Week 3 Story: "Justice"
"Thank you, greatest and honourable Rama."
The words were strange against human lips, the sound of Ahalya's voice new to her after so many years. Her whole body ached in protest when she moved. After a thousand years of stone, Ahalya could again feel the soft breeze, and the sun's warmth. She could feel the dirt squish between her toes, and the blood flow through her body as if singing. And finally, she could exact the justice that was due. To live as granite until Rama happened along after a thousand years was not a punishment any person deserved.
Rama had said not to let the past burden her, but he did not know that it had become her purpose. When Rama and company left, she quickly gathered a special herb from the brushes nearby. She returned to her husband, who had been waiting. Gautama opened his arms to Ahalya, and they entered the ashram as renewed husband and wife. A purified heart Rama had told Gautama, but Gautama in all his wisdom was still suspicious. Every glance in her direction was laced with wariness.
She played his good wife, but bided the time. In the years that passed, she even provided the old sage with a son. Ahalya could not say that she did not love him, Shatananda, with every ounce of her being. When she finally rid herself of Gautama, she would take her precious boy with her.
One day, there was a moment when Gautama was too happy attending to Shatananda to notice anything amiss. Ahalya slipped the herb she had collected the day Rama had released her, into Gautama's tea. That night, while he rested in the deepest sleep of his existence, she approached him, ready to fulfill her purpose. To enact justice against a punishment undeserved.
"No Ahalya," came a voice that had haunted her moments in stone. The sudden presence of the king of the gods did not go unnoticed. Even Gautama shifted slightly in his drugged slumber. Ahalya could feel him reach to her, but jumped back, her teeth bared.
"Do not dare touch me again," she hissed at Lord Indra, raising the knife at him. Even though she had committed the highest disrespect, Indra only frowned with sadness and slight pain in his eyes. He reached again, this time for the knife in Ahalya's hand, and she finally saw that it was now a thousand eyes covering his radiant skin. He used her surprise at his modified curse to wrench the knife from her hand.
"You would live to regret that choice more than a thousand years turned to stone," he whispered, eyes lingering a little too long. Disgusted and infuriated, Ahalya stormed out of the ashram. The world around the ashram seemed to hold its breath. She felt the gods watching her and she cursed them in her heart.
Was she not allowed to have justice? Was she not allowed to be compensated for the loss of a thousand years in stone?
Suddenly, at the sight of her Shatananda sleeping soundly under the stars, she burst into silent tears. Had she murdered Gautama while he was under the influence of her herbal deceit, would she have been any better than Indra? And her punishment may have been such that she lost everything, including her son.
Falling to her knees, Ahalya wept until dawn. She hadn't noticed Indra sit next to her, but the sunlight glittering off the deity's jewels caught her attention. The eyes along his arms seemed to blink. Even though his curse had been changed, it was still a constant reminder of what he had done. He was to be remembered as the deva who had seduced and deceived a sage's wife for his own purpose. As king of gods, he had thought he was entitled to her beauty, the finest beauty of Brahma's own creation. But he was a misguided fool.
Sometimes, we served punishments for our own actions. Sometimes, we accepted punishments for the actions of others. And sometimes, it seems, we are punished for an uncontrollable existence. As Indra stared ahead, what must have been millennia spread before him, Ahalya saw that born as king of the gods, arrogance and entitlement was his true curse.
But then she supposed, beauty had been hers.
Bibliography
R K. Narayan. The Ramayana [Print].
"Ahalya". Website: Wikipedia
"Gautama Maharishi". Website: Wikipedia
*Author's Note: I didn't really like how Ahalya's story went in Narayan's Ramayana. In Narayan's version, Indra (king of the gods) desired her greatly as the most beautiful of Brahma's creations. He slept with her by disguising himself as her husband Gautama. Gautama, the same older man who had raised her, turned Ahalya into granite for the infidelity and also cursed Indra. Several versions suggest that she actually saw through Indra's trickery. So maybe she was wrong, but did she deserve that punishment? Here, I imagined that as a statue for a thousand years until Rama saved her, the heavy weight of the curse indeed burdened her, and she absolved to seek justice for herself. In the retelling, I didn't want to portray her as a plotting, vengeful woman, but one who had suffered centuries for a single mistake. I also wanted to make it ambiguous whether she actually hates Indra for what happened, or if she had consented to it as some versions allude to. I felt that with either, even if she had the chance to explain or 'apologise', Gautama would have punished her regardless. In the version I read, Gautama said her body should be 'hardened' into 'shapeless' stone since she 'sinned' with it. Thus, it seemed she had also paid a price directed at her beauty. So was the punishment pure or out of spite? An eye for an eye, so maybe Ahalya deserved to take her pound of flesh.
The words were strange against human lips, the sound of Ahalya's voice new to her after so many years. Her whole body ached in protest when she moved. After a thousand years of stone, Ahalya could again feel the soft breeze, and the sun's warmth. She could feel the dirt squish between her toes, and the blood flow through her body as if singing. And finally, she could exact the justice that was due. To live as granite until Rama happened along after a thousand years was not a punishment any person deserved.
