A tribute to Draupadi (द्रौपदी)

I recently read a book called "The Palace of Illusions" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and it gave me a new perspective on the Mahabharat. This blog is inspired by the book:

Who is Draupadi?

   The first thing that comes to one’s mind is - She is a woman with five husbands. But this was not her choice as she was forced into this predicament. Then why did the society call her names?

  The second thing that strikes us is the manner in which she was disrobed in a court full of Kings, Ministers, and Sages whilst all her five husbands watched helplessly. Once again, why punish a woman in the most atrocious way possible? 

   The next thing that Draupadi is well known for is her revenge. Where she avenges to tie her hair only after she’s washed it with the blood of her enemy. And she achieves it at a huge cost: The Kurukshetra battle. Is the revenge of a mere Queen the only reason for one of the greatest battles of Indian History?

These three questions sum up The Mahabharat. And one cannot explain it all without mentioning Her: Draupadi, the synonym of power, confidence, revenge, pride, and love.

Some background on the Mahabharat:

   The Kingdom of Hastinapur, in northern India, was ruled by a blind King who had 100 sons called the Kauravas. The blind King was a trophy King, filling in for his dead brother, the father of 5 sons also called the Pandavas. Yudhisthir, the elder most of the Pandavas was the lawful heir to the throne of Hastinapur once he came off age. However, Duryodhan (the elder most son of the Kauravas), also claimed the throne because his father was the current ruling King. Draupadi was the wife of the Pandavas. 

Draupadi:

   Also known as Panchali, she’s an unusual woman because of her unusual birth. You see, she was not born from a mother’s womb. She was born but out of Fire along with her brother but only she held the prophecy to change the country's history.

   While growing up, Draupadi was never a stereotypical princess who was interested to sing, dance or marry her Prince charming. She was more interested in learning what her brother was taught: statesmanship, politics, and warcraft. She was not a conventional beauty either, for, she was as dark as the night. But she grew up believing that “Others perceive you the way you project yourself” and this helped her in becoming the most sought-after princess of her time.

    Her curiosity in the ways of the world brought her very close to Lord Krishna, the human avatar of God himself. Krishna found her self-belief and confidence appealing, and he couldn't stop admiring her restlessness and a never-ending longing to fulfill the prophecy. She was very fond of Krishna and their frequent encounters made her worldly-wise, mature. And she was ready to face the real world.

    Her life indeed changed with her marriage to Arjun (one of the Pandavas). One can call her marriage unusual too.  Because, when Arjun took her home to surprise his family, Kunti (his mother) who had no clue about his wedding, asked him to share anything that he had brought home with the rest of his brothers. Thus started her conflicting marital life getting unwanted attention and tarring her character forever.

   The frequent ups and downs in the lives of her husbands made her life a roller coaster ride. While she lived in huge palaces and enjoyed the privileges of being a Queen, she also dwelled in forests: cooking, serving, cleaning and taking care of her husbands. And when the infamous disrobing happened, she lost everything that she'd built over the years.

  Despite these puddles in her life, Draupadi drew strength in the form of revenge to destroy the people who've insulted her. Also, her husbands wanted their fair share of the Kingdom and this led to one of the most iconic battles in the history of India, The Kurukshetra. The battle can also be translated as the fight for dharma: the truth. At the end of an extremely crucifying battle, the Pandavas won and so did She! 

    Draupadi was destined to change history but it came with a heavy cost. She gained accolades for her strength but also lost her self-respect in the worst way a woman can ever imagine. Today, she remains in history as the woman who was disrobed in a full-court. But in reality, she's a Phoenix who rose from ashes.

Such was the life of a Queen who was born from Fire, made of Fire and breathed Fire!!

Learning about her has led me to several questions ...

• Draupadi's father prayed for an heir who would take revenge for him. And the Fire God presented him with a son and a daughter. Why then did the Father choose only the son for his revenge, though both his children had equal powers? Was she considered less serious because she was a girl child?

• After her marriage, she was supposed to spend one year each with a husband and had the "boon" to become a virgin for her next husband. Isn't this boon tailor-made for a patriarchal society? What about her feelings, memories and all the awkwardness that came with the whole arrangement?

• One of her husbands gambled her during the game of dice after he had already lost everything. How can a man who's already lost himself still own his wife and gamble her?

• History projects the war mostly as Draupadi's revenge. Was she solely responsible?? Wasn't it the greedy Kauravas who refused to share the Kingdom with Pandavas?? Or is it too easy to blame a woman for anything bad that happens anywhere in the world??

