He lost. Next game lost again. And again, and again. He kept losing until she was the last thing left. Then he lost her, so there was nothing left to lose. His pride got the better of him. Why did he have to accept the game in the first place? Everyone knew he would lose and told him so. Deep down, even he knew his chances of winning were nonexistent, but his stubbornness and pride prevented him from backing down.
“How dare he bet me as something to be won! I not a pawn in this little game between these men,” she thought. “I no one’s prize. Not anymore.” Draupadi had no say in who her husband would be, but to be in the middle of these petty fights between men again is not acceptable. This time, she will make sure she has a say in how this goes down. After all, she was staked after her husband already staked himself and lost, so she could not have been staked, not technically.
Draupadi grew up alongside the best warriors in the land, her brothers. Even though the king disapproved, they taught her how to fight and defend herself. Her quick wit and sharp tongue is all her own though. She’s tough, she can handle herself. When that horrible Dushasana grabbed her by her hair, she wanted to fight him so badly. “Patience,” she told herself, “not yet.” He may be a pain in the butt, but he’s not the one she’s after. So she waited, waited when Duryodhana called her names and made fun of her in the assembly hall. Waited as they laughed at her. Waited when her husbands were humiliated.
Then he spoke to her, and it left her fuming. It was time. As Dushasana reached for her sari, she struck. Her brothers always encouraged her to fight for herself when she was in danger. She channeled them and remembered everything they had taught her. This egotistical man may have been able to humiliate her husbands, but she wouldn’t back down. She fought for herself, and in the blink of eye, she won. Between her and these egotistical men of Hastinpura, she was the only one left standing. Literally. Draupadi is definitely not a pawn in anyone else’s game.
“How dare he bet me as something to be won! I not a pawn in this little game between these men,” she thought. “I no one’s prize. Not anymore.” Draupadi had no say in who her husband would be, but to be in the middle of these petty fights between men again is not acceptable. This time, she will make sure she has a say in how this goes down. After all, she was staked after her husband already staked himself and lost, so she could not have been staked, not technically.
Draupadi grew up alongside the best warriors in the land, her brothers. Even though the king disapproved, they taught her how to fight and defend herself. Her quick wit and sharp tongue is all her own though. She’s tough, she can handle herself. When that horrible Dushasana grabbed her by her hair, she wanted to fight him so badly. “Patience,” she told herself, “not yet.” He may be a pain in the butt, but he’s not the one she’s after. So she waited, waited when Duryodhana called her names and made fun of her in the assembly hall. Waited as they laughed at her. Waited when her husbands were humiliated.
Then he spoke to her, and it left her fuming. It was time. As Dushasana reached for her sari, she struck. Her brothers always encouraged her to fight for herself when she was in danger. She channeled them and remembered everything they had taught her. This egotistical man may have been able to humiliate her husbands, but she wouldn’t back down. She fought for herself, and in the blink of eye, she won. Between her and these egotistical men of Hastinpura, she was the only one left standing. Literally. Draupadi is definitely not a pawn in anyone else’s game.
Draupadi: Source
Author's Note: My story was inspired by Tales 80-83 in the Mahabharata, where the Pandavas and Draupadi go to Hastinpura to gamble a few rounds, and the image above. As soon as Draupadi was introduced, the first word I could think to describe her was, pardon my language, 'badass'. In previous stories we have read, the female characters have been portrayed as demure and submissive. While there is nothing wrong with being either of those, their portrayals have often had sexist undertones, which I did not appreciate. I saw Draupadi as someone strong and confident who was not afraid to stand up for herself, so I wanted to take advantage of that in my story. But I wanted to take it one step further, which is why I had her defend herself instead of asking the gods for help. And since her brothers are warriors, it made sense to me that they would teach their little sister self defense.
Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs, Part B
Hi Lydia,
ReplyDeleteI love that you chose to focus on Draupadi for your story this week! No need to pardon your language, she is badass and you should say it!! I love how you wrote Draupadi's backstory as a sort of superhero origin story, and how she was able to be strong and patient while seeking revenge. You did a great job of bringing this character to life with her motivations and desires!
Hi Lydia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your story! I like how you added in a feminist twist to this story and focussed on Draupadi. When I read the original story, she seemed just like a side character. The focus of the story was more on the gambling match. Therefore I like that you brought her thoughts and feelings to life and made her more than just a pawn to be won. I think seeing this side of her allows the reader to gain insight into who she is, and see that she is real person with real feelings and not some prize to be auctioned off in a competition between two men. I really like how you show what she is thinking and feeling.