The Inseparable Princes

59. Anjaneya

As they continued to walk in the terribly hot sun, they felt like that Rishyamukha Parvata that Kabandha had mentioned didn't even exist. How long did they have to walk? It had been a few days, hadn't it? Oh, or was it just Rama feeling that way because he had been away from Sita for far too long?

Rama was starting to feel increasingly curious and reverent of Lakshmana. How on earth did he manage thirteen years without his wife?! Was he really a human being? Or was he just some god in the form of his brother? He needed to make sure that he never voiced that sentence out to his brother, for otherwise, he'd be extremely mad at him for calling him divine. He would truly hate that.

Suddenly, a man came in view. Dressed as an ascetic, but the brothers, somehow, couldn't place it that way. He did not look like an ascetic. He had an aura, sure, but not the one that sages have after having performed penance for years. It was an aura of knowledge. An aura of wisdom. An aura of power. An aura of righteousness. And yet, they felt like there was no need for a man with all of these obvious possessions to guise himself as an ascetic.

The ascetic walked to the brothers, trying not to look as powerful as he otherwise always did. Broad, muscular shoulders, that looked fit enough to carry an entire mountain peak! Face that was bright, divine and godly. Hair neatly tufted. Arms that looked very naturally powerful. And his legs, those legs that carried that entire powerhouse on top. Apart from the amount that was stored in his brain. Knowledge. An ocean of knowledge. A universe of knowledge. His wisdom and physical power seemed to complement each other well enough to construct the most perfectly divine being on the earth, thought the brothers.

"Oh Purushavyaghra, who, may I know, are you both?" asked the ascetic, his mere presence emanating intelligence, but it also spread so much positivity, that Rama didn't feel all that miserable, after all, and Lakshmana couldn't get himself to doubt the man. "To me, oh knowledgeable men, you look like emperors or princes!" Rama and Lakshmana shared a glance, and the younger one allowed a tiny, miniscule smirk. "But by your appearance, by which I mean clothing and hairdo, you look like simple yet divine hermits. An aura surrounds the both of you. Are you both Surya and Chandra in the form of humans? Are you both two of the Devatas from Swarga? Are you both superhumans? Who are you both, oh divine beings, who seem to me like the most powerful men to ever exist? Your glances are as bold as those of lions, your bows looking as strong as, if not stronger than the bow of Shakra himself! The arrows in these quivers of yours, I believe, can be as fatal as Shakra's Vajra. Who are you both, oh dauntless warriors, who are you?" said the illustrious Hanuman.

Hanuman. The son of Vayu. Anjaneya was another name he was very commonly known by, just like how Lakshmana and Shatrughna were known by the name Saumitra. Named after his mother Anjana, he was also called by the name Anjaneya. He, who was extremely knowledgeable with the scriptures and texts.

"I am Anjaneya," began the ascetic, deciding that it would be the right time to reveal the truth. And boy, was his decision most precise! "I am one of the ministers of Sugreeva, who presently resides in the mountains known as Rishyamukha."
Rama allowed a beaming smile, as soon as he heard the name of Sugreeva. "He has been banished from his very own kingdom by his brother, Vali." Rama and Lakshmana shared a glance, before both of them felt like hiding away, but all they could do was smile sadly at each other, and look down somberly. Hanuman felt the curiosity gnawing at him. He had been observing the mannerisms. They looked like a really closely knitted pair of brothers, or friends, perhaps? No, they were brothers. They had to be brothers. He decided to brush it off and continue, if that was helping him earn their valuable trust. "He is in need of somebody who will readily help him. Someone whom he can rely on. Someone at whose feet he can lay his trust. Someone who will truly be a devoted friend." Rama could, indeed, be all of those.