• Sita, a light-skinned, effeminate and doting wife of a monogamist is considered an ideal woman by society. On the contrary, Draupadi, an independent, unconventional and ambitious lady is not your "ideal woman"?

      

Book Review: The Printer Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

    As the title suggests, this book is about a (local) bookshop which contains valuable letters and has a very cozy and warm atmosphere. Madeline (referred to as Aunt Maddie), the owner of the shop passes it on to her niece, also named Madeline, with whom she has a strained relationship. So, when the younger Madeline (aged around 30) inherits her aunt’s shop and her house after her aunt's demise, she realizes that she not only has to keep the struggling store running but that she also holds the responsibility of taking her aunt’s legacy forward.

     Though Madeline (a lawyer by profession) plans to sell the store, the employees of the bookstore, Janet (in her early sixties) and Claire (in her late forties) have different ideas. The bookstore is more than just a workplace to these women and they intend to keep the store running by planning events/sales for raising funds for the store. It is during this process where the trio Madeline, Janet, and Claire form an unlikely friendship irrespective of their different backgrounds, experiences and age groups. How they meander through their own complicated personal lives whilst keeping up the bookshop forms a very interesting narrative and forms the crux of the book. Also, the memories of Aunt Maddie and her relationship with the leading women are an important part of this book mainly because Aunt Maddie's character can be cherished as an epitome of positivity, generous and helping nature by all customers and the like.

    The best part of this book is its narrative style where the story is told from all the three protagonists’ points of view and the readers get to know different perspectives of the same events of the day. It can be a little confusing in the beginning but once you get the hang of it, it is quite engaging. The story is also quite relatable because the three leading characters are of different age groups and each person’s story has all the elements that a person goes through at that respective age. The bonus that book lovers get is a list of recommended books that can change their lives and create a positive impact.

The Printed Letter Bookshop changes the lives of its characters in a remarkable manner and it’ll definitely leave a lasting impact on its readers’ lives too.

Book Review: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

In the 1930s, also called the Depression-era of America, Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt) came up with the idea of traveling libraries for spreading education across the nation. The novel "The Giver of Stars" by "Jojo Moyes" is about the lives of five women in Kentucky who join the cause and become packhorse librarians, usually delivering books on horseback/mule. 

Initially, the citizens of Kentucky are not too trusting of this idea, but the sheer dedication and passion with which the books are delivered draw them in. As the plot goes ahead, we delve deeper into the lives of these women and why they chose this profession, while all that the other women of the village ever did was cook for their families and gossip. How the traveling library fares and the journey of these women form the crux of the book. Also, the reference to popular English classics, children’s books and poems of that time lead us to the inspiration to the title of this book.

It’s not surprising that our world started off from a place where women were only expected to cook and give birth to children. Voicing or even having opinions led to serious implications. This predicament was also faced by colored people where the discrimination extended to the absurd concept of colored libraries and restrooms. Also, the beginnings of industrial pollution and the working conditions of mines throws light on the disparity between the rich and the needy. One thing is certain, our ancestors and women went through many hardships to bring society to this privileged position.

 The true intent of any impactful historical fiction is to make its readers strive for and look forward to development. And this book achieves it by showing us how our ancestors have done it all. 

Those Unexpected Beginnings..

It was 7PM and he was in the lobby of the “Taj” hotel in Lands’ End, Mumbai. 15 mins have passed without his phone buzzing.

“Yes !!!”, he thumped, “Today has officially ended”.

Ankit Sharma had a busy day. The whole day was buzzing with calls, meetings and press conferences about a possible proposition in Mumbai. He worked as the Publicity Manager for the ruling political party. As expected, there were stupid questions thrown at him and he had to confine his retorts to his inner voice.

Tired as he was, he got up from the comfortable sofa to finally go to his room and enjoy the sea link view. The best part of his job was the

perks he got when he was traveling for work.

He was waiting for the elevator when a voice from behind said:

“Ankit Sharma! Alone on a Saturday night ?!!”

He turned around to see Priya Shankar, dazzling in a party dress. Priya was working for the opposition political party and she held the same position as Ankith.

“Is this a setup by your employers!”, came the expected reply.

“You think you are too important, don’t you?!”, she retorted with a frown.

“If I don’t consider myself important, who will?”, he said without faltering.

“Anyways, what brings you to Mumbai?”, she asked.

“Work trip, but tomorrow is a holiday and I’ve managed to extend my stay for this night. How about you?”

