Ram stood in front of the bow, staring at it with respect. This weapon belonged to Lord Shiv, and thus, he held it in high regard. And then, he brought his hands together in prayer. The kings stared at him disbelievingly as he put all of his strength into praying. With another glance towards the veil, where, if he squinted, he could make out Sita's figure, he turned towards the bow.

It truly looked grand, large, beautiful, and was made of smooth wood, its engravings filled with gold and precious metals. It reminded him of the bow he had in Gurukul, the one that the two boys had broken. He winced when remembering it, remembering his outburst at poor Laksh, and Sita spotted that tiny, involuntary movement.

What if he thought it was too hard? What if he decided to just give up? What if he was staring at it, and decided it wasn't worth the humiliation that he would get if he couldn't lift it up? What if- but no. These thoughts, if they had travelled through his head, went in one ear and out the other, did not affect his goal, and he reached down, and slid his hands under the bow.

It was light as a feather! Ram could lift it with no trouble, and held it in the air in disbelief for a second as the other kings stared, jaws dropped. He didn't even look like he was trying, like it was hard to lift the bow. Lakshman did not gape. He knew that Ram would be able to lift it! Now for the easier part, the stringing of the bow.

As Ram set the bow down with a thud, the only reminder of how heavy it was for the regular mortals, Sita began to pray hard again. If he could string it, if he was able to win this competition, she was saved, she would marry the man of her choice, the man she had fallen in love with! Ram grabbed the string of the bow, and began to pull it up.

The court took an entire deep breath as he pulled the top of the bow and the string closer to each other. Heart rates went erratic, especially Sita's. There was only one tiny problem. The string was too small to reach up. Ram frowned for a second, and then began to bend the bow itself, and it moved to his will like a springy tree sapling, still flexible, not rigid like its older counterparts.

"How is he doing it?" Mandavi whispered to Urmila, staring at the bending bow wonderingly. "How did he lift it when even Ravan couldn't?" Urmila thought about it for a second, before answering wisely.

"He respected the bow, did not see it as an opponent. He prayed before he lifted it, as not to offend Lord Shiv. He is good, pure, and loves our Sita not for her beauty, but for her kind personality. It is like Mother said. Only the purest, noblest of them all will be able to lift the dhanush. Everyone else will fail. Only someone of the caliber of our Sita would even come close to stringing it."

Ram continued bending it, but the string wouldn't stretch anymore. He pulled it with one last, mighty tug, and the bow snapped. It splintered with a single protesting groan, little pieces flying everywhere, and there Ram stood, helpless, turning towards Raja Janak, who stood there, enveloped in shock, with an apologetic grimace.

"Er-I'm sorry!" Hanging his head, he went to sit back in his throne, but Janak, once recovering from the welcomed surprise, with the energy of a young toddler, bound forward and enveloped Ram in a joyful embrace, almost suffocating him before Vishwamitra observed out loud that Ram was turning purple most interestedly.

"Wait, does that mean I've won?" Ram wheezed, leaning on Lakshman for support. Janak laughed and nodded, and his eyes popped in surprise. Suddenly, the doors of the hall flew open, revealing the clashing thunder outside, and a rishi muni walked in, his eyes large and crazed, and gripping a bow tightly.

"Who did it?" he bellowed. "Who dared break the bow of Lord Shiva and ignite the inferno of my wrath? Which one of you puny mortals disrespected Lord Shiva himself in this horrendous way, come and face me, Parashuram!" Ram stepped forward.

"It is I, sir. I didn't mean to, honestly I didn't, it's just that I wasn't able to string it, and the bow snapped! I'm sorry!" Lord Parashuram didn't show any signs of calming down, only seemed more outraged, his lips curling into a snarl as he began to draw something. Lakshman's mind worked fast. Perhaps if he put himself in between, acted rude, then Lord Parashuram would direct his anger towards him, and would be appeased by Ram's calmness. And so, rashly, that's exactly what he did.

"Woah!" he cried, stepping in between just as it looked like the sage was about to strike his brother. The hall went silent as he stood between them, arms folded. "We said we were sorry, and we really are, mister! Ram bhaiyya didn't mean to." Parashuram narrowed his eyes even further, and Lakshman decided to push his luck.

"Besides, it's just a broken bow! Ram's broken plenty of bows in his childhood and you didn't show up, raging like an inferno or a tsunami or a cyclone when he did. What's so special about this one?" The hall went silent at his daring proclamation. Surprisingly, Parashuram didn't shoot him down right then and there, but his seething did seem to increase.

