U for Unrequited love

Love does not always find its destination. Unrequited love can not only be painful, it can also make you revengeful.

That is what this tale is all about. 

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The Pandavas were spending 13 years in exile after Yudistir lost them all in the gamble with Duryodhana. Arjuna decided to visit his father, the king of gods, Lord Indra. Lord Indra was thrilled. He treated his son to the best and exquisite things in Indralok, indulging him like a doting father. 

One evening they were watching the celestial apsara Urvashi performing a dance in Indra’s court. Arjuna looked adoringly at Urvashi and seemed to be lost in her beauty and grace. He sat through the performance as if in a trance.

“Wonderful,” he praised her after the dance was over, “You are immensely talented and mesmerizing. No wonder the devas, and gandharvas are so smitten by you!”

She beamed at the lavish praise heaped on her by Indra’s handsome son and his words kept echoing in her ears long after the day was over.

Later, Chitrasen, the gandharava musician visited her. “Ah! Urvashi, you seem to be lost in someone’s thoughts,” he teased.

Urvashi blushed, her cheeks flushed pink.

“Oh ho, so you are blushing now? That can only mean one thing,” he said studying her face, “you are in love, aren’t you my dear?”

She smiled, blushing a little more.

“Do you want me to guess who has stolen your heart, Urvashi?”

She raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. 

How would Chitrasen know? Maybe he was just waiting for her to bite the bait. 

She kept quiet waiting for him to speak.

“It is Lord Indra’s son,” he said, like he had read her mind. “It is Arjuna, isn't it?”

Urvashi couldn’t control her excitement. “Yes, Chitrasen, yes,” she said throwing out her hands and spinning round and round in circles, “Arjuna is the one who has stolen my heart. But how did you know?”

“That was easy, apsara. He is smitten by you too. I saw him sit transfixed as he looked at you, his gaze never wavering for a moment, like Kamadev had struck him with one of his arrows,” explained Chitrasen.

“You think so?” she asked him, “I caught his gaze a couple of times too! He did not lose a moment before praising me after the performance, like he was waiting just to speak to me.” She laughed hysterically. “What should I do now, Chitrasen?”

“Tell him your feelings, you innocent thing, he is not going to be here forever. Make sure he knows you love him too and do that before he leaves,” he said pinching her cheeks lightly with love before he left.

Urvashi ran to Arjuna’s chamber, partly excited, partly embarrassed. Her heart beat wildly as she tried to think what she would say to him. As she stood at the door to his chamber, she saw him. He was reclining on the couch, eyes closed, bare bodied, a silk vastra draped below his waist. She stood in the doorway, admiring his glistening body, imagining how it would be to lay her head upon his bare chest. She looked at his handsome face, his perfect lips and sharp nose. He had Indra’s charm and Kunti’s beauty.

She sighed.

She tiptoed into his chamber, but the sound of her anklet woke him up. He sat up, surprised to see her.

She sashayed up to him, in her own inimitable style, her silken veil flying all around her, smiling seductively before seating herself beside him.

Arjuna was visibly embarrassed. He stood up with folded hands, “Devi, may I know the reason for your visit?” he asked.

“I have lost my heart to you Arjuna,” she said, trying to put an arm around him.

Arjuna instinctively moved away. He was shocked to hear her speak thus. “No, Devi, you mustn’t speak like that. I have looked upon you as someone to be revered.”

“You can also respect the one you love Arjuna.”

“Forgive me Devi, but I do not have such thoughts for you,” he said beckoning her to leave.

Urvashi was furious. Smote in love, and angry in unrequited love, she cursed him, “For spurning my love, Arjuna, I curse you to lose your manliness and be scorned as a eunuch.”

Arjuna was stupefied. He stood as if turned to stone.

When unrequited love  to hatred turned, 

Hell had no fury like a woman scorned! 

Indeed!

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 Later, Indra modified the curse, such that Urvashi’s curse would be effective for just a year, and that too of Arjuna’s choice.

And this curse did come handy, during the thirteenth year of exile, when the Pandavas had to live in disguise, Arjuna lived as a eunuch, Brihanalla, teaching dance to young Uttara.

                                           

This day..last year...U for Unique

T for (Love) Triangle!

 The thought of sharing the love of your life with another is impossible. But when that significant other is Krishna, you hardly have a say in the matter!

This is a tale of a love triangle, one-up-manship and competition to win over Krishna. So how did the Lord untangle this triangle?

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“Narayana…Narayana…” sang Narada muni in praise of Lord Vishnu, as he descended in Satyabhama’s courtyard, clanging the kartal in one hand and veena slung across his shoulders.

Satyabhama bowed her head in reverence. “What brings you here munivar? she asked.

A mischievous smile spread across the sage’s lips, and his eyes sparkled with the thought of the aftermath of his statement, “I should not be telling you this, devi…but….” he paused for effect, with a I-should-not-be-telling-you-this look in his eyes. “No, I think, I should leave,” he said starting to depart.

Satyabhama was suddenly curious. “Mahamuni, come and be seated,” she said, “I’ll get you some fruit nectar to drink.”

“If you insist,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

She offered him the fruit nectar and he drank it happily.

“Now tell me what the matter is,” she asked.

“I heard that Krishna, your husband, has given the exotic Parijata flowers to Rukhmini. I also heard he didn’t give you any? Tch tch…how could he do that? Isn’t he supposed to treat all his wives equally?”

He waited for her to absorb the news.

“The Parijata was obtained during the Samudra-manthan. It is the most fragrant of all flowers, and it is also Krishna’s favorite. If he has given it to Rukhmini, it means that he loves her the most, isn’t it?”

He had? Satyabhama looked hurt. She loved Krishna with all her heart. Didn’t he love her as much? Why had he not given her those exotic flowers?

“Oh, I’m so sorry I hurt you,” said Narada pretending to sympathize but all the while trying to suppress a smile, “See? This is why I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Oh, Munivar, what should I do now?” she asked, feeling humiliated, “How do I find out if Krishna indeed loves me.”

“That’s easy, devi,” said Narada, “He got her a flower, you ask him to get the whole tree,” he said winking mischievously. His work done, he took leave of her, clanging his kartal once again and chanting his lord’s praise, “Narayana….Narayana.”

Satyabhama was so hurt, she immediately sought an audience with Krishna.

“What is it my love, you look upset,” asked Krishna, oblivious to the fire the mischievous sage had ignited in her mind, “Did something happen?”

“You don’t love me, my Lord,” she said sulking like a little child. “You love didi Rukhmini more. That is why you got her the Parijata flowers and got me nothing. Narada muni has told me everything.”

Krishna closed his eyes and sighed. Narada…wait till I meet you.

“The Parijata is in Indralok,” he reasoned, “Indra will be furious if I bring it here. I can get you some flowers if you want.”

“If I want? Why wouldn’t I want?  You should have got me the flowers, but…before I asked you for it,” she pouted, “Now I want the tree. If you love me, get me the tree.”

“No my sweetest heart, I love you as much,” he said trying to pacify her. “You both are like my eyes, how does one love one eye more than the other?”

“Prove it. Get me the tree,” she said stubbornly.

Krishna realized the futility of arguing with her. What was with these women and the competition amongst themselves?  Was it so difficult to comprehend that he loved them equally?  

 And thus he set forth to Indralok to get the tree. After an intense battle with Lord Indra, he managed to procure the tree for her.

Satyabhama was thrilled. You love me the most, my Lord? I knew it!” she exclaimed.

“Where do you want to plant it?” he asked.

She pondered over it for several minutes. Rukhmini must know that Krishna loved his Satyabhama the most.

“Lord, plant it on my side of the garden, but close to the wall between my garden and Didi’s”. It would be a reminder to Rukhmini that Satyabhama was the Lord’s favorite.

Krishna saw through her plan and smiled to himself. “So be it,” he said.