“Aren’t you coming from a party conference today? Rumor is that you guys are going to say yes to today’s deal.”, she said. He looked at her. She was beautiful; green always suited her. He had first seen her in Hyderabad during the swearing ceremony and she immediately made a great impression on him - the way she was handling her team, talking to people, giving them orders, checking her notebook, elegant and so much in control. “Lady Boss”, were his thoughts then.

“I can’t believe am discussing work.”, she said and he came out of reverie.

“You know, Priya, I should learn from you. The way you wheeze out answers from others but you never answer them yourself.”, he said.

“Knowing you, I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment but today, I will”, she said.

“See, you are dodging my question again.”, he smiled, “Why are you here?”, he asked.

“Why, aren’t you happy to see me?”, she said with a mock flirty voice, but then laughed at his expression. “I am meeting some friends tonight but am actually here for a wedding”.

“Wedding! How lucky! Haven’t attended one in ages”, he smiled.

“Same here, I jumped at the chance of attending one and sent an RSVP right after I checked my calendar. So, are you leaving tomorrow?”, she said.

“Yes, I am.”, he said while her phone rang. She excused herself to talk on the phone.

Standing there, he wondered, “Is she seeing someone? One would be lucky to date Lady Boss”. It was difficult to have a private life now that they were in the public eye and the last time he checked, she was rumored to be in a relationship. He wanted to ask her out several times in the past but he thought that it would be too complicated. They just started their careers and he did not want to jeopardize his position but now ….

“My friends are going to be late by 25 mins. I’ll wait here in the lobby.”, she said.

“Wow, that’s great!”, the words slipped his mouth he could stop himself.

“What?”, she said. She was taken aback. Did she hear him right?

“Yes, it’s great that they informed you, isn’t it? “, he said to cover up his slip, “Is it okay if I give you company while you wait here in the lobby? I am waiting for my keys anyways”, he said innocently.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

“Okay”, she said with suspicion.

“Can we order some drinks here in the lobby? I want to order an iced tea”, she said.

“I can check that for you.”, he said, looking for a waiter.

“Not bad”, she thought. Though he was not a looker, he always dressed classy.

“Waiter, one iced tea for the lady and one coffee for me. Please make the coffee extra hot.”, he said.

“Iced tea with mint”, she said to the waiter and then remarked, “How varied are our orders!”.

“Well, I have a headache and need something hot to drink. Else, I would have ordered iced tea”, he looked at her with a pause, “with mint”, he added.

“Oh”, she said at a loss to reply. Is it possible that he was flirting?

“Anyways, it’s nice meeting you outside work. How’s life? Boyfriends?”, he asked with his fingers crossed.

“I dated a guy but we broke up a few months back.”, she replied.

“Oh, that’s bad. Am sorry”, he said, with his heart leaping with hope.

“Well, it took about 3 conferences to get over him. How about you? What’s new?”, she asked.

“Well, it’s great. Everything is fine”, he gave a short reply, wondering if she would be interested in his personal life.

“Sir, Ma’m: your order”, the waiter interrupted.

“Thank you”, they both said in unison and laughed. He added sugar to his coffee and stirred it. She was sipping her tea.

“The service is quick here, isn’t it. Anyways, where were we?”, she said.

“Nothing, you had just asked me about my life.”, he tried his luck again.

“Yes, I remember. How about personal life?”, she asked with a smile.

“Well, I was seeing someone until recently too.”, he lied.

“Looks like we are in the same boat”, she replied sympathetically.

“Yes. What’s your type?”, he asked curiously.

“Are you really asking me this? I never thought we’ll be having this kind of a conversation.”, she asked.

“Why, what’s wrong? I thought you were enjoying our conversation. Because, I am”, he replied, looking at her directly.

“WWhaaa”, came her reply, her face reddening.

“Sorry if am making you uncomfortable.”, he said smiling coyly at her.

“Is this really Ankit?”, she thought. While she was an outspoken and expressive person, he was the opposite. He limited himself to his circle of friends and sometimes she had wondered if he were in the right field of work. He was brilliant, of course, but he was seldom found in “networking” gigs.

“Yes, it’s me.”, he guessed her expression, “By the way, you look great tonight”, he added. She looked very cute at the moment and he couldn’t help but laugh at her expression.

“Thank you”, she managed, hiding a blush. Her heart was thumping, not sure why.

“I consider myself lucky today, for getting a chance of meeting you here.”, he said in a rush. If not now, never. “If you are free,”, he said when her phone ringed.

