Week 3 Storytelling: A New Point of View.

I sit in my chamber, waiting. For days Rama and his army have defeated my armies. First Kumbakarna, then Indrajit, who else is left to take control of this battle? The end to Rama shall be at my own hands, for he cannot stand underneath the power that I wield. I thought killing Sita would be of benefit to me, however she is still too beautiful, and ending her life would be a waste of beauty.

As I walk down to my armor chamber, I can’t help but think of the possibility of my near demise. I pray to Shiva, begging for his help in this battle, which I cannot win on my own.  I put on my armor, situate my crowns, and take one last look into the mirror. This may be my last.

As I step out, I hear the beating of drums, blasting of trumpets, and all of the hurried noises that come along with a battle in progress. These noises are ones that I know well. In what seems like a second, my closest war companion, Mahodara, is killed. My anger against Rama begins to burn, more violent than ever before.

I begin my assault on Rama, and soon realize that the gods of the heavens are on his side. I will show them the mistake they have made. I fire thousands of arrows at Rama, and each one is annihilated. I begin to worry; what if my mere might is not enough to kill this human being? I decide to attack not only Rama, but his monkey helpers as well. I finally kill Matali, and this gives me a moment to breathe, as Rama is grief-stricken.

I decide to summon the help of the gods, and make the dead reappear. Rama once again defeats me. I ponder for a few moments. I know the perfect weapon that will obliterate Rama, and end this once and for all. I pull my trident out, aim, and fire for Rama, with the full expectation of his immediate death. However, my trident falls apart in the moment before it was to strike Rama.

In this instant, I know that Rama was no ordinary human. However, I will not give up the fight to him. I will fight to the death, and I will win. Then Rama struck me with his arrows. I fade in and out of consciousness. I get back up, and a Brahmasthra is headed straight towards my heart.

Rama and Ravana in Battle. Source: Pixgood

Author's Note: I chose the story of the battle between Rama and Ravana. I didn't change anything from the story, but rather wrote from the point of view of Ravana, and what could have been going through his mind before and during the battle. I desired to portray Ravana as a normal person, who has feelings, fears, and faults. This story comes from the Ramayana, and has the same end as the original in the book. I wanted to show the plight he went through as he realizes his loss to Rama, and that he was staring death in the face. This story is the climax and end of the struggle between Ravana and Rama. The image that I chose portrays the battle between Rama and Ravana. I like it because it is a good illustration of all of the things used in the battle. Ultimately, I chose this story because I wanted to explore a different side of Ravana. I could imagine the pressure he felt on himself to win the battle, because of the fact that he was unable to be defeated by any of the gods. However, he was cursed to die at the hands of a mere mortal. I really wanted the reader to see that every living being has fears, even if they seem to be ruthless and unshakable. 

Bibliography: 

Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana