Week 5 Story: Strong, Independent Sita
There Sita sat beneath the ashok tree in Ashok Vatika. Earlier Sita had witnessed her dear husband fighting the terrible Ravana. Now the sounds of war outside the garden walls began to grow faint. Oh, joyous day, thought Sita, has my beloved Rama defeated that monster?
The garden gates creaked open. Sita held her breath. In strode Rama, unscathed and all the more glorious from battle. Her heart leapt from her chest. She began to cry tears of joy. "Oh, Rama!" she cried. Sita got up and approached him with as much dignity as her happiness would allow.
However, as she came closer, she noticed his demeanor. He had a frown on his face, a cold look in his eyes. This stopped Sita in her tracks. "My lord and love, why do you appear this way? The day is won. You have achieved all that you had set out to do. There is no reason to be so... this."
Rama looked at Sita. His eyes pierced her like icy arrows into her soul and freezing her heart. "You are correct. I have achieved so much. But Sita, know that I have only come to set you free from your prison, and I cannot take you back. You resided in another man's home, and for so long... You are free to go on your own, and I wish you the best of luck wherever the gods may lead you."
His words shattered Sita's heart. She stood there, numb, while processing what he had just told her. The tears stopped flowing. The flames of anger filled where he heart had been. She took a few more steps to close the gap between them.
"Rama," she said, calmly smiling, "I have been trapped here for months, or has it been years? I have been tortured by rakshasis the entire time. I have had a demon king threaten me, demand that I marry him. All the while I would refuse him. I would pray to you and cry your name to the heavens. And yet you choose to doubt my purity and devotion to you?" Her eyes twitched.
Suddenly, the flames of Agni burst from her eyes, and Indra's thunder roared from her voice.
"DO YOU THINK I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT JUST TO BE TOSSED ASIDE BY THE MAN THAT I LOVE LIKE I AM NOTHING? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS WAR AND BLOODSHED IF YOU DO THIS?"
She took a deep breath.
"I have proved myself to you over and over again, and yet, for whatever reason, all of it is still not enough for you. Why should I keep wasting my time and energy for someone who in the end chose not to appreciate me and what I have done? I will do one last thing for you, Rama: I will go on my own, as you said I can. Know that if you ever realize your mistake and come looking for me to take you back, I will not. I am done playing these games with you, Rama. I wish you luck for when you become the new king of Adyodhya. I bid you farewell."
Rama could only stare in shock. His mouth opened and closed, but clearly he was at a loss for words. The others looked with mouths agape. Sita strolled past them and out of the gates of Ashok Vatika. "W-wait... Sita..." Rama manged to say.
But she kept going, head held high and eyes fixed ahead. She came to the edge of Lanka. She walked across the bridge back to the mainland. She went into the forest and continued far and away from them.
Sita looked though the trees and up to the heavens. "I am done. I am free," she whispered.
She cried.
Author's Note. This story is based off of the part of the Ramayana where Rama comes to retrieve Sita after defeating Ravana. Yet instead of finding her with love and joy, he comes to her in a cold manner. He tells her he cannot take her back and that she may leave to do as she pleases. Distraught, Sita refuses this and asks for a funeral pyre. She tosses herself into the flames, but Agni retrieves her, proving that she is indeed pure. Rama takes her back.
Like it seemed for others at this part in the story, Rama's treatment of Sita here seemed to come out of nowhere, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. I watched the second half of Sita Sings the Blues as well where Rama once again treats her so coldly and banishes her while pregnant. This made me feel like Rama, despite being such a hero, is a terrible husband. Sita deserved better. So here I made it to where Sita leaves Rama. Like she said, why should she keep wasting her time and energy for someone who does not appreciate her or treats her terribly?
Bibliography. Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley, link to YouTube video.
The garden gates creaked open. Sita held her breath. In strode Rama, unscathed and all the more glorious from battle. Her heart leapt from her chest. She began to cry tears of joy. "Oh, Rama!" she cried. Sita got up and approached him with as much dignity as her happiness would allow.
However, as she came closer, she noticed his demeanor. He had a frown on his face, a cold look in his eyes. This stopped Sita in her tracks. "My lord and love, why do you appear this way? The day is won. You have achieved all that you had set out to do. There is no reason to be so... this."
