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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...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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