Her maids came and went, trying to console her but to no avail. The days passed in tears. What was the point in doing anything if she couldn't have him?
When she learned that a man had been chosen for her to marry, her stomach dropped. Her dread was unmatched. Her new husband would only serve as a constant reminder of what she could never have. She felt hopeless and empty.
On the day of the wedding, she felt numb. As her maids dressed her and complimented her beauty, Sita could only smile faintly. From inside the castle, she heard children outside laughing and people dancing to music. She opened her curtains slightly and peered out into the streets. Colorful decorations were hung on every building and there was not a single unhappy face amongst the crowd.
How could anyone be happy on a day like this? she wondered. How could there be a celebration when she felt so wretchedly?
She tried to perk up, knowing that she would have to accept her marriage eventually. Why ruin a day that is supposed to be one of the best of her life?
Walking through the crowds, she tried to quell her sadness and put on a brave face. As she approached the altar, though, she stopped in shock.
Could it be? she thought, for at that moment her eyes locked for the second time with the man she had shed so many tears over. Rama grinned at her, as radiant and beautiful as ever. Sita returned the smile with one of her own, an unfamiliar expression in the past weeks but one she would never forget.
_______
Author's Note: In Narayan's Ramayana, there is a part where Sita and Rama see each other momentarily, fall in love without even talking, and then expect to never see each other ever again. They both grow extremely depressed about this, but then it turns out that Rama succeeded in performing the task that was required to be able to marry Sita (the task was lifting, bending, and stringing Shiva's bow). I decided to re-write this because I wanted to focus on Sita's emotions in the situation. I also wanted to re-write it because I felt like the original omitted a lot of personal reflections that Sita was probably dealing with, and I felt that it was important to address them. Also, from the original story I couldn't figure out exactly when it was revealed to Sita that it was actually Rama she was going to marry, so I just assumed it was the moment of the wedding.
Bibliography: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. By Kamban and R. K. Narayan.
Image Information: Sita and Rama from Flickr
Hi Brooke,
ReplyDeleteThis is literally the sweetest thing I have read. I love how you really brought SIta's character to life through her emotions. Reading it made me feel like I was her experiencing all these emotions of never marrying my one true love. I wonder what about Rama that Sita loved so much that she could never forget him. Man, if only her dad did not have to test her suitor like that. Would she have felt the same love? What I am trying to say is that since Rama and SIta had gone through so much before getting married, that longing might be why they love each other so much. If it was too easy in the beginning, would it have been the same? Also, what if at the end, it wasn't Rama at the altar? I wonder what Rama would have done. Would he have chased after her and steal her away or would we have just given up?
Some interesting thoughts for me haha.
Hey Brooke!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your story! I really enjoyed how you focused on Sita’s emotions. I feel that too often in a story the woman and how she is feeling during whatever is happening is never at the forefront. It is a nice change of pace that helps us get better insight into the other half. I do also agree with you that I had no idea when they were going to marry so I thought it was great you explained to us when it was happening. I hope to read more of your stories soon!
Brooke,
ReplyDeleteI really liked this story! I am glad that you focused so heavily on the emotions felt by the characters, I think that is very important. By including so many details of the character's feelings, you were able to bring them to life and seem less two dimensional. I loved it. Good job.
Hi Brooke,
ReplyDeleteI liked your story, and I think you did a good job of addressing the issues you mentioned in your authors note. I had those same thoughts about the lack of insight into Sita’s reflections and realization of her groom. Despite the lack of insight into all of Sita’s reflections, I did appreciate the detail Narayan’s version gave to natural descriptions like the moon, the bed, and even how he described Rama.