The Jamun Fruit

I recently read a beautiful novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakuruni, titled "The Palace of Illusions". It is a retelling of the Mahabaratham from the point of view of Draupadi. Beautifully written, one can easily see the young scared girl grow into a strong queen and become the vengeful woman responsible for the Kurukshetra War. Draupadi goes through the motions of falling in love, being unconventionally married to five men, forced to undergo a harsh lifestyle due to the Pandava's misgivings, and be jealous at the other wives these men chose to take; basically, she is portrayed as any other normal woman with insecurities and the strength to face them. It is a wonderfully written book and I would highly recommend it to anyone asking.

One subplot that really caught my eye was the love Draupadi had for Karna. The book states that when her Swayamvaram was planned, an artist showed Draupadi a portrait of Dhuryodhana, and she found herself gazing at Karna, who was also in the painting.

This "crush" grows into a more profound liking that is thwarted only because both Krishna and Draupadi's brother intervene when Karna tries to participate in the Swayamvaram challenge. To avoid a fight, Draupadi steps down and asks Karna if he knows of his lineage, knowing well that he does not. A humiliated Karna swears vengeance on her. It is because of this, according to the book, that Karna issues the order to remove Draupadi's clothes. 

During the war, when Karna visits the dying Bheeshma, it is shown that he, too, has strong feeling for Draupadi. It is just that both their egos are too big to accept and apologize to one another. Thus, from the beginning, the mingling of love versus duty shape the entire book into a beautiful story.

In all the traditional versions of the Mahabaratham that I have thus far encountered, there is no mention of this forbidden love story. However, I later found that this was a result of a Jain folklore that was worked into their version of the epic. 

The story goes as follows....

Apparently, while in exile, the Pandavas and Draupadi stumbled upon a little grove. There, a single Jamun tree stood. There was a very ripe, low hanging fruit and Draupadi plucked it without a second thought. As soon as she held it in her hands, the tree spoke, saying that the fruit she plucked was hanging there for 12 years and it was being preserved for the Rishi who had been meditating. He was going to end his tapas later that day and his first meal in those 12 years was to be that fruit. However, now that Draupadi had plucked it, the Rishi will go hungry and she would have to face the consequences. 

Hearing this, a flustered Draupadi calls out to her husbands to help fix the fruit back. They all try, but in vain.

The tree then says, "Draupadi, if you had the power of chastity then you, yourself, could put the fruit back"

Surprised, Draupadi states she is completely faithful to her five husbands, even more so, only the one she is supposed to be with for that year. The tree refuses and says that she is not being truthful. Digging deeper, Draupadi states she loves Krishna, but only as a brother and nothing more. When she tries re-attaching the fruit, it doesn't work. A frustrated Draupadi asks the tree for help and the tree responds by stating that there must be someone else. 

That is when Draupadi realizes and confesses her hidden feelings for Karna, stating that "If I had married him, I would not have been gambled away, publicly humiliated and called a whore". Thus now, with a clear conscience, Draupadi is able to attach the fruit back to the tree.

This is why it is said that Jamun fruits color your tongue purple. One must be absolutely truthful and clear of sin to avoid the discoloration. The moral of this fascinating tidbit is that when one accepts the truth, even if its a sin, they are cleared of any demerit that their actions might have caused (I guess I better start confessing that I ate those cookies... :) )

It's these kind of stories that makes me wonder how many facets to these epics there are. Reading "The Palace of Illusions", I was able to see the Mahabaratham from a completely different angle. Although tedious, I think it would be amazing if there was a way to see it from the view of the Kauravas, other Queens, Maids etc. We focus so much on the heroics of the Pandavas that sometimes we forget that there are multiple sides to a story and maybe, just maybe...

...not everything is as it seems!

Coffee

The frigid morning air caressed her, seeping through the woolen blanket. The dark clouds enveloped her house, shrouding it in a dewy shawl. Shuddering awake, she blinked the drowsiness away and stood. Grumbling slightly at the cold and even more at how late she was going to be for work, she hurriedly dressed and stepped out into the windy city...just as the first rain drops began to fall.

As she commenced the tedious walk to her office, the aphotic skies menacingly followed, escorted by boisterous winds. The relentless rain finally forced her to accept that she would have to step indoors for a while. Spotting a little yellow cafe, she decided to go in and wait out the storm. Being late for work, already, what more would a few extra minutes do?!

The cafe was a quaint little place; a few cozy sofas next to a bookshelf haphazardly adorned with old classics in various levels of wear and tear. The floor was an array of whimsically patterned rugs on which mismatched tables and chairs were delicately placed. Although the bizarre layout was laughable, the rhythmic thumping of the rain on the crooked windows made the whole cafe seem warm and inviting. The only thing that looked out of place was what seemed to be a new stainless steel counter to the left of the door. On it's shiny surface stood a glass jar, next to which, a sign read "PAY HERE". A couple dismal copper coins lay at the bottom.

Brushing off some of the water from her now damp clothes, she frowned as she took in the peculiarity of the place. Curious to see what she could find, she walked up to the bookshelf. A particular gilded title caught her attention and she picked it up. Book in hand, she made herself comfortable on an old, worn, green couch. Flipping to the first page, she studied the timeless words and tried to make sense of what she was holding.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife", she read. Puzzled, but too distracted with mentally preparing for the meetings she had, to care, she mindlessly thumbed through the aged pages, looking up at the window every once in a while to see if the storm had stopped.

Yawning, she was about to get up and find something else to do when she spotted him. He was right behind the jar on the counter and she was very surprised that she hadn't noticed him before.

