King Dasharath was restless, pacing in front of his principal queen, Kaushalya's chamber as she screamed in the pain that was caused by her labour. Sage Vashishta, calm and collected as ever, tried his best to calm the worried king down, but Dasharath refused to sit down, to rest until he saw his baby, and the queen's healthy face. He swallowed hard, and turned around to face the servant-maid who had walked out the door.

"Yes?" he asked anxiously, his hands clenched, and eyebrows furrowed. The woman opened her mouth wide, about to speak, and in that instant, the kind king felt a series of emotions course through him like cold water. Fright, making the hairs on the nape of his neck stand up as if electrified, hope, making his footing more stable, and joy, overwhelming joy making his tense shoulders finally relax, and an unfamiliar smile spread across his face. How had he come to this?

Flashback

The King of Ayodhya hoped this worked. He grasped the bowl of kheer tightly in his calloused hands, making sure it wouldn't shatter. Oh, if the bowl broke and if he lost the pudding, Dasharath wouldn't forgive himself! The queens wouldn't forgive him! His queens, none of the three of them, were able to bear him a child, and this dish was his saviour. The kingdom's saviour. He inhaled deeply. Stalling wouldn't work for long, now would it?

He pushed open the door quietly, and yet all three of his queen's heads bobbed up, faces alight with curiosity. Gulping, he studied them with a weird sense of finality. Kaushalya, the chief queen, the oldest among them. She radiated elegance and quiet strength, a few stray silvery hairs the only evidence of her age. Yet, she was not prideful, and was most welcoming of her companions. Next was Kaikeyi, his favorite. Beautiful and youthful, she almost held a warrior's stance at the moment. It was due to her quick actions in the battlefield that he was alive today. Thankfully, she had charioted away from the area and gotten him medical help for the arrow by which he was struck. Her eyes shine with mysterious strength.

And lastly, Sumitra. The 3rd queen, nothing more. However, she could easily be considered the most motherly. Kind, gentle, sweet. And yet firm when she had to be. She was encouraging, emotional, and chirpy, and was possibly what kept him sane during the straining moments when he realized that he might not have an heir. Never again, King Dasharath realized, and smiled hopefully.

"Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, Sumitra. The gods themselves have provided me with this magic kheer that will grant you a child." A sudden giddiness filled the air, and Sumitra even squealed, clasping her hands together. Dasharath turned towards the excited queen.

"Here, Sumitra, you distribute it." She beamed. Vashishta had strolled into the room, and seemed a bit amused at his decision, although Dasharath couldn't exactly pinpoint why.

"Didi," she scooped half of the pudding into Kaushalya's bowl, and half of it into Kaikeyi's, leaving not even a tiny portion for herself. Dasharath opened his mouth to say something, but Guru Vashishta stopped him.

"Stop king, see what happens. Your youngest queen is kind, but your older ones aren't ignorant." Kaushalya and Kaikeyi, glancing at each other, each fed an astounded Sumitra a small portion from their bowls. Dasharath was joyful at this act of kindness.

"Sumitra's children will be dedicated towards his brothers, due to your queens' generosity. Ayodhya will have courageous and just princes as they would be raised by you!"

Present

"A son, your majesty-" Dasharath didn't wait any longer, and bound into the chamber, where Kaushalya, forehead beaded with sweat, lay asleep, or unconscious, and a nursemaid handed him his firstborn, the crown prince, apple of his eye. The boy had dusky brown skin, large, lotus shaped eyes, perfect nose, and tiny smile. The sun shone brightly through the windows, and rays fell upon his body. He didn't cry, only smile tilting his head from person to person, studying them closely. The boy, although an infant, not just that, a newborn, radiated holiness, auspiciousness, and Vashishta, upon glancing at him, knew that he was godly. Not just so, this prince was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself.

"He-he, feels different! Holy! He's perfect. I will name him....Ram!" Dasharath twirled the baby boy around in his arms, and laughed so happily that even Kaushalya smiled in her sleep.

"Distribute food, clothes, money from the royal treasury! Let the kingdom know that the son of King Dasharath has been born! Let the whole of Ayodhya know that Prince Ram, has been born!" The following few days were filled with celebratory parties, as the people loved their king, and his happiness and joy was theirs equally. Dasharath was generous and just, and Kosala was a prosperous kingdom under him.

Two months later, Kaikeyi and Sumitra played with baby Ram as Kaushalya held him with pride.

"Didi, he is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Ram is just one of a kind!" Kaikeyi murmured, cradling the boy slowly as he tinkered with her necklace. Sumitra nodded.