“My friends are here”, she told him, “I have to leave. You were saying something?”, she said teasingly.

“Well, if you are free tomorrow”, he started awkwardly.

“Yes?”, she teased further.

“Will you come for a coffee with me”, he finished.

She looked at him and stood up to leave. Then she turned back and smiled. “You know my number, contact me”, she replied and left.

Book Review: Find someone to love by Divya Sood

Find Someone to Love by Divya Sood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The review contains spoilers.

I came across this book in Netgalley and I immediately requested a copy because I was intrigued by the synopsis. I am really glad that I got an opportunity to read this book mostly because it's so honest. Divya Sood touches human emotions in a way that the story stays with you for a long time.
The protagonist in the film, Priya works as an optician in New York. She has a simple, quiet life and her helpful and friendly nature earns her a good rapport with her colleagues, Sam and Ed. She is an average person having a steady job, staying in touch with her family in India, going for work lunches, nothing too dramatic happening in her life until Dr.Ibrahim joins their clinic as the new ophthalmologist. The entrance of Dr.Leyla Ibrahim unfolds various layers that Priya has been hiding for a long time and you’ll slowly realize that she’s been through a lot. She’s loved someone unconditionally in the past and she continues to love her and its none other than Dr.Leyla Ibrahim. However, Leyla is married to a man and treats Priya as a best friend, occasionally taking her help. As the story unfolds, we know that Leyla is aware of Priya’s feelings and more complications arise in their relationship. By the time the story ends, you’ll have experienced everything that Priya has gone through and you are relieved with the practical ending.

Though this book is sad and emotional, it keeps the reader engrossed because the characters are quite real and the journey is heart touching. The pain of unrequited love and loving someone unconditionally even after a sad past is depicted very well in the book. The fact that no one including her family knows about Priya’s orientation and the way she’s been handling it brings a vulnerability to the plot. In addition, the recent demise (suicide) of her favorite cousin and the reason behind it makes it all very tragic.

The book is very well written and the author has a gift of giving the readers an emotional experience. It’s the kind of book which brings back old, wounded experiences in your life and gives a perspective on handling emotions. Looking forward to reading more of her books.

Book received from Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for an honest review.


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Book Review: The Girl in Room 105 by Chetan Bhagat

The Girl in Room 105 by Chetan Bhagat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Immensely enjoyed reading this book and am glad to have picked this one to read. For starters, this is not “the usual” Chetan Bhagat kind of book and I was pleasantly surprised by the never-ending plot twists. With an interesting narrative, realistic characters and dialogues, this book has it all. True friendship and honest camaraderie between the leads, pining for a loved one & heartbreaks combined with finding oneself, strong will power, issues of the country all lead by a murder mystery keep the readers engrossed. Knowing more about Kashmir, including ‘kahwah’ and other lingo is also a plus. I couldn’t put down the book and the ending was fantastic too.
This is one of Chetan Bhagat’s best books and I am looking forward to more of ”Z Detectives” in the future (wouldn’t that be great !!).


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Book Review: "I Owe you One" by Sophie Kinsella

I am a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella's books mostly because she writes what she believes in and what she's going through or rather what an average person goes through in their everyday life. Her books might not be science fiction/crime thrillers; they are simple stories, light-hearted and relatable which make you smile. Also, she's definitely among the few authors whom the readers can rely on. She promises one book a year and she delivers. You need not wait endlessly to read more from her. She's been releasing a new book each year in February for three years (or more )and I always preorder her books around Christmas. Its become a part of my life now. I now have a Kinsella weekend in February and I love it.

Her new book "I Owe You One" is a delight. I love how the story takes the reader through the life of a woman who wants to safeguard the family store but also touches the delicate sentiments and pangs of growing up with sibling rivalry. On top of that, we also get a touching love story which also brings up many aspects of a fulfilling and enduring relationship. Throughout the book, the emphasis on keeping up family values and bonding in spite of the many differences you have with them starts getting to you. Misunderstanding between siblings, building up your confidence is very well portrayed. "Family comes first" is what you'll be agreeing to because no matter how different you are from your family, no one else understands you more than your family. Believe in your family, they'll be there for you no matter what.

On a lighter vein, as always, Kinsella treats the readers to something new: the hustle and bustle of managing a store & employees, retaining customers; in short, a guide on how to manage a business successfully. The way she portrays it all is fabulous and you actually get involved in the store accounts and the schedule they run.

The only downside is that this book is a slow read but maybe its because I was a little distracted. All in all, it's a wonderful book. Please go read it :)