familiar sound of jingling anklets fell on their ears, causing her smile to widen.

"Shiromani !" She said.

"Sitey Maa !" Rameshwari ran towards her, and touching her feet.

"Kalyanamastu." Devi Sita smiled blessing.

Seeing his two beloved ladies, his wife and daughter, interacting with much innocent and love, the small smile from Shri Ram's face vanished, as the realisation that not only him but Rameshwari too was going to bear this pain of separation from Devi Sita.

"Sitey, vilambh ho raha hai." He said abruptly.

"Lagta hai aapko mujhe bhejne ki shigrata hai." She said in jest to lighten the mood.

"Nahi Sitey ! Mai toh chahta hu ki tum jeevan bhar mere netro ke samaksh raho. Kintu jeevan mei woh kaha hota hai jo hum chahte hai ?" He said.

"Nath, mai toh upahaas kar rahi thi. Mai jaanti hu, ki aap mujhse atyant prem karte hai aur mere Bina jeene ki soch bhi nahi sakte." She said.

"Aisa hi vishwas mujh par banaye rakhna Sitey." He said holding her hands.

"Aapko kehne ki awashyakta nahi hai, Nath. Aapke man mei kya hai, mai jaanti hu." She smiled.

And saying so, he let's go of her hand as she walks down the stairs to leave. Shri Ram wanted her to stay for one more moment, so he can gaze at her a little long but she has to go for her own good and for the good of the people.

She mounted on the Rath, standing beside Lakshman whose face carried a gloomy expression, even Arya-sumant who was sitting as the charioteer looked sad.

Devi Sita glanced one last time behind giving a small smile to both Rameshwari and Shri Ram, before turning her gaze ahead.

"Prasthaan kare Arya-sumant." Lakshman said in a low voice.

"Jaisi aapki aagya." He said.

And so the Rath left the premises of the palace. Seeing it leave his vision, Shri Ram sighed as he turned back on his feet and left.

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A/N

You know I think at the end of the day we all should keep in mind that they were Lakshmi Narayan, even though they were born as humans, they knew what their leela was.