Chapter 1: Lanka

Third person's POV

During the dawn of Treta Yuga

Around 100 to 500 BCE

In the southern expanse of the Indian Ocean, nestled amidst the waves, lay an island. It wasn't vast, covering just about 80,000 square kilometers, predominantly veiled in rugged terrain. This was the fabled Island of Sri Lanka, a beacon of prosperity and contentment. Its people lived in harmony, and their ruler, King Sumali, was a peculiar figure, for he was of mixed lineage, bearing the blood of both humankind and the Rakshasa race. King Sumali, born of Sukesa, the mighty Rakshasa king, and Devavati, the Gandhara Princess, wielded his rule with grace and wisdom.

As noted before, Lanka prospered, a testament to its people's diligence and their monarch's benevolence. Merchants navigated the high seas, forging foreign alliances that enriched their nation. Their knowledge of agriculture and architecture was so advanced that they cultivated rice on towering peaks and sculpted those very mountains into palatial wonders. It was an age where men stretched their lives past millenniums and performed feats beyond ordinary human capabilities, yet it was not the zenith of Lanka's glory.

King Sumali married Tataka, a woman of the Rakshasa lineage, and together, they brought forth a lineage of offspring, including Kaikesi, who would one day earn the title "Mother of the Demon King." The reign of King Sumali was a symphony of compassion and justice, and it seemed as though prosperity would endure indefinitely. However, just as day yields to night, all things wade through cycles of creation and destruction. Kubera, the Yaksha leader, cast a covetous gaze upon Lanka. With his Yaksha army, he invaded, dethroned King Sumali, and left him and his royal kin to dwell in the shadow of disgrace. Kubera's haughty decision would, in time, prove to be a thorn in his own destiny.

Sumali, the dishonored sovereign, seethed with a thirst for vengeance that refused to be quenched. He swore that the throne of Lanka would never be held by an outsider, for it was destined to belong to him or his descendants. With his family in tow, he set forth on a journey, traversing the lands, driven by an unyielding purpose.

In the course of his odyssey, Sumali unearthed the whereabouts of Kubera's father, the esteemed Sage Vishrava, renowned for his sagacity and lineage that bridged gods and demons. Although a mortal, Sage Vishrava bore the legacy of Lord Brahma, the creator of the cosmos. He had mastered the lore of the world and had wed Devavarnini. As Sumali neared the end of his days, he issued a decree to his daughter Kaikesi: seduce Sage Vishrava, make him your husband, and bear his child. With Sumali's passing, Kaikesi embarked on a mission to fulfill her father's quest. She charmed Sage Vishrava, became his second wife, and, amidst it all, devotedly loved her new husband.

To her, she had accomplished her father's bidding while gaining a loving spouse in the process. A year passed, and she found herself with child, a son. Vishrava, skilled in the medical arts of Ayurveda, made this pronouncement himself after examining Kaikesi's pulse.

"Your child will be a boy. Your pregnancy will span three years, and he will grace this world in the auspicious month of Thai (January)," Vishrava foretold.

"That's magnificent, milord! He will be blessed by the very stars in his endeavors," Kaikesi rejoiced.

"Our son is unlike any other, Kesi. His future eludes my sight," Vishrava admitted.

"What do you mean, milord? You, who have mastery over the stars, can't glimpse our son's fate?" Kaikesi inquired.

"Fate, my dear, is a fluid current, not etched in stone. I can merely glimpse the potential, and to do that, he must be born. Be as it may, regardless of his destiny, we shall raise him with love and compassion, for he shall understand both the trials of the meek and the might of the strong."

"So be it, milord. I shall not dwell further. I believe he shall ascend to greatness," Kaikesi nodded, her heart at ease, comforted by her husband's words. Devavarnini echoed her sentiments.

Kaikesi received unwavering care from both Vishrava and Devavarnini during her pregnancy. Yet, beneath the surface of her joy lay the burden of her father's command. She contemplated disclosing her past but dreaded the potential shattering of her newfound life. Time flowed on, and the day of her labor drew near.

As the third year of her pregnancy neared its end, she confided in her husband and Devavarnini. Vishrava, after hearing her truth, posed a question.

"Kesi, you could have kept this secret. I know your intentions were not malevolent. Why did you choose to reveal it, my love?"

"Milord, when I came to you, a stranger, both you and sister Varnini embraced me with warmth and love. You cared for me. I love and honor my father, but I would never betray you for him. Even he, who commanded me, would deem me unworthy if I were to betray you in his name. I feared you might cast me aside, along with our child, once you knew the truth. Even though I knew, in my heart, that you are not that kind of man, the fear persisted. I couldn't bear to leave this world with regrets, and I might not survive my labor. So, I chose to reveal my past," Kaikesi explained.

"Kesi, no matter who you were or what led you to me, you are now my wife. Our bond is from this life to the next, just as I am bound to Devavarnini. I would never abandon a woman I love nor my child, even if it meant my own life," Vishrava declared.

"Sister Kesi, I understand your fears, but you have nothing to worry about. I will love your children as if they were my own, for they are sired by our husband. Whatever choices the boy makes in the future are his own, and I shall not hold you responsible for them. Kubera's actions were not commendable in any way. Since he took the throne, he should be prepared to lose it as well," Devavarnini reassured.

Upon hearing their words, Kaikesi's eyes glistened with tears of relief. Now, unburdened by her fears, she embraced them both, her heart brimming with gratitude and love amidst her joyful sobs.