Blades of grass! Ends of her hair sticking out! That is all that was left of Sita after she had plunged into the earth. No more would she be seen walking above the ground.
The people of Ayodhya watched their king caress the grass for a long time stoic and serene as ever, not a teardrop in his eyes. They wanted to fall at his feet and ask for his forgiveness. They wanted to hug and comfort him. They had broken his heart and wanted to apologize but they knew he neither blamed them nor judged them. They were his children and he their father, lord of the Raghu clan, ruler of Ayodhya.
He was Sita's Ram.
After some time, he stood and placing his hands on the shoulders of Luv and Kush (his twin sons), said very calmly," Come, it's time to go home.".
Home? Was not the forest their home?That was where they had lived all their lives. But they did not argue with the king, this stranger, this man who they now had to call their father, who until recently had been their enemy. But their mother's last instruction to them was very clear:'Do as your father says.' They would not disobey. They too would be sons worthy of the Raghu clan.
As the royal elephant carrying the king and his two sons passed through the city gates, Hanuman, the monkey-servant of Ram, caught sight of Yama, the god of death, hiding behind the trees, looking intently at Ram. Hanuman immediately lashed his tail on the ground: a warning to the god of death not to come anywhere near the king or his family. A frightened Yama stayed away from Ayodhya.
But Ram's brother Lakshman did not stay away from Yama: a few days later for some mysterious reason, Lakshman left the city and walked deep into the forest and beheaded himself.
Hanuman did not understand. His world was crumbling: first Sita, then Lakshma. Who next? Ram? He could not let that happen. He would not let that happen. He refused to budge from the gates of Ayodhya. No one would go in or out.
Ram, who was sitting all alone on his throne, heard Yama shouting from beyond the gates of Ayodhya," Your wife is gone. Your brother is gone. Now it's time for you to go. But that will not happen as long as Hanuman guards the gates of Ayodhya."
He who breaks no rules would not break the law of nature. All things have to come to an end: exile in the forest, joy with Sita as well as the reign of Ram. Yes it was time to enter the river Sarayu and return to Vaikuntha.
So Ram dropped his ring into a crack in the palace floor, and called out,'Hanuman!'. When Hanuman arrived he asked gently," Hanuman, my ring has fallen through this crack in the earth. Can you go and fetch it for me?".
Ever willing to please his master, Hanuman reduced himself to the size of a bee and slipped into the crack in the floor. To his surprise, it was no ordinary crack. It was a tunnel, one that went deep into the bowels od the earth. It led him to Naga-loka, the abode of snakes. As soon as he entered, he found two serpents coiling around his feet. He flicked them away. They returned with a couple more serpents. Hanuman flicked them away too. Before long, Hanuman found himself enwrapped by a thousand serpents, determined to pin him down. He gave in, and allowed them to drag him to their king, Vasuki, a serpent with seven hoods, each displaying a magnificent jewel.
‘What brings you to Naga-loka?’ hissed Vasuki.
‘I seek a ring.’
‘Oh that! I will tell you where it is, if you tell me something first.’
‘What?’ asked Hanuman.
‘The root of every tree that enters the earth whispers a name: Sita. Who is she? Do you know?’
‘She is the beloved of the man whose ring I seek.’
‘Then tell me all about her. And tell me about her beloved. And I will point you to the ring.’
‘Nothing will give me greater joy than narrating the story of Sita and her Ram. Much of what I will tell you I experienced myself. Some I have heard from other. Within all these stories is the truth. Who knows it all?. Varuna had but a thousand eyes; Indra, a hundred; and I, only two.’
All the serpents of Naga-loka gathered around Hanuman, eager to hear his tale. There is no sun or moon in Naga-lok, nor is there fire. The only light came from the seven luminous jewels on the seven hoods. But that was enough.
And then Hanuman proceeded to tell the story closest to his heart, unaware that at the same time, his beloved master is taking his last steps into the cold waters of Sarayu towards his heavenly abode..
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Source: Devdutt Pattanaik's Sita: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Ramayana