The Council of War

 The Council of War

Vibhishana’s Honour, A Brother’s Shame

The hall of Lanka’s war council thrummed with tension, the air thick with the scent of burning oil and sweat. Vibhishana stood alone before his brother’s throne, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the generals like a blade through silk. "Kill not the messenger!" he pleaded, his palms pressed together. "Hanuman came under sacred law. To spill his blood is to invite”

Kumbhakarna rose from the shadows, his massive form shaking the chamber. The great sleeper’s eyes, still heavy with interrupted slumber, burned with a brother’s fury. "You stole his light," he rumbled, pointing at Ravana. "Now stand and fight—or flee like the coward you’ve made of us all."

The silence that followed was heavier than armour.

Ravana’s Choice, A Doom Embraced

Ravana ran his fingers along the newly rebuilt spire of his palace, the stone still warm from the fires Hanuman had kindled. The city below bustled with preparations—spears sharpened, walls reinforced, war elephants fitted with iron plates. Yet for all the clamour, the demon king heard nothing. No whispers of the dead. No omens in the wind.

His laughter rolled like thunder over the sea. "Let Rama come," he declared, his golden bracelets clinking as he spread his arms. "Let him see what tenfold wrath awaits the free."

Outside, the tide pulled away from the shore, farther than any had ever seen—as if the ocean itself was making way for what would follow.

These verses weave Hanuman’s divine quest, Sita’s unbroken spirit, and Ravana’s fatal pride—each moment heavy with destiny’s weight. The imagery contrasts fire and rebirth, while the rhythm mirrors the tension between ruin and resolve. 

Themes-Sacred Fire vs. Arrogant Power (Hanuman’s flames defy Ravana’s tyranny).

Silent Strength (Sita’s quiet resolve mirrors Rama’s coming storm).

Nature’s Omens (The retreating tide as a herald of divine justice).