Rama had said not to let the past burden her, but he did not know that it had become her purpose. When Rama and company left, she quickly gathered a special herb from the brushes nearby. She returned to her husband, who had been waiting. Gautama opened his arms to Ahalya, and they entered the ashram as renewed husband and wife. A purified heart Rama had told Gautama, but Gautama in all his wisdom was still suspicious. Every glance in her direction was laced with wariness.
She played his good wife, but bided the time. In the years that passed, she even provided the old sage with a son. Ahalya could not say that she did not love him, Shatananda, with every ounce of her being. When she finally rid herself of Gautama, she would take her precious boy with her.
One day, there was a moment when Gautama was too happy attending to Shatananda to notice anything amiss. Ahalya slipped the herb she had collected the day Rama had released her, into Gautama's tea. That night, while he rested in the deepest sleep of his existence, she approached him, ready to fulfill her purpose. To enact justice against a punishment undeserved.
"No Ahalya," came a voice that had haunted her moments in stone. The sudden presence of the king of the gods did not go unnoticed. Even Gautama shifted slightly in his drugged slumber. Ahalya could feel him reach to her, but jumped back, her teeth bared.
"Do not dare touch me again," she hissed at Lord Indra, raising the knife at him. Even though she had committed the highest disrespect, Indra only frowned with sadness and slight pain in his eyes. He reached again, this time for the knife in Ahalya's hand, and she finally saw that it was now a thousand eyes covering his radiant skin. He used her surprise at his modified curse to wrench the knife from her hand.
"You would live to regret that choice more than a thousand years turned to stone," he whispered, eyes lingering a little too long. Disgusted and infuriated, Ahalya stormed out of the ashram. The world around the ashram seemed to hold its breath. She felt the gods watching her and she cursed them in her heart.
Was she not allowed to have justice? Was she not allowed to be compensated for the loss of a thousand years in stone?
Suddenly, at the sight of her Shatananda sleeping soundly under the stars, she burst into silent tears. Had she murdered Gautama while he was under the influence of her herbal deceit, would she have been any better than Indra? And her punishment may have been such that she lost everything, including her son.
Falling to her knees, Ahalya wept until dawn. She hadn't noticed Indra sit next to her, but the sunlight glittering off the deity's jewels caught her attention. The eyes along his arms seemed to blink. Even though his curse had been changed, it was still a constant reminder of what he had done. He was to be remembered as the deva who had seduced and deceived a sage's wife for his own purpose. As king of gods, he had thought he was entitled to her beauty, the finest beauty of Brahma's own creation. But he was a misguided fool.
Sometimes, we served punishments for our own actions. Sometimes, we accepted punishments for the actions of others. And sometimes, it seems, we are punished for an uncontrollable existence. As Indra stared ahead, what must have been millennia spread before him, Ahalya saw that born as king of the gods, arrogance and entitlement was his true curse.
But then she supposed, beauty had been hers.
Statue of a woman crying, "Her body hardened by a curse, but her heart hardened by time". Source: Pixabay
Bibliography
R K. Narayan. The Ramayana [Print].
"Ahalya". Website: Wikipedia
"Gautama Maharishi". Website: Wikipedia
*Author's Note: I didn't really like how Ahalya's story went in Narayan's Ramayana. In Narayan's version, Indra (king of the gods) desired her greatly as the most beautiful of Brahma's creations. He slept with her by disguising himself as her husband Gautama. Gautama, the same older man who had raised her, turned Ahalya into granite for the infidelity and also cursed Indra. Several versions suggest that she actually saw through Indra's trickery. So maybe she was wrong, but did she deserve that punishment? Here, I imagined that as a statue for a thousand years until Rama saved her, the heavy weight of the curse indeed burdened her, and she absolved to seek justice for herself. In the retelling, I didn't want to portray her as a plotting, vengeful woman, but one who had suffered centuries for a single mistake. I also wanted to make it ambiguous whether she actually hates Indra for what happened, or if she had consented to it as some versions allude to. I felt that with either, even if she had the chance to explain or 'apologise', Gautama would have punished her regardless. In the version I read, Gautama said her body should be 'hardened' into 'shapeless' stone since she 'sinned' with it. Thus, it seemed she had also paid a price directed at her beauty. So was the punishment pure or out of spite? An eye for an eye, so maybe Ahalya deserved to take her pound of flesh.
This story was great Daana! I read the PDE version of the Ramayana, so I have not read the story in which yours was based off of. However, I can tell by reading your authors note how much thought went into your plot. It seems as if you really looked into the personalities of each character and processed how they would react to the situations they found themselves in. As a result, I felt really connected to the characters.
ReplyDeleteVery compelling story here, Daana! I have been reading the public domain edition of the Ramayana, and, while I notice the similar characters and themes, am not fully aware of the basis of your story. That being said, I found the information you outlined in the authors note very insightful and informative. One thing I really admire about your writing is the dramatic element you bring to it by being so descriptive and laying subtle events out in a specific order. Great job!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAs the other two comments said, I have been reading the PDE version so am not familiar with this, but the story was very enthralling because you were very descriptive. Even the word choice/etc. Your authors note did a good job outlining the events and differences. The only recommendation would be maybe breaking the story up (like using more spaces between paragraphs) so it is easier for the reader. I look forward to seeing more of your writing!