Just as he finished planting, he saw Rukhmini look at the Parijata tree and was suddenly worried. He asked her, “Now are you about to ask me whom do I love more?” The perils of having too many wives, he thought.

“No, my Lord,” said Rukhmini, “I know you love me the most, because you planted the tree in such a way that the westward wind will drop all the flowers in my garden. Satyabhama may have gotten her tree, but finally, I get the flowers, don’t I?”

Krishna smiled. Women.

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This day...last year...T for Trust

S for Seduction

Seducing the man or woman of your dreams is an art. It does not come easy to everyone! And yet there are those people who know how to play this game and win at it.

Here is a tale of a sage who seduced a common girl, and their progeny went on to become the most famous writer of the world’s oldest epic.

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Sage Parashar looked at the beautiful girl ferrying passengers to and fro across the Yamuna. Her curls entwined themselves around her fair body falling to her slim waist and her alluring smile brought an instant sparkle to the drab atmosphere around.

She is the one; the beautiful nymph who is destined to bear me a son of an exceptionally high spiritual state, he thought as he saw her rowing her boat towards him.

He closed his eyes and tried to read her mind.

If only I could be rid of this smell of fish emanating from my body, she thought. No one even steals a glance at me, she sighed. Am I not beautiful?

Oh! So that’s what troubling this beautiful maiden, thought the sage unto himself. She looked pretty graceful doing even such a simple task as rowing. As the boat glided on the waters, she looked like a swan, moving in perfect harmony; only there was sadness in her deep black eyes.

When the boat docked at his end, he helped himself inside and beckoned for her to row.

“There are some more passengers, oh great sage”, she said, “let me help them in too.”

“No…just the two of us,” he said holding up his hand, and the deep baritone of his voice held her captive, luring her into his fold, almost commanding her to obey.

He sat with his gaze fixed steadfast on her and she found that surprisingly comforting. At last someone has bothered to look beyond the smell of my body, she thought.

“Lovely maiden, I know what ails you”, he said as the boat ventured further into the Yamuna.  He then gave her a potion. “Eat this Satyavati”, he said, “it will make your matsyagandha go away.”

Who was this sage? Had he read her mind?

She obeyed as was told and as soon as the potion was consumed, the smell of fish was gone! Her body radiated the smell of the most fragrant musk. She was thrilled and her eyes shone with happiness and gratitude.

Sensing her excitement, he ran his finger on her cheek, “You are such a beautiful girl, Satyavati,” he said leaning into her ear and breathing in the sensual aroma emanating from her body.

She smiled shyly, tilting her head in response to the tingling sensation, letting his finger trace her cheeks, before moving to her quivering lips. He draped an arm around her slender waist and drew her closer…brushing his lips against hers beckoning them to lock into his. As she parted her lips, letting him suckle the sweetness within, he explored territories hitherto unknown to her, leaving her aching for more.

 “Your beauty is unparalleled Satyavati,” he said, holding her in an embrace, and as she rested her head on his chest, tracing patterns on his glistening skin, she knew this was the moment she had been waiting for so long.

“Be mine, Satyavati,” he said lifting her face by her chin, and she smiled shyly, biting her lower lip and lowering her eyes in acceptance.

 “Your eyes are like the bud of a divine lotus, sundari…and you, no less than a divine apsara,” he said kissing her eyes.

Divine.

She dwelled on that word for some time, thinking of all the times people had shied away from her, looking down upon her as a lowly creature, much less a woman. Tears filled her eyes, glistening in the sunlight, and he caught them just before they rolled down.

“Do not dwell in the past, my dear,” he said, “Your days of suffering are over. You will not only bear me a son of exceptional virtues and knowledge but also become the queen of a vast dynasty.”

What women wouldn’t give to be seduced by a man who could not only read their mind but also tell them exactly what they wanted to hear! she thought as she bowed before him, and he enveloped her in his embrace again.

He gently freed her of the veil that covered her. What a beautiful and innocent girl she was. Mind so pure and body so flawless.

