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What if Sita described her own love story to us? Would it just be the story of her love for Ram, or would it surprise you? Would it be the story of everywoman?
I was no ordinary woman, I was the gift of Mother Earth.
Slender me was strong enough to have the Shiv Dhanush for my toy
Yet coyly, I surrendered my whole being to Ram (who broke my toy)
I was adamant enough to give up those palatial pleasures and walk the harsh jungles with my husband
In those enchanted forests, I was callow enough to lust after a golden deer and make Ram go after it
And then naive enough to cross the Lakshman Rekha…
I was devoted enough to Ram and did not succumb to Ravana’s wily charms or his nefarious threats
I was committed enough to our love, to go through the agni pariksha so that He could stand tall amongst those slighting voices.
I was stoic enough to be the first ever documented single mother when ‘Raj Dharma’ won over marital love
Also valiant enough to say ‘No More‘ and join my mother…so that the later generations could say that I too stood tall and silenced those carping voices
When it came to making love triumph and standing by the ‘call-of-duty‘, I chose ME!
Because it was my Dharma!
Because I loved myself too, completely and unapologetically!
Sita… don’t we all have a part of her, in our selves, generation after generation?
Some love stories are eternal!
Anupama Jain is the author of: * ’Kings Saviours & Scoundrels -Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara’, listed as one of the best books of 2022 by @Wordsopedia. Rooted in the traditional storytelling of Indian legends, warriors, read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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Dear Women’s Web Community Member,
You may have wondered at our being on the quieter side during the last couple of months. Thank you for your patience, and we wanted to come back to you with a detailed note on what’s been happening at our end of things.
When we first began Women’s Web, as a blog from one woman’s desk along with a few like-minded souls, little could we have imagined the heights that it would soar to. Over the years, Women’s Web has published over 20000 stories (almost all by women), empowered countless women with the ideas, community and resources to chase their dreams, employed hundreds of women in core and project-based roles, and in the process, emerged as the OG women’s community in India. It has also inspired many others to build communities of a similar nature, all enabling women (and other-underrepresented groups) in their own ways.
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