It was a gloomy morning in exile as I woke up in the forest to a cloudy sky and the sun no where to be seen. I spent the morning doing my normal routinely tasks, but I felt as if something about the day was off. I just had one of those feelings. Later that morning my husbands, the Pandavas, went off to gather food for the week. I was left to be watched over by Sage Trunabindu while they were gone. As I stood there in the forest, a man named Kotikasya came up to me. I felt no harm from him as he gave off a very innocent vibe. He asked me who I was, wondering what my identity was. I informed him that I am Draupadi, wife of the Pandava brothers. This man was humorous and quite frankly lightened my day. The day that started off so gloomy suddenly became a little brighter. The man left after a while, and I was left in somewhat of a confused state of mind. It was such a random encounter, but I felt no fear of him. I went on to continue my duties for the day and things went back to normal as I waited and waited for the Pandavas to come back, with Trunabindu still watching guarding over me. Later on that afternoon, another man approached me. This time, I didn't quite feel the same innocent vibe as I had from Kotikasya. His name was Jayadratha, and at first he made small talk with me, but then got right to his point. He asked for my hand in marriage. I was caught off guard and almost speechless. I was infuriated actually. "Who do you think you are? Why do you think you can just come up to me and demand I be your wife? I think it is time for you to leave! I am a married woman already!" I could tell he was furious with my words, and would refuse to take no as an answer. This is when things really went south. I'm not sure where Trunabindu had gone at this very moment, but I was alone and defenseless. Jayadratha used that to his advantage, and grabbed me into his arms and took off.
Image Information: Draupadi's Abduction:
Wikimedia
I was screaming and kicking and trying every which way to get out of his grip, but nothing was working. He was taking me toward his kingdom, and all I could think was, "Oh, no no no no, this is not good!" As time went by I began to feel more and more doubtful that I would be rescued. I wasn't sure if I would ever see my husbands again. But then, a miracle happened. I caught sight of Arjuna and Bhima. I knew right away that they were sent here to rescue me! My heart flooded with happiness and tears poured down my face! I'm saved! They wanted to kill Jayadratha for his wrong doing, but I had something else in mind. I wanted him to suffer as a slave for the rest of his life! And that he did.
Author's Note:
I decided to do my storytelling post for this week on Draupadi's abduction, because I thought it would be cool to tell it from her perspective. I changed it up a little bit to make it a little bit more modernized, and for her to have thoughts that a woman in today's time would think if a random man came up to her like that. I wanted to keep it simple and to the point. I also changed the reasoning of the ending a bit. In the actual story, Draupadi wants to keep Jayadratha a slave so that his wife will not become a widow, but I wanted her to sound a bit more revengeful by wanting him to a slave so he can suffer.
Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.
Hey Alyssa, This is a great retelling of this story. I like that you did it in first person because it added some personality to the character. In the Mahabrata (Probably mispelled) she really just seems like a possession rather than a human being. There is the one scene in which she is getting on to her husbands, and I like that in your version she is kicking and screaming as she is being taken because it made her seem feisty, just like when she was getting on to her husbands to avenge her honor. Great Job.
ReplyDeleteThis was an awesome story to read! I think you captured an awesome moment to write about because an abduction is so interesting to read- especially since you made it from her perspective. I like that you modernized it to a woman's perspective because as a woman, I'm sure I would have some of the same thoughts if I was put in that situation. Also, I liked that you wanted him to be a slave instead of killing him. That'll definitely make him regret what he did! Great post.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I really enjoyed your take on Draupadi’s abduction this week. I thought it was so interesting to read it from her perspective and in a more modern tone. I like to imagine these stories in modern times because it makes them more relatable! I thought that your entire story was very clear and consise. I loved the image you chose. I think it perfectly characterizes her emotions at the moment. Great job! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa, it was nice to be reading your stories again. It was interesting to read from a first person point of view unlike the version in the Mahabharata. The story did a great job of portraying her emotions. It was also a good and smooth read. Overall I thought it was a great story and I hope to be back to read more.
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa! I'm pretty sure I have visited your page a different time in the semester and I definitely loved your story just as much as last time! I really love when people tell story's from the other person's point of view! I think you did a really great job and definitely kept my interest the whole time!! Great job!
ReplyDelete