And then suddenly lust overtook all other feelings and he deftly coursed down her neck and bosom, touching her like no one had ever touched her before. Satyavati was lost in the electrifying sensations that coursed through her body, giving in to the heat that threatened to consume her, and then suddenly aware of her surroundings, she was immensely embarrassed.

“Oh great sage, it is still daytime, and people are watching us,” she whispered covering herself with her hands.

The sage used his powers and created a thick mist which not only enveloped the boat but also created a false sense of time. As time stood still for the both of them, the sage took her with an enormous passion that belied his position while she shuddered with delight.

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And that is how Satyavati, the young girl on the cusp of transformation into womanhood, was seduced by the great sage Parashar, and their progeny, Vsaya went on to write the Mahabharata, the greatest epic in the world.

This day...last year....S for Smile

R for Romance

The mystery and excitement surrounding love has to be experienced to be known. Romance blossoming between two people is the tenderest of emotions and can often knock one off their senses!

This is one such tale of the tender romance blossoming between a beautiful princess and a prince disguised as an ascetic* (Yati).

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“Beautiful,” said Arjuna, lost in Subhadra’s mesmerizing eyes.

“The food?” teased Subhadra.

“Ummm…hmmm” said Arjuna, his gaze transfixed on the fair maiden before him.

Subhadra broke out into a laughter. His reverie broken, Arjun was visible embarrassed. 

“I mean, tasty, very tasty,” he clarified with a silly, shy smile beginning to form on his lips.

She had been serving him food and tending to his needs ever since he had come to Dwarka as Krishna’s guest. He had been living as a yati*, and she did not know who he was. He had been smitten by her beauty ever since he had first seen her. He loved the attention she had been showering on him.

“Tell me about your travels yatiraj*, tell me about the beautiful places you have visited,” she would urge him with the innocence of a child. He would answer them all patiently, and she would spend hours listening to his charming voice.

An expert charioteer, the horses obeyed her to a fault. He had seen her command the six horses chariot as effortlessly like one would pluck flowers from the garden. When she rode, her hair would fly all over her face making him go weak in his knees. Her knowledge and expertise in several skills was amazing. As the days passed, he had begun to fall in love with her.

Last evening, he had been hiding behind the trees watching her play blindfold with her friends, and she had caught him, imagining him to be one of her friends.

“Caught you”, she had screamed in joy, wrapping her hands around his back. Her soft palms rubbed against his skin, and he felt a bolt of lightning course through his body. As she removed the blindfold and saw it was him, she had run away embarrassed.

Oh! How he wished he had stayed locked in her arms forever!

He almost thought she wouldn’t turn up today, but she had, and she also had the nerve to tease him!

 Maybe she liked him too. He must know.

“Subhadra,” he said, unsure of what he must ask her, “I have heard that you are in love with someone,” wondering if she would bite the bait, “Would you like to tell me about him?”

Subhadra’s blushed, her face turning the deepest shade of pink. How had the yati known what lay confined in her mind? Maybe he was all-knowing. Should she tell him who had stolen her heart? Perhaps he would bless her and grant her a boon, and she would be united with the love of her life.

“Arjuna,” she said, turning to face away from him, lest he saw the longing in her eyes.

Arjuna was shocked. Did she see through his disguise? How could she have known it was him? Did Maadhav tell his sister who he was?

“Yes?” he asked, thinking she had called him.

“Arjuna, the greatest archer ever, has stolen my heart, oh great yati,” she said unabashedly. “I have secretly nurtured the dream to marry him and have a son like him, who will be the best archer in the world.”

Arjuna was pleasantly surprised. Subhadra was in love with him? But when had she seen him?

“Subhadra”, he said, trying to suppress his happiness and yet keeping up the pretense, “Have you met Arjuna?”

“No, yatiraj,” she said still looking away, “But I have heard about his lovable qualities and beauty from my brother. Bhratasri says, he is as handsome as he is valiant; he is as charming as he is skilled, and he is as loving as he is dutiful. Bhratasri cannot stop talking about him and I am always eager to hear more,” she said still blushing.

Subhadra had fallen in love with him without even seeing him?

