With heavy hearts and determined steps, Rama and Lakshmana wandered deeper into the vast wilderness, searching for Sita. The rivers whispered, the winds sighed, and the trees stood silent as if mourning with them.
“O Lakshmana,” Rama spoke, his voice filled with sorrow, “this forest that once bloomed with beauty now feels barren. Every leaf, every shadow, reminds me of my lost Sita.”
Lakshmana, his heart burning with anger, said, “We shall find her, brother. No force on earth can keep Sita from you for long.”
Days passed in restless searching. The two brothers walked through towering forests, crossed wild rivers, and called Sita’s name into the endless sky. But the forest, deep and mysterious, gave them no answers.
Then, one day, as they walked through a valley shrouded in mist, the earth beneath them trembled. A terrifying roar shattered the silence. Before them rose a monstrous being — hideous beyond words.
His body was enormous, with no head upon his shoulders. Instead, a massive mouth gaped from his belly, lined with sharp, dripping fangs. Long, powerful arms reached out like giant snakes, grasping for anything that moved.
“Who dares enter my land?” the demon bellowed, his voice shaking the trees. “I am Kabandha, the devourer! None escape my grip!”
With terrifying speed, his enormous hands shot out, seizing both Rama and Lakshmana in their crushing grasp. The brothers struggled, but the demon’s strength was like iron.
Lakshmana gasped, “Brother! This creature is powerful. What shall we do?”
Rama, though bound, remained calm. “Fear not, Lakshmana. This demon shall not claim our lives today.”
Summoning all their might, the brothers reached for their swords. With a swift strike, they severed Kabandha’s arms, freeing themselves from his deadly grasp. The demon let out a scream of agony, collapsing onto the ground, writhing in pain.
“Spare me!” he groaned. “End my suffering, O noble ones!”
Rama, ever compassionate, spoke, “Who are you, O wretched being? Tell us your story before we grant you release.”
Tears welled in Kabandha’s monstrous eyes. “I was once a celestial being, blessed and beautiful. But long ago, I was cursed to take this hideous form. Only when a great warrior would strike me down could I be freed.”
Rama, hearing this, lifted his sword and delivered the final blow, releasing the demon from his wretched existence.
As Kabandha’s body fell, a glowing spirit rose from it, taking the form of a radiant celestial.
With folded hands, he spoke, “O Rama, you have freed me, and in return, I shall guide you. Seek out Sugriva, the vanara king, who dwells in the mountains of Kishkindha. He alone can help you find Sita, for his ally, Hanuman, possesses great strength and wisdom.”
The spirit bowed one last time before vanishing into the heavens.
Rama turned to Lakshmana, his eyes now filled with hope. “Come, my brother. Let us go to Kishkindha. If Sugriva can aid us, then we shall leave no stone unturned in our quest to find Sita.”
And so, with new purpose, the two brothers set forth once more — toward the kingdom of the vanaras, where destiny awaited them in the form of a mighty friend.