Thursday, April 9, 2015

H for Heartbreak




Heartbreak...Anyone who has been in love has most probably gone through a heartbreak. It is never easy to get over the love of your life, isn't it

Here's another tale, that took place a little time before the Mahabharata, a story of love, and heartbreak. 

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Shakuntala was heartbroken.  How could Dushyant not recognize her? Had he forgotten all the vows that he had made unto her? Had he forgotten how he had met her? Had he no memory of the love that they had shared…of the words he had spoken…of the promises he had made…?

She remembered meeting him by her hermit during one of his hunting trips. Who could have thought that the king of the Puru dynasty would lose his heart to a hermit-girl? So smitten was he, that he insisted that they marry. Mother Nature would be their witness, he had said. And thus in the presence of the majestic Sun, the blue skies, the calm waters of the Malini river, the trees dotting the Shivalik hills, the abundance of blooming, fragrant flowers, the chirping birds, and animals, Shankuntala married Dushyant in a Gandharva marriage, with Mother Nature herself blessing their union.

She remembered his touch…it had been so magical and gentle. She had melted into his arms as he caressed and kissed her. He had sung her poems of love and whispered sweet nothings into her ears. Why then would he choose to forget her? Did he not tell her how much she meant to him? Did he not promise to send for her and marry her in the presence of his entire kingdom? Why hadn’t he come back?

She remembered waiting for him to come back. He had dragged her into an emotional whirlpool, lavishing attention on her briefly and then retreating into his shell. Was he the same Dushyant who had spoken so intimately to her at one time and now had lapsed into a silence?

Maybe it was not his fault after all. Wasn’t she the one who had angered Guru Durvasa and had been cursed? But she had been so lost in the thoughts of her beloved that she had failed to hear the sage call out to her and he had cursed her, “He, in whose thoughts, you have been so engrossed that you have failed to heed my call, will forget you forever”. And she was now paying for that curse.

She remembered the blank look on Dushyant’s face as she pleaded with him to accept her. She must have looked like a fool trying to remind him of their time together while he looked at her like he was seeing her for the very first time.

No, it couldn’t be Dushyant’s fault. Hadn’t he given her the signet ring as a token of their marriage? She was the one who lost it. When she had pleaded with the Guru, Sage Durvasa had taken mercy on her and told her that Dushyant would remember her on seeing the souvenir he had had given her. But she had lost that as she bathed in the river that morning.

Heartbroken and feeling helpless, tears streamed down Shakuntala’s face as reality dawned on her. Dushyant was perhaps lost to her forever. “Vanquish me from the face of the earth, Lord, for what use is a life sans my beloved,” she prayed. And then, caressing her belly, she wept aloud, "Oh, my sweet child, you will never know your father. Forgive me, my little one." 

A  few years passed before the Gods finally heard her.

“Is this the ring with the royal insignia you were talking about, Devi?” It was a fisherman with his prized catch.  From the belly of his fish, he had recovered her valuable ring.

She looked at the fisherman, then at the ring and then at her son. A prayer of thanksgiving escaped her lips. She would be reunited with the love of life, after all!


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All's well that end well, Huh

Trivia: The son of Shakuntala and Dushyant is King Bharata, after whom our country has been named. 

This day....last year....H for Happiness

34 comments:

  1. A nice little moment at the end, but when had she mentioned the ring to the fisherman? Was that nitpicking? I would have liked to hear that conversation, as well as her inner thoughts... ;)

    Visit me at http://chriskelworth.com/blog/

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    1. In the original story, the fisherman finds the ring in the belly of the fish and takes it to the king, and seeing the ring, the curse is broken and he recollects his love for Shakuntala...thanks for reading!

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  2. Awww I'm glad she got back the ring. The way love was portrayed in those days is so weird and yet so cute.

    Thank you Titli for sharing this :)

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  3. You know, I love this story so much, even though it is a story of young love and infatuation. I think the fact that she is emotionally connected to him and a souvenir helps him recall her is all so reminiscent of magic and love. Sigh.. good one :)

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  4. Beautifully presented Little Princess. Poor Shakunthala! Wonder whether the sages did penance only to acquire the power to curse :(

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    1. hahahaa...seems like that's the only thing they ever did!

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  5. How hard it might have been for her, before the ring was found! Her loved one not recognizing her; it surely must have been so heartbreaking :(

    Hidden

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    1. Yep...that's why I chose to tell this story entirely from her point of view. thanks!

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  6. Oh thank God she was reunited with her love. Such harsh punishment for a small mistake. But I guess her devotion and faith in her beloved was what pulled her love through. Once again a wonderful anecdote from Mahabharata :)

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    1. rare to find such love these days na? glad you liked it!

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  7. Thanks for reminding me of the story!
    http://natasha-pointstoponder.blogspot.in/

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  8. I was a kid when I first read Shakuntala's story and I remember how heartbroken I was to even imagine her sufferings.

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  9. Well written. I wish they would have been reunited much earlier than they actually were.

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  10. Loved the last part, when the ring is recovered. I cannot just fathom the happiness and joy that would have reflected on her face. What a relieving moment for Shakuntala. The way you narrated the environment, during the Gandharva marriage is awesome. I just could see that.. esp. the calm river.

    Poor Shakuntala! These incidents keep happening even now right. The lover abandoning the kid and the mother ..

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    1. Thank you so much, Ajay! whatever happened then, still happens now...!

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  11. Personally that was best narration you did out of this series so far .. just saying !

    P.S- Hearts breaks are really though .. :D :D But i should be thankful to this emotions for letting my blog live because most people find its so reletable (self appreciation :D) :d ..

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    1. thanks for all that praise! I see a lot of that emotion in your posts...and you write it so so so beautifully!

      *pats you on your back too!

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  12. I plugged your blog in the A to Z Twitter chat today :)
    Good to see a story about heartbreak ending happily... :D

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
    MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

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  13. I really love the way you have the narrated the story. Ya, you are correct. All is well that ends well. I am glad the ring is recovered.
    Thanks for this wonderful story, Titli

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    1. Hey Yatin...Welcome..nice to have you here! glad you liked the story!

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  14. I knew this story. But your narration has rendered it even more interesting.

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  15. You know what impresses me the most in our Indian great epics? The ability these people had to curse others! :D

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    1. hahaha...why couldn't they put all that power to better use..beats me!

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  16. Better late than never :D A wonderfully narrated story, yet again :)

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  17. true love wins... always :-) loved the last part Titli :-)

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At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person..deep gratitude for those who have lighted the flame within me!! your comments will be appreciated..

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