Every day is the same. Father welcomes men from faraway lands to try their hand at lifting Shiva’s bow. Father holds this test so these men can prove they are fit to be a king and worthy of being my husband. I can lift the bow, so it makes sense that the person I marry should too. But why father has kept allowing men to try is beyond me when all they do is fail. One man came close, but then he slipped, and the bow fell on him. I wish I could say I felt sympathetic, but when I freed him from under the bow, he acted very pompous, claiming that if he could not lift the bow, then how could anyone else. I may have wounded his pride just a little bit.
Since that day, I have grown tired of seeing all of these men try lifting the bow. It is because these men were no longer interested in winning my hand in marriage, they just wanted to prove themselves as the strongest and most righteous in the land. They wanted to boost their ego. However, I knew Father would not stop his test. His intentions are good; he just wants me to find a worthy husband. I just want to find a worthy husband. So, I refrain from speaking out and indulge him a little longer.
Though, I’m starting to lose hope. I prayed to the Goddess to bring me someone who is my match, my equal. This was my last option before I lost all hope. But then She answered my prayers! I literally turned around and saw him. And, it was love at first sight. And that isn’t even the best part. The very next day, he arrived in court to try lifting and stringing Shiva’s bow. I’ll admit, I may have sighed and *internally* rolled my eyes. Will he be just another man trying to prove his strength but destined to fail like the rest? The difference is that he isn't just another guy. I was actually worried the outcome would not be what I wanted with this man. I prepared myself for disappointment, but it never came. This man, my soulmate lifted the bow that only I had succeeded in doing before. I was going to get my happily-ever-after moment. I could not help the smile that broke across my face. My cheeks were stinging with how happy I was. Then, this man did the most remarkable thing I had ever seen. He broke the bow! Broke. The. Bow. In half. On purpose, no less! I did not even have time to register my surprise when it was announced that I would marry this man, Prince Rama. A fairytale ending indeed.
Since that day, I have grown tired of seeing all of these men try lifting the bow. It is because these men were no longer interested in winning my hand in marriage, they just wanted to prove themselves as the strongest and most righteous in the land. They wanted to boost their ego. However, I knew Father would not stop his test. His intentions are good; he just wants me to find a worthy husband. I just want to find a worthy husband. So, I refrain from speaking out and indulge him a little longer.
Though, I’m starting to lose hope. I prayed to the Goddess to bring me someone who is my match, my equal. This was my last option before I lost all hope. But then She answered my prayers! I literally turned around and saw him. And, it was love at first sight. And that isn’t even the best part. The very next day, he arrived in court to try lifting and stringing Shiva’s bow. I’ll admit, I may have sighed and *internally* rolled my eyes. Will he be just another man trying to prove his strength but destined to fail like the rest? The difference is that he isn't just another guy. I was actually worried the outcome would not be what I wanted with this man. I prepared myself for disappointment, but it never came. This man, my soulmate lifted the bow that only I had succeeded in doing before. I was going to get my happily-ever-after moment. I could not help the smile that broke across my face. My cheeks were stinging with how happy I was. Then, this man did the most remarkable thing I had ever seen. He broke the bow! Broke. The. Bow. In half. On purpose, no less! I did not even have time to register my surprise when it was announced that I would marry this man, Prince Rama. A fairytale ending indeed.
Sita and Rama: Source
Author's Note: I took inspiration from Tale 45 in Tiny Tales. This tale, called "Rama Comes to Janaka's Court" details how Rama wished to try lifting the bow in order to win Sita's hand in marriage. He succeeded in lifting and stringing the bow, but he went beyond by breaking the bow in half, demonstrating his strength and worthiness. So, Rama was given permission by King Janaka to marry Sita. For my story, instead of telling the story from an objective/narratorial perspective, I wanted to write it from Sita's point of view. So, I referenced Tales 43 and 44 to lead to the story of Rama lifting the bow because they provided some context about Sita's life surrounding the marriage test. At times, I felt the Ramayana epic was misogynistic, so telling the story from Sita's perspective allowed me to write from a woman's point of view and not make her sound so passive, instead more like she knows what she wants and won't accept anything less, while still staying true to the original plot.
Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana by Laura Gibbs. Part A, Page 5
I think that your story is unique. The way that you expressing the character feeling through all the attempts of men trying to lift a bow to marry the main character. The frustration, the losing of hope, the intense moment of the love at first sight is real. Reading the story was almost like living in the moment and feeling all the emotion that went through the character. I love it and your story is very unique
ReplyDeleteI love this topic and I am actually really interested in Rama and Sita's story as well! I loved the stories I got to read about them and the situations they faced. This particular one is full of love and emotion. The two fell in love the moment they looked at each other and Rama having to fight for Sita adds a certain flavor of spice to the story. I do also feel that Sita can be shown as passive at times and the story can be quite misogynistic, however I liked your version and the fact that you gave a bigger voice to Sita in your writing.
ReplyDeleteI am also reading the Tiny Tales version! I love how you wrote it from Sita's point of view instead, which makes the story even more interesting! I love how you changed the point of view but stayed with the original story plot. When reading your story I felt that I was there and experiencing it in real life. I love how your version of the story gave the readers a better voice to Sita.
ReplyDeleteLydia!! I love your story. My least favorite parts about the Ramayana were the ones where misogynistic males were applauded for doing the bare minimum. I love how you gave Sita a voice and told us her inner thoughts! I really felt for her and how sad she was in seeing all of these dumb guys being the only ones that she could potentially marry. I laughed at her reaction to Rama breaking the bow. But, my favorite part was how she didn't seem like a damsel in distress here. Knowing how strong Sita is, I wonder why she wasn't able to be more proactive in freeing herself from Ravana later on in the story. It seems like in the Ramayana she just sits around praying and waiting for Rama to save her. I think it would be really interesting to see more of her inner thoughts from when she was captured, or even a new story where she saves herself! Stories like this need more girl power. I think the only thing I would suggest for your story here is to maybe tie in the "Disney Princess Moment" from the title into the story somewhere, it fits perfectly but maybe reference it somewhere? Great job!!
ReplyDelete