"Yeah we get it, you're angry because we broke your, I mean Lord Shiv's bow, blah, blah, yada, yada!" Urmila choked, and Sita had to thump her back. Ram turned more pale per second, but even his quiet insisting please didn't silence Lakshman. "Forgive him, alright? The contest was literally to string the bow, and it isn't our fault that the damn string was too short so that it broke!" Parashuram roared and sent a blasting wind.

Somehow, Lakshman kept his footing, and didn't even look flustered, simply raising an eyebrow cockily. Then, with a bit of swagger, he made the way for Ram to calm the outraged sage (hey that rhymed!) down.

"I accept any punishment of yours, sir, for disrespecting Lord Shiv so." Parashuram's anger seemed to be quenched, somewhat, and instead of ordering an immediate, and up until that time what seemed like an imminent death, he spoke.

"If you can string this bow of Lord Vishnu's, I will be convinced of your strength. Otherwise, face my wrath!" He thrust the divine bow forward, and Ram, hands trembling, took the weapon, and held it. Then, inhaling deeply, then exhaling, he reached down, grabbed the string of the bow, and lifted it up, successfully stringing it.

Abruptly, Ram's body began to shine,a s if it was complete. Lord Parashuram realized, in that very moment, that this was the incarnate of Lord Vishnu himself, and bowing his head slightly, he backed off a little bit.

"My apologies, I now believe in your prowess, sir. I wish you and your soon to be bride good wishes and good luck." Parashuram tapped his shoulder,and whispered in his ear. "And your brother, tell him, he has some daring, and a quick, sharp mind and I appreciate that. Maybe not be so sarcastic next time, though." Ram nodded laughing, and Parashuram went on his way.

The entire court was stunned into silence, and in the midst of it, Ram conveyed Parashuram's message to Lakshman, who laughed. Then, the victorious prince turned around towards the veil, and waved as if he hadn't just broken the bow of Lord Shiv, encountered a very angry and possibly lethal sage, and strung the bow of Lord Vishnu as well.

Sita giggled from behind the veil, blushing as Urmila nudged her."I told you so. I told you that he would show up! And now he's strung the bow of Lord Shiv as well. Come on, let's meet your official betrothed, shall we?" Sita nodded, and was pulled out of the veil by Urmila, followed dutifully by Mandavi and Shrutakirti to a laughing Ram and a smiling Lakshman.

Sita took a deep breath as she approached him, and Lakshman backed away from his brother, giving them some space. Ram turned around, and looked at her wonderingly, as if seeing her for the first time all over again. They got lost in each other's eyes once more, and without care, as if their days together were not timed. For they weren't anymore in their minds and hearts, they would be joined.

Urmila backed off and poked Lakshman in the arm. "Ouch, hey, what was that for?" he asked, frowning and rubbing his bicep angrily, but his smile returned again at seeing his brother's lovestruck state.

"You planned this, didn't you? You convinced your brother to attend, and you convinced him to compete, and you pushed him into trying to string the bow, you're the reason that Sita is going to be married. You might also be the reason that your brother is alive, not pulverised, I mean." Lakshman looked at her for a second, before turning back.

"Ram, really loved her. I am no reason, I just pushed him. He walked in on his own, he competed on his own. I-ah, didn't really do anything, for I knew from the start that he would win." he smiled proudly. "You know, your sister is also one of the reasons I pushed him. One of Ram's main concerns about marrying was finding a good Rani for Kosala. She struck me as a good empress, a kind one, and a perfect fit for Ram. She checks all the boxes, and deserves some credit too!" He paused. "And I think that Ram bhaiyya would not have gotten pulverised, I just wanted to use my amazing, gold class sarcasm."

Urmila sniffled. This prince, whom she had hated at first sight, had stood up for her, her family, and was the reason that they could walk holding their heads high as the royal family of Videha. He was not dense, or thick, or stupid because he was quiet, but had some sort of inner intelligence that outweighed all of his cons.

"Also, one of the reasons I spoke up was you, and even your cousin, Devi Shrutakirti. I didn't want you getting married to some other king." Urmila looked up hopefully. Why was she so happy at that statement? Why did she want him to say something more? That maybe, he-"That king in particular, is quite stupid and old at the same time." he finished, and Urmila again slumped. Why did she expect anything from him? Who was she to him anyways? Just a good friend.

Lakshman's heart raced as he turned back to the festivities. God, that was a close one. One more word, and he could have accidentally confessed that he didn't quite like the idea of Urmila getting married. He didn't even know why, or when this idea had ever entered his head, only that over the past few days, even the past few weeks, this girl, whose name meant waves of passion, had worked her way into his mind, past his emotional barricades into some part of his mind that might have even felt tenderness for her.

