Rama was happy in Ayodhya, adored by his people, living with his three brothers and a softhearted Sita. Janaki who had suffered innumerable hardships in the past was now very happy. She spent her time, free from all fears in the world! This did not last long. Strange is the course of the creator.
While the simple minded queen was excessively proud of her fortune, at the very time, ill-luck lurked in the form of Atula, Suparnaka's daughter. Atula, very angry at the punishment meted out to her mother by Lakshmana, was bent on revenge. She sought to create a dissension between Rama and Sita waited for an opportunity and saw it when Rama went to the forest. Sita missing him and to soothe the heat of separation, went to the river to bathe. The creator helps even the sinners!
Atula pretended to be her maid-servant and attended on Sita day and night and Sita began liking her. The servants who have something else in their mind, are certainly very adept at service. Having gained Sita's trust asked her about Ravana and how he looked.
To please her, the innocent Sita drew a picture of Ravana on a piece of stone. As soon as Sita finished the drawing Atula disappeared. At that very moment Rama returned. Sita tried to rub the picture off the stone but could not as Atula had taken over the painting by witchcraft and the picture shone even better by rubbing. Sita desperate that Rama should not see her work hid it under the bed.
Rama at that moment decided to take rest and as soon as he approached the bed, he felt a great heat and normally a calm person, he felt very restless and impatient. Lakshmana, asked to check, searched and not finding anything turned the bed upside down. At the very moment the piece with the picture of Ravana along with the uneasy heart of Sita fell.
As soon as Rama saw the picture, he felt listless and asked 'What is this, who has made it?' At Sita's reply that she had painted it to please her servant-maid, Rama half-swooned! He exclaimed, 'Why is it that my wife is in love with a demon?'
'Women are indeed hard-hearted! Having lived quite long in Ravana's house it is not impossible that she would have developed love for him. It is after seeing women negligent, the wise have said that no intelligent person should repose trust in them.'
'For whose sake I encountered a series of troubles, that very lady is in love with another person. What can be more painful than this. The lady does not deserve to live in my house and deserves to be killed at once.'
He tells his brother Lakshmana in anger, 'Take her from here to the forest and kill her.' Very unhappy and in great agony, Sita tried to remove his doubt, but did not succeed. An angry person cannot be pacified by conciliation. Rama did not believe her. Still in the grip of his anger, he ordered Lakshmana to take her to the forest, kill her, seperate her heart from her body and bring it to him.
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