"I've never seen a child so serene before, didi. He replicates your elegance, at such a young age." Kaushalya's laughter, however, quickly disappeared when suddenly, Kaikeyi screamed in discomfort.

"Call the nursemaids! The second son is about to be born!" shrieked Sumitra, slowly lifting her elder sister up, and looking around frantically. Dasharath, as well as multiple dasis rushed in, and in no time, Kaikeyi was in labour. However, hers was much different from Ram's. While his was causing discomfort, slight pain to Kaushalya, Kaikeyi felt none. Zero. Calmness filled her body, but she, not paying attention to the abnormalities, continued to focus.

"This child, hopefully he's there. I would be severely angry if all this absence of pain was caused by an absence of child." Sumitra whispered, and even Kaikeyi tittered. Not a minute later was another son born. This one, while the first was beautiful, was even better looking. He had skin as white as milk, puffy cheeks, and slightly lighter hair that curled around his head, creating an uncanny resemblance towards King Dasharath. He, however, cried loud and clear, waving his arms and turning around anxiously.

"He shall be named Bharat. Let the festivities begin again, for Queen Kaikeyi's son has been born! Grain and sweets should be sent out! Prince Bharat!" Dasharath held up the baby, and Kaikeyi, not even exhausted, grinned, and reached for her infant, playing with him slowly. Kaushalya and still-pregnant Sumitra also walked forward, nodding towards the king before covering the new boy with compliments ("His fingers are soooo tiny, didi-such peacefulness!") and hugs. Sumitra absentmindedly ran a hand over her stomach.

"Sumitra, how have your boys still not been born, it's been ten months now!" exclaimed Kaikeyi, having put Bharat in the cradle. Sumitra sighed.

"I don't know. I'm telling you, one of them is going to be strong tempered, I'm getting kicks, painful ones. Oh, here's one now! Ouch!" She grasped her tummy, before her eyes widened. Kaushalya, knowing exactly what was happening, immediately called for the king, sage and maids. Sumitra's labour, however amazingly comfortable her sisters' were, was painful. Very, very painful. She screamed, writhed, cried, begged, and even cursed, while Kaushalya and Kaikeyi whispered encouraging words. Vashishta shook his head.

"Poor Sumitra. Always Sumitra who has to go through the pain, my putri," Thunder rumbled closebye, and dark clouds passed overhead. This ominous weather welcomed the third child of King Dasharath. This one came out looking, angry. His dark, almost black, eyes were narrowed, his lips thin. His skin was a light mocha color, his hair a chestnut brown. Fists clenched, and he wailed so shrilly that everybody jumped. The thunder soon rolled back, and Sumitra's pain decreased tenfold after Lakshman had been born.

"Lakshman, his name will be. It appears that he doesn't particularly like storms. '' Vashishta stated, to the amusement of everyone. Incarnation of Sheshnag, his eyes spoke for that. This child had to be born to protect Lord Vishnu's incarnation, Ram. Dasharath couldn't be there to name the child, but if all went as planned...Another boy popped out. Lakshman's twin brother. He, unlike the former, gurgled and laughed, and waved his fists, light amber eyes filled with mischief. He looked exactly like his twin, just more cuddly. At that very moment, Dasharath came rushing through the door, breathing heavily.

"Enemies, defeated!" He gasped, speaking about the war Ayodhya was at. He then stared at his fourth born. "Shatrughan! Defeater of Enemies! Riches, wealth be sent out to the kingdom! My youngest two have arrived!" Dasharath danced, shook everyone's hand, waved to Kaushalya and Kaikeyi, and was whisked out the room by his angered treasurer, who wondered how much wealth, exactly, had to be removed. Sumitra was still unconscious, but the medics stated that she would be fine.

And so, the four fine sons of Ayodhya, Ram, Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan were born.

Meaning of Title

Only because Sumitra (at least in my story) distributed the kheer, or sweet pudding, into certain portions were there four sons. If you are familiar with Ramayan, you know that having four sons in total is crucial to the epic. Ram is, of course, Lord Vishnu, the hero, defeater of Ravan, Tataka, and many other demons. Bharat is the reason that Ram was banished from Ayodhya, but also was devoted to his brothers. Without Bharat, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy the Ramayan epic today. Lakshman is the incarnation of Sheshnag, and because he defeated Indrajit, stayed guard in the forest, and overall ensured the couple's comfort were they able to survive. And Shatrughan was the reason that Ayodhya, or Kosala didn't collapse. Bharat didn't stay in the kingdom as king, so Shatrughan had to rule instead. He was the reason that Ram was able to return to a palace instead of a ruined empire. Each of the four brothers played a major role in the story. Thanks to the portions of kheer, Ramayan isn't completely different from what we know today.