Rama looked at Sita. His eyes pierced her like icy arrows into her soul and freezing her heart. "You are correct. I have achieved so much. But Sita, know that I have only come to set you free from your prison, and I cannot take you back. You resided in another man's home, and for so long... You are free to go on your own, and I wish you the best of luck wherever the gods may lead you."
His words shattered Sita's heart. She stood there, numb, while processing what he had just told her. The tears stopped flowing. The flames of anger filled where he heart had been. She took a few more steps to close the gap between them.
"Rama," she said, calmly smiling, "I have been trapped here for months, or has it been years? I have been tortured by rakshasis the entire time. I have had a demon king threaten me, demand that I marry him. All the while I would refuse him. I would pray to you and cry your name to the heavens. And yet you choose to doubt my purity and devotion to you?" Her eyes twitched.
Suddenly, the flames of Agni burst from her eyes, and Indra's thunder roared from her voice.
"DO YOU THINK I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT JUST TO BE TOSSED ASIDE BY THE MAN THAT I LOVE LIKE I AM NOTHING? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS WAR AND BLOODSHED IF YOU DO THIS?"
She took a deep breath.
"I have proved myself to you over and over again, and yet, for whatever reason, all of it is still not enough for you. Why should I keep wasting my time and energy for someone who in the end chose not to appreciate me and what I have done? I will do one last thing for you, Rama: I will go on my own, as you said I can. Know that if you ever realize your mistake and come looking for me to take you back, I will not. I am done playing these games with you, Rama. I wish you luck for when you become the new king of Adyodhya. I bid you farewell."
Rama could only stare in shock. His mouth opened and closed, but clearly he was at a loss for words. The others looked with mouths agape. Sita strolled past them and out of the gates of Ashok Vatika. "W-wait... Sita..." Rama manged to say.
But she kept going, head held high and eyes fixed ahead. She came to the edge of Lanka. She walked across the bridge back to the mainland. She went into the forest and continued far and away from them.
Sita looked though the trees and up to the heavens. "I am done. I am free," she whispered.
She cried.
Wall decal of Ashok Vatika
Web Source: Wikimedia Commons
Author's Note. This story is based off of the part of the Ramayana where Rama comes to retrieve Sita after defeating Ravana. Yet instead of finding her with love and joy, he comes to her in a cold manner. He tells her he cannot take her back and that she may leave to do as she pleases. Distraught, Sita refuses this and asks for a funeral pyre. She tosses herself into the flames, but Agni retrieves her, proving that she is indeed pure. Rama takes her back.
Like it seemed for others at this part in the story, Rama's treatment of Sita here seemed to come out of nowhere, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. I watched the second half of Sita Sings the Blues as well where Rama once again treats her so coldly and banishes her while pregnant. This made me feel like Rama, despite being such a hero, is a terrible husband. Sita deserved better. So here I made it to where Sita leaves Rama. Like she said, why should she keep wasting her time and energy for someone who does not appreciate her or treats her terribly?
Bibliography. Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley, link to YouTube video.
Hi, Molly!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that I don’t like how Rama treated Sita the way he did. He might be a good king, but he definitely was not a good husband. Just like what you did, I didn’t let Rama break her heart even more. I didn’t allow Rama to find Sita in the first place, so that he will not be able to question about her purity.
Hi, Molly. I like how you made Sita take over her own destiny. She didn't beg for Rama's love, she accepted how Rama felt and decided she was going to be strong and do what is best for her. Sita decided Rama wouldn't have any more control over her or her heart. You did a really good job changing this part of the story and I'm glad you did because I hated how Rama treated Sita as well.
ReplyDeleteMolly, I love your version of this story! I read another version from another classmate and she ended it similarly, where Sita did not accept Rama questioning her. I love how you displayed her emotions calmly, almost in a disturbing manner, then fiercely and then strong again. I definitely didn't like how it ended and so I really do enjoy seeing people create Sita in a stronger sense. Rather than her crying for leaving, I do love how you had her cry because she was finally free from all of the torture. Great job on the story!
ReplyDelete