A. Royden D'souza

Indra had come in the guise of Gautama. Ahalya had been clever enough to seek certainty, but not clever enough to turn away when the certainty she sought was not pure certainty, but desire and flattery wearing the form of trust.

As years passed, Rāma became the jewel of the court — the kings, citizens, and elders all loved him. He was still young, between 12 and 16 depending on tradition, when the event that changed Ayodhyā’s destiny began.