"Stupid, very stupid Lakshman." he muttered to himself, as Ram finally collected his senses and beamed at Sita who blushed heavily. Urmila stared at the scene as well, wondering if she would ever look at someone with so much love. Perhaps her sister's good fortune would spread onto her like rays of sunshine. Or perhaps it wouldn't, and Sita would absorb all of the luck like a sponge, leaving her to actually marry an old king. Urmila shuddered at the thought.

"We should go and pray at the temple, all of us," Ram began, peering into the distance at the structure made of pure white marble that stood tall and proud in the distance. "Thank the gods for our engagement." Sita nodded ahead. How this man whom she had met only two weeks ago read her mind as if it were a book open for him, ready to be paged through, was a miracle indeed. She thought only, perhaps, that Urmila was blessed with that power, but it appeared her soon to be husband had it as well.

Husband! How giddy it made her feel to call him that. The moon upon which she had gazed in sorrow the night earlier seemed like a lovely platform upon which to dance, to sing to, to smile with! She was marrying, marrying the man of her dreams! Here she was, Devi Sita, acting like a little girl, feeling weakening gigglish, and wanting to tap her feet and dance around.

"Come on, if we go fast, we should be able to come back by sunset, bhabhi." Sita looked up again at the term, and Ram and Urmila, it appeared, had the same reaction, but Lakshman didn't seem to notice, instead fixing his shoes, and replacing his sword in his waistband. How did the term, meaning sister-in-law, slip into his vocabulary so quickly, so naturally?

"I've been waiting to call you that, Bhabhi, since Ram bhaiyya first laid his eyes upon you! I've been practicing it in front of the mirror every night in anticipation that someday, he would get married to you, and I could call you readily, my sister-in-law! The day has arrived!" he grinned at the two of them as if it were his life's dream to have them together, to have them both happy. Sita sighed. Again, with the mind-reading.

As they walked back from the temple, the orange light from the sunset framing her face, Urmila wondered what it would be like to marry. She did not know where this thought had come from, abrupt and unprovoked, and yet she did not look upon it with disdain. She had to get married someday!

Urmila suddenly stopped for a second, and ambled up next to Sita, who was admiring the silhouette of the leaves of the tall, lone palm tree that stood on the gardens. "You know, didi, he fits all of your criteria! Handsome, kind, caring for his people, has a bond, someone that you love! He fits every single one of them, checks all the boxes!" Sita froze, biting her lip, and nodded,thinking over it for a second.

"Yes, yes, I think he does. That's good. At least I know I had a good sense back then as well, isn't it?" Urmila nodded agreeingly, marveling at the coincidence, how Ram was the literal epitome of Sita's perfect man. It was as if he were created by magic to fit all of her ideas! Was it even possible for someone to be so ideal for her sister? Was it even possible for someone to be so ideal for him?

I wonder if I will ever find someone who meets all of mine,Urmila thought. For some reason, she couldn't remember any of her demands in a husband, and paced around for a second. She had a very good memory, why was it that she couldn't remember them now? What had she wanted, back when she was a mere sixteen years old, in a man whom she would be marrying? Come on, God, bring those criteria back!

Suddenly, she felt a brush against her arm, and Lakshman walked next to her pointing behind him to where Ram and Sita were conversing so animatedly that the birds in the nearby trees flew away in fright, chirping alarmingly.

"Thought it best to give them a distance, you know?" he stated breathlessly. "Newly engaged couple, probably don't want us as a third and fourth wheel." He shrugged as if it didn't matter, and took out a blunt carving knife and a block of wood, humming slightly as he continued a carving of Ram and Sita together. Urmila goggled at him, scarcely believing it for a second, before gasping out.

"You make carvings? Trivati, our friend, I mean, showed one of them to us!" Lakshman nodded, not understanding her surprise and excitement, but very confused as to why she suddenly looked like a madwoman.

"Why haven't you made one of me?" she screeched, and the remaining birds near them flew away, lamenting upon their bad luck in finding silence, though Ram and Sita still were not perturbed from their talking trance. "I'm your friend, why haven't you made one of me?" Lakshman shook his head.

"They come naturally. I can't make them by commission." he stated professionally, as if he were an artist in high demand. Urmila scowled at him and grabbed his dagger from his waistband, holding it up threateningly near his bicep.

"Not even now?" she asked fiercely, aiming for a puncture that was so unclean it would dive deep into his flesh. Lakshman recognized the potential disaster, and looked up at her with wide eyes, holding his carving protectively behind himself.

"You gone mad, woman, mad!" he muttered. And with that, he began to run, an angry Urmila following him, holding up his dagger. She forgot all about her criteria for the perfect man, and how Lakshman had showed up right as she had asked for them.

