Week 9 Story: Damayanti and the Messenger

Damayanti opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Starting back in the mirror was her reflection. The girl in front of her was glowing with happiness, adorned in an opulent and stunning bridal dress. She knew today was the day that would change her life forever. She was going to marry Nal. Nal. Her heart flooded with warmth at the thought of his name. Her future husband was handsome, kind, smart, and virtuous. She loved him even though she had never laid eyes on him.

Damayanti and Nal’s love story was a whirlwind romance. Her father had wanted her betrothed to one of the gods, but Nal had captured her heart instead. She saw how her friends would swoon over how dashing and heroic Nal was and was amused by how they would fawn endlessly over this mysterious man. However, as she learned more about his true and honorable character, she fell for him too. She never dreamed that he would’ve returned her secret unrequited feelings for him. However, one day, she was wandering in the garden with her friends and she came upon a graceful swan. Upon approaching it, the swan dropped a message at her feet. Curious, she opened the letter and her heart burst. It was a love letter from Nal, eloquently written. She was joyous, unable to believe her good fortune. She wrote him back and their love story began.

And now… she was living a dream come true. She was going to marry her Prince Charming and they were going to begin their charmed life together. The thought that they hadn’t met each other still plagued her, but she knew that he was her soulmate. Through their letters, she discovered that they were kindred spirits and he was better than she could’ve imagined. She was in awe of him, but a small part of her still feared that she wouldn’t be enough for him. Would he be disappointed with who she was when he would finally see her? No… their love was stronger than that, right? That small bit of doubt ate at her as she looked upon herself in the mirror.

Suddenly, a male voice from the other end of the room roused her out of her thoughts. “Hello, fair Princess.”

“Hello,” she replied cautiously. “Who are you?”

The strange man cleared his throat and said, “I’m the messenger for the Gods and they still want to vy for your hand. Do you desire to choose any one of them as a worthy husband?”

She jerked in surprise. “Dear sir, you do know I am betrothed to someone else, no?”

“Yes, but it’s not too late to change your mind,” the messenger prodded gently. “A God is a god. They have unlimited power and wealth. Don’t you want a comfortable life filled with power and luxury? Although Nal is a great Maharajah, he’s still a mere human.”

At this point, Damayanti felt indignant. What did this strange messenger know about her desires or needs?

Keeping her voice steady and poised, she replied, “My heart belongs to Nal and no one else. There is no other god or man I could ever want. I don’t need riches or luxury to bring me happiness, I just need love. And Nal is a good man and I love him dearly. With all due respect, kind messenger, please send this message back to the gods and let them know I will not change my mind.”

Turning around from her mirror, she finally got a real look at the messenger. Her heart skipped a beat because she could see how handsome he was. However, it wasn’t his striking looks that enraptured her. It was the look of tenderness and adoration in his eyes as he gazed at her. His gaze was filled with wonder, as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

She took a step closer to him, drawn to this mysterious stranger. Looking him straight in the eyes, she asked, “Who are you, really? I don’t think you are who you say you are. Please be honest with me.”

Although her heart already knew the answer, the man murmured softly, “I am Nal and you have given me the greatest answer I could have ever hoped for. I will see you at the altar, my sweet Princess.”

With that final answer, he sped swiftly away, leaving her in shock. Looking back in the mirror, she felt more determined and confident. Whatever doubt she had floated away. Nal loved her with his whole heart and their meeting had proven that. She draped her veil over her face and gazed upon the bride that looked before her. It was time for the beginning of her new life and she was ready. With another deep breath, she walked over the door and opened it. Stepping through the door, she took the first step towards her new life with Nal.

Author's Note: I read Sunity Deeve's Nine Ideal Indian Women this week and out of the four women, Damayanti's story made the strongest impression on me. It was so romantic, despite the challenges that they meet upon the way. I also liked that their relationship was built on mutual respect of one another even though they never saw each other when they fell in love. I highly recommend reading their story since it's full of twists and turns. My story only shows a short glimpse into their relationship, but I hope it's enough for the reader to seek out more of their story. 

Bibliography 

Nine Ideal Indian Women  by Sunity Deeve (1919)

Damayanti and Nal

Source: Wikimedia Commons