Indru Poi, Naalai Vaa.

Kausalya knelt before the Lord who had manifested in the very spot that she had put her son only moments before in a mixture of shock and fear. Of course, Dasharatha's penance for all those years had paid off, and the Lord had come to bless her son. It made sense. But where was little Ram now? Was he being taken away from her? Had the Lord decided she wasn't worthy of such a lovely child and taken him for himself?

"Do you not recognise me, mother?" came the lilting voice of Mahavishnu in the form of Vishwaroopa Darshanam.

Fear turned to confusion, and she shook her head slightly. "You are the Lord of the universe. I do not know why you are here, but I assume it is to do with my son who was born today. Everyone in the kingdom is celebrating, especially Kaikeyi- she adores the boy. I haven't had a moment alone with him all day."

"I'm here now, mother. To you, I am not the Lord of the universe. I'm just your son. Just Ram. I am showing you my true form because you deserve to know, but I do not wish for you to treat me any other way."

Kausalya was too stunned to speak. Ram would not be taken away from her, that was good. But this was Mahavishnu himself standing before her, he could not possibly be your son. She did not believe it.

Vishnu let out a melodious laugh akin to the ringing of the bell at the palace temple. "Let me get this straight, mother Kausalya. You have no problem believing in the possibility that I could be a tiny fish that grew overnight, a turtle big enough to bear the weight of a mountain, a boar that could carry the entire earth on its snout, a dwarf whose foot could cover all three realms, and a giant half-lion in a pillar. You believe I am the universe itself, but being your son is where you draw the line?"

Kaushalya regained her composure and rose from her kneeling position. "Should I be concerned that all your stories involve you growing at an abnormal rate?"

"That depends," said Vishnu. "Is that what you wish for, mother? An extraordinary son who performs miracles and brings you glory?"

Kausalya's first thought was, "I just want a normal boy."

Her second thought was, "I would love him either way." It is the one she voices. He hears both.

"As you wish, mother." He paused for a moment and studied her expression. "Something seems to be troubling you. Is there anything else that you would like to ask of me?"

Kausalya hesitated for a moment. She could not ask to prevent the inevitable, but something about Vishnu's calming nature gives her the courage to voice her concerns anyway.

"Dasharatha was a peaceful king," she began tentatively. "Yet, he almost didn't come back from battle once. He would not have survived if it hadn't been for Kaikeyi." The memory of it brought all her panic and pre-emptive grief rushing back, causing her to stumble. Mahavishnu raised a finger, which steadied her. "You cannot have come without a purpose. You will go to war as Parashuram did before you. A bigger war than Dasharatha has ever fought. And you will leave me here, waiting."

Vishnu's smile did not flicker. "You do not want me to leave you." It was less of a question and more of a statement.

"Yes," she thought selfishly. "Don't go. I don't care about the greater good, I care about my family. I don't care who you protect, I don't want you to leave me."

She doesn't say any of those things. She says instead, "Come back to me. Go wherever your heart desires, save whoever needs to be saved, vanquish who you have come to vanquish. But when all is said and done, and you have completed your duties, come back to me. Come home to me. I will always be waiting for you."

"I am always with you, mother." He reassured her. "I am the universe. Thoonilum iruppen, thurumbilum iruppen. Wherever you look, you will find me."

"It is not enough," she insisted. "I am beyond grateful to be one of the few people to see your true form, but that is not what I want most. I want to see my son. Come back to me as my son."

Vishnu conjures a silk handkerchief out of thin air and wipes her tears. "Your wish is my command. You will make an excellent mother."

Kausalya smiles, but does not stop there. "When you take on your next form, keep my words in mind. Scale the heights you have come to scale, and perform the miracles you need- and then go back to your mother. You must not abandon her. Not when she is waiting for you."

Vishnu's expression is unreadable. He places his hand on her head, giving her his blessing. "Thathasthu."

He disappears into thin air and in its place, her baby Ram was sleeping peacefully. She wonders if it would be the last time she saw her son make this transformation.

"Indru poi naalai varuvaaya?" The ringing of the temple bells seem to answer her question.