Urmila eventually caught up to Lakshman, who was exhausted, and after a bit of blackmail, death threats, and even an attempt on his life, Lakshman finally agreed, grudgingly starting on Urmila's carving, but not before vowing to make it the worst he had ever made.

"Isn't it exciting, Sita? You are going to be married!" Urmila squealed, as they both sat on her bed. Sita nodded, without objection, and rested her head on her hands while playing with the bedspread. What would it be like, ruling the Kosala Empire, powerful and large? Being the Maharani, the beacon of light, hope, and pride to so many people? What if she had to smile when her insides were being ripped apart in sorrow? Judge between two innocents? Feel so enraged with the world around her that she could tear up the throne room into little pieces, and yet she would have to clench her teeth, press her nails into her palm, and deal with it, and sit next to Ram on the throne?

"You'll be fine." Urmila whispered, rolling around under the covers. Sita smiled at her sleepy sister. Yes, she would be fine. Ram would ensure that her honor was held high, that she always had a reason to smile, that she would make no judgment, that her happiness would forever prospere under his care and guidance. All her anxious thoughts were dragged away by the breeze that was created by the arrow released from Ram's bow of confidence, love, and righteousness.

"Wow! You're going to be married soon, bhaiyya! Isn't that just intoxicating, the happiness it spreads around, your marriage? Just amazing?" Ram nodded, laughing. He felt no doubts, felt no anxiousness, and impending thoughts of doom about the marriage.

Just nervousness. What if he was not good enough for her? What if he was a complete loser, didn't deserve her? There had been so many kings there, more battle-hardened, more hilarious, more romantic, perhaps, less burdened upon by the kingdom's affairs, handsomer than he. What if he wasn't enough?

"You are, bhaiyya. You are enough. You will always be enough for the person who loves you. Once you love someone, you get these thoughts of doubt, that you do not deserve them. They never disappear, only strengthen as you realize just how amazing the person you love is. But bhaiyya, the strength of these doubts are what really assures you of your worthiness. The stronger these thoughts are, the more you appreciate the target of your affections, the more you value them. Care, love, appreciation, that's all one could need, or is entitled to want from someone whom they love and who loves them. And to even contemplate that you, perhaps, do not deserve them is a sign of no arrogance, humility, and appreciation, and that you are all they could possibly want, therefore worthy." Lakshman ended his speech with a sigh.

Ram looked up, a tear falling from his eye as he hugged Lakshman tightly, sobbing into his hair as he tightened the hug. If what his brother said was true, and Lakshman only spoke the truth, then he didn't deserve his mothers, his father, his soon to be wife, Bharat and Shatrughan, and he definitely didn't deserve Lakshman, who never ceased to amaze him. Ram was touched, truly touched, felt as if everything in the confusing, complex, philosophical world made sense again.

In the doorway stood Urmila, accompanied by Sita who had come to relieve any of her doubts and confide them in her fiancee. Sita smiled at the scene. How similar she and her husband were to each other, it was as if they were wool, spun from the same thread. She had not even begun to imagine in her head, that he may feel the same way, think so highly of her that the mere, ridiculous thought would come across his mind that she was too good for him. The Gods had blessed her with the best man in the world.

Outside, the sea blue sky turned a pitch black, the stars began to twinkle like yellow lanterns flown from lands far, far away, the full moon beckoned people outside, lit up the moon blossoms, and reflected in the ponds as they were large mirrors meant for its pleasure. The cool, crystal clear waters of the marble fountains flowed never-endingly, like an endless precious jewel . The birds returned to their havens in the trees, chirping to each other reassuringly, and somewhere, in Kosala, in a gold-encrusted palace, Dasharath laughed, clapped and sang for his son at the wonderful news as the Maharanis began to prepare to pamper their new daughter-in-law, Bharat and Shatrughan wondered what it would be like to have a bhabhi.

And somewhere, in Videha, Janak held his head high in pride for his daughter, and the strict Rani Sunaina prepared to educate Sita all about married life as Shrutakirti and Mandavi dreamed about princes of their own. For a moment, it seemed fit for the world to stop, and for people to observe wonderingly at the marvelousness of it all in the two kingdoms. For a moment, it was as if the world was all right again, as if everything was perfect again, as if hunger had ended, the poor were rich, as if the warriors at war suddenly weren't anymore. All was well in Ayodhya and Mithila that day.

A/N-The Two parts are over! Ram has lifted the bow, will marry Sita, won against Ravan, and protected the rights of the princesses! Lakshman has defended Urmila and Shrutakirti, and Urmila suddenly feels a bit more *in love* with him!

5 pages! I just wrote 5 pages in one chapter! Is that a lot? Yes. Yes it is. Enjoy it, because I think I'm going to return to 3 pages next chapter. Or not. It depends on what I'll write.