The thought made him incredibly happy!

Emboldened, he decided to tease her further, “Subhadra,” a mischievous grin adored his beautiful face, “If I could call Arjuna here, right now…”

She suddenly turned to face him, her heart pounding with joy. “Do you know him? Is he in Dwaraka?

“Yes he is,” answered Arjuna, “and he is listening to the most beautiful woman in the world tell him how much she loves him.”

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This day...last year....R for Romance

Q for Quiescence

While quiescence can be a virtue at times, in love it can leave a lacuna, and a longing to be loved. Love needs expression; you cannot just love and leave.

This is a tale of two people, who loved each other. The love was never lost, but it never found its rightful expression and left the protagonist aching and hurt.

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Draupadi sat inside the royal bath, tears streaming down her face. She sat devoid of her robes, unmindful of the maids looking at the bruises on her bare body.

What use are these robes that cover my outer body? The honor and dignity that covered my soul is gone, she rued.

Her long lustrous hair fell to her knees, messy and unfettered. Her kohl had breached its boundaries, flowing freely out of her eyes, past her pink fluid lips. Her maids poured milk strewn with petals of rose on her, and as the milk touched her skin, it bubbled with the heat emanating from her.

“Colder…” she screamed, with pain ridden voice and the maids rushed to get pots of cold milk for her.

No matter how cold, the milk refused to soothe her.

“Leave,” she commanded her maids, with a flick of her wrist. Warm blood continued to ooze out of the fresh wound on her wrist, formed by her broken bangles, as Dusshasan dragged her to the court.

The maids looked at the wound, trying to decide if they should bandage it first, and then they looked at her eyes. No, she needed to be left alone to heal her wounds in solitude.

All alone, Draupadi sat immersed in the tub of milk and roses and closed her eyes.

“Why Parth, why?” she said looking at the exquisite emerald ring Arjuna had put on her finger after the swayamvar.

“Your quiescence kills me Parth….” she thundered, and the echoes of her screams shook the pillars in the room. “What is it that seals your lips? Why cannot you speak?” she shook with uncontrollable anger, and as her body convulsed into spasms of indignation, she held on to the sides of the tub, breathing heavily for several minutes, before her muscles relaxed and her body loosened and slid into the pool of milk.

She remained drowned till she could hold her breath no more and as she emerged, the anger in her eyes had been replaced with tears, 

“It was your quiescence that led to me being shared amongst your brothers, Parth. You shocked me into a stunned silence that matched yours, but I accepted your judgment. I loved you Parth, and I wanted to be yours alone.” She reminisced about that day, about how her heart had fluttered as she garlanded Arjuna, the most handsome and capable archer and how she had dreamt of a perfect life with him, and almost like a curse her dreams had come crashing down.

And then the tears turned into an ache.

“It was your quiescence that sent you into exile for twelve years. My body ached for you, Parth, and my heart longed to hear words of love. I have pined for you in every moment of your absence. Did you not long for me like I did, Parth?

Chitrangada, Subhadra, Uloopi….you showered them all with your love. Why did you forget me, Parth?”

It was beyond her understanding, why he would love her so briefly and then forsake her like he had never loved.

And he had done that again today. She should have known. Why had his silence shocked her? He had been quite predictable. Her eyes had turned a fiery crimson and the scenes from the day gone by flashed before them.

“Today your arch rival Karna called me a characterless woman; did it not make your blood boil, Parth?

Dusshasana dragged me by my wrist,” she looked at the clot of blood that was beginning to form at the site of the wound, “and then by my hair, and you kept silent? Why Parth? Did you not want to chop those hands that dared to touch your Paanchali?

Duryodhana ordered me to sit on his thigh, and you said not a word. I died a thousand deaths not by his disgraceful words, but by the silence that adorned your lips.”

And with that she broke into fits of delirious sobbing. She had loved Arjuna the most, but he had always chosen quiescence over expressing his love towards her, leaving a void in her heart, that stayed till she lived.

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This day..Last Year.... Q for Quiet