She could tell he was rich, perhaps Colombian or Brazilian, and that roused her excitement. Gazing shamelessly with an unbridled desire, she observed that he was tall, dark and definitely strong. He was hot, perhaps a bit too hot for her, but she knew the more time she spent with him, the more compatible they would be. The sweet but musky scent that lingered around him lured her and she knew, with certainty, that she could not leave without him.

As the rain slowly halted, the first rays of the hidden sun seeped through the window. The birds began their ritualistic morning song and she tore her gaze from him to look outside. The fresh drops on the flowers gave her a sense of peace. She knew what she had to do.

With a burst of confidence, she approached him, took him by the sleeve and walked out of the shop, stopping only briefly to drop a few crisp bills in the jar.

As she turned the corner, her phone beeped with a message that her morning meetings had been cancelled. Marveling at how much better her day was turning out to be, she held him tightly and walked into the sunlight.


Back at the Cafe...

On the couch by the window, lay a book long forgotten, marked with a fold on a yellowing page that read, "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you..."

Summer Travels -- Ironwood Pt 2

**Check out the first part here!!**

As most of you know, I was not at all enthusiastic about this trip. As we left to go for the trail, I was excited at the possibility of walking and gaining points on my new Fit Bit (which is great by the way). Gym shoes  soaked up the mud as we walked down to the trail. The sound of roaring water was enough to keep us moving. We took plenty of pictures on the way there. The stairs were made out of wood and swayed a bit as we went down. However, the descent wasn't that bad and it was actually a bit fun. When we reached the falls, my heart stopped. My God, it was amazing to see. White river rapids and such swirls rushing downwards. I just stood there awestruck at the majesty and beauty that water could show us.

Well, I was awestruck the first time. A little bit more the second time (the rapids were louder). By the 5th time, however, I was done. How much nature can a girl take?! I wanted to see something cool, like a bear, or a wolf or somethinggggg other than water.

We soon realized that the only cool place to visit after we hit ALL the trails, was a tiny family owned Chinese place. Ever heard of the term, don't judge a book by its cover? Well, don't judge a restaurant by its decor. They place was hideously decorated but oh my GOD the food. THE FOOD WAS SOOO GOOOOOD!! Probably the best Chinese/Thai food joint I have ever been to.

From there, we went back to the hotel and just chilled. Gossip, UNO, politics, music and everything else you can imagine when 10 very loud and fun loving people get together, accompanied our night. After another wonderful rest on the very soft bed in Comfort Inn (I should get discounts from them now for all the marketing that I'm doing for them, here), we headed home.

Honestly, although, I never was enthusiastic about this trip, I look back on the pictures and I can't help but marvel at the natural beauty of Ironwood. Its been over two years now since we went, and to this day, some of the best photos I have are from that place. The memories might be a bit fuzzy but I can still hear the white rapids, smell the musty earth, and feel the cool breeze..

So, is there magic in Nature? Visit Ironwood and let me know... :) Oh, and don't forget the Comfort Inn :P #marketingpoints

I lived to see Leonardo win an Oscar

Perhaps one of the most awaited days (except probably the Presidential Election, but honestly Leo > President). February 28th, was monumental. Leonardo DiCaprio, after a long excruciating 22 years of waiting, won an Oscar.

Now, my mom has an uncanny skill of making everything into a lecture. However, when I told her about Leonardo's grand win, what she said hit home.

 "See! he didn't give up".

Can you imagine fighting your way through gossip, rejections, failure, no opportunity, no money and working your way up only to have to wait 22 long years to get some recognition? I'm sure the academy had their reasons for making Leo wait so long, but still! It seems so unfair that Jared Leto could get an oscar and Leo couldn't!

Why didn't Leo boycott? He was nominated so many times and never won, he could have just said "Screw it, I'm not going to act anymore!" and it would have been in his right to do so. Infact, I'm sure many of his fans would have even supported the decision, just to put some heat on the Academy.

However, he didn't. He kept working towards his art, crafting it and perfecting it. Now I ask the question, why can't the Carnatic music industry be the same way?

When Sudha Raghunathan won the prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2013, there were so many protests. The great, so and so  never got the award, why did she get it? Where was her superiority in comparison to the great so and so? The worst part is, sometimes it was the great so and so who was offended and not just his/her fans. This has provoked a lot of animosity towards the committees that form the awards. It has created a lot of tension and many people have lost sight of what means the most; the art.

Yes, its frustrating if someone who came yesterday bags the award and you, who has been slaving way at it, doesn't get it. But that's how the field works! Many great artists have gone unrecognized. I have spoken to a few who've told me specifically to stay away from the entertainment field, because they were frustrated and annoyed from the lack of recognition. I do understand that sometimes there is a underlying hand of politics that plays (esp in Indian entertainment) in determining these awards, but the true greatness is not in receiving the award but rather what you do to get it.

Leo was persistent, he was patient, and moreover he respected his art. 22 years is a long time to wait for an award, but look at all the films he has given us throughout those years. To me, they are more valuable than any award. They teach me that being an artist is the highest form of recognition for anyone.

Can you honestly say after looking at Wolf at Wall Street, Titanic and Catch Me if You Can, that someone other than Leo could have done justice to those roles? No! The same way, can you look at Suprabatham, Baja Govindam and Katrinile and tell me that you can picture someone other than M.S. Subbalakshmi? I doubt it.

That, my friends, is the best award that an artist can get. Achieving that is much greater and much more difficult than getting a plaque or a tiny golden statue. Sure, its frustrating, sure it will make you mad. However, your day might not be too far away. The trick?

"Never give up"