Rama Accepts Exile

Dadi: "Come sit with me, beta. Tonight I want to tell you about the time Prince Rama gave up everything - his palace, his throne, his entire future - with just a smile on his face."

Guddu: "But Dadi, why would anyone give up being a king? That sounds so silly!"

Dadi: "Ah, that's what makes this story so special, Guddu. You see, King Dasharatha of Ayodhya had decided that Rama would become the next king. The whole kingdom was celebrating! Everyone loved Rama - he was kind, brave, and always did what was right."

Guddu: "So what went wrong?"

Dadi: "There was a queen named Kaikeyi. Long ago, she had saved the king's life in a battle, and he had promised her two wishes - anything she wanted. For years, she never used them. But then her maid Manthara filled her ears with poison."

Guddu: "What kind of poison, Dadi?"

Dadi: "The poison of jealousy, beta. Manthara whispered that if Rama became king, Kaikeyi's own son Bharata would become nothing. So Kaikeyi went to the king and demanded her two wishes: Send Rama to the forest for fourteen years, and make Bharata the king instead."

Guddu: "That's so unfair! What did the king do?"

Dadi: "The poor old king was shattered. He begged, he pleaded, he offered everything he had - his wealth, his kingdom, even his own life. But Kaikeyi would not budge. And the king... he had given his word. A promise is a promise, beta."

Guddu: "But Rama didn't do anything wrong! He could have said no, right?"

Dadi: "He could have. He was strong enough to fight. He had the support of the entire kingdom. But when Rama heard what happened, do you know what he said? He said, "A king's promises must be kept." Without any anger, without any complaint, he accepted his father's command."

Guddu: "Didn't he feel sad at all?"

Dadi: "Of course he did, beta. But sometimes doing the right thing hurts. Rama knew that if he refused, his father's honor would be destroyed. A king who breaks his promise - what kind of king is that? So Rama chose his father's dignity over his own comfort."

Guddu: "What about Sita? Did she stay in the palace?"

Dadi: "No, no! Sita refused to stay behind. Rama tried to convince her - "The forest is dangerous! There are wild animals, demons, no comforts at all!" But Sita looked at him and said, "Wherever you are, that is my home. Without you, even this palace would feel like a prison.""

Guddu: "And Lakshmana?"

Dadi: "Lakshmana, Rama's younger brother, also refused to be separated. He told his wife Urmila to wait for him and went with Rama, saying, "Like fish without water, I cannot live an instant without you.""

Guddu: "So all three of them went to the forest?"

Dadi: "Yes. They took off their royal clothes and put on clothes made of tree bark. As their chariot left Ayodhya, the whole city came out crying. The old king ran behind the chariot like an ordinary person, weeping for his son. That night, while everyone slept by the roadside, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana quietly slipped away so no one would suffer more."

Guddu: "What happened to King Dasharatha?"

Dadi: "He never recovered, Guddu. He remembered an old curse - that he would die from the pain of being separated from his son. Within days, the king passed away from a broken heart."

Guddu: "That's so sad, Dadi..."

Dadi: "It is. But here's the beautiful part. When Bharata returned and learned what his mother had done, he was horrified. He rushed to the forest and begged Rama to come back. "This throne was stolen for me," he cried. "I don't want it!""

Guddu: "Did Rama come back?"

Dadi: "No, beta. Even though Bharata begged him, even though the whole kingdom wanted him back, Rama said no. "I will not return until fourteen years have passed. If I come back now, my father's death would become meaningless." So he gave Bharata his sandals instead."

Guddu: "His sandals? Why?"

Dadi: "Bharata placed those sandals on the throne. For fourteen years, he ruled not as king, but as Rama's servant. He lived in a simple hut outside the city, waiting faithfully for his brother to return."

Guddu: "Dadi, this story makes me think... Sometimes my friends get angry when things aren't fair. But Rama didn't get angry at all."

Dadi: "That's the lesson, beta. Life isn't always fair. People will sometimes hurt us, sometimes by mistake, sometimes on purpose. But how we respond - that shows who we really are. Rama could have fought. He could have become bitter. Instead, he showed us that keeping your word, respecting your parents, and accepting difficulties with grace... that is true strength."

Guddu: "I want to be like Rama, Dadi."

Dadi: "Then remember this: when life takes something away from you, don't ask "why me?" Ask instead, "what can I learn from this?" That's what Rama taught us - that our character shines brightest not in our victories, but in how we handle our defeats."